Thirty-Eight-and-a-Half-Week Midwife Appointment

Despite a somewhat long wait in the waiting room this morning (which was partly my fault because I arrived early, thinking that might get me out of there faster), my actual appointment with the midwife was not long. However, it was still somewhat anxiety-inducing.

It started out pretty normal -- I peed in a cup (was actually confirmed to be fine by the midwife today), was weighed (still at 144, no gain from last week or the week before), and had my blood pressure taken once placed in a room (90/60, also confirmed fine by the midwife). I saw Helen again this week, and she came into the examination room and asked how I was doing. I told her about the stomach bug I had earlier in the week, and that I had tried to stay as hydrated as possible even though it was difficult to keep anything down. She listened to the baby's heartbeat and felt around on my belly. Then she said that she thought she would like me to go in for an ultrasound, if I was okay with that, just to make sure the amniotic fluid was not decreasing. She said the heartbeat sounded fine -- that she was not even needing to count the beats -- but just said that her gut instinct was telling her, based on what she could feel from outside my belly, that I should maybe just go ahead and have the ultrasound done to rule it out. I told her I was definitely okay with that. That if there is anything wrong, I would rather be safe than sorry. (As a side note, she also said that the baby was turned so that its back is against the right side of my belly, opposite of what she proclaimed at my last appointment. Although, this makes much more sense to me with how I thought the baby might be positioned.) I proceeded to ask her what would happen if the amniotic fluid was, indeed, decreasing, and at first she said she did not really want to even go too deep into that conversation because she was not sure there was cause for alarm. But she said the main concern is that if the fluid decreases enough, the umbilical cord can collapse, which of course would be a danger. She said that if they find that the fluid is decreasing to the point that something needs to be done, they will likely just speed along the birthing process, which I am assuming means I would be induced. This, of course, is not my ideal plan of action, but I will also, of course, do what I need to do to keep everyone involved healthy and safe. The midwife said that if she was really concerned, she would send me over to do the ultrasound right away, but we are still getting it done within 24 hours.

So tomorrow morning Jarrett and I are going into See Baby for the ultrasound. I pray that everything is totally fine and that we can just go on as planned, but we will see what the technicians and medical professionals have to say. If nothing else, it will be kind of cool to see the baby this late in the game!

Last Hurrahs

I have had good opportunity to get in both girl time and couple time throughout this pregnancy, and I have not let that luxury go even up to the end. Last week three of us girls were able to get together for one last pedicure (and yummy lunch at Big Tex Cantina) prior to the baby's arrival.

 

And last Friday evening, Tim, Kate, Jarrett, and I went to a nice dinner at Cakes & Ale, where we ate when I was in early labor with Elsa, only this time at their brand new location on the Decatur Square. This time I was not in labor, but it was still nice to repeat the evening in a way, celebrating the soon arrival of Baby Helms numero dos. As for the restaurant itself, the new location is really nice; however, some sound dampening would be really nice (maybe we are just getting old), and I did not feel that their menu was quite up to par as to what we have experienced in our many visits in the past. The flourless chocolate cake was delicious, though!

Thirty-Eight Weeks

I made it to the thirty-eight week mark this past Saturday (I can never seem to post exactly on schedule). According to BabyCenter, our baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and is over 19.5 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which we will soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. If we are wondering what color our baby's eyes will be, we may not be able to tell right away. If she is born with brown eyes, they will likely stay brown. If she is born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she is nine months old. That is because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she is born, but they usually will not get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.) My eyes are green, Jarrett's are more of a hazel color, and Elsa's have remained blue. So we shall see!

Things are coming together well. Jarrett and I have been able to accomplish quite a lot around the house (some of which I plan to blog about in a separate post!), and I think we are about ready to meet this new little person. I came down with a nasty 24-hour stomach bug in the middle of the night Sunday night, which lasted all day Monday and into Monday night, but thankfully am on the upswing now and feeling much better. I am just so thankful the baby did not decide to make her entrance during that period of time, as I am not sure I would have had the endurance -- and definitely would not have been well hydrated. There will always be things I could find to do around here prior to her arrival, but I guess I am as ready as I need to be at this point.

Thirty-Seven-and-a-Half-Week Midwife Appointment

I had a midwife appointment last Thursday morning. When I walked into the office, the waiting room was completely vacant, which I knew was a good sign. As I was sitting there the brief time that I did, I saw/heard Margaret from a slight difference -- the first time I had seen her since my first two appointments, so it was a nice sight, even though I did not get to see her for this one either.

