In The Home Stretch

Today, I'm 35 weeks 3 days pregnant.  I had a doctor's appointment this morning and am now officially in to weekly checkups - a sign that the end is near!  Yikes!  Everything is looking good and no concerns from the doctor at this point.  Baby's heart rate sounded good.  My blood pressure was a tiny bit higher than normal but no one seemed too concerned about that.  My weight...well....I'm on track to have gained a couple more pounds with this baby than with Lily.  Too many chocolate chip cookies and Fazoli's breadsticks (the last time I was there, the cashier said "Your baby really likes Fazoli's!" - uh oh, they recognize me....)!

I talked a little bit more about VBAC today with the doc.  He asked me, "How big was your first baby?" 

"9 lbs 10 oz"

"AND YOU WANT TO HAVE A VBAC?!?!  What if you're having another 9 lb baby?!  Are you SURE you want to try that with a baby that big?????"  The look on his face was a bit shocking. 

"Well no, not really. But how do we know if I'm having a 9 lb baby?"

So I'm scheduled for an ultrasound on Friday 8/24.  I'll be 36 weeks 6 days and the doctor thinks we'll have a good enough indication at that time on what the predicted baby size would be by my due date (9/15).  So I guess we'll know a little bit more about when Peanut #2 will get here but it could go a couple different ways:

1. The baby isn't measuring "too big" - if that's the case, they will give me up to my due date to go into labor on my own and attempt VBAC.  If I don't go into labor on my own they will schedule me for a C-section on either 9/13 or 9/17.  They will not induce me and they will not let me go much past my due date (2 days at most and only cause my due date is a Saturday).
2. The baby is measuring "big" - they will go ahead and schedule me for a C-section at ~39 weeks.  Since they schedule surgeries on Mondays and Thursdays, I'm guessing that could mean a birthday of 9/6 or 9/10 or maybe even 9/13 but probably not that late.

No one should go making any travel plans yet cause I'm mostly speculating with just a little input from the doctor.  But it's kind of fun to speculate.  : )

It's very difficult to put much faith in the accuracy of the ultrasound.  With Lily, at 38 weeks, we had an ultrasound and it estimated her current weight at 8lbs 2oz - one week later she was born at 9lbs 10oz.  There's no way she gained 1.5 lbs in a week so obviously the ultrasound was not that accurate.  Now, balance that with the motivations of the doctor (who would probably gently nudge me in the direction of C-section just cause it makes his life easier), and I may end up C-section no matter what just to be on the safe side.

I've said all along that I'm ok either way and I've been mentally/emotionally preparing myself for a C-section since the day I found out I was pregnant.  In fact, I've been so mentally preparing myself for C-section, that if I can do VBAC, I'm probably ill-prepared!!

Also, we still have not picked out any names.  This is not good.  

Peanut #1
35 weeks 3 days



Peanut #2
35 weeks 3 days



After dinner tonight, Lily was so stinkin cute.  She noticed her shadow on the wall and started pointing to it and saying "Lily!  Right there!!"  And then she'd laugh and laugh.

 

We really ought to set her up on some play dates so she doesn't have to play with her shadow!

 

Oh and she's getting another tooth!  Maybe even both of the upper two canines!