The 40-Week Appointment That Never Happened

I was dreading my 40-week appointment because I knew my doctor was going to make me set an induction date. My appointment was scheduled for 9:30 am, but by 8:45 that morning Steve and I were headed to "labor and delivery" because I woke up feeling leaky and crampy. The triage nurses verified that my water had indeed broken, so I was quickly admitted to the hospital and they told us that a baby would be born that day. After a hard but rewarding labor, Carolyn Rebecca Altman took her first breath at 6:58 pm. She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz, was 19.5 inches long, and scored well on her APGAR tests. Here is our first family picture, about an hour after her birth.



The Labor Story
(for those who want to know all the gory details)

I opted to have a completely natural labor and delivery. In order to prepare, Steve and I practiced relaxation/meditation techniques and learned about the body's response to labor and delivery using Marie Mongan's "Hypnobirthing" method. My interest in having a natural birth came from how incredible I think the human (well, animal) body is... it allowed us to become pregnant and knew how to develop a child within a temporary womb inside of my body. That all happened without any intervention, so I figured my body also had to have the most sophisticated built-in engineering to allow the child to enter the world. So, I was committed to having as natural of a childbirth as possible. And, I have to say, it was the most incredible experience I have had in my life.

On June 18th (my estimated due date and a full-moon), I woke up at 2:30 AM in a cold sweat. Thinking nothing of it, I got up and went to the bathroom and then went back to bed. At 3:30, I awoke again to a small gush. I figured I was having a bit of pregnancy-related incontinence as it had happened a few times during the past few days (though, in hindsight, I think I probably started leaking amniotic fluid on Sunday June 15 -- rather than losing bladder control around then). When I got up to go to the bathroom this time, I noticed something pinkish at the bottom of the toilet and on the toilet paper. I wondered if this might be the "bloody show" singnaling the start of labor. I immediately started feeling crampy, but nothing bad. It felt like I had eaten something that did not completely agree with my stomach. However, sensing that something was starting, I drank lots of water, packed up a few remaining things, charged up all the batteries on the camera, phones, and ipod, and then tried to rest and relax until the sun came up. At 6:30, Steve was waking up to get ready for an 8am tee time. I asked that he cancel golf and stick close to me that day. I think he was confused because I did not give him much of a reason why ... because I was still unconvinced I was actually in labor. Steve asked if I had been timing the contractions. I had not; I figured a contraction would be a lot more intense than the dull cramping I was feeling. However, when we started to track them, we noticed that the cramps were very regularly spaced, about 4-5 minutes apart, lasting about a minute each. The leaking was becoming more consistent and heavier as well. At 8am, I called the on-call nurse asking what I should do ... should I wait until my scheduled appointment at 9:30 with my OB or should I come in to "labor and delivery" and be evaluated? She called my doc, who said that she would probably send me upstairs to triage regardless, so I may as well skip my office visit and go directly to "labor and delivery" as soon as I was ready. So Steve started to pack up the car and off to the hospital we went. Still, I wondered, if this really was it.

Below is a listing of how the labor unfolded at the hospital. I recreated the day from a set of notes that steve kept.

8:45 -- "Arrived at hospital. Yep, we are having a baby." The triage nurses admitted us after monitoring the baby's heart rate and my contractions for about 30 minutes and confirming that the fluid I was leaking was amniotic fluid, not urine. The cervix was only dialted to 1 cm upon admission, but it was almost completely effaced.

10:45 -- "All admission logistics and interviews were done by 10:45. The staff seem to be in tune with our birth plan and preferences. Danni was our main nurse; Heather was a nursing student shadowing her for the day. A bunch of the other on-call residents, med students, and attendings came in to introduce themselves as well."

11:40 -- "Mom's doing well -- had to have a catheter to get some pee. Ick. Looks like it hurts. Checked cervix. It was now at 3cm. She is napping now with headphones on. I just ate leftover potato salad and BBQ chicken from home. Must fight to stay awake. So sleepy (and fat)."