After being called back, I peed in a cup (must have been fine), was weighed (144, no change from the last appointment), and was then taken into a room, where my blood pressure was taken (104/68). I actually did wait in the room long enough to get a number of pages read in the book I brought along, but it was not too bad. I saw Helen again for this appointment, one of the midwives who is still just in-office and is not yet delivering babies. She let me know that my group B streptococcus test came back negative (yay -- no antibiotics IV at the hospital!) and just asked me how things were going, if the baby was moving around a lot, etc. She also basically quizzed me and asked me when I would call the midwife on call. I paused for a moment and said I would call when contractions were regular and seemed stronger, totally realizing that I really did not remember the general rule. When she asked me what that meant to me, I pretty much gave up. She said I should call when contractions are eight to ten minutes apart and do not change in frequency when I change positions. She said they will likely even get stronger if walking. Eight to ten minutes seemed pretty far apart to me, like I might not even notice if that is happening, but when I went back and read Elsa's blog, I realized that I noticed when contractions were regular when they were more like twenty minutes apart. Of course, back then I was sitting at a desk at work, so we shall see. Obviously if they get stronger, I will notice. She also said I should obviously call if my waters break or if I feel an extreme lack of movement from the baby. She then measured my belly (measured right at 37 to 38 weeks) and listened to the baby's heartbeat. She said the baby's head was down and decided that her back was lying against the left side of my belly. I asked her whether they would check me in the coming weeks in terms of how dilated my cervix is, but she said likely not unless I really want them to. I figured this would be her answer, as I remember Margaret telling me the first time around that it does not really mean much -- you can be a couple or few centimeters dilated for days or weeks -- so all it does is make you anxious. I am pretty much fine not knowing, at least at this point. She said they would check me if I go late, just to see if things are progressing at all, I guess. I go back for another appointment tomorrow!

Thirty-Seven Weeks -- Full Term!

Me at 37-and-a-half weeks.

Baby Helms #2 is now considered full term, as of this past Saturday, even though my due date is three weeks away (two-and-a-half at this point). According to BabyCenter, if I go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. The baby weighs six-and-one-third pounds and measures a bit over nineteen inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies (like Elsa) have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from one-half inch to one-and-a-half inches long. But, as we already know, we should not be surprised if her hair is not the same color as ours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

The belly, as you can see, is quite large. I am barely fitting into my maternity clothes anymore, and am starting to really get the wide-eyed stares ("When are you due?!?") when I am out and about. I am still feeling pretty good, though, and have yet to experience the major ankle/foot swelling that occurred when I was pregnant with Elsa, so that is great.

Jarrett and I are getting more and more excited about the arrival of this little one. Will she look like Elsa? Will she look completely different? How big will she be? We cannot wait to find out all the ins and outs of our new little bundle.

The Thirty-Six-Week Belly

Yowsers.

Thirty-Six Weeks

Wow. I am 36 weeks pregnant as of this last Saturday. According to BabyCenter, the baby is still packing on the pounds -- at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost six pounds (crenshaw melon) and is more than eighteen-and-a-half inches long. She is shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. The baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of her first bowel movement. Oh yeah, we are looking forward to that again. At the end of this week, Baby Helms will be considered full-term (full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, and those born after 42 are post-term)!

Jarrett and I have done a decent amount of organizing and rearranging (and purging) around the house, and things are feeling a little better around here. We are still going to be fairly packed in, but maybe it will not feel quite as chaotic as it would have had we not done a thing. Elsa started back at Gabriela's this morning, so I have plans to get quite a lot accomplished in these final weeks... and probably some rest thrown in there too. I already was blessed with a massage and a chiropractic adjustment this morning, which were both fabulous. I am excited to meet this new little one and see what she looks like for sure. But I am still not prodding her to come any too early. Any time after the first of September is acceptable. :)

Thirty-Five-and-a-Half-Week Midwife Appointment

I visited the midwife again this past Wednesday. And I waited forever in the waiting room. Probably about 30 or 45 minutes into my wait, the woman sitting across from me got up and asked the lady at the front desk if she could go ahead and reschedule her appointment. That she had been waiting there for two hours and was really getting hungry (this was around lunchtime). Anjli ended up coming out to apologize to her, and then to the rest of us sitting in wait. Apparently two midwives were supposed to be in the office, but Margaret was busy delivery babies at the hospital, and the other midwife was out of town or something. I have no idea where the two midwives who only work in the office happened to be. I felt really bad for Anjli, running around like crazy, but my it was a long wait.

And then I really only saw Anjli for about five minutes. When I was called back, it was the usual -- I peed in a cup (must have been fine), was weighed (144, back up a pound from the week prior), and had my blood pressure taken once placed in an examination room (120/70). There I waited for a bit longer until Anjli came in, again apologizing. She asked me how I was doing and went ahead and measured me and listened to the baby's heartbeat. She also felt around and said the baby's head still was a little off to the side, but that she was not too worried about it. She said it is even possible that it kind of moves back and forth from the birth canal. I asked her if she thought I should try to get into Lotus of Life to try the Webster technique, but she did not think it was necessary. She really did not seem concerned, so I hope I am okay not to be as well. Other than that, all she did was swab me for group B streptococcus. I am really hoping this test comes back negative, as it did when I was pregnant with Elsa, so I do not have to get an IV with antibiotics when I arrive at the hospital in labor. But, alas, there is nothing I can do about it but wait and see.

