38 & 39 Week Check in

Last week I had an OB appt in the winter storm that hit the DC area on the first day of spring.  All appts were canceled at the hospital but my doctor texted me and came in anyway to see me at 7am.  That appointment was completely uneventful -- quick ultrasound showed her head down (which is a good thing since she had gone sideways at one point that week!), her heart rate was in the 130s, fundal height what it should be for my gestation, my BP was good.  Just an overall normal check up.  I did ask her at that appointment if she had an idea of what size she might be -- she said there are usually 3 guesses surrounding baby's size --  Ultrasounds, doctor's guess and mom's guess.  She said that usually mom's guess is most accurate.  She never gave me a guess.  My guess is that this peanut will be about 7lbs12oz.  But I have absolutely no medical reasoning -- just a uneducated guess.

On Wednesday (at 38+6) I went for my 39 wk check up.  It was with a doctor other than my own since my doctor is on night duty for L&D deck.  Everything was completely normal.  BP was good, baby's heart rate was 140s.  Cervix is dilated only to a 1-2.  Baby is super low. 

But she dropped a bad news bomb in my lap before I left.  She told me I was GBS positive.  I know this is totally common.  25-35% of women test positive.  I have a whole host of other stats to go with it, but they aren't necessary to share since after she got all of us in a tizzy with what our plan would be, my doctor looked at the results and it said that I don't actually have Group B Strep.  So that was a fun day of trying to figure out what was next and how this diagnosis would change our birth plan.  But it was all in vain since my doctor emailed us and said "the results are NOT POSITIVE!"

Lastly, if you want to subscribe to the blog so you have the newest blog dropped in your inbox when it is posted (AKA You get to see photos of a cute squishy baby and hear details as soon as they are posted), you can put your email in and subscribe to our blog.  If you are mobile, go to the bottom of the blog and click "view web version" and then the bar will be there for you to subscribe.

Overall, I am just ready for this pregnancy to be done.  I am writing this at 39+1 wks.  I wonder what this labor will look like.  I worry sometimes that my good luck and reasonably easy deliveries will run out -- not because I think something will go wrong but because statistics!   What if I need a C-Section this time?  No it is not the end of the world, but it is also not what I am aiming for.  As always, healthy mom/delivering woman and healthy baby is the goal -- But I also think that how a woman feels about her delivery is pretty important in the long run too.

Want to know what is on my birth plan?  Does a doula get an epidural?  What about pitocin?  Basically important things for my birth include my doula and photographer (both in which are friends) make sure I look good.  Vain?  Yeah probably but this is my birth and my wishes and if I want to look decent and it is important to me, they are there to support me!  Other things include keeping my butt covered as much as possible -- I don't feel uncomfortable around other women laboring completely how they feel most comfortable -- but for me, Keep my butt covered!  I also know that an epidural is a tool.  I am going into this saying "I want to see if I can have another epidural free birth" but if that doesn't happen, I won't feel deflated.  I will ask for an epidural if I want one when I want one.  Pitocin?  If the provider feels it is necessary to keep us safe, I am on board.  See my list has little to do with the progression of labor as I know you cannot really plan for any of that!  My list includes things that will keep me comfortable during the transition from pregnant to postpartum.

I can't wait to write my birth story -- not just here on the blog, but going through the events that actually create the birth story.