37 week midwife appointment

37 w, 5 day
Midwife Amy

It is now Friday night and I am getting around to writing all this.  It has been one late night after another here this week.  When ice enters Texas, our world pretty much ends.  I must have seen every road in the DFW area this week just trying to stay away from slick spots and too much traffic.  Mostly it was all in vain. 

So when Wednesday got here, the weather had finally warmed enough to start melting the ice on the roads so having a 4 PM appointment seemed like a great time to finally get home before 7 PM.  That was my plan.....that however was not Amy or Blake's plan.

Amy asked all the normal questions about if I am ready, do I have everything planned, know where to go, etc.  Then, came the belly measurement.  Only measuring 36-37 weeks this time.  I'm convinced this baby is smaller than G.  All I am hoping for is healthy and well, maybe a slightly smaller head.  I found G's birth measurements today and his head was 14.5" which is quite large for a newborn especially one born at 38 weeks, 1 day. 

Then came the usual favorite part....the Doppler.  Baby heart beat time.  Only this time Blake thought it would be fun to squirm around so much that he must have kept rolling on his cord causing his heart rate to dip into the 90's.  Normal is 110-180, which really is a gigantic range if you think about it. 

So Amy decided I needed to head over to the MOPS area (no idea what that stands for, but basically it is a high risk prenatal assessment center).  They handed me the usual 97 sheets of paper that needed to be filled out and while I got to work on those, they hooked me up to the fetal scan and contraction monitor.  In between questions I watched his little heart bounce all over the 110-180 spectrum.  The contraction monitor was not picking up anything.  Both were great news.  Blake kept kicking the contraction monitor.  It literally moved about 3 inches above my stomach at one point.  I stayed on the monitor for about an hour and only 3 times did his heart rate drop to the 90's, but even then it was literally for 4 seconds or less.  They only worry if it stays there for more than 30 seconds at a time. 

Next up was a sonogram to check the fluid levels.  I think she said they were 11 cm, but whatever the number, she said it was good so yet again no worries.  I got to see him on the monitor for a minute or so.  She stayed down by his head and chest and didn't do any baby measuring so no idea if he is small or large or even still a boy :) 

So basically, he is fine.  He moves and kicks and squirms constantly and now we know he has plenty of fluid so there is nothing to worry about.  I am just hoping to get through 1 more week of work and then have him around the 21st.  It just sounds easier to have mom and dad already in town to watch G and not have to deal with the drama of going into labor at work.  I have already had one of my older employees tell me she's been practicing and reading up on how to catch a baby and one of our security guards also said he was prepared if necessary.  I realize I am more on the nudist side of the spectrum, but having my coworkers see me in labor does not appeal to me at all and I don't trust any of them to let me drive myself to the hospital.  I refuse to go by ambulance to any of the hospitals in Irving.  I've been to killer Baylor for 3 days due to my Crohns disease.  I actually was released on Christmas day several years ago.  Let's just say, Baylor Irving is where you send someone if you want them to be ignored and die.  I know I want minimal interventions for this birth, but I do want some of the perks of being in a hospital.  My company loves to call Ambulances and most of the time it is for one of my employees.  Last time we called one was a week before Thanksgiving.  I do not want to be the next in line thank you very much.

Today one of the ladies from the other side of the building dropped off the adorable green booties for Blake.  I love them and how nice is she for thinking of me?  So cool I think!.

I worked on my Birth Plan a little this week.  The highlights:

1.  No IV, but I will do a Heparin/saline lock if I have to.
2.  Minimal exams, mostly just upon arrival and as I feel I am progressing. 
3.  While I'm allowed to eat and drink freely, I know with G I refused everything and after 24 hours of labor I was exhausted and starving.  I asked for 2 post birth sandwich boxes LOL.  So this time I'm going to bring some Organic Apple Juice with me.  They stock regular apple juice on the delivery floor but I think I want to bring my own. 
4.  Intermittent monitoring
5.  No interventions, pain meds or epidural.
6.  No delivering on my back this time.  That was awful and caused me labor induced asthma.  Yes, there is such a thing.  Leave it to me.
7.  Delayed cord clamping until the pulsating stops.
8.  Blake goes on my chest immediately and stays there for the next 2 hours.
9.  APGAR can be done on my chest.
10.  Measurements, shots, creams, etc can be done after the 2 hours is up. 
11.  Breastfeeding begins immediately.
12.  No Hepatitis B vaccine in the hospital. 
13.  Blake will not have a bath until we get home. 
14  Blake will only leave my room for the circumcision. 
15.  No pacifiers or bottles, nursing only.
16.  Assuming we are both healthy, we are going to beg to get out ASAP.

