37 Weeks- Breech Baby

Each week brings new emotions for the Gatewood's. Happiness that the baby is doing so well despite them diagnosing me with IUGR  around 35 weeks. The baby continues to show off during the ultrasounds and biophysical profiles but the doctor keeps saying she thinks the baby is small. My amniotic fluid level is at 9 which is on the lower end. Anything 5-25 is normal. She is concerned about the fluid levels and says it is normal to drop a little towards the end of pregnancy.

We were told to come in at 37 weeks prepared to have the baby. I wasn't prepared because I knew the baby would do well on the BPP once again, and it did. My mom met me at the doctor since Kyle wasn't sure he would be able to make it. Luckily he could make it so I had 2 people to help me through yet another doctor appt. Despite all of my exercises at home and chiropractor visits, the baby is still breech. I have had such high hopes that this baby will flip but it seems to be content in his/her position. Why is the baby breech? I have no idea! I have several theories on it such a cord placement, low lying placenta, heart shaped uterus but I have no idea what is causing the baby to shove their head into my ribs.

Doctor Butler started talking about a c-section on Monday and I felt the tears coming. It didn't help that I was pantless because the nurse said she would check my cervix since I am 37 weeks. Crying in a doctor's office with no pants on..pregnancy. She didn't check my cervix because she is convinced I am having a c-section. Kyle, dressed in his scrubs and scrub cap, immediately asked about the procedure, recovery and what her OR days were. I wasn't ready to hear any of it so I just let him ask while I tried to not lose it. She said Tues, May 27th would probably be the day.

The thought of a c-section is terrifying to me. It makes me feel anxious, scared and sad. But each week that I go to the doctor, there is another huge obstacle against me and I am forced to accept it a little more. That, for me, means I have to cry. I cried a lot on Monday and Tuesday. I know at some point I will get over it and accept it, but I wasn't there yet.

I have had an upset stomach since Sunday evening and it just got worse yesterday. I ran some errands after work and felt like I was going to be sick in Target. I decided it was stress and it was best to come home and relax for a little while. I was laying on our bed watching TV when Doctor Butler called. The week of Memoral Day is booked up so how did I feel about Friday, May 23rd?

Kyle was on a run (yes, you read that right..he has started working out!) so I had no one to bounce this idea off of. I could barely answer her. My only conflict that day is a hair appt. Oh and the fact that I don't want to schedule the birth of my first child via c-section!

I can't get this picture to turn, but this is how I felt. Which seems appropriate because my head was spinning 

We were planning on having Memorial Day weekend to enjoy and go to my parents and cookout and prepare. So now, with this new plan, this upcoming weekend is it for us as a family of 2. But my mom made a good point that the earlier this happens, the less time I have to obsess and worry about it. It seems inevitable at this point, so my task now is to find a way to accept it. I feel better this morning after doing some reading about c-sections and Kyle telling me that I will recover just fine. I'm healthy and in good shape so I will bounce back.

It still doesn't mean I am 100% ok with it, but maybe as each day passes, I will feel excitement over meeting our baby instead of dread about the c-section.

I read this blog and she has such a great outlook. Baby is healthy, we have tons of family to help and Kyle has been such a support to me during these last few weeks. It's time to let go of my control over this and focus on becoming a mom.

36 Weeks

Here I am! All 36 weeks of me, headed out to pour wine for the richy rich at the Philbrook Wine Experience on Saturday. I stood on my feet from 2-4 on Friday and then 6-9 on Friday night and those puppies were barking when I woke up on Saturday. I relaxed most of the day, preparing myself to be on my feet again Sat night for the dinner. But luckily I was given a chair to sit in, so the night was much more enjoyable. I poured wine for about 3 tables and one of the tables was so sweet and kept asking me about the baby and how I felt.

Getting a nice walk in even though my feet feel like they might explode

Today we went in for another biophysical profile ultrasound and appt. Baby is doing very well and once again, passed with flying colors. The BPP measures the lung movement, body movement and heart rate.

The baby was very active, probably due to the Fritos I ate while I was getting ready. The baby is still breech and then the doctor told me that she won't do an ECV on me. Bummer. She said with the small size of the baby, she doesn't want to put that stress on it which could result in am emergency c-section. I understand her reasoning, but I am still bummed that option has been taken off the table.
Best case scenario: the baby continues to pass the BPP and I can stay pregnant longer, which increases my chances of the baby flipping and me going into natural labor.
Worst case scenario: we go in next week or any subsequent appt and the baby doesn't do well on the BPP and they decide it is best for the baby to be delivered via c-section (if baby is still breech).

