Doctor appointment: 36 weeks

My 36 week doctor appointment was on Wednesday (Wednesday, May 8th) and it was the first time in months I had an actual exam. Viviana joined Jeff and me for the first time (Mirabella was at preschool) and it was funny watching her try to catch a glimpse of what the doctor was doing to me! She was very curious and then the inquisitive look on her face relaxed and a big smile filled it once we explained (post-exam) that we were listening to our baby's heart beat.

Although I'm having a c-section, a culture was still performed for Group-B-Strep (GBS), a bacterial infection that would require antibiotics since it can be harmful if spread to the baby during delivery. The way I understand it, if I went into labor before my scheduled c-section, I may still need to be treated for GBS if I was found to have it, but usually it is a non-issue for cesarean deliveries. We also found out that I wasn't dilated at all. My doctor thought the baby's head was down, but it was not low. I gained four pounds and my blood pressure is still good. It had been two weeks since my last appointment and now I will see my doctor weekly. This always makes the end feel like it is coming up so quickly! Maybe too quickly. I'll have my next appointment on Friday, May 17th.

I made sure to get my doctor's on-call schedule for the upcoming weeks and felt more comfortable knowing he is fairly present in the rotation. I have been worried with each pregnancy about having my doctor there to deliver my babies and this time is no different. However, it would be extra complicated this time if by chance I went into labor before my scheduled appointment because another doctor probably would not do my hernia surgery at the same time of my c-section. Thus, a reschedule of that surgery would require another six weeks of recovery and this mama just ain't got that kind of time! I also learned the hernia surgery will throw a second incision into the mix, which I was not thrilled about. I guess I thought one could do the trick. This one will be directly beneath my belly button, horizontal like the other.

Can a girl get an extra special Mother's Day gift (or five) for enduring all of these upcoming slices and scars, errrrr what? I already warned Jeff I'm going to need to find some hot new undies that go up to my bra so as not to have something rubbing on either of my incisions! Hey, who needs getting their tubes tied when you've got that kind of birth control?

 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there!