So today I had my weekly appointment. I was excited to go since I had been super crampy since yesterday and wanted to talk to midwife about it. Today I saw a new midwife, Nicole, who was pretty nice. When I first got to my appointment the nurse came to get me and bring me to my room, when I got to the room I realized that someone else was in the room shadowing/training. Turns out I went to high school with the girl who was training, such a small world! Nothing like not seeing someone in 11 years, and then them having access to your health file and having to get weighed by them! :-/ Anyway, I told the nurse about my cramping and swelling that I've been having in my ankles/feet for the past week and she checked my blood pressure and weight. BP and weight were normal. Then she did a urine check which showed an elevated level of glucose which hasn't ever happened to me before. Immediately she asked me what I had for breakfast, to which I told her just Kashi cereal with 1% milk. To drink? Water. The nurse asked me if I thought I may be leaking fluid (which I didn't think I was) and I told her that I didn't think so, but that I spent a majority of the day yesterday in the pool so I couldn't be certain. They wanted to do an internal to make sure that my bag of water didn't have a slow leak (which could be the cause of the elevated glucose in my urine) and could be the start of early labor.
When she left the room I got a little nervous. I thought to myself, "could it be early labor?" I texted T and let him know what was going on. I know that I mentioned him wanting to come to my appointments after last week, but this week is super hectic for him at work being end of quarter and all, and I know he's able to make it to my next appointment next week, so I didn't want to stress him out by missing work (even though I know he wanted to come!). So today I was riding solo, and for the first time I imagined what it's going to be like when I finally do go into labor.....nerve wrecking!!
When Nicole came in we were able to talk about some things that I had questions about before my exam. First, my group B strep came back NEGATIVE, thank goodness! The thought of having to given antibiotics in an IV during labor didn't sound like such a good time. Second, she was able to clarify that Baby Girl was measuring in the 68% percentile for height/weight (when I had that ultrasound 3 weeks ago) for babies at her gestational age (34w2d at the time), not the 11 days ahead age (36w at the time). That's good news! Maybe she isn't a gigantic baby after all. :-) My fundal height was measuring at 37 weeks, which is totally on track since their due date of 7/18 puts me at 37w2d today. Nicole told me that she could tell Baby's position by feeling my belly. Although she is head down, she is head directly on my pubic bone putting tons of pressure down below and that's probably why I'm in so much pain at night and peeing 5 times a night.
My internal showed that my cervix is totally closed and high still :-( so I'm not dilated at all, although she could feel the baby's head (if you can believe it!). Baby Girl is sunny side up right now, and in order for her to get in position for labor and delivery she needs to flip over and twist her body down into the birth canal. Right now, she's still kind of diagonal if that makes any sense, hence why I can feel her feet and knees poking out of my sides which is why my stomach will go from round to totally lopsided at any given point. Nicole suggested that I get an exercise ball and do lots of squats to try and coax the baby down. Um, I'm not sure about that. I'll do my prenatal yoga DVD which helps stretch out the hips and get the baby in a favorable position for labor, but I just don't think that I'll find it comfortable to be sitting on a ball watching TV at night.
Nicole told me that it's very common that FTM (first time moms) go late, and that they'll let me go 2 weeks past my EDD of 7/18. That would put me at August 1st before an induction!!!!!!!! Everyone else that I've met with in the practice hasn't mentioned this 2 week thing, and I'm almost certain that Beth said 1 week. Please say prayers that Baby Girl gets her act together and makes her appearance by mid-July! Nicole didn't say that she thought *I* would go late, I think she just was setting the precedent. I have my next appointment on Tuesday, July 5th and I'll have another internal exam them. T will be with me at that appointment! :-)
Before I left Nicole told me to stay off my feet as much as possible to drink lots of water today (because of the cramping). She gave me the schedule of which midwife is on what day for the month of July in labor and delivery. I guess they do 24 hour shifts. It's nice to have so that when I go into labor I can know who is going to be delivering little Miss thang!
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