Monday, August 16, 2010

PSA: Stations of the Cervix... The More You Know

I had a great doctor's visit today- well, as great as any invasive personal exam can be, anyways. (My favorite part is how they always have to say, "LITTLE pressure, now," right before they touch you, in the same way that phlebotomists have to say every single time, "LITTLE pinch, here," right before they shove an iv needle into the bone of your hand.) I'm still just one centimeter, and the baby's head has gone way back up, to minus three station. Yeah, apparently "minus" means HIGHER in the pelvis than zero station, not lower, which is what I had thought. So at the doctor's office last Tuesday, when the baby's head was at zero and she said he was engaged, I knew that was bad, and then I got really worried the next day at the hospital when she said it had moved to minus one station. I thought he had gotten lower, but yeah... guess I still don't know everything about birthin' babies even after almost three of them. Whoops.

Now I know, though! Minus three is good! Still low for only thirty one weeks of pregnancy, but much better than zero station, so it seems the bedrest is actually accomplishing something, and man does that make me feel good. When you're literally doing nothing productive and people keep saying, "Your job is to cook that baby!" it makes you feel pretty productive after all when the lying around has in fact caused some progress in the situation. I'm feeling vastly better about my odds of having a term or very nearly term baby after all. In the hospital I was feeling very sad and scared about delivering seriously early and having a baby in the NICU and everything that would entail for our whole family. I know it still would've probably been fine in the end, but obviously it's not what you HOPE for, and I'm so happy that things are looking more encouraging in terms of my making it to at least thirty six weeks. In classic pregnant mood swing fashion, I've gone from always-on-the-verge-of-tears to super-perky! just from the relief of that doctor's visit.

So! Now that my brain has silenced it's constant monologue of, "OMG you're going to have a preemie and he's going to have problems and be sick and it's going to be YOUR FAULT because of your pitiful lazy cervix and because of the fact that you chose to have two d and c's and weaken it even further and...." ETC, well, now I'm free to think of ways to entertain myself for the next five weeks! In the last six days I've already read East of Eden (finally; I've tried and stopped like four different times now,) and The Help, so now I need fresh fodder. I'm not really a big TV person, unfortunately, but I do enjoy watching series, so I'd love for you all to tell me what YOU would be reading and watching if you had a whole month to do nothing else!

20 comments:

Hillary said...

Oh I LOVE East of Eden. Have you read Pillars of the Earth? Or World Without End? Those are big, fat epics by Ken Follett.

Good job cooking that baby.

Kelsey said...

Do you like Jennifer Weiner? I could send you, oh, just about everything of hers and have it to you by the end of the week! (And I would be very, very happy to do it.)

Jess said...

Oh, what a relief! You know how people say inaction is just another form of action? Inactivity is definitely an important activity, and I'm so glad that your activity is having such tangible results!

What about The Wire, do you like that? I've been watching it with Torsten and even though I am usually more of the lighthearted comedy type, I think it's great.

Mary O said...

I would be watching: Mad Men, The Tudors, Weeds, and How I Met Your Mother.

I would be reading: any David Sedaris book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, Blood Root, and I also second Kelsey's suggestion of Jennifer Weiner books.

So glad your appointment went well!

Sarah said...

To everyone who has offered to send me books, magazines, etc: well, SURE you can! Yes, I will read People magazine, yes I will read Jennifer Weiner, and anything else you want to mail my way! Don't feel like you have to, obv; there are people here who can go to the library for me, but you know it's always fun to get stuff in the mail. Just email me for my address. And thank you so much for offering!

Anonymous said...

What fabulous news!!!

Tess said...

Well, I'm SURE you've seen The Tudors, but if not that seems right up your alley.

Giselle said...

How about some fantastic YA books? Graceling and the companion novel Fire by Kristin Cashore or The Hunger Games and the sequel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Definitely the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.

Oh! How about the Diana Gabaldon series that starts with The Outlander. Big thick FANTASTIC books.

I could keep going, but you really don't have THAT much pregnancy left to go, right?

artemisia said...

yay!

Although, I was a preemie! I was seven weeks early and had to stay in the hospital for a bit for my lungs to develop. But I haven't had any health issues my entire life. No asthma, allergies, complications.

So, it will all work out, regardless. I am sure of it.

The Gori Wife said...

