Once again, this trimester proceeded very similarly to how it did with Sonia. I didn’t have any heartburn or major complaints to speak of, and remained rather small. It wasn’t until about 36wks that I had to slow down at Cardio Barre, and I continued going until 38wks. I also worked up until 38wks.
The one major difference was that this time I was referred to the perinatologist for a sizing ultrasound at 37wks since I was measuring so far behind. They found him to be small ~10%, but with adequate fluid and umbilical blood flow, which is what I suspect they would have found if they’d referred me with Sonia as well. However, they still put me on additional monitoring of weekly ultrasounds and Non-Stress Tests for the duration of my pregnancy. This felt very much like overkill, but it was good to see him continue to grow and know everything was okay.
The other major difference was that I was more cautious with my activity level since I didn’t want a repeat of my water breaking before labor started as it did with Sonia, especially since I was GBS positive this time, which put me and the baby at a higher risk of infection with pre-mature membrane rupture.
My reduced activity level seems to have worked, since here I am a week past my due date and still waiting on baby boy. I got my first contractions shortly after taking Sonia to Travel Town at 2 days past my due date. They then came on stronger the next morning, and were even coming 5 minutes apart for awhile. I was about to call Eric home when they just stopped. I got a few more on and off that afternoon and evening, and was hopeful that things would progress overnight, but instead they stopped cold again when I went to bed, and did not restart.
I went to the back-up OB at 5 days past due (since my OB was out of town attending a white house dinner), and she said I was 1-2cm dilated and “ready to go.” Based on the perinatologist’s recommendation, she suggested I schedule an induction for 41 wks, and so I set the date for Monday morning (41w+1d, and when my OB would be back), and then tried everything short of castor oil to go into labor naturally this weekend, including acupuncture. The acupuncture was interesting. They placed needles in between my thumb and forefinger, and a little bit above my ankle, and then stimulated them with electric pulses for ~15 mins. The hand was relatively uncomfortable because if it stimulated too hard it would cause my finger and thumb to seize together, but it wasn’t painful, and I did get contractions while I was on the table today! I suspect they will die away again, like all the others tonight, but either way, we’re having this baby tomorrow!