Anjli said since I had the test at this appointment, there was no need to come back until another two weeks have passed, so my next appointment will be on Thursday, August 25. At that point, I will definitely be going in every week thereafter.

Thirty-Four-and-a-Half-Week Midwife Appointment

I had an appointment this morning and met with yet another new midwife, Linda. I told her I did not think I could keep up with them all anymore! But she was able to explain things better to me, so I am understanding who is doing what a little better. Right now, Anjli and Margaret are the only two midwives delivering babies, but Linda will soon follow to make three total possibilities. The midwife I met two appointments ago, Helen, is kind of like the other I have met on a couple of occasions, Sarah, who only sees patients in the office, but does not deliver. Linda said that at some point they hope to have a fourth midwife delivering just to be able to spread the workload around a little more or, as she put it, so they "can be midwives and still have a life."

I had to wait in the waiting room for a little while this morning even though I had a 9:00 a.m. appointment, but that was okay because a friend showed up while I was there and we were able to chat for a little while. When I was called back, I peed in a cup (must have been find), stepped on the scale (weighed 143, down a pound from two weeks ago, but Linda did not seem concerned), and had my blood pressure taken (90/60). I was then put in an examination room and sat there reading a magazine for, again, quite some time before Linda came in. I loved her from the get-go. She has a lot of energy and is super friendly, but also has that motherly air about her like Margaret does. Apparently she has known Margaret for years and years, Margaret delivered a couple of her children, and they worked together in Douglasville, GA, for awhile.

Linda went over the results from the thyroid test, and my TSH was 1.73 (up from the 1.36 it measured at the end of May) and Free T4 was 0.90 (up just slightly from the 0.89 it measured at the end of May), which she said looked just fine. As usual, I'll send these results to both Dr. Owen and Dr. J and see what they have to say as well. I asked her about what should be considered normal when it comes to the frequency of Braxton-Hicks contractions because I got quite a few in a row the other evening, a few of which were pretty strong, and of course when I went to read about it online all the sites were scaring me, saying more than four in an hour should result in a call to the doctor. Linda said that is totally bunk. She said that usually happens after a day of doing quite a bit, but there is no harm. She said usually drinking a couple of glasses of water and relaxing will do the trick, which is pretty much what I ended up doing that particular evening, and once I went to bed, I was fine. So I can scratch that off the worry list! I also asked her about what I should do about gluten-free food in the hospital, but, as I somewhat expected, she did not know the answer to that. I was kind of surprised that there was not a place to note allergies on the preregistration form I filled out for the hospital a couple of weeks ago. I am sure they will likely ask that question once I am admitted.

Linda then listened to the baby's heartbeat, which sounded great -- she said it was around 150 bpm. And then she felt for the baby's positioning, and of course I specifically wanted to know where our little girl's head was lying. And the very happy news is that she is head down, right where she should be! I do not think she has really dropped that much, but at least she is in the right place now. Linda even tried to help me feel for either side of the head, but I was having a little trouble making it out. But, hey, if she says the baby is face down, that is wonderful!

My appointments have now ramped up to once a week from here on out, which means I guess I am really headed down the home stretch now! The swab test for Strep B will take place at my next appointment, and of course I am really hoping for a negative result -- please no necessary IVs for me during labor and delivery!!!

Thirty-Four Weeks

I was thirty-four weeks as of this past Saturday. According to BabyCenter, the baby now weighs about four-and-three-quarters pounds (like a cantaloupe) and is almost eighteen inches long. Her fat layers, which will help regulate her body temperature once she is born, are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. It says that if I have been nervous at all about preterm labor (which I have somewhat because of my previous scare and because there have been two premature births in our church in just the past few months -- thankfully the babies are doing great!), I will be happy to know 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.

I am also nervous about the baby coming early because I feel like there is still quite a lot around the house that I would like to accomplish before her arrival. The girls' room is still chaotic, as we still need to move some furniture around, and even though both of them will not be in there together for a few months, most likely, it would still feel nice to have it in order. And once furniture is in place, I feel like I can likely get other things in place, like the baby's diapers and clothes. I would also like to can the strawberries that are taking up a huge amount of freezer space right now so I can make and freeze some chili and maybe one other dish like I did last time around in preparation for Elsa's birth. I plan to can both old-fashioned strawberry preserves and strawberry jam, and know if I do not do it before the baby is born, I likely never will and will just end up using the berries for smoothies or something! And then there is just the general cleaning and decluttering I would like to accomplish. Oh, and things like getting the car seat down and installing it in the car and packing our hospital bags! I cannot wait to meet the little girl, but there is certainly plenty I could accomplish before the due date. Elsa starts back at Gabriela's on August 15, three mornings a week this time around, so I will likely be able to get a lot more done in those last few weeks.