Old school 21 Jump Street. All four seasons are streaming on Netflix. I love me some 20-something year old Johnny Depp.

d e v a n said...

YAY! I'm going to look through my books and magazines for you too. :)

Katy said...

Good news! Keep cookin!

Well, if I had weeks to sit on the couch? Well, I'd start with some trash like One Tree Hill. Completely horrible, impossible, and delightfully addictive. Also good: the Gilmore Girls. If you still need more after that, then I don't think you can ever go wrong with Friends and Frasier is also pretty fun.

Books. . . I wish I could recommend something, but I'm drawing a complete blank. Oh! The Thirteenth Tale is the best book I've read in the last few years, so I'd definitely recommend that. But it's a mystery--not sure if you like that.

Marie Green said...

Whew about baby! Way to retreat, little guy!

I've been really into The Girl.. trilogy, The Hunger Games (just got the 2nd one today at the library!), I'm reading Sarah Silverman's book Bedwetter right now and it's super funny... Since you're pregnant how about The Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent (so good!)?

(Did you love The Help? I loved that book.)

If you haven't watched LOST, I'd highly recommend it. It'll pass the time fo'shizzle!

Give us feedback so we know if you are on the right track... it's hard not knowing what you've already watched/read...

Bethtastic said...

I don't know if you're into historical fiction, but there are two books I recommend to just about everyone. They are by Paul Maier.
"Pontius Pilate" and "Flames of Rome". And I recommend reading them in that order - because it's chronological, even though they were written in reverse order.

When I was on bedrest for four weeks (I made it to 36 weeks before delivery and had a completely healthy 7lb baby girl, who starts kindergarten today!), I watched endless reruns of Law and Order. The original, SUV and CI.

But maybe crime dramas aren't your thing.

Congrats on the bedrest success!!

Tracy said...

woo hoo!! THat's awesome news!

Unfortunately, the only thing I've read lately is cheesy christian fiction. Easy reads,but not the best writing, IMO.

Sarah said...

Marie: you're right, I should have given some idea of what stuff I like and what I've already read. Ok, so I've read almost everything by Elizabeth Berg and Phillipa Gregory. About half of Anita Shreve's novels. I have read Pillars of the Earth (thanks Hillary) but not the other one she mentioned by Ken Follett. I don't really like mystery or sci fi much, but I really like historic fction. Oh! I thought a near-perfect novel was Bel Canto. LOVED that book. So uh, there would be a template for my idea of a great read. :)
TV: Definitely I've watched the Tudors. But of course. I have not yet watched How I Met Your Mother or Mad Men- I've actually been saving those in the back of my mind for just such a time, so I've requested that those be put on the Netflix queu. I've not watched Lost since the first season, and I'm CONSIDERING it. But sometimes shows like that just drive my crazy. Loose ends everywhere.

Saly said...

Hooray for moving that baby back on up! When I was on modified bedrest and then up all hours nursing Bud, I watched the entire Murphy Brown series on Nick at Night. I was too young for it when it was on originally, but man, I loved that show!

Have you read "Something Borrowed" or "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin? They are easy reads, but the books are meaty so you feel like you're getting something out of them. I can send you my copies if you are interested. Email me and let me know.

Boy, you'll never read again after this!

And I fully endorse How I Met Your Mother (aka: HIMYM) One of my favorite shows!!

Daycare Girl said...

I thoroughly second the idea of the Diana Gabaldon series. Historical fiction. Highly entertaining. And The Girl.. trilogy.
For fluffy, love Nora Roberts. Her bride quartet is new and good.
Ken Follett: the titles have flown my mind but there are three by him I love that people haven't mentioned. The Third Twin, Dangerous Fortune, and A Place Called Freedom.

I would be watching Warehouse 13, Eureka, Gossip Girl, and Glee. :)

Jen @ Rolling Through Looneyville said...

Oh man... I'm SO sorry it's come to bedrest. I had to do it for a week and I was a big, giant, whiny baby.

But! It's working! So that's good. And, when he's born, you'll be nursing, (I think?), and that appetite will return :)

As for book recommendations: Straight Man by Richard Russo is my most favorite hilarious book ever.

You could read Twilight. Hehe.

CAQuincy said...

When I have time to read, I always pull out my Harry Potters.
Cuz I'm a geek like that (And yes, I've read all seven TWICE aleady this summer).

I just finished reading Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" which I thought was pretty good.