Almost there

Our needle-in-a-haystack (i.e., my own egg) baby, E, turned 18 months yesterday and in just 9 short days should be joined by a little brother.  Sometimes I still find it hard to believe.

I'm scheduled for a c-section next Wednesday.  Report to the hospital at 7:30 a.m., section at 9 a.m. (caveat no emergencies for my doc).  It all sounds very civilized. Much more civilized than being run down the hallway with the anesthesiologist on the gurney with me as E was in fetal bradycardia. I'm beginning to see why there is a belief out there that women and their doctors may schedule c-sections for convenience's sake!

I'm actually surprised how many people - actually several of the other OBs, especially the younger ones in my practice - asked whether I was going for a VBAC.  I suppose it's a reasonable question given the push toward fewer c-sections.  But, um, I'm 42 3/4 years old.  Nobody wants me going past my due date given my elderly placenta.  And last time - at 41 years old - on the day before my due date I was not even dilated and induction wasn't so successful.  And the likely cause of E's severe drop in heart rate - given evidence of nothing else (e.g. wrapped cord, etc.) was placental failure.  Probably the result of the induction.  As of last Monday's only (and last, I understand) internal exam, my cervix was long and closed.  So, I think a planned c-section is reasonable.  And so does the doctor - head of my practice - who did the stat c-section last time around.

Anyhow, otherwise all is well.  I feel big, and I'm at a weight about 1 or 2 pounds over where I was last pregnancy at this point.  In all, I will have gained ~ 20 lbs this pregnancy (started 5-10 higher than conception point of last pregnancy).  I'm definitely not getting out for my daily 3 mile walks these past few weeks as I did until the day before induction last pregnancy.  Too much snow (and wet and rain and yuck) and just so hard to get out there with not just the dog, but E too.  I had been doing 3 miles on the treadmill during nap time in the afternoon, but that's turned into my naptime also.  I think being that much older is making this a bit harder pregnancy.  But, all in all, I can't complain.  Besides the ever-present stuffy/dried-out nose and taking a grand total of about 3 Tums for the mildest of heartburn maybe 2 or 3 times, I really haven't had any pregnancy-related problems.

We are incredibly, incredibly lucky to have this chance to parent a second child.  (You won't be surprised that everytime I talk about the baby being born next week, I silently say to myself, "if nothing happens in the next 9 days" - once experienced with pregnancy loss, it's always there).  We went through a lot to get here.  And took a lot of hard choices.  Some of it makes me sad still, but not for any reason would I have done anything differently to get here.  I remember how much anguish I went through getting to the point of accepting using a donor egg.  But it seems, now, like such a 'no duh' choice.  We are incredibly lucky to have had the option to use an egg donated by my sister, of course - not everyone is in that fortunate situation.

I'll certainly try to post once the baby arrives, but not sure whether I'll be posting all that much going forward.

Here is E at 18 months!