Today was my 37 week appointment! I cannot believe how close the delivery potentially is. My husband and I had a conversation tonight about projects we still want to accomplish and order of importance. In my mind, I am delivering within a week of my due date on either side, but as many nurses pointed out today, it would not be a surprise for it to happen any day.
On my drive up to the office, I stopped by a dear friend's home. She had made a fabric mask for myself and my husband. I was really touched that she had done that and it meant that I did not have to hold medical paper over my face for the entire time I was at the midwife's office. I followed her text instructions and grabbed the masks then rang her bell as I left. She popped out of her house for a couple of minutes so we could chat, 30 feet apart from each other. It was so good to see her! I miss seeing friends right now.
I made it to the office with a few minutes to spare. Like last week, I was greeted at the door and whisked back to be weighed in less than a minute. Because I had an ultrasound first, I was seated in an empty examination room for a few minutes while the ultrasound tech prepared for me. It was obviously not an OB room, but more of a GYN room. There were lots of posters about STDs, a container of condoms with instructions on how to use a condom, and information about what to do when you want to get pregnant.
The tech grabbed me and I excitedly went to her room. I will miss her examination table. For some strange reason, whenever she raises or lowers the exam table, it makes a noise like an air raid siren. As we got started on the ultrasound, I because so excited to have this baby! She is big and fully developed. Her head is 9.5 cm. I am okay with it not getting bigger. All her other measurements are also perfect. She was practicing breathing and her heart looked perfect. She is head down and managed to have a foot up to her mouth. I received three adorable pictures of my miracle baby. The coolest part of all is that I could see her hair! Not ever having an ultrasound this late, I did not even think about the possibility of seeing hair.
My 20 minutes of bliss ended and I was taken into a regular exam room. I was surprised when my midwife was a little late coming in. She has never been in the room more than a few minutes after I was brought back.
The exam was very fast. She measured me, listened to the heartbeat, and then asked about the ultrasound. When I told her that the current estimated weight was 7 lbs 5 oz, she laughed. "I thought your baby was tiny! That's why I had the ultrasound ordered. You are carrying this baby extremely well. It sounds like she is doing wonderfully." With an encouragement to go straight to the hospital if my water broke or I had regular contractions, the appointment ended.
As I checked out with the receptionist, she was the third person in the office to remind me that I could deliver any day now. "If I don't see you again, good luck! You will be great." It changed my mindset from still being laid back about the due date to realizing I should probably prepare a little faster.
No comments:
Post a Comment