12:00 -- "The on-call resident (Dan Something?) came in and wanted to start Pitocin. Rebecca emphatically said NO." He apparently did not read our file before coming into the room.

12:50 -- "Dr Chaudhari (Becky's OB) and Dr Julie Something (the Chief OB Resident) came in and said things are progressing, however, Dr C brought up Pitocin again. I can't know for sure, but she seems very anxious to keep things on a schedule - her schedule not becky's. I'll have to keep a close watch." In hindsight, I do not think I should have mentioned the fact that I started leaking several days earlier. Everyone was eager to get the baby out after they knew that, despite seeing on the monitors that the baby was totally happy and healthy, that there was still plenty of fluid left, and that there was no sign of infection in me or her.

13:30 -- "After some time on the birthing ball, Becky is up and walking the halls. Every once in a while, she hesitates and slows her step. This must be when she is having a contraction. From 13:30-14:30, Becky napped again."

14:45 -- "One of the docs came in and did internal check. Still at 3 cm. He asked if he could rupture the fore sack. She agreed. Big gush of fluid." Apparently, the leak in the membranes was coming from a small tear, but as the baby's head began to descend, it created a bag of bulging waters right at the cervix. As soon as they pricked this sack, the contractions got very intense. Not necessarily closer together or longer in duration, just much more intense. When they checked the fluid that gushed afterwords, they noticed a bit of meconium, meaning that the baby had already had its first bowel movement. After noticing this, they informed us that a team of pediatricians would be present at the birth and they would have to do some extra suctioning immediately upon delivery, rather than placing the baby on my chest upon delivery. Ok. Our friend Nikki came to say hello (she is a doc at the hospital). I was so deep in concentration that I only vaguely remember seeing her, but I remember her asking Steve, "So she must be on some pretty powerful drugs, eh?"

16:30 -- "5 cm - progress!"

17:30 -- "Contractions more intense. Becky is standing upright now, leaning into the bed or me during a contraction. Becky pooped a little on the floor (she does not know, I don't think); Danni cleaned it quickly (this must happen a lot); Danni then started getting things ready and working pretty frantically. She keeps asking Becky to tell her if she is starting to push. Becky has little response. Danni is working fast. Baby must be near!" At the end of each contraction when it was most intense, I did start to have a feeling of wanting to push out, rather than breathing up. There was a definite shift in how the muscles in my pelvis were working at this point. I did not want to push the whole contraction, just a little nudge at the very end.

17:40 -- "Becky is now on all fours in bed, leaning over birthing ball, rocking back and forth. Heavy contractions. Whew, stinky and messy fluid and blood coming out."

17:53 -- "Becky finally responds, yes, there is an overwhelming urge to push -- Danni quickly checked her and indeed she was completely dilated to 10 cm. She immediately paged Dr C and Dr Julie"

17:56 -- "No show yet by docs but others are assembling in room" I really wanted to get off of my hands and knees, but I did not know how to do it myself. I needed help readjusting my position. Danni and Steve must have helped me flip around to my back and took away the bottom portion of the bed because I was in a modified squat for delivery, but I do not really remember making the move.

18:07 -- "Resident Julie showed up"

18:15 -- "Doc C. showed up, tying her scrubs as she walked in the room. She announced, this baby is coming soon." Everyone was there and it was time to push, but I think I was afraid to 'really' push for the first few contractions. I more or less just tried to breathe through them and did not forefully push at all. Maybe I was afraid it would hurt, maybe I was still trying to preserve my energy because I thought I still had a long way to go before it was over.

18:30 -- "The top of baby's head is showing - lots of hair!"