Basically, when I go in next week at 37 weeks, I need to be prepared to have the baby. Car seat and co-sleeper are getting completed this weekend, along with me packing a bag.

I started seeing a chiropractor in hopes that she can make some adjustments which will encourage the baby to flip. While I know that the health of the baby is most important and that a c-section is not the end of the world, I would like to do everything I can to avoid it. One of the most frustrating parts of all this is that I leave each appt still feeling anxious about the baby's position and possible scheduled c-section. I wish that I could go in each week and get a perfect report and walk out thinking I could go into labor at any time and push out a baby. There is still time to let this baby flip, so let's all keep our fingers crossed!

35 Weeks

Today, I am 35 weeks pregnant! Last Friday at our 34 week appt, my fundal height measured 2 weeks behind. Doctor ordered an ultrasound and I went back on Tuesday for the ultrasound. The good part: the heartbeat was strong, the placenta is working well, my fluids levels are good and the weight of the baby was good at an estimated 4lbs 11oz. The bad part: the head and abdomen are measuring small and this little sucker is breech. The doctor called Tuesday night and said she looked over the info and said she isn't overly concerned but wants to go ahead and do an ultrasound every week until I deliver. 

I did exactly what you are not supposed to do, and started googling. And surprisingly, I didn't find any horror stories. It seems fairly common and most people either say their baby was just small or the measurements were a little off. We do have some small genes in our family so this little peanut could just be small. We got a good look at the face at our 4D ultrasound at 31 weeks so I don't think there are any abnormalities that I should be concerned with. And a lot of people have said that in this day and age, we have acccess to too much medical information and we end up worrying for no reason. We go back on Monday for another ultrasound and appt with our doctor. 

Now, onto the breech. Because I feel like I have some control over this (which is funny because you actually have no control over what these babies want to do while they are cooking), I am trying some tips to get the baby to turn. Cold ice pack, laying with my pevis above my head, walking, music. I have read several conflicting things: the baby settles in around 35 weeks and is unlikely to move or the baby can be breech until labor and will turn on its own. I will talk to the doctor more on Monday about our options such as ECV to turn the baby. 

Last Saturday was my lovely baby shower! Sammi, Elaina, and Harlan hosted at Sammi's house and it was beautiful! It felt like we just had my bridal shower there! Great group of guests and lots of great presents! 

Since the gender is unknown, I decided on a blue dress with pink nails. 

Our nursery is coming together and I love it! Our glider arrived, our changing table (custom gift from Sammi and Clark) is painted, and the presents just need to find homes. My task this weekend is to get everything organized and ready to go. 

We also got our car seat (gift from Mom and Dad) and that will need to be installed. We went with the Chicco KeyFit 30 Magic. It was exclusive to Babies R US and was quite the ordeal to get it ordered, but Mom and I persisted and got it completed and it arrived 2 days after we ordered. 

In 5 days, May will arrive and that means things are about to get real! We are continuing to stay positive that everything is A-OK with the baby and he/she will continue to grow and will arrive healthy and hopefully head down :) 

32 Weeks

This past Friday we reached the 32 week mark. At 31 weeks, we went to our 4D ultrasound that Bryan and Erin gave us for Christmas. Since we didn't get any good images the first try, this was our redo.

I used this as an excuse to drink a pop (Orange Fanta from Sonic) so the baby would be very active. That little bugger was still trying to hide their face! The tech worked with us for quite a while trying to get some good shots. We did get a cute picture of the eyes and adorable nose.

And  yes, the gender is still unknown.

The baby was head up at the 4D and I think it is chilling in the sideways position right now. The doctor said that they usually settle into their position around 35 weeks so we still have some time for it to move into head down. I read online that you can play music and put the headphones at your pelvic bone. Last night I was in bed and turned on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and the baby started kicking like crazy. Maybe the lovely sound of Marvin Gaye's voice will encourage baby to move on down there.

31 weeks
Fun fact: This shirt is not maternity, it is Merona from Target in a medium and it wonderfully stretchy and way cheaper than a maternity one. 

