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. 

1ST SONOGRAM

IT IS STILL A BABY!!!! 

 

I had the fetal development scan yesterday. It was quick, too quick. All he told me is that the baby weighs exactly what it should at 17 w, 6 days (1/2 lb). It literally lasted 5 minutes, which is how long he told me it would take. My scan at this stage with Garrett took close to 30 minutes. She measured every single bone and made sure all the important innards were accounted for (stomach, heart, kidneys, brain, etc). Not this guy. I am getting more and more disappointed at the thought, but I am with midwives for a reason I guess. Minimal intervention is the name of the game here. My next appointment is in 2 weeks so we'll see what the midwife says about the baby.

So, clearly I am not making any huge announcements regarding gender today or I would have said it by now. I had the sonographer print out a picture of the revealing body parts and write girl or boy on a piece of paper and enclose in an envelope. A special helper will be getting this envelope soon so we can do a special gender reveal with our photographer. I can't wait! Watch for pics (and hopefully a video) coming soon.

In the meantime, here is the only picture I have of this little one.

Looking straight at the sweet face!
 

Here is me at 18 wks.

The magical gender envelope.


Dying to know what is in here!  Have to give to secret agent fast before we peak :)



 

Staying Fit While Pregnant

You have waited forever it seems to get pregnant so you can lay around, be waited on, not have to exercise or eat healthy.  Sound familiar?  No such luck.  Good health needs to be maintained or needs to become a priority now.  You are growing another human.  If you need exercise and healthy food while not pregnant you will need it even more now. 

So, earlier this year I started begging for a Fitbit One.  Finally got one and then there was some drama with a missing charger that took forever to get because Fitbit was a million years behind on making them.  (Makes no sense if you have seen the charger, it is all of 6 inches long and plugs into your computer....how long could they possibly take to produce?)  Anyway, finally it arrived while we were on vacation.  I have now been wearing it for about 10 days.  I am in love!  Why start using it now while pregnant?  If you don't have the energy in the early weeks to do all out cardio or long sessions, this gadget tracks your steps so you can work at getting more and more steps in each day.  Plus walking is low impact, yet quite helpful for pregnant women.  See my note below regarding GD. It also tracks flights of stairs, calories burned and miles walked.  It also tracks your sleep and tells you how many times you woke up.  Interesting to know, but considering I have slept horribly since I found out I was pregnant, it is really just sad to know you woke up 30 times in one night.  All in all, it is small, clips easily on your bra, your pants pockets, or it can go straight into your pocket and a fun tool to get more activity into each day. 

*Here's an interesting article on walking after meals while pregnant and how it lowers your changes of getting Gestational Diabetes.   Walk away diabetes  You want to avoid GD at all costs. 

I am also using weights and strength training.  The fitness center at my work has group classes each day.  The Thursday lunch class is a strength and tone class.  It is fast paced so you get the cardio effect while getting most body parts. 

This morning I started Leslie Sansone's 3 Mega Mile walk DVD.  Who knew walking in your living room would make you sweat.  It's a keeper for pregos. 

I am gathering some information on Pinterest regarding healthy pregnancy workouts.  Check it out here:  Fit Pregnancy

I am logging my workouts each week on My Fitness Journey if you need ideas of circuits and workouts to do. 

Growing Baby #2 has begun!

Well, it looks like we are doing this parenting thing again.  About 7 weeks ago I found out we are expecting.  I actually thought it didn't happen that month but apparently my normal sign was just a fake out....A good fake out.  We are all thrilled.  Well, G doesn't understand at all.  I try to tell him to rub my belly and kiss his brother or sister and he wants to bang on my belly instead.  All boy that child.  If we were having a dog, he would be extra gentle I bet, but a kid growing in my belly does not seem to interest him.  29 more weeks for him to get used to the notion I guess.

We told my family and Mark's brother, Matt, and his wife and kids while we were in Ohio last week.  Everyone apparently already knew my incredible news they say.  I guess telling Facebook that you are napping in your car at lunch and have a sudden disgust for bananas makes you instantly prego in their book.  Since then we have just been telling people here and there. 

I had my first "real" appointment with the midwives this morning.  Honestly, we were a little nervous.  I have continued to bleed almost weekly since I first took that test, but took the intense morning sickness, food repulsion and a case of the sleepies as a good sign.  After 5 billion questions Midwife Amy finally did the long awaited for Doppler and a strong 160 beats was heard.  Such an amazing sound.   No ultrasound until at least 17 weeks...boo.  I can't wait to get a little peak.

Mark told me I need to be fair to baby #2 and give him/her the same fanfare I gave G so I guess it is weekly/monthly bump picks and a blog for this one too :)  Hope you are ready for my weekly "why does everyone tell me I'm huge" posts on FB.  Amy told me that the more pregnancies you have the bigger the baby.  G was 9 lbs, 4 oz.  All I could say was OH DEAR!  Now there is something to look forward to...not!  Another natural, unmedicated birth coming up. 

Oh, I left out the best part!  This little one will arrive sometime near December 26.  Poor thing, but we'll make it right.  That's my promise.