Update: More facts, less panic
Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's panic-stricken post. I'm still reeling a bit, but I keep reminding myself that at 34.5 weeks, Bat Girl is likely to be fine. As far as preparation, well, I still feel totally unprepared, but we have a car seat and diapers, and a friend of mine has offered to do at least one load of baby laundry for me (we don't have laundry in our apartment, or obviously I would have done it myself already...and have I mentioned my husband has been working 14-15 hour days lately?) so we'll at least have an outfit or two for the babe. And we'll muddle through the rest.
Re: a few of your comments: ChrisLM asked about getting steroid shots for Bat Girl's lungs. Even though I had talked to my doctor about steroid shots months ago, I was so overwhelmed yesterday that I forgot to ask again. But I did a little googling and it seems the shots are generally recommended if you go into labor before 34 weeks, and since I'm already past that point, I assume that's why no shots for me.
As several of you pointed out, it's common for women to be dilated for weeks before anything really happens--in fact, that happened to a friend of mine recently, she was walking around 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced for a full month before she delivered. I really, really hope that turns out to be the case for me. (I hope this whole damn thing turns out to be a false alarm, and we all look back from 38 weeks when Bat Girl is still stubbornly in utero and laugh and laugh.) What I forgot to mention in yesterday's post is that in the hours leading up to my OB appointment, I'd been having frequent, low, hard contractions--much more painful than usual. I guess it was that, plus the dilating and mucus-losing (and the contractions generally ratcheting up in frequency over the last couple of weeks), that made TheGoodDoc think the end is nigh.
The good news is, things seem to have settled down a bit. I had contractions 10 minutes apart (sometimes 4-5 minutes apart) all afternoon and evening, but this morning they've eased up to every 15-30 minutes. Let's hope they stay that way. In the meantime, I'm frantically trying to keep up with work (it's a deadline crunch week for us...ugh) and am stuffing my face in the probably futile hopes of packing as many ounces onto Bat Girl as possible.
Fingers crossed that we can make it another week and a half. 36 weeks would be delightful, really. I'll keep you posted.
Re: a few of your comments: ChrisLM asked about getting steroid shots for Bat Girl's lungs. Even though I had talked to my doctor about steroid shots months ago, I was so overwhelmed yesterday that I forgot to ask again. But I did a little googling and it seems the shots are generally recommended if you go into labor before 34 weeks, and since I'm already past that point, I assume that's why no shots for me.
As several of you pointed out, it's common for women to be dilated for weeks before anything really happens--in fact, that happened to a friend of mine recently, she was walking around 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced for a full month before she delivered. I really, really hope that turns out to be the case for me. (I hope this whole damn thing turns out to be a false alarm, and we all look back from 38 weeks when Bat Girl is still stubbornly in utero and laugh and laugh.) What I forgot to mention in yesterday's post is that in the hours leading up to my OB appointment, I'd been having frequent, low, hard contractions--much more painful than usual. I guess it was that, plus the dilating and mucus-losing (and the contractions generally ratcheting up in frequency over the last couple of weeks), that made TheGoodDoc think the end is nigh.
The good news is, things seem to have settled down a bit. I had contractions 10 minutes apart (sometimes 4-5 minutes apart) all afternoon and evening, but this morning they've eased up to every 15-30 minutes. Let's hope they stay that way. In the meantime, I'm frantically trying to keep up with work (it's a deadline crunch week for us...ugh) and am stuffing my face in the probably futile hopes of packing as many ounces onto Bat Girl as possible.
Fingers crossed that we can make it another week and a half. 36 weeks would be delightful, really. I'll keep you posted.
posted by electriclady at 2:07 PM
5 Comments:
From a medical perspective, 36 weeks is fine. Yes, it's a month prior to the due date, but it's only 1 week shy of being considered full term.
P. was born at 36 weeks and 1 day, and she was small (just under 6lbs), but healthy. So, if you can put up with the "Your baby doesn't look (fill in age here)!", you'll be fine.
Hi...just hang in there...I had the baby last Wednesday..the 3rd...35w6days!! I have to update my blog but I was just looking at other people's blog to see what was going on. It will be okay. I had a little boy-Benjamin. I will update my blog and give more details once I get this feeding thing down. And also, I still want to email you regarding places in Jersey! I will be thinking of you!
Regardless of whether you get the steriod shots or not at 34.5 weeks batgirl will pull through just fine.
I know my youngest did I just think that we could have made our NICU stay shorter had she had the shots (she was born at 34 weeks 4 days)
Or maybe then again it had something to do with the fact that she was and still is a pistol! Even though she only weighed 4lbs 4 oz she fought them tooth and nail over everything..they touched her she held her breath and turned blue....i should realized then what i was getting myself in to! We did realize until we got her home that her offical hospital photo had her giving everyone "the bird".
My oldest was born at 36 weeks and was a tad over 6 lbs but healthy as anything.
Batgirl will be just fine!!!!
Glad to hear you sound calmer. I may as well add in my daughter's stats-- she was born at 36 weeks 4 days and was 6 lb, 12 oz, no NICU, home with me, etc. All the neonatologists and perinatologists I met with seemed to think 32 weeks was good, 33 weeks was icing on the cake, and 34 weeks was practically full term. You're in a great place!
Sounds scary, I hope you're doing okay...sending good thoughts your way!
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