18:41 -- "Still pushing, inching her out." This is the part of labor I remember the most. The rest of it I was so focused on relaxing and not fighting my body that I lost all track of time and felt a strange out of body experience for most of the day. However, when we were at this point, I realized that I was almost done and that the baby would be here in no time. I think I relaxed a bit and realized that I actually had managed to have a completely intervention-free natural birth. I become more conversant during this stage of labor than during any other stage of labor. I remember thinking that I was really hungry. I remember having pain like I have never felt as the baby's head was coming down the birth canal. It was a burn so intense, yet so liberating that I almost savored it. The docs kept telling me to push through, even without a contraction, but I liked the feeling of relief and accomplishment in between each contraction so I rested during the breaks and pushed hard during the contractions, which were still quite short (about 30-40 seconds) and well-spaced at about every 2-3 minutes.

18:58 -- "BORN" The pediatricians quickly took her to the other side of the room to suction the airways for the meconium inhalation. We heard her cry and they kept calling out that she was 'happy and healthy' and that she was 'all girl', so there was no concern. The OB docs were still poking and prodding me (err, punching really hard on my uterus). Danni was starting an IV on my right arm to rehydrate me with fluids; Heather was taking my blood pressure on the other arm; and there was so much blood and fluid coming from my body that I honestly could not imagine having a newborn laying on my chest. There would have been no bonding going on then.... but I can tell you that I was elated, relieved, and felt a sudden rush of energy and emotion like I have never had in my life. I was so happy that Steve was there with us. He really did play a big part in helping me stay focused throughout the labor and delivery. I could not have done it without him.

After I held Carolyn for a moment, she was taken to the nursery because they wanted to do a bit more suctioning and observation, as she was still kind of gurgling with fluid in her lungs. Steve, a very proud daddy, went with her and stayed with her until all of her tests were done.

In the meantime, the OB staff continued to work on me, trying to get my blood to clot and my uterus to contract. I was very happy when they told me that I did not have a single tear and required no stitches. Later my doc mentioned that it was probably because I had such control and patience over the final pushes and such trust in my body's ability to do what it was supposed to do. She then asked me who taught my childbirth classes because she was going to recommend them to others in her practice. Steve kept calling me a "Rock Star." I just felt like I did what I was supposed to do. I know I am not the first woman to give birth, let alone the first woman to give birth naturally. I am just proud to be among the many women who have felt every movement of their child as s/he inched their way into the world. It was such an awesome feeling and makes me appreciate and trust the power of the mind and the body even more than I did before I experienced childbirth. Wow.

39-Week Appointment

Not much happening ... though I am 1 cm dialted, so my body is maybe getting ready. If nothing happens before then, I will go back to see my doctor next Wednesday (my due date) and at that time, she will schedule a series of non-stress tests and we will go from there. She did say that at next week's appointment, we will probably have to talk about an official end date. So, come on baby ... do what you are supposed to do and do not think about being more than fashionably late to your own birthday party. I do NOT want to be induced!

Oh yeah, the baby is still growing. Her heartrate is fine. My pee is fine. My bp is still low. My weight is stable. And, most importantly, I still feel good and am thankful I have a schedule where I can sleep 10-12 hours a night (and am even more thankful that the baby does not dance on my bladder making me get up in the middle of the night).

38-Week Appointment

Fast, easy, and not much to report ... I lost a pound this week, putting me up 19-20 pounds total. My blood pressure was 118/60. Whatever they check in my pee was normal. The baby's heart rate was steady and in the 130s. And my fundal height was not as far behind as it usually is (36.5 cm), meaning that Carolyn may have had a growth spurt this week. Her head is down and very low in my pelvis. My doc did not do an internal exam because I have not felt a single contraction yet, and she does not poke and prod unless there is reason to. (Curiosity does not count.)

Before I left my appointment, she asked how I managed to not get a single stretch mark and to maintain such smooth skin on my belly; she wanted to reveal my secrets to the rest of her patients. My secret -- Cetaphil -- it is available at any drug store. This is what the dermatologist told me to use to control the hives. No other products have touched my skin during pregnancy. I use the cleanser, moisturizer, and cream.

