It’s only been a couple of short weeks since I checked in last, but I feel like a lot has changed!
First thing is first, I just got back from my doctor’s, and I’m a whole 1cm dilated (better than zero, I guess, haha) and 60% effaced, and he did a sweep. I’ve been praying for an April baby, but, realistic that it may be another May baby! Now let’s jump into the recent updates!
Photo from Easter! I was surprised I got my dress that I bought for our family photos back in September to fit!
GBS Positive
I was very disappointed to find out I was GBS positive. I did not test positive with either boy, so this was a new wild card for me.
For those of you are like GBS, what? Group B Strep is naturally found in a transient nature (comes and goes) in 20-40% of women. It usually causes absolutely no symptoms, and they really don’t know why it comes and goes or how it comes or goes. But 1 in 200 babies born to mothers who are GBS positive will contract it at birth and end up with a VERY serious illness that could cause death or permanent impairment. Usually, the risk is higher for those born before 37 weeks. However, when a mother is treated with antibiotics during labor, that number jumps up to 1 in 4000 babies. Antibiotics prior to labor don’t seem to help since it comes and goes. Some countries do rapid testing during labor to minimize antibiotics provided, but in the US, they test between 35-37 weeks pregnant and assume you are likely to still be positive at birth. Some providers will retest you a couple of weeks later if you request it. My provider would not, but he was also very calm, saying that even one dose of antibiotics is very protective if you don’t get t the hospital in time for two.
I started a “natural protocol” with increased vitamin C, more coconut oil in the diet, and probiotics. However, because the provider won’t retest and my hospital is unlikely to let me rapid test, I’ve accepted that I will have antibiotics in labor and will need to get to the hospital sooner. It’s definitely a new variable for this pregnancy that I could do without, but I can’t change it now. My doula preparing me for my conversation with my provider was invaluable. See below.
In-Home Consult With My Doula
We had our in-home consult with my doula. I’ve got some questions from readers and friends/family about the process of choosing a doula, so I thought I’d answer them today!
Why Hire A Doula or What Does A Doula Do?
So, I did not have a doula for my first two labors. For the first one, I would say I was only mildly committed to trying to get as far as possible without an epidural. And then, the first one came, and I had some pretty major and rare complications with the epidural that I did not want to repeat. The quick version of that story is that my heart rate was climbing to over 200 BETWEEN contractions. They had to turn off or down the Pitocin for a while, delaying labor, so we had prolonged membrane rupture, resulting in antibiotics for both of us, extended hospital stay, and the NICU. Not to mention thrush/yeast issues for weeks after. Also known as the cascade of interventions. Let me be clear, that I in no way think that an unmedicated birth is superior to a medicated birth, but I felt like a medicated birth, at least with an epidural, wasn’t an option for me any longer. So, with my last baby, I was MUCH more motivated to avoid that whole deal. I did the Hypnobirthing home study program, and because of COVID, there were limited numbers of people allowed in the hospital room, and I wasn’t sure I could actually do it, so I didn’t hire a doula.
I was, in fact, by God’s grace able to have a fully unmedicated birth to a healthy 9lbs 7-ounce baby boy that never left my sight. No fevers, no heart rate issues, no emergency c-section forms, no team of 20 rushing in at delivery, nothing like that. But, if it hadn’t been for a wonderful nurse talking me off the ledge the last 40 or so minutes, I wouldn’t have made it. So for this one, I knew I wanted to try again to go without an epidural, but nurses come in all kinds of personalities and support for a natural birth, so I figured I wouldn’t tempt fate again and hire someone I was sure who could adequately coach me through the end. So that was my primary reason.
Doulas are nonmedical support persons who also serve as a source of education, encouragement, and support. They provide pain management techniques such as massage, positioning, and coaching. One thing my doula mentioned that stuck with Mr. Hungry and me is that “unmedicated births are very hard for family to watch or support.” Which makes total sense. The family wants you out of pain. The Doula, for lack of a better explanation, is never afraid of your pain, and her job is to help you relax, accept, channel, and distract or whatever is needed to get you through.
How I Chose My Doula
Mr. Hungry and I interviewed 4-5 doulas, and honestly, I didn’t think we wouldn’t find anyone. Many work in teams or pairs for obvious reasons, being on call 24/7 is hard. We were actually about to give up because we felt the doulas we interviewed were either too inexperienced (for the price), too soft-spoken (for me), or too … all-natural (pressing me to allow my pregnancy to go all the way to 42 weeks, which is beyond my comfort.) Some of my “mom” friends and I were discussing picking a doula that fits your personality. One of my friends actually said that I would probably make her doula cry but that her doula is perfect for her, and my doula might make her cry, haha. In other words, I know that I have a strong personality, and I know when I’m next level freaking out, I need someone who can meet me there in that place. My friend is more likely to withdraw when she is next level freaking out, so she needs someone that works with that. So personality match is super important when choosing a doula. Also, philosophy is important too. Some doulas are hypnobirthing only or use only one set of techniques. Some are really anti ANY intervention, which doesn’t really jive with me. I’m not anti-intervention, my body just didn’t do well with the epidural, so I need alternative routes, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to sign up for a home birth or would say no to something like my water being intentionally broken. Just like in my nutrition practice, I’m most comfortable with a blend of natural and conventional approaches, knowledge, and medicine.
