Labor Day Labor Update

Warning: Lots of detailed birthing Information ahead for those who are interested! For those who want the short version: Please pray for us this Wednesday the 3rd as we will most likely be doing an amniotic fluid reduction, which could produce labor. Thank you!

Tomorrow is Vivien’s due date and though I am having scads of contractions, both the high, tight Braxton Hicks, and the low painful real ones at times, nothing really definite is happening. I am so ready to meet her, as well as feel comfortable again. I have not been sleeping well, because when I don’t eat enough, I stay awake, and there is not much room left for food in my overcrowded mid section! I also had some bad stomach cramps a couple of days ago, that were different than contractions. I was hoping my body was getting ready for something, but no such luck.

My last labor with Iva was very odd. I had contractions 5 minutes apart for several hours, went to the hospital and was not in labor (only about 3 cm dilated). I came home for a couple of days and then woke up in the night two nights later later with contractions fully 30 minutes apart, but definitely whoppers as far as pain went. The 30 minute ones were actual labor and I got to the hospital and was 7 cm. Talk about crazy confusing signs. So needless to say, I am ignoring everything with my current contractions, until they get really bad. (Today Maggie jokingly put a big ball under her dress and started going around with her face screwed up and her eyes shut, taking deep breaths saying, “just a minute…I’m having a contraction”)

We’ve discovered via the last couple appointments that I do have a very high amount of amniotic fluid. Normal levels are 10 average to 25 on the high end. My last measurement was 34, and I most likely have more by now, rendering me feeling like I’ve eaten a 6 course dinner all the time. I feel like my mid section is stretched to capacity. I’d love to believe that this is the only reason that I have gained more weight than with any of my other kids, but I know there is a good amount of not-baby pounds in my body makeup. However, I know it is worth it.

The doctor s told us that with the excessive amniotic fluid, uterus muscles can get distended, which basically means that they are so stretched out that they are unable to contract well. They recommended an amniotic fluid reduction and then induction. The reason they want to induce is because after you’ve had a reduction, the fluid often will replace itself fairly quickly. We’ve never been fan of induction so we proposed a different plan and the doc tor we spoke to last feels like it is reasonable.

We will go ahead and have the fluid reduction (most likely) on Wednesday. This sometimes puts women into labor, which would be just fine with me. If it doesn’t, I will stay for a bit for observation and go home, hoping to go into labor when I have less fluid in me and my uterus will be able to work properly. If I don’t go into labor and the fluid comes back, then we will wait one more week and go ahead and schedule a c-section for the following week. Viven would be 41 weeks and plenty viable at that point.

I asked what would happen if we do nothing, and they said that eventually, if my fluids get really high and my uterus can’t contract properly, my water would break. While that sounds great, I know my body and I generally have an extra strong bag of waters. Silas was the only one that my water broke with, and even that is debatable. Usually the doctor has to break it for me. With Iva my contractions got harder and harder and I was fully dilated without it broken, begging my doctor to break it. When she did, Iva came in less than a minute! Needless to say, I have no desire to pit my strong bag of waters with extra amniotic fluid, against a distended uterus and see who wins while I blow up like a balloon…

The reason we’d rather do a c-section than an induction is because we’ve already been told that contractions are much more difficult for babies with T-18 to handle. Many opt for an elective c-section because of this. Our original plan was to go into labor naturally, but with the caveat that there would be no hesitation for a c-section if she shows any signs of distress. My problem with induction is that with pitocin or other drugs of induction, my contractions would be synthetic instead of natural, and therefore possibly stronger. We’d rather not risk this for Vivien and just go straight to c-section rather than induce.

So that is where we are at. Please pray for us that God would use this to bring Vivien into the world in the easiest possible way for her. Best case scenario, I go into labor naturally sometime between now and Wednesday. It would also be great if I could go into labor after the fluid reduction, rather than having to wait and do a c-section. But we trust God and know that if a c-section is in the plans, that that is what Vivien needs and we are glad to do it. Thankfully, I feel her kicking away fairly often and her heart rate has been good at every appointment.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support. We’ve had many texts and messages from friends asking how I am doing and saying they are praying. We are so grateful for all of you!

Maggie and her "contractions"today.

8/14/14