The Amaryllis

Pretty early in the pregnancy, I was diagnosed with placenta previa. The docs very frankly told me that I might have to spend much of the pregnancy on complete or modified bedrest and that we would most likely have a preterm baby, delivered via planned c-section. Upon hearing this news, my mom quickly said a prayer to her dad (my grandpa). She asked that he hold the baby in my womb for as long as possible. She also asked that he show her some sort of "sign" that he had heard her wishes and that we would both be OK. While I am not really the praying type, maybe there is some validity to this .... because I have to admit, I have had a rather uneventful pregnancy.

My mom swears that the mysterious blooming of this amaryllis was the 'sign' from her dad that he heard her prayer. She put the amaryllis bulb under a table in the laundry room around christmas time after it had bloomed a bright red color. The plant had not been watered, nor had it seen much light, and these plants are only supposed to bloom once a year. She found the plant ready to bloom again, shortly after she asked her dad to look after me and the unborn baby. She pulled it out from under the table, put it in light, gave it a drink of water, and then watched as it bloomed into a beautiful light pink flower.

I am sure there is a more rational explanation for why this plant bloomed twice in a year, or why it bloomed a different color the second time, or why I have not had any complications associated with the placenta previa, but a bit of mysticism has given us all hope. Not to mention, the story makes me hopeful that baby Carolyn will be happy and healthy upon her arrival. Steve and I can't wait to meet this little girl, and I now wonder if my grandpa has somehow already met her.

37-Week Appointment

Saw the doc today ... no weight gain, normal bp (102/60), baby is still head down and has dropped somewhat into my pelvis, and her heartrate is strong and steady. In the doctor's words, "You have one happy baby, who is not causing you a lick of trouble, so let's keep her baking for another couple of weeks."

That said, Carolyn is now considered FULL TERM, so if I go into labor, my doc will do nothing to stop or delay it from happening. Until then, she told me to keep active, continue doing what I am doing, to sleep as much as I can, and to drink a lot of water. When I told her that I thought the baby had no intention of coming any time soon, she did not disagree, but did tell me that the baby will definitely be born before July 1st because she is going out of town for a family reunion and that she would not let me go more than 1-2 weeks past my due date. So, mom and dad, no matter what, you will definitely get to meet your granddaughter when you are out here next month.

The Guessing Game

Anyone want to make a prediction on when this baby will arrive or how much she will weigh when she does make her appearance ... if so, leave a comment with your guesses. FYI, her due date is technically June 18th and the average baby weighs approximately 7.5 pounds. Although my docs convinced me early-on that we would have a preterm baby because of the placenta previa, no complication have arisen so far, so they are letting nature runs its course.

36-Week Appointment

An update from my appointment today ... normal BP, normal pee, baby's heart rate is fine, and a whopping three or four pound weight gain over the past two weeks. Wow! That is the most weight I have gained between appointments, so that takes me up to a total of 19 pounds. Maybe this is also the reason why people have suddenly told me that I am looking pregnant.

The baby is head down, ready and in place for labor, but the cervix is COMPLETELY closed, so it is unlikely that she will come anytime soon. My belly still measures small, so I may get another ultrasound next week to re-check my fluid levels. I have weekly doctor appointments from now on.

Another Baby Shower

It is official .... Carolyn is going to be one spoiled little girl!

This afternoon my research team hosted yet another, our third, baby shower. They all chipped in to buy us a gift certificate to "Cotton Babies," my favorite on-line baby store. I came home and immediately spent the gift certificate: I ordered an Ergo backpack carrier, a Maya sling carrier, a few more cloth diaper supplies, and some reusable breastmilk storage containers. What a perfect gift! I love the products that this store sells.

Oh yeah, and they also took a picture of me standing in front of a white board. This picture clearly shows my pregnant belly.

