Patiently Waiting

11 days to go until my due date, counting down the days until Peanut decides that she wants to make her arrival. She is sure moving around in my belly. In fact last night she was moving so much I could barely fall asleep. I kept telling her, if she wants more room to move around she just needs to come on out of there. But she is being a typical kid already and not listening to mom ;)

But I am not going to rush her out of there, she will come when she is ready. Luckily (at least for now) my Midwife is letting me go until August 24th, which is 2 weeks after my due date. I am assuming that will stay the same unless the ultrasound shows that she is too big.

I am heading in Monday morning to have an ultrasound and see how big she is and how she is doing. I am really excited to see her. I haven't seen an ultrasound of anyone that I knew of a baby that far along.

My sugars have been a bit frustrating lately, but my Midwife says that they are doing fine. My dietitian on the other hand wanted to put me on meds after last week's numbers, but Jamie my Midwife said no when I talked to her on Thursday. She said that I was too close to being done and she didn't want to go that route. So I am trying hard again to stick to my diet and figure things out and what I can do to keep them down. Mostly though they are low, Most of the time if they are above 130 they aren't over 145, so that's good.

We are getting pretty excited to meet her and luckily I haven't been too uncomfortable, just inpatient. Although I complain here and there I really have nothing to complain about as I am doing really well. I have only gained 16lbs, which is right around what I wanted to gain and my weight is holding steady! YEAH! I am super excited, I was getting nervous a few months ago (Before I started my new GD diet) that I was going to gain like 30lbs, but 16lbs is not bad and I know that I can lose that after. At least that's the goal. My blood pressure is doing really good - last time I went in it was back down to 100/56 again or something like that, it's only been up once and that was my first appointment so I think I was just nervous. I am not really swelling in the ankles and hands, just a big. I actually got my wedding ring back on, which has been nice.

33 Week Appointment

I had my 33 week appointment today and it went really well. It's amazing how fast they get now. I drive a total of an hour (1/2 hour out there and a 1/2 hour back) and it's usually a 20 minute appointment. My BP was good as usual - never really have a problem with that. She said that me losing the 5lbs I have lost is no big deal and probably from eating better after the GD diagnosis. So far total I have only gained 15 lbs, which is about what I wanted to gain by this point, so if I start to gain a few more pounds I will be good. Easier to lose after she comes :)

Got the birth plan packet and going to fill out that, got some recommendations on a pediatrician's office. The babies heart rate is good at 160 bpm, and she is measuring right on at a little over 33 weeks (since I will be 34 on Tuesday next week).

So with all that good news, I will most likely be able to go to 42 weeks, which means she might not come until the end of August. I am just excited that my midwife is open to her coming when she needs to and on her own. I want to do everything I can do avoid an induction, unless it's absolutely necessary.

I keep having dreams that she comes to us early, but I doubt that will really happen. I am just more expecting her by the 24th of August, instead of the 10th.

We still have a bit to get done before she arrives but the most important things that are on my mind now are:

1. Pick out a Peditirician
2. Create and finalize our Birth Plan
3. Pack our Hospital Bag
4. Create my ipod play list for her birth.

Gestational Diabetes, Rhogam Shot and an Ultrasound....What an appointment!

Today was my monthly appointment for 28 weeks. I knew it was going to be a long one, but it really tired me out....

Here is the run down of my day
7:30: Making Eggs for breakfast, really wanting some juice, but since I had the test this morning I passed on it
9:20: Drank 10 oz of my LOVELY 50g Sugar Fruit Punch drink. I had to get it down in 5 minutes and at first it wasn't so bad, but by the end I wasn't liking it too much.
9:45: Left for my appointment. I had to drive to the Waconia Clinic.
10:25: Had my vial of blood drawn...shortly after that I found out that my Hemoglobin was good at 12 1/2 (normally it's much lower, so that's good news, no extra iron) but my glucose was a 136....Unfortunately I needed to be 130 or under...which means I will have to have another one - see below
10:45: After sitting for awhile waiting I went to the Ultrasound Room to have my 4th (Yep 4th) Ultrasound of Peanut. Boy she has gotten big. She showed her face, barely...just like last time. The tech that was running it was still learning and while she was quick to notice that she doesn't have a cleft lip (the entire reason we were there) she didn't get a good profile pic or another pic of her face. They did however get her heartbeat  - which was a great 147bpm. and they double checked that she was a girl - yep still a girl :0)

11:20: Went to meet with my Midwife.  It was the normal talk. We will be reviewing the birth plan around 36 weeks. Next appointment she will give me all the information to start working on it, although Mike and I already have started it.
11:35: Got the painful Rhogam Shot. It wasn't too bad, it was a just a little burning...and after that I was finally done and got home around 12. Long morning.

