36 weeks

This is day number 256 and you're 36 weeks pregnant!

You have 24 days or 3 weeks left, and are 91.4% of the way there.

Baby's age since conception is 242 days or 34 weeks.

Since the last visit with the OB consisted of his staff telling me: He's got a patient in labor, I'll do my best to get you in before he has to go... and "multitasking" to get three of us in-and-out in 10 minutes or so... and them Dr L poking his head in and saying "Hey, I've got a multi-para in L&D, and... Oh, you're all set... well. I guess I'll just do your exam real quick a sec, hate to get you undressed for nothing!" I assured him it was fine (supposed to be my first internal and my Group B Strep test), that momma was definitely working harder than I! He says: Nah, she's got an epidural, so she'll be fine for a bit yet. So on Friday, I got examined, but no details, as he was hurrying through the exam. No time for questions!

So today, details. My BP was 112/62, and I'm about at the same level of weight gain that I was with Maia. Baby was sleeping and relaxed, so heart rate was much lower: 130s (I'm thinking it was 150-160s on Friday). I am measuring at 37 weeks, and he commented that the baby is starting to settle a little lower, and taking up more space all over, than the big lump of baby butt I had just under my ribs a few weeks ago.

No progress on effacement or dilation, but I didn't expect there to be. In fact, I think I might be a little panicked if there WAS progress! I've been having more braxton hicks, and I generally find it very difficult to get comfortable and, as a result, struggle to get enough sleep. I commented to Dr L today that I'm pretty sure that's nature's way of making sure that you're ready to deliver when the time comes. If it was all like the 2nd trimester... well, baby can just stay in. They're not too heavy, you carry them around wherever you go, and they're MUCH cheaper that way! He chuckled at that.

The only question that I had to pose to him this time was what precautions we might want to take knowing that I am personally and genetically pre-disposed to post-delivery hemorrhage. I advised him that after it happened with Maia's delivery, my mother shared with me that she had the same experience with one of the 3 of us (I don't know which one!), and Kath had it with Adrian. She apparently knew there is some genetic pre-disposition component and just hadn't thought about it ahead of time.

So he wants me to remind him during labor, so he can have necessary interventions at the ready. I'm hoping that I'll be able to nurse this baby more immediately after delivery (which I couldn't do last time, since Maia was needing to be suctioned more than usual because of the meconium in her amniotic fluid), which should help my body do what it needs to do more quickly after delivery. I'd rather not have to have any "interventions" if I can avoid them!

Ah well. Next visit is next week Friday... I'll get my birth plan ready to remind him.