My last appt!

[Jennifer H]

Hasn't anyone else had appts to report on?! On my last due date club (from 9/01... and yes our babies are 2.5 and we still are all online together!) it was so much fun to see how everyone was doing!

This one was boring. BP 113/71. Urine was fine. Baby's heartrate ~160. It was so weird, I could feel her kicking, but she had a hard time finding the heartbeat... probably because baby was moving around so much. I had my GTT, but haven't heard anything yet... in this case no news is good news, they only call with a problem result.

Also got my mid-pregnancy packet and pre-admit paperwork.

Kaiser has changed protocol for GBS and now they test everyone. I like the old protocol of treating when there is an indication (<37 weeks; membranes ruptured >18 hours; maternal fever; or multiples). Now I have to decide if I am going to say yes to the swab. My last labor was only 4.5 hours, so I wasn't in the hospital long enough for the abx anyway!

[Amina Momma]

Hi Jennifer,

I was asking questions to my doc like...
I would like to have a range of movement in labor- she said fine but durning the pushing she would need to hold my perineum (sp?) so I would have to be in a semi sitting position for that. There is other stuff I would like to do that is "different from procedure" that I still need to talk with her about. I also have 5 woman seasoned in birth that will advocate for me and help keep the space. Are you talking to your doc about that stuff or are you doing it by the "books"

Amina

[Threefold]

Nice to have such a great appointment! Just curious, I know we both have Kaiser and I think we live near eachother. I wonder if we got to the same clinic. PM me if you don't mind sharing where you go and who you see.

I have my next appointment on Monday morning. I think I got all my pre-admit paperwork for Kaiser at my last one though, along with the info/lab order for the GTT. That's good to know about the GBS, one more test to worry about. Any good links on GBS. I really know very little about it, except that it can make a newborn really ill. I had the swab last time (they did everything to my since I was in PTL~~just the kind of "patient" they like : ) and was negative. How is GBS contracted?

Hey the rolleyes smilie is blue now!

[Threefold]

Rant

GRRRRRR!
I went in for my appointment today at 9am (the first one of the day b/c my NP is always always running late). IN line I start to sip my soda of choice with 50 gr sugar for the durn GTT. At the window the nurse says I'm not in the computer. What! Apparently, my NP called in sick and no one bothered to call me or figure out what to do with her patients for the day. I'm irked b/c I took the day off of work to get an early appointment to avoid waiting 45 minutes-1 hour. I could've seen some random OB later in the day. NO thanks! I'm rescheduled for Wed at 1:30. Ds's nap time and a time when my NP is very likely to be running late. Dh should be working that day ( : there have been problems at work for him), so I will have a tired ds with me.
I was so irked to have taken a sick day when I'll need those for actual appointments and a new baby! The oh so on top of it and empathic nurse said to me "Well, when you have a baby sometimes you have to take some time off of work." That's exactly my point! I need that time off for legitimate stuff~ not to show up and have my appointment cancelled and no one bothering to call!

Sorry for the incoherent vent. I was really ticked. And I took it personally and almost cried : . Ahhh hormones. At least I had Birthing From Within with me, so I could read in the 1 hour I had to kill before I could go to the lab for the GTT.

[butterflyma]

dalai mama~ yup, I would've been irked, too. Isn't BFW wonderful!? It is such an interesting and informative book. I wish that there were more books related to pregnancy/childbearing that were done so well.

Jennifer~ so what are you saying, we don't measure up to your last duedate club?:LOL Really, I think (at least for me) its been hard to "keep up" with everyone due to the boards being revamped a couple of times and down a couple of times. I'm such a creature of habit....

My mw visits have been pretty uneventful. They say I'm looking good and progressing as I should, then I leave. I do want to start asking more questions about the labor, but I have a pretty good idea of what their policies are from my initial interview and the doula who teaches my birthing classes (who works with the midwives).

[Threefold]

Had mine today and it went well. I passed the GTT with flying colors and am not anywhere near anemic. Baby's hb was a strong 150 bpm. Nurse didn't comment on my bp or dip stick, so those must be just fine. I've gained 21 lbs so far, but no one commented on that either. So glad I am seeing a NP who used to be a lay midwife. I am still measuring big (measured 30 cm today and am 28 weeks).
I have appointments every two weeks booked though mid June. Can't believe I'm that far along!
The NP couldn't figure out why they stuck me on that stupid Preterm Labor Prevention Hullabaloo, but told me she didn't think she could get them to stop calling, but she did say she look into it. For now, she asked that I either ignore the call or just tell them they weren't being helpful and that I am fine.

[Foobar]

My next appt is tomorrow. I'll keep you guys updated. I've been showing some protein and glucose in my urine, but my bp has been low.

