The Last Days of my Pregnancy

As Jack's first birthday approaches, I keep thinking back to those last days of my pregnancy with him. I've written before about how my pregnancy was not the easiest. It started with terribly morning sickness (and by morning sickness, I mean ALL DAY LONG sickness) that started about a week after we found out we were pregnant. My second trimester, however, was wonderful! I had so much energy, I was nesting and I was so productive at work. Then my third trimester hit, and things went downhill again.

I started having contractions at 36 weeks, the day before our birth class. We spent the day in the maternity triage area of the hospital, and luckily it was a false alarm. After that, I kept having contractions through the rest of my pregnancy. I've also told you before about how much I swelled. It was crazy! But as long as I was healthy and my baby was healthy I was okay with it.

But then, at 37 weeks, I got a terrible pregnancy rash called Pruritic Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy, otherwise known at PUPPPs. ( I will save more details about my experience with PUPPPs and how I dealt with it in a separate blog post, because I could not find much in the way of help when I went through it.) But needless to say, it was awful!

Basically, it's a relatively rare rash that typically happens in caucasian women, in their first pregnancy, having a boy. Check, check check! It started on my big pregnant belly, then spread to my lower legs, my upper legs, my feet, my arms, then my hands. It is the most itchy, uncomfortable, miserable rash, and I would not wish it on my worse enemy!

In fact, my case of PUPPPs was one of the most severe my doctor had ever seen, and I was so unbelievably miserable, no sleeping, and so uncomfortable, that she decided to induce me the day before my due date as the only "cure" for PUPPPs is delivery (or so they say...more on that later as well). I had also planned to work right up until the day I gave birth so I would have as much time as possible with Jack on maternity leave, but my PUPPPs was so bad that I wasn't sleeping, and I knew I needed rest before giving birth. So I was scheduled to be induced on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, and finished working Friday, June 21, 2019.

As if all of that going on wasn't enough, my husband's best friend and best man in our wedding was getting married Saturday, June 22, 2019, and we were determined that Jon would get to be in this wedding and that I would go to it. I remember I had my last day of work, then an OB appointment that Friday and we were supposed to go to the rehearsal dinner that night. I asked my OB if she thought it was okay for us to drive an hour and a half to the South Shore and she said I still hadn't progressed, so I could if I felt up for it, so we did! And I'm so glad we did. While it was tiring to drive the hour and a half for the rehearsal dinner, then drive home that night, then back again the next day for the wedding at 40 weeks pregnant, I felt the best I had in a long time. My rash seemed to be slightly better, I was relieved to be done with work, and it was fun to have one last, somewhat normal seeming hurrah before our lives changed completely. Plus, it was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended. Happy Anniversary Scott and Leah!

After such a fun day, we headed home to enjoy our last few days before Jack's arrival. On the way home though, I started having contractions. The contractions got worse and worse all the way home. Then we got home and they continued to get harder and closer together. Jon called the doctor and they said we could continue at home or come to the hospital. I wanted to wait a little longer, but was finally crying through the pain. Jon had been talking to my parents who were trying to decide if this was really it and time to make the trip down. Finally, around midnight, we decided to head to the hospital and they started making the trip from Vermont to Massachusetts; all of us thinking Jack was on his way.

As we loaded the car and said goodbye to Scout, we had this moment of, "Is this really happening?!" Of course, on the way to the hospital my contractions started to lessen, and by the time we got there they stopped. I still got checked out, but I think going to a wedding at 40 weeks pregnant might have been overexerting myself a bit. So once again, we headed home without a baby. My parents arrived safely in the middle of the night, and after a late, exciting night for all of us, we all slept until mid-morning the next day.

Since it didn't seem like Jack was going to make his arrival quite yet, my parents decided to go up to Rockport, MA for the night to celebrate their 35th anniversary and give Jon and I one last day on our own before we had a baby. Jon and I spent the day doing a little shopping and getting a delicious lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was such a fun last full day for us to spend together.

My sister also made the trip down to help us make the last few preparations before Jack arrived and of course to be there when he was born. We finished packing bags, cleaning the house, and anything else that came to my slightly frazzled mind (including making my sister steam Jack's going home outfit-she still rolls her eyes at me for this one).

The day we were supposed to check in to the hospital I was so excited, very nervous, and just ready to finally meet my baby after such a crazy pregnancy. If I'm honest, I was also a bit upset that the end of my pregnancy had gotten so crazy and that I had to be induced rather than have him come naturally. That day I posted these words to my Instagram and Facebook:

"This pregnancy has been so far from what I expected, which just goes to show how silly it is to have expectations of something we've never experienced. It's clear to me now that God has been reminding me and humbling me that we really have no control over how things will happen.

With that said, we will be checking into the hospital this evening to be induced (don't worry, baby boy and I are just fine). We are very excited and nervous and would certainly appreciate your prayers as we head into labor, delivery, and then parenthood!"

Maternity photos by the always amazing Kristina Nalette Photography who has captured all of the big moments of our life thus far.

(Sorry to leave you on a cliff hanger. Jack's Birth Story will be coming on Friday!)