37 Weeks

Side view--baby don't feel tiny
Very side view--thinking I dropped a little recently

My photographer--she had to turn the camera around on herself

Me: 36 weeks, 5 days

My stats: Baby's heartbeat was a jolly 145 bpm. My blood pressure was 130 over 70, which was higher than usual but not high. Weight up 2 pounds, which Dr. said seemed to be mostly water weight (my feet are balloons). She gave me the good news that my foot swelling is not likely to go down during the night like it has in the past--these puffy things are here to stay til baby arrives.

Dr visit: Today I saw the midwife because my OB GYN is out of town. The midwife asked how my visits to the perinatalogist are going. I told her about the growth scan and she asked if I was having weekly ultrasounds there. I said yes, usually on Wednesdays, and I had another scheduled for this Wednesday. She did my fundal measurement, which was 36 weeks (better than the 2 weeks behind like I was measuring 2 weeks ago). She was very pleased with my blood sugar numbers (said she wished she could get her patients to keep such good track of their numbers!). I told her that Dr. E (the perinatalogist) recommended I be induced at 38 weeks. The midwife nodded and said "I'm all for an induction between 38 and 39 weeks. The hospital doesn't like to do them at 38 weeks because it increases the incidence of breathing problems at birth. With your great numbers and how well you have controlled your diet and everything, I think we can safely plan for around November 12-14. Let's have you come back next Monday and we'll check your cervix to see how favorable it is for induction and we'll put your induction date in the schedule".

So now I have to wait a whole SEVEN more days to get an actual date, but at least I got a range of dates! And my appt. next week is with Dr. S., who is such an induction nazi (She loves to schedule them)...so maybe I'll get lucky and she'll say "Why wait another week? Let's do it tomorrow".

Anything New? After my enlightening meeting with HR at work, I have come to the conclusion that I can't take off work before the baby (translation: working until the day of induction). For every day I take off before, I won't have a day for after. This sucks on several levels: (1) I am dead tired from the minute I wake up until I go to bed; (2) I sleep worse than an infant--I get up several times to go to the bathroom and rolling over makes my hips pop, which wakes me up; (3) the students are royally on my last nerve because I have no patience anymore. So this Bitter Annie is not going to be such a pleasant person to be around for the next two weeks or so.

Likes This Week: baby kicks; baby presents from students (thanks Cailey!); lower blood sugar numbers; insulin injections that don't hurt/sting; weekly ultrasounds

Dislikes This Week: baby using her head as a battering ram against my cervix; feeling like someone punted a football into my pelvic region; sleeping like crap; working in general; driving to Fredericksburg 2-3 times a week.

What's Next? Biophysical profile with perinatalogist on Wed, 38 week appt with OB next Monday @ 3pm