The Third Trimester
I just returned from another doctor visit and all is going great!
We visited with a new doctor today, Dr. Arvin. She is in practice with our regular doctor and if our regular doctor is unavailable Dr. Arvin may be the person on call. She was very nice and very knowledgeable. Also...she had an ultrasound machine in her office. It was an older model that someone is trying to sell her but it worked. We could see Alexander's little head, and arm, a leg, his little "tushie" and his quickly beating heart. I just can't wait!
Currently, he is in the "head down" position. But, considering I have another six weeks to go he may still do some flipping around.
I finally got the results back from the hematologist about the blood work I had done and it turns out there was no sign of the Von Willebrand's disorder so I won't need a shot of any special clotting factor during delivery.
The time is moving by very quickly now. We have the last of our eight childbirthing classes tonight, then I will be down to five weeks. My baby shower is next week, then it's down to four weeks. We plan to visit the hospital the following week, then it's down to three weeks. By then, I will begin training the person that will be replacing me!
There isn't much left for us to do. We are meeting with a pediatrician on the 17th and our next ob appointment is the 18th. Then, I will be down to once a week for the last four weeks! She should begin checking me for dilation by then.
I have also ordered several birth announcement catalogs and we plan to pick-out the announcements soon. We started making our address list so I can print labels prior to getting the announcements. I'm trying to plan ahead as much as I can.
I also need to start packing our hospital bags! We'll probably get around to that in the next two weeks.
I'm still growing and I'll try to attach a picture with the next update. I'm not getting heartburn as much but I sure do have to go to the bathroom all the time!
July 18, 2000
I just returned from the doctor's and all is coming along fine.
I gained a whopping five pounds this week and have since decided that nightly ice cream treats will no longer be part of my routine. I've gained a total of 27 pounds so far. It's within the normal "range" of weight gain but I still have four weeks to go. I'm not worried - just aware.
The doctor measured my belly and I measure at a perfect 36. I suppose it doesn't mean much since you tend to be within a centimeter or two of your actual week, but I have always measured right on the button for the week I'm in. Tomorrow is the start of my 37th week so right now I am 36 weeks pregnant.
She also did my first "exam". I have appointments once a week until I deliver and each check-up she will give me an "exam" to see if I am progressing at all. So far - the baby is still in a heads-down position (although I think he can still move) and I am not dilated at all. (which is normal since I still have four weeks to go).
She also did a strep test. (not the regular throat kind J ) This checks to see if I am a carrier and if it will be passed onto the baby. If I am a carrier I will need to take antibiotics and it's not too much of a concern.
Yesterday, Brian and I met with the pediatrician (Dr. Finnigan) and we both really liked him. He has five kids of his own (2 - 17) and, personally, I think that should be a prerequisite for pediatricians. He is very laid back and was able to answer all of our questions. We asked him about traveling with a little one (since he will be 8-10 weeks old when we go to NY) and he said it is one of the best/easiest times to travel with a child. All he does at that point is sleep and eat and we won't have to chase after him.
This Saturday, Brian and I plan to tour the childbirthing center and I look forward to getting a little more comfortable with everything.
Last Thursday I had a baby shower and everything was great. I had a lot of fun and everything I received was needed!
There isn't much left to do now. We need to agree on our birth announcements and get those ordered. We need to pack our bags. We need to install the car seat in the car and I need to wash the 0-3 mos. baby clothes.
My next appointment is next Tuesday morning and I will send another update.
I will include an updated of picture of me then - I'm getting to that "I feel like beached whale stage". Getting in and out of a bathtub on my own is impossible, sleeping is difficult and I have never seen my feet as big as they are when I get home at night. Other than that - I'm feeling great!
I just returned from my doctor appointment and can you believe that tomorrow is the start of my 38th week already?
I lost 1 1/2 pounds since my last trip which is great since I had gained so much last time. I suppose some was water weight?
She measured my belly at 36 centimeters. She explained that in the end the number may stay the same if the baby drops. (which he did a little - yay) She measures from the top of the uterus down to the top of some bones and if the baby starts dropping into the pelvic bones than that would be below where she measures - make sense?
She told me that he is still head down but she can't tell if he is anterior or posterior. I want him to be facing to the rear rather than facing up since this would mean the hard part of the skull would be against my back - causing back labor and a little more discomfort. When I had my ultrasound 2-3 weeks ago he was facing to the rear, but he may move. She explained that once he starts dropping there is a very small chance that he would flip to the breech position - so all is good there.
She also checked for effacement and dilation and nothing is happening there. But - at least he dropped a little so I am excited that something is happening.
As for everything else....
We installed the car seat this weekend, packed my hospital bag, did all of our last minute shopping so we are completely stocked and ready to go. I also ordered the birth announcements last week (I can order the style and some of the wording and then after he is born I need to call in the "stats"). I should get the envelopes by the end of the week so I can start addressing them and that's the last thing on our list.
We toured the hospital last Saturday and it was very interesting. We got to tour the room than the labor, delivery and recovery is in (you stay in one room for everything) and the nurse that did the tour even went over some positions for labor.
We are both so very excited and getting very anxious. Since everything is all done and there is nothing to do I keep trying to find more things to do. I'm even thinking about buying a new outfit that he can wear home from the hospital. We have one picked out that we both like but I want to buy something with the intent of it being is "take-me-home" outfit. I have something in mind and I plan to check the internet when I get home. The outfit we have picked out now is from the Carter's John Lennon line and it's very cute but a little too popular right now so a lot of people are dressing their babies in something from the line and I want something a little different - just for the home from the hospital time.
Well - that's all for now. I hope everything is doing well.
My next appointment is next Tuesday morning and I will be down to two weeks after that!