Doctor Visit and GBS

I had my weekly doctor's appointment today.  The first thing I asked the doctor was if he could take her out today.  He said no.  Jerk.


It was a bit of an emotional visit after that, however, because he told me I was positive for Group B Strep, the bacteria they tested me for last week.  I started sobbing, so it turned into a little therapy session.  


Group B Strep, which is not related to Strep like Strep throat, is a bacteria that 10-35% of the pregnant female population hosts in their vaginal and/or rectal regions.  It is completely harmless to adults, but there is a chance of it being transmitted to the baby during delivery.  If the baby were to transmit the Strep, she could develop serious infections or pneumonia soon after birth.


What it means for me is that I will be on IV antibiotics during labor and delivery to reduce the chance of passing it along.  However, since I am allergic to penicillin, they will have to do some testing on me to see which antibiotic I will be able to tolerate.  I did not ask whether we will be able to do that ahead of time or it will be done when I get to the hospital since I was too busy freaking out and crying, but when I am calm tomorrow I will call and ask more questions.


The doctors say the chance of the baby having any complications is VERY slim since we will be prepared with antibiotics, but I can't help but freak out and feel so guilty.  This THING I have inside me could seriously hurt my baby, and that is my fault.  Okay, so I had no control over being one of the population to have this bacteria (it is not contracted or developed due to something I did), but it is still in ME and I am now exposing my baby to another complication on a day that could be full of complications.


Plus, I don't know as much about this as the doctors, so it is hard to just think, Oh, okay, they will hook me up to an IV.  No problem.  I keep thinking of the what-ifs:  What if I am at work and it takes me a long time to get to the hospital?  What if she is exposed to the bacteria before they have a chance to get the IV up and running? What if my sensitivity to most drugs causes problems and the antibiotics are not delivered on time or efficiently?  I never claimed to be someone who doesn't overreact or over-think things.


After that whole big bombshell he dropped on me, he checked the heartbeat, and it was loud and strong, and then told me it was good that I was having a few sporadic contractions.  After that, I was all prepared for him to check and see if I was dilated, but he says they don't do that until the 39th week unless there is a very good reason. He said many doctors don't do that preemptively anymore because it is very painful, and contractions or water breaking is a much more accurate sign of progress.  He said I could request one at any time, but at their practice they will not ever induce me unless there is an excellent reason, so if I was dilated and not contracting, they would just tell me to hang in there.


So, I asked him if I could request him breaking my water.  He said no. Again.  Even after I offered to bake him a cake.  Jerk.


After calling Jeremy and my mom sobbing, I went to Joann Fabric and finally bought some fabric for sheets for the cradle (I am going to keep her in our room for a while in the cradle my dad made for me when I was a baby).  I also finally bought a canvas, paints, and brushes to get started on a painting I want to make to hang in her nursery above the crib.  I hope it turns out!!!


Then I moped around the rest of the night, because crying exhausts me!  I know this Group B Strep is not the hugest thing in the world, but I am so frustrated and feel so out of control.  I have been trying so hard to do everything right, and now there is nothing I can do to minimize this risk for her.  I guess this is just practice for the rest of her life, right? :)  

It was 36 Weeks ... a Few Days Ago

Yes, I missed posting on the real 36 weeks mark, which was Saturday.  All I have to offer are lame excuses.  The last week of my life has mostly been divided among three activities:  1) Frantically nesting while sweat pours down my face and my feet ache and I feel like passing out, but I MUST CLEAN AND ORGANIZE BECAUSE WORLD WILL END IF I DO NOT; 2) Taking a break at the end of a nesting period (which usually lasts about 6 hours) with my feet up on a pillow and crying uncontrollably; and 3) Sleeping (but still not at night -- this also ties in nicely to the crying times).


On Saturday I hosted a girls night at my house, and a few high school friends came over.  So Friday and Saturday were all about the cleaning and shopping and no time for the resting, crying, or sleeping, but it was well worth it, because it was a really fun night.  Like, no one left until 4:00 AM fun.  It's great to get to talk to them and eat for huge stretches like that.


ANYWAY, I was supposed to have the 36 week post already written and then have Jeremy take a picture of me on Saturday before the girls arrived, but I was running behind schedule and sweating profusely and did not want a picture of me sweating and without make-up, so I skipped it.  I thought I could get one on Sunday, but after my full day, my feet were once again looked like hams on toothpicks, so when I finally woke up on Sunday, I ignored all the other things that REALLY needed to be done and sat on the couch with my feet propped up all day (and as of right now, the right one is still pretty puffy.  gross.).  So when Jeremy got home, I shrieked "NO PICTURE!" and scared him out of the room.  And here we are on Monday.  I am feeling miserable and have NO intention of getting dressed or putting on make-up, and I have 30 papers to grade before tomorrow night at 4 PM, and here I am complaining about life, with no belly picture.