The Evolution of My Pregnant Belly

As much as I hate the look of the changes that have occurred to my body, I figure I should document them as part of this pregnancy, too. Above are the pictures of my expanding belly profile, taken approximately every five weeks since I found out I was pregnant (week 5, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35). The last three are weekly at 37, 38, and 39 weeks. If anything, they provide a record of the full extent of the damage that has occurred in the past 9 months.

34-Week Appointment

Saw the doc again today ... One more pound of weight gain for me, for a total of 16 pounds so far. BP was normal, 102/63. Pee was normal, no sugar and no proteins. Baby is still head down, in the same position she was when I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago. As much as I feel her moving, I was wondering if she was still doing flips in there. I guess not.

My fundal height was 32-33 cm. This is the measurement from the bottom of my uterus to the top; it typically should match the gestational age. I am measuring small, but my belly grows steadily each week, so that is the important piece of information. The small measurement may just mean that I will have a smaller baby, which is what I have predicted all along. Or it may just mean that I do not carry very big, which is apparent when you look at the size of my belly compared to others at my stage of pregnancy.

My doc wrote a script for a breast pump, so that is a big expense that we do not need to worry about anymore. My insurance provides a hospital grade pump and all accessories, if the doc writes a prescription for it. Well, I do have to pay the $25 co-payment for it, but that is a whole lot better than several hundred dollars.

The Nursery -- Carolyn's Room

Well, here it is... It is a room fit for a little girl, but one that we both enjoy being in, too. My favorite part may be the closet oganizer I built. Also, I have been spending a lot of time in the chair lately - whenever I want to take a quick nap or make a phone call that is where I am sitting.

There are a few things I still need to hang on the walls. And, I would like to sew valances for the window and make a cushion for the toy box, but I have been putting that off. My reasoning is that sewing is a project I can do no matter how big and uncomfortable I am. Plus, if the rest of the details do not get done until after the birth, Carolyn will never know that her room is unfinished. The major things are in place and that's what counts. The sheets are on the bed and all the clothes and blankets are washed and ready.

Hypnobirthing - I am a convert!

As I mentioned before, we opted to take the "Hypnobirthing" natural childbirth class, rather than the standard childbirth prep. Who knows what will really happen during labor and delivery or whether I will have a completely uncomplicated and unmedicated natural birth ... but I have to say that I am a total convert to the Hypnobirthing language and methods.

First, I am actually excited about delivery (not just the end-game, but the process). Second, I love that Steve believes in the power of the human body and positive thinking too and is also excited to be part of the delivery. But most importantly, I swear that the relaxation and meditation exercises I learned in class have done wonders for me and my body. Since I have been doing them, I have a newfound sense of energy; I sleep great again; and my body feels better than it ever has. I even had the energy and desire to go to spinning class a few times last week, including the greuling 90-minute class on Saturday morning. I have also done longer swim workouts than usual and I feel refreshed after doing them, rather than tired and achy.

I should admit, though, that despite my newfound energy and vigor, my ever-expanding belly does make me a bit awkward and I am starting to have some difficulty bending down to put on my shoes or getting up when I am laying on my back. I will deal with that, as long as the aches and pains stay away.

The Triple Baby Shower

Three faculty in the sociology department are pregnant ... I am due in mid-June, Heather is due in early July, and Julie is expecting in mid-July. Kim & Tess hosted a triple baby shower for all three of us. The food was fantastic, the company was fun, and the bingo entertained all. Baby Carolyn got a few more items to make sure she is adequately spoiled before she ever enters this world. By the way, I hate the picture. I think I look terribly fat. I never should have opened my sweater like that to show my belly. I really do not get why people think the pregnant body is beautiful. Sure, it is pretty amazing what the female body can do, but beauty... I am not so sure about that. I would much rather NOT have any pictures to document this phase of my development.

31-Week Appointment

Saw my doc again today ... add another pound to the scale for me, BP was normal (120/70), and fundal height was 30 cm. She confirmed that, indeed, she is NOT going to schedule an early c-section. There is no indication of gestational diabetes, nor anything strange from my blood work a few weeks ago. Everything is still right on target. The baby continues to measure small, but still within the "normal" range.

