23 week appointment - all is well
I had another midwife appointment today (I'm 22 weeks, 6 days or 23 weeks, depending on how you look at it). The bottom line is that everything is fine. :-)
First, the baby: He might be a big one. I'm measuring 27 weeks (I *thought* my stomach looked rather large considering how far along I am...). Now granted, the tape measure really doesn't mean that much because growth is variable depending on the kid. But given that Trent was more than 9 pounds at birth and his brother was almost 10, well...I wouldn't be surprised if we've got a chunker. As for the heartbeat, it came in at 156.
And me: My weight and blood pressure are acceptable. Actually, she didn't tell me what my BP reading was. I'll bet it was high again because I was nervous. But she did agree that the BP readings I've been taking on my own look totally normal. She even put them in my file. In terms of weight, I've gained 6 pounds in the last month. She was unconcerned. I believe her words were, "You're going to gain at some point - it might as well be now." This makes for a total increase of about 16 - 18 pounds so far (it's a little unclear because I'm not totally sure what my starting weight was).
In four weeks I have another level II ultrasound. It's the standard of care for my practice, and while it seems a tad excessive, I know I'll regret it if I don't go ahead and do it. I'm such a worrywart. I might as well. I also have to take the stupid glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. I asked if I had to do it. Her answer was vague, so I guess it's up to me. It just seems a little silly because I'm totally healthy, and if it comes back positive it's going to create unnecessary concern.
We also had a chance to talk more about what it's like to give birth at the birth center. Either my midwife or the other certified nurse midwife will be there the whole time, along with one of the nurses that works there. I also plan to hire a doula. It seems like a good idea - if I DO have to be transferred to the hospital, I'll need someone who knows what's going on and who will represent me and what I want.
Okay, enough...Time to get off the computer and do other things.
First, the baby: He might be a big one. I'm measuring 27 weeks (I *thought* my stomach looked rather large considering how far along I am...). Now granted, the tape measure really doesn't mean that much because growth is variable depending on the kid. But given that Trent was more than 9 pounds at birth and his brother was almost 10, well...I wouldn't be surprised if we've got a chunker. As for the heartbeat, it came in at 156.
And me: My weight and blood pressure are acceptable. Actually, she didn't tell me what my BP reading was. I'll bet it was high again because I was nervous. But she did agree that the BP readings I've been taking on my own look totally normal. She even put them in my file. In terms of weight, I've gained 6 pounds in the last month. She was unconcerned. I believe her words were, "You're going to gain at some point - it might as well be now." This makes for a total increase of about 16 - 18 pounds so far (it's a little unclear because I'm not totally sure what my starting weight was).
In four weeks I have another level II ultrasound. It's the standard of care for my practice, and while it seems a tad excessive, I know I'll regret it if I don't go ahead and do it. I'm such a worrywart. I might as well. I also have to take the stupid glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. I asked if I had to do it. Her answer was vague, so I guess it's up to me. It just seems a little silly because I'm totally healthy, and if it comes back positive it's going to create unnecessary concern.
We also had a chance to talk more about what it's like to give birth at the birth center. Either my midwife or the other certified nurse midwife will be there the whole time, along with one of the nurses that works there. I also plan to hire a doula. It seems like a good idea - if I DO have to be transferred to the hospital, I'll need someone who knows what's going on and who will represent me and what I want.
Okay, enough...Time to get off the computer and do other things.