Trying Natural Ways to Induce Labor

My cousin Lindsay sent me a link to a website that has many ways you can try to induce labor. I had read about some of them earlier in my pregnancy, but now is the time when I am really paying attention to them. I have tried many of them and a few more that I have heard from various people. Thursday night a lady told me she ate chili both times she went into labor with her kids. Well, yesterday I made chili, spicier than usual, but nothing has happened so far. Today I am going to try eggplant. I have heard that some people go into labor within 24 hours of eating that. I guess we will see. I am still not sure how exactly I am going to prepare it. I have never cooked eggplant, but this morning I headed to the grocery store and bought some. I am thinking I will make cheese ravioli with ground beef & eggplant in the sauce. I told my husband this morning that we were going to be having eggplant today, and he said he would just eat the leftover pot roast...LOL. I bet he will eat some of it though if it is in a pasta dish...IF I decide to let him have any. I may decide I need to eat it all so my chances of going into labor will be greater. ;)

Last night I went to my friend Alicia's baby shower. It was neat because all the women in the room who already had children shared a birth story with everyone. It was very interesting to see how each birth was SO different. One lady went into labor with her first child and delivered 30 minutes after she got to the hospital (20 minutes with the second and 10 minutes with the third). Another lady was in labor for 24 hours with her first (14 hours with her second). So, I guess it could go either way...long or short. Any way it happens, I am ready...at least I think I am. Only two days until I find out if/when the doctor plans on inducing me. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Waiting Game

First of all let me start out by saying, "This game STINKS!!!"  I guess I knew it would.  My best friend had a baby in November, and I can remember calling her everyday to see what was going on with her.  Basically, she was just sitting around waiting same as me.  After my workout in the morning, I come home and straighten up a little bit.  Then I sit down to watch TV and crochet on my 2nd baby blanket.  After my hand gets tired or I get bored with the TV, I have nothing to do but sit around and hope I go into labor....which does not seem to be happening.  I'm too tired to really get up and do anything so sometimes I lay down for a little bit.  So, anyway that is the game I am playing everyday.  Sound fun??????  Hopefully, I won't have to play it much longer.  At most, there should be only 9 or 10 days left to play.........then I'll be a MOM!!!

2nd to Last Doctor Visit--YEAH!!!

I am 37 weeks today!  YEAH!!!  That means less than 3 weeks to go!  Today when I weighed at the doctor's office I had gained 1 pound since last week.  I am up to 151 pounds now.  I am happy with that weight...especially since Clint is taking me for icecream whenever I want!!!  I'm taking all I can get right now since I know I don't have much longer to take advantage of this. :)  My stomach measured 38 sonometers (???).  I asked the doctor if this was the normal size, and he said that it is normally 34-35 at this point.  So that is why he thinks Summer is a big baby.  I am 1.5 centimeters dilated and 30% effaced.  So, that is better than last week.  He also said the baby has dropped a little (-2 vertex ???).  I go back next Tuesday, and at that time he will know if/when he will induce me.  He said he is on call next weekend, so it will probably be then.  That means I may be having Summer on May 6 or 7.  I would prefer not to have her on May 5 since that is a holiday -- Cinco de Mayo.  She will probably choose that day to come though since I have said that.  I guess I will just have to wait and see. 

I washed my car today hoping that might bring on labor, but so far I'm not having any contractions...at least I don't think I am.  I'm still not sure what they feel like.  Sometimes I have pain in my abdomen, but I'm never sure if it is Braxton-Hicks or just a pulled muscle.  I would say it is more than likely Braxton-Hicks because I haven't been overdoing it with exercising (at least not in my opinion).  Well, I guess that is about it.  If I get induced, only about 10 days to go.........

36 weeks down...4 to go

Clint and I went to the doctor this morning.  I was scared to get on the scales because of all the junk I have eaten over the past few days.  I was right to be scared.  I gained 2 pounds since last week.  So, I am going to try to eat healthy this next week and see what happens when I go back on Tuesday.  The doctor did check me, and he said I was dilated 1 (ONE) centimeter and not effaced at all.  I was disappointed.  Yesterday, I was really wanting to have this baby, but she is not cooperating with me.  I hope this is not an indication of what I have in store for the future...LOL.  I think I will give up thinking I am going to have her early (without an induction).  Me and my sister have always been pretty much opposites, so why should pregnancy be any different?  She had her babies early; I will have mine on time (or early if the doctor decides to induce me).  I guess I can't always get my way.  It is just frustrating because all I can do is sit and wait.  The days seem longer and time seems to be going slower.  I think it is because Clint is working now so I have a lot more time to myself now.  I have been watching some baby shows over the past couple of days.  Whenever the mom delivers the baby, it makes my eyes tear up.  I wonder if I will cry when I see Summer for the first time.  If I had to guess, I would say I will.  I guess that is it for now.  28 days and counting...........

