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Thursday, May 07, 2015

36 weeks: We did it! We did it! We did it! Hooray!

I had my last 17P shot today and everyone who saw me treated it as a capstone event of my pregnancy—cheering and so forth, which I felt was apt, though also a little funny. I mean, I know that I'm happy to be finished with those beastly things but I didn't think anyone else would be more excited than I was. I'm a glutton for punishment, though, and asked for a Tdap since I hadn't had one yet and I'm supposed to get one (I guess it's a routine pregnancy thing now).

Permission to go into labour has been granted. It would be best if we waited one more week, which we probably will considering the injections take about a week to "wear off" (thus the reason for the weekly injections).

In fact, when we were Skyping with my family on Sunday everyone took guesses about when the baby will be born.

Benjamin: May 5 (sorry, buddy—you lost)
Rachel: May 10 (Mother's Day)
Miriam: May 12
Grandma: May 15 (Auntie Emily's birthday)
Patrick: May 17
Naanii: May 18
Josie: May 24
Andrew: May 28
Me: May 31 (because if I don't have my babies super early then I have them two days before my due date, which is June 2)

Basically, no one believes this baby will come in June (I certainly hope she joins us sooner than that (I want a milkshake)). It looks like she could come any time in May and make someone feel like a winner.


For the sake of fairness (because Rachel made up that guess for him (and originally said, "May 3rd for Benjamin because he nodded his head three times!" and I said, "It is May 3rd and it's 8:30 at night so I really don't think the baby is coming today...")), we'll give Benjamin a second guess: the baby will be born a day late (June 3; his birthday).

Anyway, the baby can come any time now, which is weird to think about. I've been so concerned about keeping this baby in that I haven't reviewed any of my labouring books (I'm rather a fan of Dr. Bradley's books—not that Andrew has ever read A Husband-coached Childbirth (he thinks childbirth (and pregnancy (and anything else you might need to call an OB/GYN about) is icky) but we own it and I've read it and have coached Andrew through the process of coaching me more than once).

My weight has plateaued and I "look small" but the baby is still measuring fine and has a strong heartbeat and the doctor said that they're not as concerned about my gaining weight right now as they are about keeping my blood sugar numbers in check, which is probably the first logical advice I've heard. I was rather nervous about what kind of lecture I'd get because last week the nurse recorded my weight wrong somehow (like four pounds higher than what I saw on the scale—when I checked my chart when I got home I was like, "What?!") and I was worried about how I'd explain my subsequent weight "loss" (which wasn't a loss at all, really).

I have an appointment scheduled for next week (I've been going every week since, oh, January, so no big deal) but I don't have to get any shots, which will be glorious.

When the nurse gave me the Tdap she said, "Make sure you move your arm a lot, warm compresses will help with the pain, you can take tylenol if you're not allergic and...who am I talking to here? This is going to feel like nothing after weeks and weeks of 17P. You'll be fine!"

Kind of like how I hardly noticed the Tdap injection they gave me for Benjamin...right after a big shot of steroids in my rear end, after a couple terbutaline injections, and an IV, and...and...and...

Seriously. Poke me again. Who cares at this point?

Speaking of poking, I only have approximately 75 finger pokes to go if I stay pregnant through my due date, which...no one thinks I will. But I made it this far so kudos to me. In the words of my doctor, "You did it. You could have this baby tomorrow and I wouldn't do anything to stop it. I'd prefer another week or longer, but really if you went into labour you'd be fine, the baby'd be fine."

Music to my ears.

He also asked if I'd do this again—if I'd go through all this again (the shots and the diabetes and the weekly visits). I said, "I don't know; it hasn't been fun."

"It hasn't," he agreed. "It's been a sacrifice. That's what moms do."

If this whole doctoring thing doesn't work out, this doctor should consider a career writing Mother's Day cards or something because I always leave his office feeling like mothers everywhere are amazing. 

7 comments:

  1. Is this the same doctor you saw the other week? I remember liking him from what you wrote. And, huge congrats for making it this far, and for being so tough at handling all those shots, etc., etc., etc.! (Is that redundant? Sorry.)

    I like that you put down the guesses from your family. Can't wait to see if any of them are winners!

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    1. It was the same doctor as last week. I'm crossing my fingers he'll be the one on duty when I go into labour.

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    2. Are you delivering at Duke Regional? I had almost all the doctors there at one point during my marathon birth experience! I ended up with Dr. Harris and I really like him!

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    3. That's the plan, yes. I haven't actually met with Dr. Harris yet (I've met with Dr. Heath the past couple of weeks) but I think my appointment next week is with Harris. Good to know you like him! :)

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  2. I totally like this doctor! You will have to tell him that he has many fans among your family and friends! I am so proud of you making it to this point! Hurray!

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  3. I can't believe you are still answering maybe....that is a lot of pokes ;)

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  4. I can't believe you are still answering maybe....that is a lot of pokes ;)

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