40 Weeks!

Due Date! or Estimated Due Date is here.... We are ready for her to come anytime now, well Monday would fit EVERYONE's schedule perfectly but we can't really plan this...

Danny and I went to my 40 week appointment yesterday and I am up to 205 lbs! Everything is still looking good and measuring right on time, it's just a waiting game from here on! He checked me and I am still the same as last week, almost 1 cm dilated. He said my cervix seemed shorter which means she has dropped more. We made a 41 week appointment and he said we would do an ultrasound and check amniotic fluids to make sure it is safe to go into the 41st week without inducing.

I am still being patient and don't want to have my membranes stripped or be induced or anything like that but I know that she is fully cooked in there and will come on her own time. I am going to try some natural induction techniques or wives tales this weekend and hope she comes before Wednesday! These include spicy food, walking, pineapple, yoga, ball bouncing, primrose oil, Castor oil, red raspberry leaf tea and more acupressure.

We are both getting excited and ready for her to be here but then again I could be pregnant for 2 more weeks...

I have a lot of faith that women's bodies are meant to naturally birth the baby that we grow. I don't think that the 'estimated' due date is a deadline for the baby and it's frustrating all of the questions that mostly strangers keep asking:

When do they Induce you?

"they" don't have to induce you or make this decision, Danny and I do. We will only be induced if baby and I are not measuring healthy at our non-stress tests and doctor's appointments. My blood pressure and her heart rate have both been great so far. There is no reason to rush things right now...

Why don't you just get a C-section? She is going to be huge...

She is measuring right on schedule and 40-41 weeks is a normal time for a baby to be born and the only risk I have is prolonged gestation but I don't have gestational diabetes, have not gained over 50 lbs, am not obese and have a normal sized baby in there they think, although this can be 1-2 lbs off sometimes. I have faith that my body is not growing a child that I cannot birth, especially if I move around during labor. I am hoping to take advantage of the squatting position to push, which can give you an extra centimeter!

I bet you are tired and ready for that baby to be out of there. Why don't you let them break your water?

Yes I am tired and have this feeling I might be pregnant forever but as long as everything is safe there is no reason to speed everything up. Mia is warm, happy and protected. Artificially rupturing membranes and breaking the bag of waters does not always start labor. Some people don't start having contractions for hours after their water breaks and I want to stay away from Pitocin. Once your water breaks or has been broken you only have 24 hours to have the baby or get a c-section if the pitocin doesn't work.

Patiently waiting,

Mommy and Daddy

Busy, Busy days...

39 Weeks, 6 Days

Almost ready for her to be here!

This has been one of the most stressful times in our lives. Danny still needs a job, baby Mia is due ANY day, we bought a house last minute and then on the way to our inspection we were in a car accident. Some idiot girl said she "thought she could make it" across an intersection and t-boned us on the driver's side. Danny was driving and although they took me to the hospital we are all THREE fine. The ambulance ride was the worst part but once we got to the hospital all the nurses and doctor's were so nice. We are all so happy that baby Mia wasn't born in a stressful situation and they monitored me for four hours just to make sure she was okay. It was so scary for all of us but we are so glad everyone is safe.

How can you NOT see the bright yellow car in front of you?

I have been taking it easy ever since the accident and today my sister in law Jamie helped me run some errands and get all the stuff that was left in my car. I finally found out where my car was towed and got a rental car. We did have to get a new car seat for Mia (which is in the rental car right now...). Luckily I just finished all of the house paperwork and now have to deal with work and accident paperwork. We still don't know if my car is totalled but am hoping to wrap everything up before Mia is here...

Me, 9+ months pregnant, looking for a new car....

We have an early appointment with Dr. Allen for my 40 week check up so I will update after we find out any news. I went to a Tastefully Simple food party tonight at Erin's and her good friend Julie, who is also a Doula, gave me some acupuncture to help speed up contractions and labor. We will see.... but I am thinking she is coming sometime soon!

39 Weeks

39 Weeks

39 Week Belly

Waiting for little Mia....

Name tag that Nikki made!

We love it<3

Mia's coming home outfit

I have been feeling so good since last Friday. I guess I had a bad couple of days but I still went swimming instead of working out but after yoga and the gym it really helped. I had my 39 week appointment with Dr. Allen Wednesday and he said I am doing well. He checked me and I am almost dilated to a 1. He said he could touch her head and was surprised how low she is, which explains why my back has been hurting so bad. Dr. Allen also said I might now make it to next weeks appointment. She could be here any day now.

Does little Rock-it know something we don't know?

What a crazy busy week! We decided to see how much we can get approved for to buy a house for after the baby is born and ended up finding the perfect house and before we knew it we bought a house! Crazy, insane timing but it's kind of our style I guess. It's almost double the size of our house right now and the layout is amazing for us. There are 3 bedrooms on the main level, a loft for a playroom and a 4th bedroom on the second level for the guy's studio. PERFECT. There isn't anything that has to be done before we move in which is perfect because Mia will be about 1 month old when we move...craziness.

Our new house!

Danny has been helping his parents with their house because it goes on the market this week, they are buying a house, Mike and Jamie and selling their house and building a house, Gene and Sharon are going to be selling their house soon and buying a condo and Carmen just bought Mike's flippin house. We were the last ones to jump on this house 'band wagon' and will probably be the first ones to move in. Now Danny just needs to get a job and things will fall into place!

