I have two doctor appointments every week. Most of them are… the same crap. lol. So, until this baby is born I am done documenting each appointment individually. Instead I’m just going to write the interesting bits from the appointments.

Also – I have adapted an overall opinion of “I have no questions.” It makes my life easier. I know that the doctors are doing what they think is best, and ultimately we all have the same goal – a healthy baby.

Last Friday I went to the perinatologist. This office frustrates me, they are ALWAYS running behind. I have had four appointments there, and always have to wait at least 20 minutes before I am seen. Grr.

After the tech did the measurements we ended up waiting for almost 45 minutes before the doctor came in. I think he may have been having some kind of family trouble, because he seemed a little down when he came in.

I choose to not complain about the long wait. Every one has a bad day.

So the baby’s fluid is measuring well, and she (supposedly) weighs 7 lbs 10 oz. Mind… the margin of error is over 1 pound… lol. So silly.

I am willing to accept that she is not going to be a tiny baby like I was (weighing in at 5 lbs 2 oz), I mean… both B-man and I are not tiny people, and with the GD – I’m prepared.

Today I had an appointment with my OB, and things went surprisingly well. The appointment was with my least favorite doctor in the practice.

They did the regular stuff, weight, BP, baby’s heart rate – all good.

Then the doctor said I had gained 15 pounds during this pregnancy… and when I called her on it she was like “I can show you the chart numbers.”

lol.

She left the room for a moment, and when she came back she kindly admitted that I was right, and she had misread the numbers. I knew that though… because if she was right it would mean that I started out weighing less than I do now… which just isn’t true. I have actually lost 15 pounds (well… I lost 20, but have since gone back up 5).

THIS IS THE EXCITING PART THOUGH:

I am now, officially, 1 centimeter dilated.

So the doctor said that is promising – and she thinks that I will probably have the baby before my due date.

Woot.

She also said that since all of my numbers are good that there is no reason to induce before my due date.

I’ll take it!

She also said that we should be having sex because once you’re dialated it can… encourage… things. lol.

(Yes, I have read that sex as a way of inducing labor is a myth, but here’s the deal – if your body isn’t ready to have the baby, then it isn’t going to work. In fact, nothing is going to work. Even the medical interventions aren’t going to work. But, if you body is already getting ready to have the baby, then induction efforts are more likely to be successful. Basically, you can’t force your body to do something, but if it is already doing it you can help. Which is why some websites say sex does help with encouraging labor, and some say it doesn’t.)

So overall, this doctor is no longer on my list of disliked doctors. Baby girl is gonna be here some time soon. The doctor must be getting the same vibe I’m getting, because she thinks the baby will come before my due date too!

She asked me if I wanted to schedule (just in case) my induction for my due date. The 14th of July is a Thursday, and they don’t schedule inductions for Friday-Sunday… and she was hesitant to say I could schedule it for the following Monday. I have made an OB appointment for the 13th. I figure, if I am progressing and still doing well the day before my due date (and still pregnant…) then there should be no problem letting me wait until Monday.

I need to take a nap now.

<3

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I purposefully made my appointment with the one doctor that had yet to see me cry. The one and only time I had seen her before she seemed really nice, and open to discussion about my treatment.

I got there a few minutes early. Not sure how I managed that, since I was the one who had to take the dogs out this morning, and I showered and blow-dried my hair. Time moves slower with out B-man here.

When the nurse called my name we walked into the normal exam room, and she pulled out one of those paper sheets… ya know… the kind they give you when they do your yearly exam. I wasn’t aware of any procedures that were supposed to be happening.

I feel so out of the loop some times. So I asked why she had just asked me to lose the pants. Apparently 35 weeks is when they do the Group B strep test to see if I will need to take antibiotics during labor. Oooookay.

Before stripping though the nurse took my weight, BP and then went on to the baby’s heart rate. I laid back, pulled my shirt up, and the nurse started using the little wand thingy on my stomach to search for the heart beat.

This, my dear friends, was the scariest minute and a half of my life. THAT’S HOW LONG IT TOOK TO FIND THE HEART RATE. For a few seconds I really thought that the baby might be dead. Then she found it. End freak out.

It was scary though, because usually they find the heart beat really quickly. I guess the baby is laying with her back against my back, facing my belly button, which can make it difficult to find the heartbeat just because of her location. On top of that my placenta is on the front, so that makes things a little fuzzier too.

Breeeeathe. It’s a good thing she took MY heart rate first, because after that my heart was going a mile a minute.

The stats were:

Weight: 234

BP: 136/66

Baby’s <3 rate: 132 (120-160 is normal)

Of course, as soon as the nurse walked out I felt a little butt in my rib cage and some knees on my stomach. Kind of like she was saying ‘Haha, fooled ya Mom!”

