Something Good, Something Surprising & a Mystery

I had another checkup today (31 weeks) and was really anxious to talk to the doctor (well actually it was the midwife I saw today) because of the intense pain I've had for 4-8 hours every single day since last Tuesday.

So the good news is this: my cervix is fully closed and shows no thinning yet, which means I'm not showing any visible signs of preterm labor. Very Very good news. They still sent off a sample to the lab to check one other type of preterm labor sign, and I'll find out those results tomorrow. Pray it comes back negative or else I'd get put on bedrest.

The surprising news: I measured right on target for 31 weeks (not big) and from just an external exam, the midwife said I shouldn't have much excess fluid because she could feel the baby easily (so can I). If I did have a lot of extra fluid, he would be floating around more in there and would be hard to feel from just touching my belly. He may not even be particularly big. Maybe this boy will stick in there to full-term!

The mystery (the most positive way I can word it): We still have no idea what is causing my pain to be so intense and so persistent. From an OB standpoint, the pregnancy looks great and other than round ligament pain, she doesn't see anything else pregnancy-wise that could be causing it. No infection, most likely no preterm labor... but this still leaves me with 9 weeks to go and some serious pain. I'm wearing a maternity support belt, drinking lots of water, taking tylenol, trying to rest when possible, warm baths... and yet when the pain hits... nothing seems to relieve it for several hours... it's ROUGH! I'm just going to have to take it one day at a time. I would MUCH rather this boy stay inside and grow and develop as long as possible, even if I have to find some way to deal with this for the next two months. So really, it was an answer to my prayer this morning. As much as I would love some relief for my own sake, I really don't want him to come early for his sake... and it is reassuring to know that some of the things I thought might be happening that would bring him early, aren't.

So that's my really long update. Now I just have to figure out how to "take it easy" when I have so much I need to do!

Well isn't this fun?

Round Ligament Pain... welcome to week 31. I thought for sure I must have a bladder infection because of the intense pain that started at 4 am yesterday and was constant until about 2 am this morning. 22 hours of feeling like I couldn't move. Sitting was super uncomfortable, getting up was worse, walking was painful and rolling over in bed - the worst. I must have gone pee at least 30 times, only to still feel like I needed to... the pressure in my lower pelvis was constant. So I stopped by the doc's office and they tested my urine... no infection. That's good news... but this still sucks! The nurse assured me it was the stretching of ligaments around my growing uterus and while definitely not fun, it was to be expected. Rest, drinking lots of water and Tylenol are my only options for relief. So I tried to stay still (after showing the house) and finally at about 10 pm, I decided I'd take some tylenol and go try to go to sleep. Well, I woke up at 2 am feeling so much better. And all morning, the pain was gone. What a relief... but then I went to lunch, and now I'm back in my office and I feel a replay coming on. I'm wearing a dress today, and there's definitely no lady-like position I can get myself in that is comfortable... so I'm thinking of shutting my office door and posting a note that says "enter at your own risk."

This little boy will be very lucky if he ever gets a brother or sister... at least one that's related by blood. LOL. And to top it off... I got back-to-back comments by my bosses this morning...

From across the hall... "Woah. Look at you. How much longer do you have? Good grief, we're going to need a shopping cart to push you around in here if you get much bigger." AND, as I'm asking about a project, she stops me mid-sentence to say, "Wow, I can't get past your belly, that's a big baby in there."

What can you do but laugh? Oh wait, I better not do that... I might pee.