Since I failed the 1 hour Gestation Diabetes test I have to go back next Thursday for a 3 Hour. I have to fast for 8 hours before the test which luckily is in the morning. They take my blood sugar level before it starts after fasting. Then I have to drink a lovely 10oz orange drink which has 100g of sugar in it. Yep you heard that right 100g. Then 1 hour later they take my levels again, I have to wait another hour and then tested again and then one more hour and test again. The crappy part is it's not a finger prick but a full vial of blood drawn out of the arm. I will have to bring a snack for afterward since I won't be able to eat anything until almost noon. If two of the three numbers are high then I will be diagnosed as having Gestational Diabetes and have to monitor my sugar. Which means I will have to cut out the carbs....probably not a good thing that I am known as a Carb Queen.

Heard Peanut's Heartbeat

Today was my 15 week appointment and it went great! So much easier than last time. Although I hate peeing in the cup, but what can you do right? They weighed me and I pretty much wore the same things as last time and I only gained 1lb - GO ME!! so total for the pregnancy I have been at about 2 to 3lbs total. My goal is about 15lbs for the entire pregnancy so I am right on track.

My BP was a ton better too. Last appt it was like 140/70 or something like that, which is really high for me and this time it was 96/60 something, which is much more normal. I don't think it's ever been below 100, but it's been 100 plenty of times. My MW thought it was fine.

I got up on the table and she got the doppler out and found Peanuts heartbeat - it took longer than before, which freaked me out for about a 1 second (I had a dream this weekend that peanut was gone and no HB was found). but there was the swish swish swish and I could hear he/she moving around!! It was so cool, there would be a break in the swish swish and that would be the little one moving...he/she moved like 3 times while we were listening....

She explained the RH Negative thing to me and like you all told me - nothing to worry about :) We also had decided not to do any of the genetic testing. I didn't want to take the chance with the Amnio and I didn't want to do the NT scan, because it would just freak me out more than I need to be freaked out.

We have another appointment on March 15th (exactly a month away) and we have the U/S scheduled. Mike will be there for that and if he can stay for the appointment then we will go out to lunch after word - probably take a few hours of PTO or work later that day to make up for it. Four weeks will not come soon enough!!! I want to know the gender now, so I can start buying stuff ;) and thinking of names....

First Midwife Appointment

Well I had my first appointment with my midwife and she is amazing!! I might have fallen in love with her j/k. I was super nervous for some reason, not sure why....but almost to the point where I was sick this morning. I got there (good thing I looked at what time, because I might been about a 1/2 hour early). and they checked me - forgot to give me my insurance card back, so they are mailing that to me. Filled out all the paper work and then went to do the pee in a cup...Fun Times! I hate doing that, but I guess I should get used to it.

Then I sat in the room for what seemed like forever and in walked my MW. Her name is Jamie and she is amazing! She is super nice. She figured out my Due Date based on my Last Period was 8/10/10, based on when I ovulated it would be 8/12/10 and based on my U/S it was 8/10/10 so we just went with that. :) She answered all my questions. Told me I have to quit Volleyball :( I am a little bummed about that, since we just started last week. I will be playing tonight and then quitting. Have to try to find someone to take my place, hopefully that won't be too difficult, but rather quit than risk the baby.

We discussed a possible waterbirth and she said it shouldn't be a problem, but would depend on how things go throughout the pregnancy. I told her I was really open to whatever worked, and while I have my heart set on a waterbirth, I would not be upset if it didn't work, or I didn't like it.

I might have to take RhoGAM. Because my blood type is A- there might be a chance that the baby is Rh + which means I would have to take this RhoGAM. Doesn't sound like it's too much to worry about right now since this is my first pregnancy. but she said they would be testing for it anyway since I have a tattoo.

She mentioned that the spotting I have had over the past couple of weeks, was probably just bleeding from my cervix - since I bled getting my pap today. She said nothing to worry about.

The best part of the entire visit was the fact that I got to hear Peanut's Heartbeat. I didn't even realize what it was until she pointed it out, then I heard it and it was the most amazing thing in the entire world. I fell in love with peanut more than I already have....best swish, swish I have heard in my entire life!! It was a very strong 170bpm. She mentioned that when I had my U/S it was around 130bpm and that it climbs until about week 10 and then it starts to level off around 130 or 140 by the time they are born. so she said it sounded great!

I go back on the 15th of February! So exciting. Makes things so real, almost more so than the U/S