Not funny.

I told the nurse about a pain I’ve been experiencing… it’s kind of in a weird place. It’s like a shooting pain that starts at my cervix and then the whole va-jay-jay. I also mentioned that over the last two weeks I’ve lost 10 pounds.

The doctor came in and did the test for Group B Strep and she did a cervical check (at my request, since I have been having those strange pains). She said that the pain is from Bebe’s head coming down and pressing on the cervix (which is a good thing) and that I was about 20% effaced, but not dilated. She said that’s a pretty good start at 35 weeks, and that hopefully it will continue so that I don’t have to be induced.

I agree.

I asked her about the weight loss, and she didn’t seem concerned. My glucose numbers are all good, the fluid is measuring fine, my fundal measurement is good, and the baby is moving regularly.

Cool.

I now weigh 20 pounds less than I did when I got pregnant.

The doctor stepped out while I put my pants back on, and then came back for a little chat.

First I asked about the “standard of care” and she said she would get a print out for me. Yah! I need to call about that tomorrow I guess. lol.

Then I mentioned that all of these appointments are causing me a lot of stress, and that I was frustrated with the way things were being handed. I pointed out that my numbers have been fine the entire time, all of them. I voiced my concerns about the impact that the stress and anxiety is having, and asked why things were being handled the way they are being handled. I wasn’t sure what to expect as a response.

She was really kind, but essentially said that they have to follow the prescribed standard of care guidelines, because if they don’t they could be sued. She didn’t say it like that.

I get that.

It was actually very eloquent. She said she used to work in a community that had a lot of Amish people. The Amish women would not come in for regular appointments, but only when there was something wrong. In that type of community the care was more patient focused, and while they had the standard of care, everything was patient driven. But here, in the city I guess, people are pretty sue happy. So if they don’t follow the rules to a T, and something goes wrong they will be held responsible.

Then she said something I didn’t expect. She suggested that, even at 35 weeks, perhaps I should consider changing to a midwife, or even having a homebirth.

My doctor said that.

She also said that among the practices in this area, they are probably the most lenient. I’m guessing this is because, of all of the doctors in the area, this group is pretty young.

At this point, I’m just going to suck it up. It’s all for the best, even if some of it is blown out of proportion.

After all of the talking, I got some blood drawn by the same lady as before. She stuck the needle in and THEN tried to find the vein.

This blood draw was for the standard 35 week Complete Blood Count and to test for Syphilis.

I kind of want to know how much this office is charging my insurance for these weekly appointments.

Showed up.

Peed in cup.

Blood pressure, good.

Baby’s heart rate, good.

Sugar levels, great.

Fundal measurement ”2 cm” ahead.

At our pre-natal class that we’re taking at the hospital we are planning to have the baby in, the teacher (who is a LD nurse at that hospital) said that we’re allowed to labor in several positions, and that we’re allowed to give birth in any of several positions.

At the perinatologist he seemed to imply that my only option was on my back with my legs up.

But I brushed it aside, because someone who works in the hospital everyday would know what’s allowed in that hospital.

I have hip problems – which is why this is a big concern to me. I know that giving birth isn’t comfortable, but I’m hoping to be able to try several positions so that I can find the most comfortable position, to not put so much strain on my hips.

The doctor I saw today said that there are two options, but both of them involve being on your back with your legs in stirrups.

But then he tried to make it better by saying “the stirrups can be positioned to take the strain off of your knees”… well… that’s nice. I just said my hips hurt.

I feel like I’m going in circles. I am seeing six different medical professionals (4 doctors, 1 perinatologist, 1 diabetes specialist) and it kind of seems like… none of them are talking to each other. One doctor will say “Our goal is a natural birth” and the next week the doctor says “You will be induced at 39 weeks.”

I am sure some of your are getting sick of this merry-go-round, and to be honest it’s kind of making me dizzy.

The doctors keep referring to “the standard of care” and that it says “xyz” and it says “this and that”. And that’s all well and good. I’m glad there is some kind of standard. But the problem with this is that people don’t come in “standard” packages. Why should I be treated the same way as some one who failed the diabetes test a lot worse than I did.

I wish the doctors would ask me what I want, what my hopes, my expectations are… or at least listen to me when I say what they are… instead of just telling me what they do with every one else. I thought it was bad feeling like a number in college, but it is even worse feeling like a number when it comes to your health.

Honestly… I’m trying to not let it bother me any more. I just hate that I’ve become apathetic about my own medical care.

And the work countdown is: 3 days left!!!