Left to right: 29 weeks, 31 weeks, 32 weeks

Still feeling wonderful and my main complaint varies daily: back pain or lack of sleep. On Friday morning, I woke up at 2:45 to use the bathroom and never went back to sleep. I finally got out of bed at 4am and went to the couch. I think I fell back asleep around 7am after Kyle went to work and slept til about 9. I felt like a zombie all day long on Friday. 

Kyle's parents arrive this coming Friday. My baby shower is on the 19th and Mary Lou wanted to make sure she was here to attend! Kyle is thrilled that they will be here during Masters weekend so the three of them can talk golf incessantly. 

Yesterday we spent the day in Edmond watching the girls play sports. Jordy had 2 soccer games and Allison had soccer and softball. Watching Allison play softball brought back so many memories for me! 

And on Friday, Lauren turned 10. How did that happen?! That sweet girl has been my sidekick since the day she was born and I didn't know how much I could love a child until she arrived. I have always loved babies/kids but she opened my heart to something entirely new. I will forever be grateful that we have such a great family dynamic that allows me to be so close with my nieces. 

Gender Surprise

The Today Show did a segment on this today and I felt it was finally time to throw my 2 cents in on the topic. They took a poll and 59% of people want to know the gender of their baby. \

I can't believe it has taken me this long (or I have been able to keep my mouth shut this long) about this. As I have said before, we are not finding out the gender of our baby. I have always wanted to do this and it only took a little convincing on my part to get Kyle on board. My brother and Erin didn't find out with Lauren and Justin and Stacy didn't find out with Henry. It seemed like the fun thing to do! Until people start asking what you are having...

I am going to rant here for a minute. Whether or not YOU think we should find out, it is OUR decision. I am probably being too harsh and annoyed easily about this, so I will blame it on the pregnancy hormones.

I cannot begin to tell you how many people have asked what we are having. And I would say about 80% of the responses are not exactly positive to our decision to be surprised. Here are some of my favorite responses when I say "we are waiting to find out":

"Oh, I could never do that! I have to know!"
"Why did you decide to do that? Most people want to find out"
"I am such a planner that I couldn't do that" - my personal favorite
"You know that isn't that much fun for everyone else. We want to know!"
"Oh, I wish I could find out and then not tell anyone" - yeah, cause if I don't know, I would want you to
"Well, are you at least telling the names you have picked out"

I love to plan things. I love to decorate my house and buy things and feel prepared. And you know what, I do feel prepared. We will have diapers, a place for the baby to sleep, food and clothing. We have decided to do the nursery after the baby arrives and I don't need your opinion on how much I won't feel like doing that after the baby, or how I will wish I had the nursery finished in case I want to put the baby in the crib instead of using our co-sleeper in our bedroom.

I have gotten plenty of positive responses, as well. And I greatly appreciate those people and I love to talk with them about how exciting the surprise will be. I know that people don't intend to annoy me or come across as rude, but it gets really old.

I cannot begin to imagine how exciting that moment will be in the delivery room when the doctor announces the gender. Kyle and I get to have that special moment with each other and I hope that moment lasts with me forever.

(end rant)

Third Trimester

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I post most of the pregnancy pics there. Last Friday, at 28 weeks, I hit the beginning of the third trimester! While I can't believe it is going this fast, I also can believe it because I told myself that it would and I told myself to enjoy every moment of my first pregnancy.

I know this is silly, but I am already a little sad at the thought of not being pregnant anymore. I really enjoy being pregnant and it is such a wonderful thing to feel my baby kick. And people are just very into you while you are pregnant. Not that I am saying I need all the attention, but it is so sweet to see people genuinely love to see you and your belly and ask how you are doing.

But I also know that once I have that baby in my arms, I probably won't even miss being pregnant! I will be so consumed with my baby that I won't even think about these times. But for the next 11 weeks, I am trying to enjoy each moment with just me and the baby.

28 weeks

29 weeks

Leggings are saving my sanity right now. It's about all I wear. I have purchased a few maternity items (the striped top is maternity from Target) but I am trying not to spend too much on clothes. Especially since I have 11 weeks to go. I purchased 2 maxi dresses from Old Navy that I plan to completely wear out in the upcoming weeks!

At 28 weeks, I took my blood glucose test. The drink tastes like really sweet orange Fanta, and I love me some orange Fanta. It does have a ton of glucose in it, so it made me feel blah the rest of the day. On Monday, they called to tell me that something happened with my blood work and I would need to retake the test. Blah. I hate having my blood drawn. Hate it! So I went back on Wednesday morning and did the whole thing again. Blood glucose levels came back just fine at 71.

