Wednesday, 26 Mar

I am officially crazy! I changed doctors! Yes, I know...crazy, right?

I couldn`t help it. I have been unhappy for quite some time, but now that I am sick, he pushed me over the edge. First of all, when I called him on Easter to tell him I couldn`t breathe, he treated me like I was a 5 year old. Then...when I got to the office on Monday...he didn`t even acknowledge me when he walked into the room! He just grabbed the stethescope, listened to my back, and said `Come into the office! `. I had to fight back tears b/c my husband was in the waiting room and I knew he would end up in jail if I told him how rude the doctor was!

I went home and stewed about it all day and all night (probably why I didn`t sleep good that night) and after a heart to heart with my mom she told me that now was not the time to settle and I needed to talk to some friends and see what doctor they recommended (to make a long story short, I hadn`t met my doctor until I got pregnant, my normal Gynocologist doesn`t deliver babies b/c he focuses on cancer, which is why I was with him to begin with b/c my aunt is a cervical cancer survivor so all the females in my family go to the same doctor...).

I have found a fantastic new doctor who I can`t wait to meet in person. I spoke to his receptionist for about 20 minutes and then a nurse for another 20. Both were speechless at my history with this doctor.

In hind-sight, never once has this guy gone over any labs with me...never told me my baby`s heart rate (they barely listen...like for 6 beats and thats it!)...never told me my bp without me asking...and I would have to ask for my weight gain each month!

I go in next Friday for my 7 months check up with the new doc, I still can`t believe I did this at this stage in the game, but I already feel better about it...I slept like a rock last night!

Friday, April 4

I had my first appointment with my new doctor today...and he is fantastic. We went over my file from beginning until now. Apparantley my old doctor was quite thorough...just lacked a bit in bed side manner! All of my labs have been great...my glucose test came back good...my bp is great and the baby's heart beat is a solid 127bpm.

I gained lots this month...10lbs! I am up to a total of 24. He wasn't concerned, though, and told me to be prepared to gain double what I am now in the last 3 months...48lbs seems like a lot to me, but he said because of my frame (I am not a small lady!) and because the baby is measuring a little on the big size...48lbs is my max. He is also taking into consideration that our daughter was 8lbs-10oz...so the trend seems to be that I have big babies! I am hoping it won't come to that a full 48lbs...but I know that the last trimester isn't very nice to us!

I will begin to see him every 2 weeks from here on in...and I will have an u/s at 35 weeks to check the baby's measurments and position.

We are heading to South Carolina for vacation the week of the 14th...when I get back I will see him again on the 23rd...

It's the home-stretch!

Thursday, April 24th

I had my first bi-weekly appointment yesterday...pretty simple, listened to the heartbeat, took my blood pressure and urine sample. I will see him every two weeks until week 35, and then we will switch to weekly appointments.

The little guy is very active, and there is a method to his madness, he is kicking at the same times each day and sleeping at the same times each day.

We need to get to work on the nursery, the crib is there...but in pieces...maybe we will tackle that this weekend.

Thursday, May 7th

Had my 2nd bi-weekly appointment today...heartbeat is great, blood pressure is great...the only news I got was, as my doctor palmed my belly like a basketball, he said 'the u/s we will have at the end of the month will determine if this baby will pass through your pelvis'.

Of course, my response was 'what?!', to which he said 'Yeah, this is a BIG boy'.

Not that I am surprised. I am not a little woman, my husband is not a small man, and our daughter was 8lbs-10.5oz! I guess we make big babies! Our daughter was the first newborn that my grandfather held...b/c he said she looked like she was 3 months old!

I go back on the 22nd, and from there it is weekly appointments!

The baby's carpet is being shampooed tonight...hopefully it will be looking like a nursery sometime this weekend!

Thursday, May 22nd

I had my GBS culture today, and we scheduled my 36 week u/s for tomorrow morning. I can't wait!

From here on in I will be seeing my doctor every Thursday. He tells me that in two more weeks I will have a 'take-home-baby', meaning...if I go into labor...the baby would be ready to go home with me. He hoped that would calm my nerves about going early...something that everyone seems to think is going to happen.

Only time will tell!

Friday, May 23rd

Ultrasound Update: It is official...I saw what my doctor suspected in front of my own eyes...I have one big boy growing inside of me! The measurments that we were able to get indicate that he is already 6.5 lbs! I asked about the margain of error...and I was very politley told that 'this is a big baby...you have about 4 weeks to go and he is at least 6 lbs'.

Oh, dear! My doctor said we will 're-evaluate our options' at week 38...

I know I have been thinking that I still had 'forever' to go...but the fact is...this baby is coming soon! And he is going to be enourmous! Okay, maybe not enourmous, but that's the way I feel right now! So much pressure, some times I feel like he is falling out!

Friday, May 30th

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday. My Group 'B' Strept culture came back negative...I've lost 1 pound...and I am 1cm dilated. I was hoping for at least 3cm, only because my Braxton-Hicks contractions have become something more...much longer and slowly becoming painful!

My doctor does internals at each check-up from here on in. His reasoning is that he is the only one in the practice, and he wants to know exactly where I am measuring if I call him in the middle of the night saying my contractions are 3 minutes apart!

So, now I play the waiting game...It's amazing...I only have 27 days to go...that's less than the time it took me to realize I was pregnant...but it seems as though it is going to last forever!

My shower is tomorrow! Can't wait!

Thursday, June 5th

Had my weekly appointment yesterday afternoon. He didn't 'check' me b/c he is going away this weekend and he didn't want to 'stir anything up'. He did assure me that he leaves his practice in good hands in case something does happen! My bp was low, heartbeat was it's usual 129bpm, I gained the pound that I lost last week, and my urine is still negative for protein...as usual.

My doctor did say that he considers me 'full term'...what's that all about? I am not ready for 'full term'!

Didn't sleep a wink last night...I think my body is preparing me for an infant in the house, b/c God knows there won't be any sleep then!

Thursday, June 12th

Weekly appointment yesterday...I am still at 1cm, although this time he told me it was a 'loose' 1cm. I didn't gain any weight this week, and my BP and the baby's heartbeat were both normal.

I am beginning to have contractions, but I am told that if they aren't regular or stop and don't come back for a few hours...they are false labor...not to be confused with Braxton Hix anymore, though...these are the real deal and help the baby decend. Don't know how much more he can decend, the doctor said he is engaged and 'pretty low'. This explains why it feels as though he is falling out when I walk...

Still working, but today is the last day of classes, exams begin tomorrow so it will be quiet around here!