SO ... if you made it through all of that, here is what is going on this week with my little baybay: Once again, I will not give you an estimates for length or weight, because she shot right past the book. We will still just assume "large."  The baby still has a soft skull, bones, and cartilidge so she can get out easier, but almost all of the rest of her systems are good to go.  The only system that is not fully developed is her digestive system, but that won't begin to mature until she is outside and breastfeeding, since she has only been practicing by swallowing amniotic fluid.


37 weeks is considered the "for-sure-full-term" week according to the books, but my doctors say this little biscuit is being considered full-term at 36 weeks (as of a few days ago), so if I were to go into labor now, they would not try to stop it until 37 weeks rolls around next Saturday.  This is exciting but also not ... I was hoping that would be the magic words baby needed to hear and she would make her debut, but she seems to like it in there -- even though she is really throwing her weight around in there a lot, as if to say "What happened to my spacious accomodations, woman?!?!"  Of course, she is on her own timeline, so we will just have to wait and see.


I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions all week, and while that could be a good sign, I also know that some people have them for months.  I sure hope that's not the case -- I am NOT enjoying them.  I am much more uncomfortable and in a lot more pain this week, but I know it will just continue to get worse and worse, AND it is almost over.  But all her clothes are washed and Jeremy and I went on big trips to Target and Babies R Us to get a bunch of stuff we still needed, so can't she come NOW??? :)

Doctor's Visit and Nesting

Today I went to the doctor at 3:15 like I had written down in both my planner and on my calendar ... and the receptionist was like, "Ummm, your appointment was at 2:45."  I replied, "Ummmmm, no?"  So that was not cool.  But they got me in, which was amazing, because that place is so popular you have to make appointments WAY in advance.


The doctor said my blood pressure and measurements and weight and urine and the baby's heartbeat all were great, and after she poked the baby for a while to feel how big she was, she told me any day after FRIDAY (as in TOMORROW), if I go into labor, they will let me labor and not try to stop it.  I could not be more ecstatic.  I have plans on Friday and Saturday, but she can come any time after then! :)  Except, I told my mom and she reminded me that her and my dad will be out of state for a week starting Saturday.  And they also have a huge event they are throwing on August 21st.  So could I just get her to come sometime in between those dates please?  We'll see ...


I wrote a big entry on my other blog about how I had probably jinxed myself into having a late baby because I have all my lesson plans and everything all set to go in case I go into labor early and need a sub for the night classes I am teaching.  BUT, my mom made me feel tons better today by reminding me that I had never bothered to sign up for that childbirth class since we have not had a free Saturday in three months, so that could be my "unprepared" element that will let her come early if she sees fit.  Lots of people have given birth without going to class first, right?


I also believe I am nesting.  BIG TIME.  Last night I slaved away for SIX hours, moving, sorting, cleaning, rearranging.  Then I continued this morning.  And then while my students were working on something in class tonight, I made a list of all the other things I want to get accomplished ASAP.  I am making some major progress, and it feels great.


Tomorrow Jeremy and I are doing a big shopping trip to get some of the millions of things we still need, and I know I will feel even better after that.  Sigh.  Bring on my baby!!  I want to meet her!!

Odds and Ends #5

1.  Since I didn't get a belly shot on Saturday or Sunday, I thought some of the pictures my cousin Kristina posted on Facebook from our shopping trip might do the trick.


Here is a lovely shot of "Mount Dimick":

And here is a front view:

Yes, I waddled all the way across Target just to show my mom and Aunt Julie the Twilight dolls.  Totally worth it.  They both said Jacob has better abs in real life.

2.  I also found THIS at Target for the baby:

I bought a 9-month size, because at this rate, she might come out big enough to fit into 9-month baby clothes!

3.  I also found a replacement fake wedding ring on our shopping trip to fill my empty ring finger.  I even got it a little loose on a day when my fingers were extra swollen, so I should have room to grow!

It's nice to have a ring on that finger again (for the low-low price of $7.95!), although it is nowhere near as beautiful as my real ring.  

It will be nice when I can wear it again.

4.  The other day I took our cat MoJo to the vet, and, as usual, many strangers had comments and questions about the baby.  HOWEVER, a MIRACLE happened, and it was not a horrible experience.  First, a vet tech asked me when I was due, and when I told her I had six weeks left, she said, "Oh!  You are that close?  I would have never guessed you were that far along!" and THEN a vet came up smiling and said, "Only a few months to go, huh?" and I said, "6 weeks."  He looked surprised, and said, "You don't look big enough!"  It was such a nice change of pace ... and I was so happy I almost cried. :)

5.  Pregnancy hormones are so much more strange than I could have predicted.  I have a nice new layer of fuzz on my stomach, but the hair on my legs has practically stopped growing altogether!  The hair on my legs used to start regrowing approximately 5 minutes after shaving and would be unacceptably prickly in like two hours, and now it is very fine and I shave once a week, but there is hardly anything there.  So strange.