Apparently I have hit the emotional time during my pregnancy and I have decided that I can cry over almost anything. It is ridiculous and can also be hilarious at times. Kyle is pretty sure I'm crazy but he does a great job of not telling me that until I am over my "moment".

I have started some registry work online at Target and Buy Buy Baby and I still need to go push around some strollers to see what feels the best. I will take any advice on strollers, there are so many options!

Enough about me, let's talk about a new baby. My cousin, Katie, welcomed her daughter, Olivia, on Tuesday! She was a little early, but she is doing great! Katie always thought that the doctors office was a week late in determining her due date so she may not have been as early as they thought. Katie's blood pressure had gotten pretty high and she had some swelling and wasn't feeling great. She didn't have preeclampsia but her doctor said she was most likely going to develop it. She was 80% effaced and dilated to a 3. They decided it was best to have her go in on the morning of March 11th and get the party started. Everything went very well, she progressed as she was supposed to and that afternoon she quickly dilated from a 5 to a 10 and pushed 3 times and she was here!

Olivia Lee Lauck
6 lbs 2 oz & 21 inches long 

She came home weighing in around 5lbs, 7 oz. I am trying to figure out a time to go see this tiny little thing before I can't travel anymore.

Today is 3/14 or 3.14 (Pi Day). If you live in Tulsa, Antoinette Baking Co on Brookside is one of my favorite places and they are making all kind of pies today to celebrate. I am most definitely indulging in one of their treats today!

26 Weeks Bumpdate & More!

Hello! I didn't intend on being MIA for this long! So first, I will start with a pregnancy update.

Leaving for Florida: 22 weeks 

23 weeks

24 weeks 

25 weeks 

26 weeks 

26 week front view 

how far along: 26 weeks

size of baby: Average size of fetus is 1.5lb to 2.2lb and the size of a head of lettuce 

total weight gain: 17ish lbs 

maternity clothes:  I have a few pieces of maternity clothing that I have worn (maxi dresses & a top) but I am still mainly wearing leggings and tunics. Plenty of my shirts still fit (as long as I don't have to button anything over my boobs). I can still wear my jeans and do the rubber band trick but they are getting a bit more uncomfortable. Leggings have always been a favorite of mine, and they are definitely crucial to me now! 

movement: Feeling lots of kicks! The baby is much more active in the mornings, which started around 22/23 weeks. My mom and Kyle have both gotten to feel the baby move. 

sleep: As long as nothing wakes me up (such as a full bladder), I'm still sleeping pretty well. 

cravings: Still wanting Mexican food, and lately I have wanted BBQ. Both are Kyle's least favorites. His favorite is steak and pot roast, both of which I want nothing to do with. 

symptoms: lower back pain, lots of bathroom breaks, hungry (especially after I workout) 

So on the weight gain thing...we went on vacation to Florida for 10 days. Which meant 10 days of eating and indulging in foods that are not normal to me. Kyle's family loves to eat (who doesn't) but I am either used to a) not being so hungry that I want to eat that stuff or b) being able to work out and still indulge with the family. I went for a few long walks on the beach with Mary Lou but it wasn't enough to burn off the calories I was consuming. The weekend after we returned home, I went to Dallas and co-hosted a baby shower for Katie which included breakfast casserole, cake and punch. And then Monday, I got to weigh in. 

I knew I had put on more weight than I planned. So once I got back to my regularly scheduled eating and working out, I lost some of that. So now, I am back on track and feeling great. I really try not to worry about the weight, and every time I put on a pair of leggings or pants that still fit, I rejoice a little. 

Now, onto other things! Kristin and I threw Katie an adorable "winter wonderland" themed baby shower in Dallas on Feb. 8th. It turned out to be a fairly chilly day, which was perfect for our theme! We had a hot chocolate bar (Kristin's great idea) and lots of delicious food. She is expecting a girl at the end of March and looks great! My favorite part of the shower was the onesie and headband decorating station we had. It was so much fun and all of the items turned out so cute! 

Bump love

Copycat picture from Kristin's shower

Momma's and their pregnant daughters

Katie is in the home stretch, she is due 4 weeks from this coming Friday! I will be 27 weeks on Friday, which means I need to kick it into high gear with a few things. We need to buy a rocking chair, tour the hospital, pre-register, take a birthing class (if we decide to do that) and pick a pediatrician. I am really starting to feel like a grown up...