She reminded me that we should select a pediatrician pretty soon, unless I want to use the one assigned to me on the day of the baby's birth. I typically choose my doctors based on two things: 1) they need to be involved in research as well as clinical practice, and 2) their practice needs to be close to my house/work. I also prefer docs who have the MPH degree, as well as an MD or DO degree, only because I assume (rightly so or not) that they are more willing to consider wholisitc approaches, rather than only the medically-oriented treatments. So my choices become pretty limited and I generally pick the name/person with which I am most familiar. I just hate the idea of setting up meet-n-greets with several docs in the next few weeks. I have enough on my plate as it is.

Oh yeah, she also gave me the phone number to Labor and Delivery. She told me to call them, anytime day or night, if something strange happens and to go there instead of the ER if I think I am in labor. Wow, I guess that means delivery is getting closer.

30 Weeks, Ultrasound

Good news -- it looks like the placenta has stepped aside. While it is still "low lying" and the perinatologist still wrote "placenta previa" on top of her report, it is no longer covering the cervix completely, so they are NOT going to schedule an early cesarian birth. Yeah! They will let me go full-term and see what happens. Of course, there may be some complications (bleeding) at the time of delivery or even before, but we will deal with those when they come. Or maybe nothing at all will happen and this pregnancy will continue along uneventful, despite that terrible "High Risk" label that has been on my file since the beginning.

According to the ultrasound yesterday, Carolyn now weighs just over 3 pounds and is about 16.5 inches long. The images are hard to see because she is pretty big and because the bones have begun to cast shadows. Below is my favorite picture from yesterday. It is a side profile of her face, with her foot right at her mouth. She is all curled up like most fetuses at this stage, but she had her legs fully outstretched so the toes reached all the way to her mouth. Perhaps she's practicing to be a gymnast or contortionist for the circus.



I hope she keeps baking for another 9-10 weeks, but I am definitely comforted by the fact that she has a really good chance of surviving on her own if she decides she wants to come early. Really I wish I could make time slow down, so I can get the house ready for her arrival. I feel like there is still so much to do!! Steve reminds me that nothing will happen if I do not get it all done and it is not the end of the world if the flower beds and garden do not get planted this year (It is comforting, but I also wonder if that is his way of getting himself out of helping me do everything).

Childbirth Classes

Steve and I started our childbirth class. Upon my doctor's recommendations and my preference to have a birth that is as medication-free as possible, I chose to enroll in the "Hypnobirthing" class. It emphasizes the use of relaxation and visualization techniques to work with the woman's body, rather than drugs and medical interventions to control labor. It makes total sense to me. And, I am so happy I chose this particular class.

Part of the class requires us to practice a 30-minute relaxation exercise everyday. I have not once gotten through the tape without falling soundly asleep. Steve asked me something about the tape yesterday, and apparently, I have not even made it past the first 5 or 10 minutes of the exercise. I think I need to ask my instructor if I should be more conscious while doing these exercises. Also, for two nights in a row I have had dreams about me falling asleep while I was delivering the baby. I doubt that could happen, but I would be OK if it did.

UPDATE -- my instructor said it was OK to fall asleep, but that most people aren't able to because they are unable to tune out the rest of the world or let their worries leave their conscious mind so fast. I also asked her if women ever take naps during labor and she said commonly women using these techniques will take naps (or what appear to be naps) during labor. She even showed us a few videos to prove it. I was floored.

28-Week Appointment

A TOTALLY uneventful appointment. I gained another 4-5 pounds this month, a total of 12-13 for the entire pregnancy so far. My blood pressure was fine (114/50); my belly is measuring right on target, maybe a bit small (27 cm); and Carolyn's heart rate was in the 140s. Her movement seems to have slowed down a bit lately - maybe she is running out of room. I had to drink the sugar water and have my blood drawn for a glucose tolerance test and I have felt sick ever since ... headache, jittery, queasy.