6.  I got the sweetest handmade gift in the mail a little while ago.  My friend from high school, Hayley, who has a sweet little daughter of her own who is about 6 months old, sent me this adorable headband:

I LOVE it!!  And isn't she talented?  If you are in the market for something similar, let me know and I will contact her for you.


7.  Jeremy's co-worker also sent home a gift yesterday.  Get ready to squeal:

I cannot WAIT to dress her up in these!

8.  I used to show the film Super Size Me to my classes all the time when I started teaching, and I decided to use it again this quarter for a paper.  I have probably seen the movie about thirty times now, what with prep and showing it to all of my classes, and every single time it totally disgusts me and makes me never want to eat fast food again. However, watching it this time for prep and then showing it to two classes ... nothing.  I was actually thinking a nice big order of fries would really hit the spot.  There should be a warning on the box:  "Not effective on pregnant women."

9.  Jeremy has been working on fixing up a dresser I bought about five years ago (for ten bucks!!!) to use in the baby's room for a dresser/changing table.  

He has been working really hard on it; it is all sanded down, the drawers are almost completely fixed (he re-fitted and glued them then added a bunch of nails to make them nice and sturdy) and ready for staining.  The top looks beautiful -- the wood grain looks amazing after stripping and sanding it.  Then we just need some hardware and we are good to go!

34 Weeks

Yesterday was 34 weeks, but I was busy on a shopping trip in Grand Rapids with some of my favorite ladies ever: my mom, my little sister Victoria, my Aunt Julie, and my cousins Kristina and Kayla.  I was WIPED when I got home, so I laid on the couch for an hour and just went to bed early.  We had tons of fun, and many strangers asked me if my due date was days away.  It never gets old ...

At 34 weeks, our little lady could be weighing in at five pounds now and could be as tall as 20 inches.  The vernix (the white coating protecting your baby’s skin) is getting thicker, and her central nervous system and lungs continue to mature. 


I also just read that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine.  They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.  VERY exciting news, since I am really nervous about preterm labor with all we have been going through with this little one lately.


No belly picture this week, because I forgot yesterday until I was exhausted and my make-up had worn off, and today I am not feeling top-notch, so I am in PJs with no make-up.  Don't worry, my belly is still huge and getting more massive by the day.  I'll get back on track next week.


As for this past week, I have been feeling about the same -- tired, hot, the usual.  Not a big deal. The only difference this week was that it felt VERY LONG with the weight of the upcoming ultrasound.  We only have three more days to wait after today, so we are getting there!


I will have an update after the ultrasound and regular appointment on Thursday.  Crossing my fingers!

A Decision. Finally.

Nothing that exciting, but ... we decided what to do about the stroller/car seat debacle.  Jeremy and I were seriously confused about what to do.  Travel system and then upgrade the car seat later or big convertible car seat and "regular" stroller?  We had heard so many opinions we couldn't keep it all straight in our heads.

We realized there were pros and cons to each, but we couldn't figure out which would be better for us in the long run when it comes to both finances and practicality.  We want our baby to be safe, but we have like ... no dollars to spend, so every product decision counts.  Also, we know we will get a lot of stuff from the shower, and we are SOOOO grateful for that, but we can't just count on getting all the important things from the shower.

So, anyway, we had a lovely little investigative trip to Babies R' Us yesterday, since it is the only place in our area that has more than like five display models out and they don't get mad when you play with them (and bash them into things) for hours.

We picked out our "favorites" of all the pieces and then looked at the combinations.  Based on what we picked out, we would be spending about the same money either way we decided to go, so we decided to go for the travel system and then getting a bigger car seat when the munchkin outgrows the infant seat.  That way, we get the bonus of popping the kid in and out of the car and the stroller very easily, and we can bring a sleeping kid places more easily.  I am actually hoping to be a "baby wearer" and use my sling as much as possible, but it will also be nice to have a small seat to take places, like when we are visiting someone or I am going to the grocery store.

I think what really sold us was how much we liked this travel system:

It was lighter, easier to use, more agile, had more bells and whistles AND was about $90 cheaper than any of the other nice systems.  It even has a spot to store WIPES up near the "mommy" cup holders!!  Wipes! 

I know this is not a huge decisions in the grand scheme of having a child, but it was a big decision for us, and we worked like a team to get there.  We were like pros, I have to say. :)

So here's to more big decisions to come!  I know we can do it!  

13 Weeks

Today I am 13 weeks and the baby is about three inches long.  The milestone today is ... fingerprints!  It is really amazing to think that the baby probably only weighs about an ounce but already has his or her unique fingerprints.