I'll be curious to see what it is tomorrow

[Liba]

I had an appointment yesterday. I have weekly (very very quick) ultrasounds from here on in to check cord blood profusion since I have a history of placental clotting and a blood disorder which is probably why I have the history... The u/s was great, took 20 seconds and showed plenty of fluid and good blood flow. I didn't see much of the baby but it is probably safer that way! My appt with my ob was nice too. I have been gaining a pound a week for the last couple weeks which is sort of freaking me out. I know it is normal but I don't want to gain too much. Of course I shouldn't be worried, I am still 5lbs down from my prepregnancy weight due to severe all day sickness for the first 20 weeks, but watching the scale creap up is worrying me none the less.

I passed my GTT but even though I saw that paper and I am amenic my doctor didn't say anything. It probably accounts for my food cravings though. I wonder if it is normal to be anemic on blood thinners?

I have decided that I am having a third girl and hope I am not dissapointed at delivery LOL I am not sure my girls will let me bring home a boy

I am getting excited about deliver! I am hoping to make it to 38 weeks... which means only 9 weeks left!!

[Foobar]

Liba-

Being anemic in both of my pregnancies, I can tell you that your hematocrit will go down in the final trimester. The level of "anemia" depends on your lab and doctor. Some let your numbers go lower than others and some labs will flag it as if you were not pregnant.

IF you are worried, take an iron suppliment, but just realize that the baby is taking on iron now to store for the first 4-6 months of life....

[Liba]

Originally Posted by Foobar

Liba-

Being anemic in both of my pregnancies, I can tell you that your hematocrit will go down in the final trimester. The level of "anemia" depends on your lab and doctor. Some let your numbers go lower than others and some labs will flag it as if you were not pregnant.

IF you are worried, take an iron suppliment, but just realize that the baby is taking on iron now to store for the first 4-6 months of life....

I am getting iron in my prenatals, just worried that I should be taking more than the 100% of the usrda in the vitamins... both of my girls were anemic by the time they were 6 months old and it took almost two years before my younger one had a normal hematocrit even with iron supplements, so I am thinking I may want to take more iron to give the baby a better head start on its iron level. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the reply!!

Liba

[Foobar]

Yes, I am taking iron suppliments on top of the prenatal. I am getting something like 400% of the RDA.

If you add iron, a) separate it from your prenatal and don't take with calcium
b) do take it with vitamin C.

Calcium block iron absorption and vitamin C helps.

hematocrit:Measure of the number of red blood cells in the blood. This number is actually a percentage of the blood volume that is composed of red blood cells.

I am not sure if a blood thinner would change this number.

My last CBC showed a hematocrit of 31.
My last pregnancy, I was as low as 29.

[Jennifer H]

Thanks for the updates guys! This is the first pregnancy I've had where I didn't have anyone in RL to experience it with (With my first I was due the same day as my sil, a week before my best friend and two weeks before my cousin). I love to compare notes with people who are close on dates!

Dalai - I'll pm you! But I doubt it is the same clinic. I have never waited more than 10 minutes and when I arrive early I get in early. I'm usually the only one in the waiting room. The clinic is brand new and I just don't think that many have transferred their care there yet!

Liba - my first son was anemic at a year and with the second the midwife suggested waiting to cut the cord until after it had stopped pulsing to try and avoid the same thing. Something worked. He never had the problem.

[Foobar]

I had my 32 week appt today.

I had to wait, but that's always fine with me because they still give me my time.

The protein and glucose dips were better this time, but once again, the baby is dropping early. She is just starting to drop and we checked, but there is no effacement or dilation, but she could feel Moo's head.

I am concerned about this because Goo dropped at 33 weeks and I was 90% effaced and was bedrested. I worry that I might have to be bedrested again (How can I pick up my precious Goo?) and I am also concerned about pre-term labor...sigh'

The worries of pregnancy never end....

[sweet tea]

I had my 27 wk visit and am measuring at 31cm!
I feel huge and everyone is letting me know..lol
I've gained 24 lbs so far...MW says, if it wasn't for the u/s she'd suspect twins....
I went to work and even the L & D nurses doubted I would make it to mid-June.. WTF???
My due date is July 31st and the 2nd (most recent) u/s said Aug 1st
hello....12 wks to go people!

The baby is good..moving around tons...maybe its all these opinions being thrown at me, but sometimes I'm feeling a kick under my breasts and then another strong kick down on my side and the thought of twins crosses my mind again...but honestly...2 ultrasounds can't be wrong...? right?

lots of pressure in the lower pelvic area...sometimes I feel sure the baby has 'dropped' and other times not so sure..

I remember being so impatient for chloe to get here..feeling like pregnancy took so long...but with this one, I'm am totally content, he can stay inside just as long as he needs to....kinda nervous about having 2 kids..so yeah...he can just stay put until I figure out my master plan for two well behaved pillars of society... :