10:30-11:15. Definitely some abdominal tightness. Not contractions that come and go though- more like what I get when I have walked too long in the grocery store.
11:15- More, though not a whole lot, of normal poo. Afterwards, I feel crampy- the menstrual kind.

9:15- 1 very normalish, ahem… output. Very boring.
Been burping with minerally aftertaste. Yee-uck. DH pointed out that the bottle says this’ll take 6-12 hours to work. Bah.

8:15 pm

Actually wasn’t too bad in 16 ounces of chocolate shake. I wouldn’t do a smaller shake though. Despite the bottle announcing “Tasteless!” it did have a minerally taste to it. Definitely more compatible with ice cream than the juice it recommended on the bottle.
And here’s Brendan from a few nights ago. He swiped a frozen pizza (that was waiting for the oven to preheat) off of the counter and was quite enjoying it.

Stay tuned tonight for the answer….
Altern Ther Health Med. 2000 Jan;6(1):77-9.
Use of castor oil in pregnancies at term.
Garry D, Figueroa R, Guillaume J, Cucco V.
Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, NY, USA.
CONTEXT: Despite wide use of castor oil to initiate labor, the obstetric literature contains few references to this botanical laxative. Derived from the castor plant Ricinus communis, castor oil may possess properties that are useful in post-term pregnancies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between the use of castor oil and the onset of labor. SETTING: A community hospital in Brooklyn, NY. PATIENTS: A total of 103 singleton pregnancies with intact membranes at 40 to 42 weeks referred for antepartum testing. Inclusion criteria included cervical examination, Bishop score of 4 or less, and no evidence of regular uterine contractions. INTERVENTION: Patients were alternately assigned to 1 of 2 study groups: a single oral dose of castor oil (2 oz.) or no treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Castor oil was considered successful if labor began within 24 hours after dosing. Groups were compared for onset of labor in 24 hours, method of delivery, presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid, Apgar score, and birth weight. RESULTS: Fifty-two women received castor oil and 48 were assigned no treatment. Following administration of castor oil, 30 of 52 women (57.7%) began active labor compared to 2 of 48 (4.2%) receiving no treatment. When castor oil was successful, 83.3% (25/30) of the women delivered vaginally. CONCLUSIONS: Women who receive castor oil have an increased likelihood of initiation of labor within 24 hours compared to women who receive no treatment. Castor oil use in pregnancy is underreported worldwide. This small series represents the first attempt to evaluate the medication.

This is a test post from the ooooooollllllddddd Pentium 133 laptop that we’ll have in the hospital. It even has a blazing 28.8 modem! Woo Hoo! -DH

It’s that magical but means nothing day!!

How in the heck does this…

become this?

Just amazing!

I am measuring 6 weeks overdue now (“It’s twins in there!”) and I gained 6 pounds in 7 days. Only a trace of protein these last 2 weeks in my urine and my blood pressure looks great. I have progressed from a fingertip dilated to an official 1. Whoop-de-doo! No other change- no effacement.
We scheduled the c-section… but not until Monday afternoon at 4:30. I have until Monday to go into labor on my own -OR-
I also got my OB to agree to see me once more a few hours prior to having to be at the hospital to see if I’ve progressed. If I am more favorable (say, dilated to a 3 and/or an engaged head and some thinning out) then she will break my water and we’ll see how that goes. It was a compromise I wasn’t supposed to get- an extra last minute long shot. Even I believe this baby is going to be rather big now and I feel I’ve done what I can to get him to come naturally.
So, within 6 days we’ll have a baby one way or another. 😀

Bren’s new obsession is this old Nintendo 64 game. He’s gotten quite good at controlling his car but he likes to crash it much better- especially into the train. Yee-hoo! 😀

39w2d. Huge. With only days to spare, I present to you the nursery…