35, 36, 37

The 37th week has arrived. With it has come some fun new additions at the doctor. Hooray.

Let's catch up....

At 35 weeks my belly measured "normal" I quote normal because nothing is normal. They measure and use the rate of growth as something that should be consistent throughout a pregnancy. Normal for me is 1cm smaller that the suggested size. The suggested size equals the number of weeks. So, 35 weeks = 35cm. I was 34cm. Got it?
My weight at this point was 158, a total gain of 18 pounds. It has been this way since 30 weeks.

At 36 weeks I measured 32cm. Oops! My weight? Still 158. So the doctor's first thought is low amniotic fluid. What do they do when your fluid is low you ask? Take your baby out right then and there. Yea, fun appointment ;) My fluid measured fine so we chalked it up to they way I am and went on our way. My homework for the week was to stay hydrated and monitor the baby's movements since less movement than normal could be a sign of distress.

At 37 weeks I made Dan come to the appointment just in case. Couldn't risk that alone again! And I definitely didn't want to make the phone call to him at work..."Um, Dan? Yea, could you come home? We're having a baby right now." This was the first time I was nervous knowing this could be the day I have a baby. And, without any real warning signs. The big moment came and I measured at 33cm. Ok, so that's 1 cm of growth but still a difference of 4 cm. Since I grew 1cm the fluid concern got cancelled out so we moved on. Baby's position: fine, baby's size: fine (based on a lot of squeezing and moving my belly!) Baby's heart rate: let's make sure....So as you see above I was all hooked up for a half hour! This machine monitored contractions, heart rate and movement. This time we passed! Hooray! But, now we head back to the doctor twice a week and make sure everything stays the same. Ah, I forgot my weight. You caught me.... 161. A big 3 pound gain! Gaining weight is not fun, but I have to say I feel good packing on a few after 7 weeks of nothing.

All seems well, so these tests may seem unnecessary to you. Lucky for me, I have a doctor who is very cautious and would rather be safe than sorry. Good thing because we agree! He sees these tests as a way to make sure my small belly is simply because that's the way I am and not because there's a bigger problem. Plus, everything is non-invasive. So why not?! Although it's not fun, that chair is quite comfy and it's nice to have some peace of mind.