I scheduled my next ultrasound for April 9th, and then will see my regular doctor in about a week later. At that time, she will decide whether she wants to schedle a c-section or let nature run its course. It all depends on where the placenta is at the time of the next ultrasound. She did say that if she schedules a c-section, she will probably wait until about June 10th to do it since I have yet to experience any bleeding, loss of fluids, or contractions. If the baby comes earlier than that, it will be because my body goes into labor on its own or because I experience some sort of placental bleeding before then. So, it is seeming more or more unlikely that this girl will have a preterm birth.

Ohio - a baby shower & easter

I took a quick weekend trip to Ohio ... before I am no longer allowed to fly!

On Friday, the Altman's came down to check out my pregnant belly and to say hello. I had dinner with some grad school friends.

On Saturday, there was a baby shower, where baby Carolyn recieved just about ALL of the big-item essentials and so many adorable little clothes and things. Wow, I can hardly believe how much loot she received! Thank god my parents have such generous friends who were willing to host such an event for us. Also, let's hope the ultrasound was right in the baby being a girl, or else Parker is going to look really silly in a lot of these clothes.

On Easter, there was a brunch and easter egg hunt at my parents' house. I took an early AM flight on Monday, so I could get back home to Steve for our 1-year anniversary. What a year this has been!

Nesting ....

I finally got around to clearing out the baby's room. I sold a lot of the old furniture on Craig's List, repainted the walls and ceiling, and steam cleaned the carpets. I also picked out a piece of fabric that has become my inspiration for the room's style and color.

Someone told me that Carolyn might have a gender identity crisis because I am keeping the room blue, but I do not see why a girl cannot sleep in a blue room. To tell you the truth, I could not think of any other color that I liked more. If she wants a pink or purple room when she is older, I will happily paint it with her then. For now, the room is going to be what I like. She wont care what it looks like for a long time.

24-Week Appointment

A rather uneventful appointment.

The nurse weighed me (up a total of 7-8 pounds for the entire pregnancy). I peed in a cup (proteins and sugars seem fine). My blood pressure was normal (low, as usual). The doc then measured the height of my stomach/uterus (23 centimeters, which is in the normal range). At my next monthly appointment, I will have a glucose test to see if there is any indication of gestational diabetes. Everyone has to do it, so no worries there.

Instead of listening to the heartbeat with the doppler, my doc did a quick ultrasound, probably because a machine happened to be in the room I was in. The baby is still moving around a lot and her heartbeat is steady and strong. She continues to keep herself pretty stretched out and long. The placenta remains low, but looks healthy. It was a very short ultrasound, primarily to check for the heartbeat and to catch a quick glimpse of the kid and placenta. No pictures to post; only the good sonograph machines at the hospital print the pictures and videos.

An interesting tidbit of information I learned ... the top of my uterus stretches almost to the bottom of my chest. My doc asked whether I was experiencing heartburn. Not much that I have noticed, but I do feel like my stomach gets really full really quickly, and when I eat, the food feels like it is sitting right at the base of my throat. I guess it only makes sense that the stomach has to shift upwards as the uterus fills the abdominal cavity.

Before leaving, my doc gave me the choice to continue having ultrasounds every 2-3 weeks to monitor the movement of the placenta or to wait until approximately 32-weeks for the next one. I decided to wait because I do not like being so vigilant; it just makes me worry. Depending on where the placenta is at that time, she and the perinatologist will decide whether they want nature to run its course or whether a c-section should be scheduled around 36 or 37 weeks. In the meantime, she told me to continue plodding along as usual. She assured me again that I do not need to be worried about the placenta previa, unless I start bleeding. And apparently, it would be A LOT of blood, so I could not possibly miss any important warning signs.

So, all in all, it was a good appointment. The best news is that I do not have to go back to a doctor for another 4 weeks. Yippee!