98 Days to go!

So I'm 98 days from my due date today! I'm 26 weeks and feeling bigger every day.  The boy likes to kick my bladder.  He's extra active in the evening.  I've already gained 21 pounds.  With 14 weeks to go that means I'll be gaining AT LEAST 14 more, but I'm thinking it'll be more like 20-25 more. Blah, the worst part of pregnancy is the weight gain.  Seriously. At least I don't look TOO pregnant from the front.

My plan is to try to go natural.  I never saw myself as the natural type.  I was induced for both my girls.  With Baby Dragon I was induced 2 weeks early because of high blood pressure.  Aside from being on magnesium sulfate (which made me horribly nauseous and made me see double) it was a great labor and delivery.  Lasted 9 hours and I didn't feel a thing.  So I figured induction was the way to go.  I elected to be induced 1 week early with Sweetie.  My mom flew in the day of the induction and made it in time for the delivery.  It was another 9 hour labor (the last 2 being the hardest), but it was not so pain free.  The anesthesiologist had to stick me 2 times to get the epidural in and it did not take on one side (I have scoliosis).  I was fine until transition. Then I was crying with every contraction.  When it came time to push I could feel the one side and scared, but when the midwife told me to push through the pain, I realized that I could do that and that it actually helped.  I think that I felt empowered that I could deliver SOMEWHAT naturally.  I was on a high for a couple of hours following Sweetie's delivery. I did have a HUGE bruise on my back from the epidural and didn't like having to deal with a sore back.

At the end of my pregnancy with Sweetie I remember wondering what it would be like to go into labor on my own.  I figured that if I wanted to experience that when I was 39 weeks pregnant that I would probably feel that way with my next pregnancy.  So I am not going to be induced this time.  I think it will be exciting to be able to say, "It's time!" and rush off to the hospital.  I also decided that if I could make it through labor halfway medicated, that I should give natural childbirth a shot.  I am prone to think that my labor MIGHT be faster if it comes naturally when my body is more ready for it.  But I guess we'll see!  I think this baby will be bigger (BD was 5.12. and Sweetie was 6.7.) because he'll probably come later, closer to 40 weeks.  I will also have a doula this time around.  I'm looking forward to having the extra help. 

This will also be my least attended birth.  With Baby Dragon 2 of my sisters were there, along with my mom and Handsome Husband.  With Sweetie 1 of my sisters, my mom, my aunt Abra and Handsome Husband were there.  With this one it'll just Handsome Husband, my aunt Abra and the doula.  Since we aren't inducing we just can't have my mom be there when it happens.  I don't want her to fly out and then have to leave without the baby being born (she works)!  I like having a lot of people there because it feels like a big celebration when the baby comes.