full term!

We've made it to full term! Hooray!

It's hard to believe that it has only been a week since I last blogged-- SO much stuff has happened I feel like I'm way behind, so let's see if I can get all caught up.

I mentioned in my last post that I had "bonus" doctor's appointment the next day. Well, I didn't think it was going to be any big deal. I assumed they were going to make me pee into a cup and probably run some labs and that was all- so I told Nathan not to worry about taking time off work and asked my mom to drive me to the doctor that morning. I figured it would be like a 10-15 minute thing and then we would be out the door and I could head over to my sister's house to swim!

So, Thursday morning my mom brought me a Jamba Juice and drive me over to my appointment. They took my blood pressure and it was high, then they took it again while I was laying down and it was fine. Then they check the baby's heart beat and it was all good. Then they had me pee in a cup to check for protein in my urine (which would be an indicator for preeclampsia.) THEN, to my surprise they had me undress from the waist down so they could do the strep B test- which I thought wasn't going to happen until Monday. That swabbing or whatever HURT! Holy Moses. Next, Dr. Tutt checked my cervix, which I am pretty sure I mentioned before is pretty uncomfortable. Cervix was all closed up like last time- so no signs that the baby would be coming out on his own any time soon. Then they did a measurement ultra sound- which was another thing I wasn't expecting to happen until Monday. This is when I found out I was carrying a giant monster baby!! At the exact 36 week marker, Xander was measuring at 6.5-7 lbs! The doc said that if I make it to my due date he could be a 10 lb baby! I did find out that he was head down though- which is good.

After all the baby measuring was done, Dr. Tutt checked out the placenta and I got the not so good news. Apparently, the placenta is aging/deteriorating faster than it should. It started detaching from the uterus a bit and has some calcification on it.This usually doesn't happen until around/after 40 weeks. So because of this news and because of my high blood pressure, I was sent over to the hospital- to labor and delivery triage to be monitored and to have labs run. (I learned that if I get the labs done at the doctor's office, it takes a day take to get the results back, but at the hospital it takes only about 20 minutes.)

So we drove a mile up the road to the hospital. I got all "pre-registered" and signed all the paper work- which I guess will help streamline things for the next time I go in. Then they put me in triage room #1 and asked for another urine sample. I just peed at the doctor! I did manage to squeeze a little out though- and it freakin' burned because of the strep test or whatever they did at the office. Next, I changed into a hospital gown and they strapped me all up to the bed so they could monitor the baby, and they put a blood pressure cuff on me to continuously monitor my blood pressure. Then they asked me a bunch questions, like family history, and if I would be willing to take blood in an emergency situation, and if we were planning to have the baby circumcised and all that. But my favorite question of all was "Can you feel those contractions you are having right now?" I was like "Uh, no." My mind was a little blown; how could I be having contractions and not know it?! Well, apparently I had been having contractions all along, I just wasn't really aware that, that is was they were. I thought they tightening I had been feeling in my belly was just the baby moving. So I watched the monitor and became more aware of what was happening in my body when a contraction was going on. It was kind of cool. They weren't worried about the contractions since I wasn't dilated at all- they did tell me to make sure that I drank plenty of water to stay hydrated to keep the contractions at bay though.

After being there for like a half hour- 45 minutes they got all my labs back and everything looked normal for me and for the baby. They told me to keep my Monday appointment with Dr. Tutt and I was sent on my way. From what I had learned about the placenta, I thought that maybe at my Monday appointment, Dr. Tutt might schedule an induction for the safety of the baby. So fast forward to Monday afternoon's appointment- my blood pressure was better, baby's heart rate is good, I had to give another urine sample- ya know, the usual. Then the ever dreaded cervical check; still not dilated- but it had softened a bit, so there was a little bit of progress there. They checked the placenta again on the ultra sound and it looked the same- not any better, not any worse- so they scheduled my next appointment for one week out. So, as of now, there is no scheduled induction or c-section planned. The only way this baby is coming before Monday is if he decides to do so on his own.

Now that I know what a contraction feels like, I am noticing them more and more. The nurse at the doctor said that I shouldn't worry about them too much until they start getting painful- I've only had 1 or 2 that were particularly uncomfortable.

So that's what has been happening on the medical side of my pregnancy. I will post again later today or tomorrow morning with pictures of some the baby preparations that have been going on my latest belly picture!