Speaking of other teeny-tiny things, if the baby is a girl (which OBVIOUSLY she is!), she already has over 2 million eggs in her ovaries!


Next week marks the beginning of the second trimester, which according to the books, is a time of "relative comfort for most pregnant women."  While I have been feeling better overall, I am still having some bad days, so I hope to enjoy some of that relative comfort soon!


I went to the mom 2 mom sale with my friend Loe'l this morning, but I didn't find anything.  They didn't have any big items besides a highchair that another woman swooped on moments before I could, and the rest was basically clothes, which does NOT help me because I don't know the sex of the baby.  So I will definitely go to the next one to look again, but I think they might be better after the baby comes if they are mostly clothes again.  At least I got to scope things out and see what to expect in the future!

Beating Heart, Baby!

I apologize for the title being a music reference that maybe only my sister will get, but that song has been stuck in my head all day because ... you guessed it: we got to hear the baby's heartbeat today!!


I had my second check-up, and this time it was with the RN, who was wonderful (recap: my place has a team of four doctors, a midwife, and a RN, who you rotate between and get to know because any combination might be the team on-call when you give birth.  So far, I love the midwife and RN, and I meet one of the OB/GYNs at my next visit in four weeks).


This was only my second visit, but it was Jeremy's first time going, and he was impressed by how nice it was, which made me feel very good.  


This check-up was very quick.  We talked about my symptoms, she reassured me that it was okay that I had lost 20 pounds, since I have not lost too much in the past four weeks.  Most of my weight loss was really really early in the first trimester, and I just haven't gained much of it back, and she said it doesn't concern her because the baby is obviously growing (have you SEEN my belly??).


Finally, she felt my belly a bit and pulled out the doppler.  I was so nervous!  She put it to my belly, and I (logically) knew she probably wouldn't find the heartbeat immediately, but I still freaked out when all I heard was silence!  After the appointment, Jeremy said as soon as she put it to my belly he heard something, and then he realized it was someone walking in the hallway and he got mad and wanted to tell them to shut up! :)  She found the heartbeat quickly, and it was fast and strong!!  It was so amazing to have Jeremy there and see the look in his eyes!!


Then, it was over!  Jeremy and I were shocked at how quick it was, but then I remembered that one of the reasons I chose the place was because they weren't overly pokey and invasive.  I am not a high risk pregnancy, so I don't need unnecessary tests all the time just for the sake of running tests.  The baby is obviously fine and I am healthy, so I should just be thankful and chill out.  Easier said than done, but I would like to try to stick by that mantra.


I have one more regular check-up in four weeks before I get to have my ultrasound (another four weeks after that), which will put me really close to 21 weeks.  While it is really disappointing that I will have to wait so long to see the baby, it should be a good ultrasound since the baby will be bigger and more developed, so I am trying to think positive thoughts about it.


In other news, Jeremy found out about a mom-to-mom sale this Saturday in Lansing, and I am going to go check it out.  I know, it seems early, but everyone says pregnancy flies by, so I better get shopping! ;)

Materinty Clothes and Shopping and Crying, Oh My!!

I wore MATERNITY CLOTHES today!!  In honor of such a momentous occasion, I took a picture, and I even took ... a BELLY SHOT!

You may have noticed a lack of belly pictures, and to be honest, I have been embarrassed to take any.  I started showing very early, and after hearing about a thousand mothers tell me I probably won't show until the 4th or 5th month, I was feeling fat.  I was sure that I was just gaining pudge, and I didn't want to go showing that off to the Internet.


Well, guess, what?  I have lost SEVENTEEN pounds since getting pregnant, and I still gained THIS bump ...

I am assuming it is baby-related and not fat-related.  I also read that if your abs were not in such great shape when you get pregnant you are likely to show earlier because there is not much resistance.  I'll be honest.  My abs were NOT in tip-top shape when I got pregnant, so I think it just popped right out.


So, NO MORE SHAME!  I have a bump and it is not fat!!  I'll just tell strangers that I am like 5 months along when they ask! ;)


In addition to all this excitement, Jeremy and my mom when to Babies 'R Us today ... and I got so overwhelmed that I cried.  Kind of a lot.


The crib I thought I liked was WRONG WRONG WRONG in real life, and they didn't have the swing or bouncy seat I wanted to check out.  I was also very underwhelmed by the car seat stroller combos.  The seat does NOT seem secure in that stroller.  What if we move to San Francisco and have to go downhill all the time and the seat pops out??


Anyway, it was all just too much.  Like the first time I went shopping for my wedding dress and the consultant wasn't bringing me the dresses I asked for and I felt like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and left crying.  The moral of the story is that I went back a few weeks later and the second dress I tried on was the one and I bought it and took it home with me and looked at it lovingly every day for 10 months until the wedding.  So, the next baby shopping trip will probably be amazing.  Right?