My doula works as the head of a team, taking only a few clients a month. Although I haven’t met her team who would attend our birth in case she had an emergency, she mentioned she only hires doulas that have a similar type of personality as she feels that is something unique her company brings to the table. She has a decade-plus of experience and shares my philosophy that there is a time and place for intervention. So, we hired her, and I’m very excited we did.
In-Home Consult
We met with her last week, and she sat with us for about an hour discussing my past labor/births, what worked and didn’t work for me, etc. She really clarified that even though my last birth went well, each birth was it’s own. And third babies are wild card babies because our expectations often set the tone, and babies don’t follow our expectations. She encouraged me to keep seeing my chiropractor to make sure my body was in good alignment. As a third time Mom, I didn’t have a ton of questions, but she still provided breastfeeding resources and other helpful ideas. A lot of our discussion was about timing when to go to the hospital, which will be earlier than later since I’m GBS positive and a third-time mom. She also really helped Mr. Hungry, and I feel at ease with my GBS results since we hadn’t gotten to talk to my OBGYN yet. She kind of gave us the rundown of how most providers handle it and more info than my provider gave. Something she mentioned to keep in mind, is that they likely won’t break my water until I’ve had a couple of rounds of antibiotics, etc. So again, we may choose to go to the hospital earlier in labor than not. She also went over some comfort techniques like hip squeezes with us.
Third Trimester Ultrasound
My provider suggested a third-trimester ultrasound based on the fact that KK was LGA (large for gestational age.) I agreed on the basis that they did not tell me how big this little girl was measuring and that it wouldn’t lead to an induction. I just feel like I don’t need to get in my head about the size of the baby (which is usually inaccurate anyways) and how that will impact labor. He said since I’ve had a big baby, there is no reason to induce for that reason alone, so we were in agreement. So we got to say hi and see that she was head down and had a good heart rate. I also have no idea how big I’m measuring. My doctor never says, and I never ask. I think this drives my MIL nuts, haha, but honestly, sometimes, for me, in pregnancy, less information is golden for my anxiety. I feel like I don’t need to do my doctor’s job, and that’s a huge benefit of having a doctor that you absolutely trust 100%. I feel very blessed for that. It takes a huge weight off.
Pregnancy Symptoms Recently
Other than feeling very large and in charge, haha, Having to rotate my body to get through the kid’s baby gates and randomly bumping into things, I’ve felt really good! After catching a minor cold at 37 weeks, I pulled KJ out of preschool. I just wanted to spend the last few weeks with us as a family of four healthy as possible. He is still going to swim (3 kids in a class) and soccer (all outside), but let’s face it, preschool is a germ fest I wasn’t willing to be subjected to anymore. I wrestled with that decision all year until a wonderful blog reader said I would know what to do when the time came. She was right. I hit that point with that cold at 37 weeks where I was like, oh ya, absolutely not. I’m done with the germ fest, ha, ha And let’s be honest, 2022-2023 got the reputation for being the germ-swapping covid catch-up a year from hell. I respectfully needed to bail out, haha Luckily, he is four, so I don’t think he will remember not going to preschool for the last four weeks of the year.
I’ve experienced random minor aches and pains, but luckily nothing too major. A few more headaches and hip aches etc. I’ve had some mild contractions at night, just like I had with KJ. They come every 20-30 minutes, I fall asleep, and they are gone by the time I wake up to pee. The worst has been some digestive issues (nausea, diarrhea, heartburn) which I can’t tell if are related to hormone changes or stomach bugs in the family haha Unlike the other two pregnancies, I’ve stopped gaining weight in the last few weeks. With the boys, I kept gaining steadily until they were born. With this one, I’m a little over 40 lbs up and have kind of hung out there. With the KJ, I gained 40lbs, and with KK, 50lbs (I blame covid, haha). This one seems like I’ll settle in the middle of that. Yes, those numbers are over the standard recommendation of 25-35lbs, but my body seems to just kind of do its thing a similar way every time. I really tried to watch my weight gain this time since I gained so much with KK, but the end result didn’t matter much. So, if I could have gone back, I would have never stepped on a scale at home, but whatever haha
What else? My emotional state is much better than it’s been the majority of this pregnancy, and most of the depression is lifting. I feel very grateful for that. Definitely, some anxiety is creeping up. But anxiety is kind of my normal, and I’d prefer it to depression any day. And I would say I have way less anxiety now than in past pregnancies. I think some of that comes with the knowledge that my babies usually come late, so I’m not looking for symptoms of labor every five seconds and that nothing in labor can be planned haha I have needed naps during most days and still go to bed at 8 or 9 PM even with an hour nap. And this last week, some of that old pregnancy insomnia set in around 2-3 am. I usually listen to my hypnobirthing tapes or read for a while till I can go back to sleep.
Finished Up Tasks
I finished up several tasks, including stealing a dresser from KK’s room to put in our room with little girls’ clothes. I finally finished packing my hospital bag, and I made little nurses’ gifts again. This time I put chocolate, lip smacker chapstick, Kind bars, and mini lotions in them!
Flashbacks
- First Trimester Pregnancy 3
- Weeks 15-21 Pregnancy Number 3
- Weeks 22-26 Pregnancy Number 3
- Weeks 27-31 Pregnancy Number 3
- 36 Weeks Pregnancy Number 3 (Maternity Leave Plans)
- 38 Weeks Pregnancy 2
- 38 Weeks Pregnancy 1
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