It's a Big Boy :)

Since I last posted, I've gotten much more pregnant and definitely more anxious to meet my new baby boy.  I still remember how difficult the newborn days are (via my 16 1/2 month old), so up until now, I've been perfectly satisfied with being patient and carrying baby Liam until he's good and ready to be here.  I haven't had any major swelling issues, my blood pressure has been good (excluding one bad home reading that resulted in a two hour trip to triage and a fun 24 hour urine collection - all which, by the way, came back with good results.)  I've made it much farther than I did with John Parker, who I delivered one day before I was 37 weeks - and with that pregnancy, I was ABSOLUTELY miserable for at least 4-5 weeks prior to delivery with MAJOR swelling.  So, this is the most pregnant I've ever been, and at 38 1/2 weeks, I feel pretty good.

Now, this week, at my 38 week checkup, my world was completely turned upside down.  Fortunately, Liam seems very healthy, and I have had no health problems or complications... but things are NOT going to go as planned.  Again, I have had to learn that God has my life completely in his control and I have to realize on a daily basis that my life belongs to Him.  My children are blessings from God and I am so incredibly thankful to have been so rewarded to be a mother.  So, with that said, I will explain why my checkup this week was so shocking to my type-A, perfectly planned second delivery...

Some back story...  Many people know that I REALLY wanted an intervention free, very natural and peaceful delivery with John Parker.  I had done everything in my power to ensure that would happen, and at 37 weeks, I was put unexpectedly in the hospital and induced immediately due to pre-eclampsia, and I endured an EXTREMELY difficult 15 hour delivery completely confined to a hospital bed and completely NOT intervention free.  I did, however difficult, manage to deliver vaginally and avoided a what-seemed-to-be-inevitable C-Section.

When I became pregnant with Liam, I knew I couldn't plan everything out according to my desires and wants - I realized there was a very good chance I could develop pre-eclampsia again (which, thankfully, I haven't) and I accepted that I might not have the dreamy delivery I had envisioned with my first child.  However, I assumed since I had covered the hurdle of delivering vaginally the first time, I would most likely have a slightly easier, quicker and possibly more peaceful second delivery.  Even when I started measuring 4 weeks ahead consistently at 28 weeks, I didn't become too alarmed.  Lots of babies measure way ahead and look like they will be very large and end up being average size babies.  I didn't even worry at 35 weeks, when my growth ultrasound showed an already 7 pound baby.  I still hoped he would level off and stop growing at such a fast pace.  Thursday, when I went for my weekly appointment, they decided to do a final growth ultrasound to check his weight because I was measuring still 4 weeks ahead.  The ultrasound showed his weight at a massive 9 pounds 4 ounces!  Not only was he very large for a 38 week baby, but his head measured at over 42 weeks, and most importantly, his shoulders were off the charts at >99%tile.  The ultrasound technician did 3 measurements to make sure she got the same numbers every time.  And, she did, 3 times.  As I was waiting to see the Doctor, I began to panic.  I knew the readings were close to accurate - the ultrasound technician told me they could be off by 1/2 a pound either way.  I have heard of women delivering 9 pound babies, but I was worried about being induced again and having a rough road - I held out hope that maybe the contractions I had experienced all last week were making my body progress into labor on its own.

Then, my whole thought process was shifted.  After my OB determined I was no more dilated than last week (1.5 - 2), I was still very thick and posterior and the baby was still very high, he said he wanted to "chat".  I thought he was going to put me in the hospital that day and induce me - because that's what chatting meant with my previous pregnancy.  Instead, he wanted to explain to me a major risk with large babies, particularly large babies with very broad shoulders, called shoulder dystocia.  You can google it if you want to know more, but basically, it is caused when the baby comes out head first, then gets stuck, with his shoulders pinned in the pelvic cavity.  This could result in Doctors having to possibly break his shoulder(s) to get him out, broken arms, or worse, permanent nerve damage preventing him from ever playing sports or having full function of his arm(s).  The OB explained that his risk, with the ultrasound information we had, was 15-25% - and that risk was if he would have been born that day.  He also explained that it looked like my body would never progress into full blown labor on its own because he was too large to pass into the birth canal.  So, basically all the contractions I was feeling were real, but without him dropping into a good position, they weren't going to change my cervix.  I knew where this was going...

So, the final recommendation, after over a half hour of discussion, was for us to schedule a C-Section at 39 weeks (Friday, July 20th).  I've been disappointed, shocked, worried...  I know C-Sections are very safe and plenty of my friends, including my own sister, have had them.  I also know the recovery will be tougher - and with John Parker at home still very reliant on me, I worry I won't be able to meet his needs.  However, as stated earlier in this post, I have to rely on God's hand to guide us through this.  I have a wonderful support system in my very helpful husband and family, and I know we will be just fine.  Basically, I have learned that I can never be too sure what to expect - And I'm very thankful to have a very healthy baby boy inside my body and to have had a complication-free pregnancy.  I pray the delivery will be safe and also free of complications, and that Liam will arrive healthy and happy.  

Now - with all that off my chest - whew! - I will post some photos of Liam's nursery (and John Parker's - since his is finally finished in our new house!)

Crib and Rocker

Liam's Dresser

Liam's Closet - chock full of John Parker's old clothes!

JP's Crib/Dresser

JP's reading corner

Me - at 37 1/2 weeks - huge.