38 Weeks and Jenny is Still Pregnant

BabyJ did her usual routine this morning at the doctor appointments: healthy heartrate, lots of movement, and spikes in her heartrate to match her activity level. The US showed normal amniotic fluid around her, and that the blood flows from the placenta and within BabyJ's body are normal. My blood pressure has remained 100/60, and my weight continues to creep up -- I registered 30 pounds above pre-pregnancy weight on the scale. The doctor was content to send me back home, still on rest, though I am now allowed to either a) increase my activity around the house a little, or b) walk around the block twice in a day. I am allowed out of the house for sedentary activities: to go to a movie or to get my hair cut, for example. Progress! We have a growth ultrasound next Tuesday, and if she maintains her growth, I may be allowed to go back to normal activity. If her growth falls off, induction is possible. The waiting game is hard, but knowing we are both healthy and stable is comforting.

I am asked regularly, "How are you doing?" Mentally I'm disappointed and frustrated at this forced rest; I would never choose this lifestyle for myself, and poor Jeff is doing pretty much everything for the household, about which I feel pretty guilty. Emotionally, I am far better off here at home, with Jeff, Abby, Cosmo, and BabyJ's stuff all around me than I was at the hospital. Physically, I am stiff and sore, though I have little water retention in my lower extremities so the painful leg cramps have disappeared completely. My butt hurts from all the sitting and reclining, and there are kinks in my back and ribs that come and go, depending on what resting positions I choose. My overall energy level is lower now that I am so inactive. BabyJ is growing, and breathing after a meal is becoming a challenge. Some nights I struggle for hours to find a comfortable position to sleep, turning from side to side seemingly every hour with frequent trips to the bathroom (since baby's head rests on my bladder). The physical challenges are probably due to being very pregnant rather than the bedrest, and I'm certain what I think is 'normal activity' for me would be impossible at this stage anyway. So I suppose I should be grateful for this opportunity to lay low before our lives get really crazy. But day after day in the same few rooms is getting pretty old.

"What do you do all day?" I read books and magazines, work on jumbles and crossword puzzles, do internet research, send emails, talk on the phone, eat regularly, and occasionally nap. Now and then I get a visitor. Sometimes I watch tv in evening, but the tube just hasn't held much lure for me. I am still monitoring a small group of students reviewing their algebra skills online, so there is some "work" to occupy my time, but it's low stress and most days doesn't take much time. And, of course, there are the doctor appointments to spice up my Tuesday mornings.

Thanks to everyone calling, emailing, asking if they can help, and being there for us during this challenging time. We know that BabyJ will be with us soon, and maybe these ultrasound images from today's check-up can help tide all of us over until her arrival. (These are similar to the ones we posted about 4 weeks ago, the first one being her face profile, and the second one being a frontal view of her face. The profile is certainly easier to make out, and I think it's the cross-section of the umbilical cord that looks a little like bubbles in the upper left part of the image.)