Pregnancy Update

Ok, so I essentially stopped updating this blog because it seemed like no one was reading it. Not that I can blame anyone, cause it's so much easier and faster to get updates off of Facebook. But seeing as I'd like to continue this blog, especially after our Little One is born, I figured I'd better get back on the wagon.

I've tried to keep such a good attitude about this pregnancy. Every time I got sick, I just reminded myself it was worth it. Every time I was uncomfortable or in pain, I just smiled and remembered why. The problem with this outlook is that when you end up really sick or with something wrong, you tend not to notice cause you're so busy putting on your brave face. Which is exactly what happened. I never stopped to consider the fact that this has actually been very difficult for me, physically and emotionally. My anxiety has been through the roof and I've had a difficult time coping with even normal day-to-day problems, let alone baby- or money-related things. This I think is a combination of no anxiety meds (which I can't take while pregnant or breastfeeding) and the knowledge that my life is about to change in ways I can't even fathom. I go back and forth between being beyond thrilled about Little One and wondering, "Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?" My arthritis (also had to go off my meds controlling that) has given me quite a problem as well. I'd forgotten just how much pain that caused me without the medication to control the inflammation. And the pregnancy itself has caused some problems. I STILL have morning sickness. I can count on both hands the number of days in the last 8 months that I have NOT thrown up. 32 weeks, 1 day, and still throwing up every morning. I ended up losing quite a bit of weight during the first half of the pregnancy cause I couldn't keep anything down, and I became fairly hydrated.

The lastest problem we've encountered is that my cervix began thinning around 28 weeks. This thinning is also referred to as effacing. Now, effacing isn't supposed to actually occur until you go into labor, but mine started thinning early. They don't know what causes it, but it's most likely the rest of a genetic predisposition combined with the pressure of Little One's head bearing down on the cervix. I had already been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions without any problems since about halfway through the pregnancy. On December 16th, I was having contractions one right after another, and had 22 in 4 hours. I called my doctor and said that I was concerned; that it just didn't feel right. He told me to come in for an immediate ultrasound and then to go on bed rest. The ultrasound showed that my cervix, which is supposed to be about 4 cm thick, was only 2.5 cm. He took me off work and ordered me to bed and said we'd check it again in 2 weeks and see what was going on. I noticed that the contractions decreased significantly when I was off my feet, and I felt like I was doing better (even though you can't "feel" if your cervix is doing something right or not.) Well after 2 weeks, I had thinned another 6mm! Now the good news is I haven't dilated at all (Thank GOD), but my thickness is down to less that 2cm. So I'm back on even more strict bed rest for the foreseeable future. The doctor said I may have to stay on bed rest until she gets here (especially if she decides to get here early.) This is going to do wonders for my job security, let me tell you. Oh well. Where God guides, God provides. I just have to keep my faith and I know He'll take care of us like He always has. I have another appointment with my doctor on Tuesday, so we'll see if it's gotten any worse then.