Big Girl

34w3d

I haven't been posting much lately and yet I do have things to say...You would think that being off work would give me more time to write/read./respond, but I realize that not being at work, in front of my computer, makes it more difficult.  I usually read posts from my iPhone and that means that I can't read anything other than the ones that show up in the window (maybe 2 or 3) because I can't scroll down the page (so I'm missing posts sometimes - sorry if I've missed yours!) and it also means I can't write from my phone.  Anyway...here I am!

Over this past week+, we've visited 3 day care centers, taken a breastfeeding class, birthing class, and I've had my first NST and another ultrasound.  I've had no more painful Braxton Hicks (woo hoo!  It's been over 2 weeks since I've had any!) and am just plain TIRED.

The breastfeeding class was great, though the room they put us in was so hot, it made me sleepy and irritable. I believe that I will be able to do it, but I'm just not sure how long.  Once I go back to work, I can't see me keeping up with it for too long.  We shall see.  The birthing class was OK.  The Lamaze class we took was waaay better.  This class was at our hospital though so we learned a little about how they do things and got to tour the labor rooms and all that stuff. 

I'll post about day care some other time...point is that it's crazy expensive and there aren't wait lists that have less than 50 babies on it.  I feel discouraged and scared that we won't find something, but I know that the right situation will come around.  The place we really love is $1700 a month and it's not even that great, compared to other centers I've seen in my hometown that cost almost half.  On to the fun stuff...

Due to the gestational diabetes, I now have to have a fetal non-stress test (NST) each week along with a scan to measure my amniotic fluid every week.  On Friday I had my first one along with a real ultrasound that my dr ordered, though from now on the ultrasound will just be a quick scan.  The NST was awesome!  They put 2 belts on and measure baby's heartbeat and her movements (once in labor and delivery, this same system measures HB and contractions).  Healthy babies have a rise in HB when they move.  So I sat there for 30 minutes or so and just listened to her HB.  The cool thing was, I would feel her move and then see that her HB would rise from 138 to 160 or so.  Then it would go back into the 140s or even as low as 130.  They were happy that she responded the way a healthy baby should and I just loved feeling like I was so in touch with exactly what she was doing in there.  Of course my mind went into crazy-land and a couple times I worried that her HB seemed too low or that it accelerated too much, but I know I'm crazy and her report was excellent. 

Then I had an ultrasound, pretty routine.  I got the tech that I LOVE, so I was happy about that.  I was also curious to get a measurement because with the diabetes they're concerned about her getting too big.  As it is they want to induce me at 38.5 weeks...  So she's measuring everything and comments on how big her head is!  It's at least 8 or 9 cm already!  It's huge and that's funny because Russ and I both have big heads and we've always said how our baby is doomed to follow suit.  Then she commented on how long her thigh bone is and said she was going to be a tall one.  Then she gave me her approximate weight...Are you ready?  At 34 weeks, she already weighs 6 pounds 7 ounces!  Yikes.  It seems that these estimates tend to be high (based on other people who say "they told me it would be 9 pounds and it was only 7.5, etc...) so maybe it's wrong.  The dr came in to discuss it and was very concerned about the diabetes and controlling, feeling my endocrinologist should be more aggressive with my insulin doses (this is the fetal maternal specialist, not my OB).  Then he looked at the measurements and concluded that while diabetes may have some part, her bones are measuring very high and bones aren't impacted by diabetes (diabetes just makes babies fat).  So he feels like this might be more because she's just genetically large.  BIG GIRL =)

Getting back to the ultrasound, all of the sudden I look up on the screen and see a FACE!  It was Sofia's face!!!  I had no idea that regular machines could produce a 3D/4D image!!!  And I had no clue that the tech was going to turn it on, but there she was staring back at me!  So crazy and so beautiful!  She has super chubby cheeks and is just adorable.  She was able to get one good shot for me to take home and here it is!

That's our baby girl!!  Her right hand is on the right side of her face...ahhh, I could look at her all day!