Baby Shower #3

I had my final baby shower at my Aunt Leisa's house on Sunday following Sunday dinner.  My Aunt Leisa announced that we were going to have a contest to see who can guess what the baby will weigh when she is born.  So everyone wrote down their guess on a piece of paper which I have in my camera bag to take to the hospital.  I got lots of good things from my aunts, uncles, cousins, mom, sister, and grandparents including a waterproof mattress pad, lap pads, tubside kneeler, clothes, a play gym, a doll, towels, and much more.  My mom got Summer this doll that giggles.  It is so cute!  I think she will like it too when she gets old enough to play with it.  It was funny because one of my aunts thought I was having a boy and got me some boy clothes from Baby Gap.  They were really cute, but I went ahead and exchanged them today for some girl outfits.  I also went to Babies-R-Us and exchanged some other things.  So, I think I have everything that needs to be exchanged done and everything else I will need for the baby bought.  We will see though.  I may be forgetting something.  I didn't get any pics, but my mom did so I am waiting for her to send them to me so I can put them on here for everyone to see.

Baby Shower #2

I had another baby shower yesterday. My best friend Selena threw the shower for me, and she did a great job. We had a yummy chocolate cake (with chocolate mousse filling), chicken salad sandwiches, fruit and other snacks. Everyone had a good time playing the games. We had three games which were: 1. guess the number of jelly beans in the bottle 2. smell the diaper and tell what is in it 3. taste the baby food and name it. My mom's best friend, Teresa, won the first game. There was a 3 way tie for the 2nd game (Teresa, my mom and Amy), and Amy got the most right in the 3rd game. Other people that came to the shower were: Alicia, Christina, Becky, Teresa (Selena's mom), my sister Erin and her two girls, Amy, Katie, and Kim (my jazzercise instructor). My friend Lindsay stopped by to drop off her gift, but she couldn't stay because she had just been released from the hospital and needed to go home and rest. I got lots of good gifts....of course. I got a bathtub, a walker, a hamper, a diaper genie, a travel nap'n'pack, diapers, wipes, clothes, baby lotion and wash, washcloths, a towel, burp cloths, breastfeeding storage bags/organizer, and lots of other things. My sister and Amy helped detag all the things that need to be washed so they will be ready to throw in the washer after my last shower today. I have a lot of food left over from the shower so we will be eating it for the next few days. I had chocolate cake for breakfast this morning...YUM!!!

I Can't Sleep

Well, it is 4:00 in the morning, and I am sitting in my kitchen trying to get sleepy again.  I don't know why I am awake right now unless this is just nature's way of getting me ready for when the baby gets here.  I usually get up early (between 7:00 and 8:00), but this is crazy.  Especially seeing that I went to bed around 11:00 last night.  I figured I might as well get out of the bed rather than just lay there and think.  It wasn't even the baby moving that woke me up although I think she might be awake right now herself.  However, she is not moving very much right now.  That reminds me of something.  Late the other night I snuggled up to Clint and Summer was kicking so he moved away.  I asked him why and he said because she was kicking him.  I thought it was funny because Clint's mom had told me about how Charlie, Clint's dad, did a similar thing when she was pregnant. 

I am having a baby shower today, so that may have something to do with me being up too.  I guess I have a few things to do before that time arrives.  I have to run to Wal-Mart this morning before I go work out at Jazzercise.  Then I will rush home and get a shower before Selena and her mom get here.  Oh yeah, I need to wash some clothes before then too.

Well, I guess I will try to go back to sleep so I am not sleepy all day.  Although lately it seems like I have been more tired like I was in the beginning of my pregnancy.  The other day Clint was helping a friend paint their house, and I think I went to bed between 7:00 and 8:00.  I usually go to bed around 9:00 or so.  Oh well, here I go....wish me luck!