Interesting to note, we are 13 days before Blake's due date.  Garrett had just been born at this same point in my pregnancy.  Usually you hear 1st babies are late, 2nd are early.  I'm thinking I've got this backward.  Just hope he exits by his due date.  I have been trying to take it somewhat easy so he stays in a little longer, but by next week I'm going to be walking my heart out. 

G:  age 2 on his rocking horse from grandpa Barkema

Next appointment is next Wednesday.  I wonder if it will be my final appointment.  That would be nice. 

Thoughts on Feeding My Child

Maybe I have "liked" too many mom's/parents pages on facebook or just being pregnant in general it seems like the breastfeeding debate is staring me in the face again. 

I nursed G till he was 14 months.  Honestly I would have probably continued because he really did like it, but there was this amazing once in a lifetime vacation to Panama that my husband earned that couldn't be missed.  I bet that sounds super selfish to the extreme natural moms out there.  But truth is 14 months was more than a lot of babies get and really most of his true nutrition was coming from food at that point and he was drinking organic whole milk too and lots of it.  It was clear that at that point it was for comfort and familiarity only.

Making the choice to stop nursing was bittersweet.  I never imagined how much I would miss that comforting that nursing gave, not just for him, but for me once I was done.  But everything must come to and end at some point

Nursing was neither easy nor hard for me, but it was meant to be.  It was an easy choice, I guess is what I mean.  That doesn't mean that sometimes I questioned myself, but I just continued on because it really did work for us as a family.  There was still that guilt at times that every thing I consumed or did would not go over well with my supply or the taste or might not even be particularly healthy.  Breastfeeding is a sacrifice.  Yes, a sacrifice!  I said it.  It takes work.  The same considerations you make for the 40 weeks of pregnancy have to continue regarding food anyway.  Working out was hard.  It hurt.  It required 2 sports bras.  I constantly stressed about my supply and was he getting enough.  G ate a lot and often.  He ate every 2 hours like clockwork.  There was another mom at G's daycare who was a pediatrician who made the comment to G's teacher that she would hate it if her baby had to eat that often and thats why she only did every 3 hours regardless.  OH my!!!  Between her (and her we do what is easiest for mom crap) and the 1st pediatrician (horrid, all facts, no personality) we met in the hospital, I am so grateful for the pediatrician we found for G.  She LOVES children and supports our decisions.  So, as for nursing, I did on demand.  Yes, that meant stopping everything I was doing if he needed to eat and it meant that one long 4 hour session when he was 3 weeks old and going through a growth spurt, but who was I to tell him no at such a young age?

So why breastfeed?
*that incredible bond/the mommy high you get.  I'm not saying you can't get that from holding your baby close while you bottle feed, but it is just a different experience.  I really cannot even put it in to words. 
*it is calming for you and the baby in such an uncalm world.
*it is perfect nutrition
*you don't have to try and figure out which brand or recipe of formula will work with your baby best
*no bottles to clean.  I personally love this one, because dishes are no fun and it hurts my back to stand over the sink. 
*your baby's next meal is always with you.  Perfect considering I was awful at remembering the diaper bag the first 20 or so times we left the house.  Don't judge!  I remembered the most important part...the baby!
*no worry about wasting anything.  I know you are thinking who complains about that, but I have heard the complaint from more than one formula feeding mom. 
*not having to go to the kitchen to fix bottles in the middle of the night.  Just swoop the crying baby from wherever they are sleeping and you are ready to go.
*my monthly visitor (aka period) did not return until G was 13 months.  Does not work for everyone, but it was a nice reprieve while taking care of my first baby.

Want to read what others are saying or find help?  go here, here, and here.

Need a few silly reasons not to breastfeed?
*lopsided boobs.  Yep, G loved the left one, hated the right one so I was left with a very hard to hide symmetry problem for the 14 months I nursed.  It goes away though once you stop nursing so technically this is only a wardrobe nightmare for a very short time in your life.  I'm sure if I had started pumping the right side from the first week it would not have been as noticeable but no one shared that tip with me. 
*If you work, you will most likely have to pump.  I'm not going to sugar coat it.  Pumping is not that fun.  It is time consuming.  It can be stressful.  No matter how short on milk I thought I would be, it was always enough for G the next day.  Miracles happen every day!

Bottom line...be informed.  Do your research and then just try it before you make any firm decisions.  I guarantee you that your hospital has a breastfeeding class.  Take it.  I did and learned a lot.  Have a friend that has done it before be on call to help you.  Keep your lactation consultant's phone number in your phone.  They will answer any question you have.  Then relax.  Having anxiety about it will make it hard for you and the baby.  Finally, good luck in whatever decision you make.  No matter what the decision as long as you have done the research you are surely doing the right thing for you and your baby.

***Note about the picture.  I was nursing, pumping and reading.  Multitasking!