30 Weeks

I had my third trimester review with the group’s birth counselor today, as well as my 30 week check up with the doctor.

I had tons of questions for the counselor, who is also a certified nurse-midwife and doula.  I was very pleased with the answers, and it just confirmed to me that we’ve made the right choice in group and wanting a natural hospital birth.  One of the things I was most concerned about was getting an IV, because it’s just something that I see as unnecessary and leads to more interventions.  I was happy to hear that IV’s are not routine, unless you have tested positive for Strep B.  I will be able to drink clear liquids during labor, and she recommended popsickles and Italian ice.  I’ve always loved Italian ice, in fact I want some right now…  The labor and delivery rooms are private rooms with showers, and walking around and different birth positions are encouraged.  In fact, last week a baby was delivered on the floor of the bathroom because that’s where the mom was comfortable.  The doctors are supportive of whatever the mom chooses, be it natural birth or choosing to have pain medication, so that was really encouraging.  She said I should plan to stay in the hospital for two nights for a regular delivery, during which time the baby can stay with me in my room and we can attend classes on breastfeeding and infant care, and there will be nurses to help me take care of the baby.  We discussed choosing a pediatrician and the genetic tests and medical treatments that the baby will receive shortly after birth.  We have decided to bank the cord blood and got information from different companies about that.  We also talked about birth classes offered through the hospital, and Ed and I will soon be scheduling our tour of the hospital and our day-long class there.  Finally, we talked about how far into labor to wait before going to the hospital, and that the group’s policy is to induce at 41 weeks, which of course I’m hoping to avoid.

As for the medical side of things, it was all good news.  The baby is head-down with a strong heartbeat.  I’ve gained 21lbs total, and my blood pressure was 112/76.  Glucose and protein levels were healthy, so everything was great.  They even described my pregnancy as boring, which I said I’ll take!

Overall, I’m really happy with how supportive the obstetricians have been toward our goal of a natural birth in the hospital, and I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little boy!

And in case you were wondering, there’s still no name yet!

27 Weeks

What? You’re wondering how I was 24 weeks only two weeks ago, and now I’m 27 weeks along? Well, turns out when they moved my due date back in September or October, that also pushed me a week ahead in gestation.  Which I didn’t realize until now.  Oh well!

Anyway, today was a great check up.  I got there early, but then had to wait for about 45 minutes in the waiting room.  There were a couple of emergencies so the doctor was running behind.  The first stop when they finally called me in was the scale.  After last month’s gain of 8lbs, I was nervous.  Turns out, I was nervous for nothing because I only gained half a pound, which brings my total weight gain to 13.5lbs.  My blood pressure was 118/60, and the results of my fasting glucose levels were normal, so it was very good news.  I’m slightly anemic, which could partly explain why I’ve been feeling so tired lately.  The doctor also said that my belly is “perfect” sized and to make sure that I’m eating enough.  Um, no problem!

I go back in three weeks, and after that, I’ll have to go every two weeks until 36 weeks, at which point I’ll go every week.  Can’t believe how fast this is going by!

In other news, we’ve set the date for the baby shower and are planning to do it at our house.  We ordered invitations last night and I can’t wait for them to get here! I’ve completed the baby registry, and we’re pretty well set there.  I’m still going back and forth on what kind of diapers to use: g-diapers or cloth.  I figure I’ll get some of each and try them out, and probably some disposables, too.  I figure that at least while I’m on leave at home, I can use an alternative to the disposables.

The only place where we haven’t made progress is on names.  We haven’t really talked about them, and we have no favorites, though we do know what names we don’t like.  Seems it’s easier to pick out names you hate than names you love.  I have, however, thought of some really great names for future pets, but nothing I want to name my child.