One Week Away From Parenthood!

Michael and I attended my prenatal appointment today with Dr. Chaudhari. I'm 39 weeks and one day into gestation. My blood pressure manages to stay just below the danger line that would cause my doctor to want to induce me immediately. And I have less protein in my urine than before, so the pre-eclampsia symptoms seem to be staying at bay or even slightly getting better. I do still have some impressive Flinstone feet due to swelling. There was a time this morning when I thought I would have to call out sick from work because I couldn't find any work shoes that still would fit my feet.

Though, I now seem to be getting a head cold again. Not sure if I picked up a new one from work, or took back the cold that I gave to Michael at Thanksgiving time.

There is still concern that I have a short, stocky kid in my belly with a big head and shoulders. So the latest game plan is for me to have an ultrasound on Wednesday and to get another estimate on how big Gabriel is. He was estimated to weigh 7 pounds and 2 ounces on December 9th, which would make him the size of a baby due 12/21/08. And now he's had 3 weeks to gain weight since then.

Michael and I will have another appointment on Friday morning with Dr. Chaudhari to make a birth plan with the ultrasound results. If the measurements from the ultrasound still confirm a huge kid with odd measurements, I may have a c-section on 1/5/09 which is my due date. I am so happy to hear a none holiday potential birth date! If the ultrasound measurements confirm an average to a slightly big boy, I will be induced on Sunday night 1/4/09 just to prevent Gabriel from growing too ginormous to pass through the birth canal on his own.

So either way, it is highly likely by next Monday night Michael and I will be parents!

There's always a chance I could go into labor on my own before then, but I don't feel like I am going to have him in the near future. I am continuing to show positive changes such as increased dilation to 1-2 cm now and lots of signs that I am softening.

So, parenthood in less than a week!! I'm still not sick of pregnancy yet, so last night I was a little saddened feeling Gabriel clump around in my stomach and knowing it will be ending soon. I would like more time to enjoy pregnancy, but I also don't want to deliver a toddler. I am excited that I will be meeting Gabriel in a week. And then there is an occasional good dose of fear too.

My last day of work will be this Friday, and then I will start a 12 week maternity leave.

Just Waiting Still...

I'm so glad Michael didn't waste his time trying to leave work on Monday to attend my prenatal appointment with me. I waited 40 minutes for my doctor and then saw him for less than 5 minutes.

My blood pressure remains just below the pre-eclampsia danger point, and I had less protein in my urine on Monday than I did the last two appointments. So there was no further discussion about having to possibly induce labor to stop some of the symptoms I had developed: swelling, some blurred vision during parts of the day, mild headaches, transient blood pressure spikes, etc. I actually felt better over the weekend, having sat around doing nothing during the snow in, but by no means were my symptoms gone.

Unless I go into labor or have and increase in problems before then, my next appointment on Monday the 29th.

My co-workers tell me that my stomach has dropped and some days Gabriel does feel lower, especially noted by the absence of heartburn occasionally. My co-workers seem genuinely surprised to see me every morning I show up for work, and then they make sure to seek me out to say good night at the end of each day "just in case" this is the night I actually start maternity leave.

Another Prenatal Appointment

I had another prenatal appointment with Dr. Chaudhari on Monday morning. I had gained 6 pounds just over the weekend, but it clearly was fluid retention. For the first time, I had trouble getting my engagement and wedding rings off. My feet had experienced some swelling before, but this was the first time my hands really swelled. But my blood pressure still remains okay, so chalk this up to normal end of pregnancy swelling. I'm in my 9th month of gestation now, so almost done!

I finally caught the bugs that were passing around the office. So I have nasal congestion, a cough, a sore throat from post nasal drip, and barely any voice left to speak. I came down with it the night before Thanksgiving and was miserable with it for the long holiday weekend.

Dr. Chaudhari was not sure that Gabriel was head down at my appointment. He was thinking he might be transverse, which makes sense to me as sometimes I have felt like he was going across my stomach and wasn't low in the pelvis. I've never had that sensation of getting kicked up under the ribs like other Mothers have told me about. I feel a lot of movement in there though, and I really enjoy it and am already thinking I will miss it when Gabriel's out. A transverse lie can be a problem, and require a c-section, if the baby is not head down by week 36. And I was 35 weeks and 1 day as of my appointment.

I am scheduled for another ultrasound on the 9th to once again check the size that Gabriel is, and now to confirm his position in the womb too. There is still concern that he is really big for his gestational age. And I don't have to probably write too much about the problems a big baby can cause during delivery. I am sure you can use your imagination on that.

Dr. Chaudhari has indicated that I will most likely have a December birth and that I won't be going past my due date based on what he has found so far, but the next ultrasound will be the final determination on what the birth plan will be. I have given up the idea of having a late baby born around mid-January. I have wanted to get Gabriel's birth as far away from the holidays, so of course, I'm learning already that there is little control in parenting.

I am on a weekly prenatal appointment schedule now that I am in the final month.