We are so excited to decorate our new house and pick out paint and furniture. Plus Mia will have her own room! It's great because Danny and I picked out the same exact bed without even knowing it and our styles/tastes are almost the same.

38 Weeks

I am ready to have this baby! It's getting pretty uncomfortable, painful and hard. Bags are packed, car seat installed, house is ready, I am extremely tired and have started swelling a little bit...I think it's almost time. We have a couple of things to do around the house but for the most part are in the waiting stage for things to happen.

I had my 38 week check up with Dr. Lee this week and gained 3 lbs, I told her that was probably okay since I didn't gain anything the last week and she agreed... Trina (or Mimi) got to go with me to this Dr. appointment since Danny had to work. They decided to do a non-stress test because I have been having contractions and have felt the baby moving less. They gave me a Hi-C and hooked me up on the machines and everything was normal. She was moving around a bunch and sounded great. Dr. Lee said I am still measuring right on time so we still have about 2 weeks! My OB Dr. Allen isn't back in town until Monday so we are hoping she doesn't decide to come before then but would be okay if Dr. Lee had to deliver her too.

I told Dr. Lee that my last day at the gym was last Thursday and I am pretty much done working out except we have still been walking almost every night and swimming when it's nice out. She said to keep up the swimming and walking:) The other night Danny said "pretty soon we will have a stroller on our walks too!" I think we are both ready for little Mia to be here!

Danny's grandma Sharon finished the padding for the rocking chair and it looks so good!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks, 21 Days left, full term and the baby is the size of a watermelon

My estimated due date is on July 21 but everyone if giving us tons of dates to remember that they want her to come one. Danny's mom wants her to come on her Birthday, July 25. My mom keeps telling everyone my due date is July 15. I don't think that I will deliver early but the closest Full Moon to my due date is July 15 and I thought I would deliver on this day....Just have to wait and see!

I had my 37 Week doctor's appointment on Wednesday and Dr. Allen said everything looks so great! The baby's head is engaged and dropped a lot but I still have 3 weeks to go. He said she is measuring a couple of days smaller than 37 weeks but probably because she is in the birth canal already. I didn't gain any weight in the last week so that's good. Monday night and Wednesday morning I had some light contractions. Dr. Allen said this is totally normal and that my body is just getting ready for labor and birth. I am wondering if I am dilated and/or effaced but I am not getting checked until I actually go into labor. Let's just say things are different and changing so I feel like things are happening like they are supposed to.

Still working out! The hardest thing right now is getting into and out of bed. My back is stiff and am getting some sharp jabs in there that can hurt! Other than that, there's no crazy pregnancy stuff going on. I went to the pool on Wednesday on my day off and it was so nice because it's about 80 degrees.

We are ALMOST done getting the house ready and our bags are almost packed! That's pretty exciting but it seems like a never ending story especially with the dog shedding like crazy! We did install the car seat in my car and I can't wait to put her in it and bring her home.

Birth Plan

Birth Plan of:

Dan and Jacki Minner

Thank you for taking the time to look over our birth plan. We have educated ourselves on different forms of childbirth and have chosen to deliver our baby naturally using the Bradley Method. With this in mind, we request that you consider our wishes and do not offer medication to us during labor unless there is an emergency.

We have done everything we can to stay healthy, fit and low risk during this pregnancy and feel confident that everything will go normally although we trust that you will inform us if any problems arise so that we can discuss the choices to be made and come up with a new plan.

We do have some preferences that may be different than your standard routine. If complications occur we will be flexible on all of these requests with the goal of keeping mom and baby safe.

Thank you,

__________________________ __________________________

Dan Minner Jacki Minner

__________________________ __________________________

Dr. Michael Allen Witness

Labor:

· Labor at home as long as possible

· Least amount of monitoring to allow for as much mobility as possible

· Natural methods of pain management including: tub, shower, birthing ball, birthing bar,

squatting, relaxation techniques, massage, hands and knees, etc.

· Mom does not want to lay on back during labor, monitoring or pushing

Birth:

· No Episiotomy, prefer to tear (pressure episiotomy if necessary)

· No Vacuum or Forceps unless necessary

· Birthing options: kneeling, squatting, side-laying or whatever feels right at the time

· Mom to cut Cord

· Skin to skin immediately after birth

· Breastfeeding immediately after birth

· Wait until umbilical cord stops pulsing to cut or until placenta is birthed

· Placenta to birth naturally

Baby:

· Wait on Eye ointment until baby is sleeping

· Prefer Vitamin K drops versus Shot, if no drops, do not give shot immediately

· Baby to remain with mother after birth as long as possible

· Parents to give first bath

If a C-Section is necessary:

· Mother to remain conscious during the procedure

· Few medications as possible

· Have 1 hand free to touch baby immediately

· Father to stay with baby at all times

We would like to have the following people allowed in the birthing room at all times:

Trina Minner

Donna Groce

Carmen Hernandez

Second Baby Shower

Thanks to Mary for throwing our second shower at Studio Z! We had a lot of fun and appreciate all the great gifts from our workout buddies:)