An update is called for since I saw my OB yesterday for my 34.4 week checkup:
MY WEIGHT:
I’ve lost one pound in the past 2 weeks (I wasn’t trying, and I can’t say I feel a pound lighter… hehe!) My OB said I’m tracking perfectly, and she’s “totally not concerned” about my weight. She said the 6 lbs. in 2 weeks that happened recently is pretty normal — baby (and Mom) go through a growth spurt in the third trimester, and there will usually be an uptick in weight at that point, then the weight gain levels off/slows down for the rest of pregnancy.
DENTIST/CAVITY:
My OB cleared me to visit the dentist and have my cavity/toothache addressed. Apparently, dental issues (decay, infection, etc.) have been tied to pre-term labor — the chemicals released in the bloodstream apparently can make our systems go a little wonky. So, I now have a “permission slip” from my OB that clears my dentist to do any of the following — dental x-rays (with precaution of extra shielding around abdomen); local anaesthetic; root extraction; and even, if required, narcotic pain medications (which surprised me… I guess because I’ve only ever been prescribed pain meds from my dentists after oral surgery, eg. wisdom tooth extraction.)
I see the dentist Monday afternoon. What a relief! I’m not usually a wuss about pain, but for some reason, toothache pain bugs me more than my post-op knee surgery pain did (and that was much stronger pain, but seemed like it was more easily controlled with ice, elevating the limb and pain medication.)
SPROUT:
Sprout’s heartrate is perfect still. We listen to it at every visit, although the past three or so visits, my OB and I have been chatting so much at that point in the visit that I usually forget to “tune in” to hear her heart thumping away. The OB listens to it with a digital doppler, so all she needs to do is look down at the digital readout and note the heartrate posted on the device… and at this point, Sprout’s heartbeat is so loud/strong it takes all of two seconds to pick out of the background noise of my body (my heart, the placenta’s “WHOOSH”ing sound, etc.)
Speaking of Sprout, she has graduated from the nickname “wiggle worm” to a full-fledged miniature human based on her increased size, strength and activity. “Wiggle worm” just doesn’t cut it anymore. For instance: She was having a field day in there while I sat in the OB’s waiting room; I’d let the magazine I was reading rest on my belly (gotta use it for something!) and she kept kicking and rolling around, moving the magazine! And as I drove away from the OB’s office she kicked up into a rib, got hung up briefly (that’s the only way I can describe the tightening and pain against the rib), and then I felt a “pop” in my rib as her foot/heel slid off the rib and relieved the pressure. Freaky and a little distracting when you’re driving and suddenly have to brace your rib with a hand because it feels like it’s trying to burrow out of your body! I can now fully understand how some people say they have had their ribs bruised late in pregnancy by their active baby! Thankfully, she didn’t whallop me it was more of a short-lived, slightly disturbing “OK, that doesn’t feel good, little one… can’t you find somewhere else to situate yourself?” sensation.
MY BLOOD PRESSURE:
My blood pressure’s still good — 126/66. Pregnant women’s normal blood pressure should be below the normal adult baseline of 120/80. So ideally, my systolic number would still be around 113 or 116, but it’s not a cause for concern. A pregnant woman’s blood pressure is measured at every single visit. For that matter, her urine’s checked at every visit, as well, to detect bladder or kidney infections, diabetes, dehydration and preeclampsia.
MY ENORMOUS BELLY:
My belly size (which is, for the record, gigantic) is tracking right on schedule — right at the 34 weeks I’m at. I’m still running into things, and actually have a little bruise on my belly from misjudging my ability to “just squeeze by” a piece of furniture that we’d temporarily moved into the hallway upstairs.
WHAT’S NEXT?
My next appointment with the OB involves a test for Group B streptococcus (GBS). About 30% of women carry this, and it doesn’t mean anything in terms of baby’s or Mom’s health; it does mean the mom’s put on antibiotics before or during labor because the baby’s immune system is still immature and she could catch GBS if moms not on antibiotics. It’s a routine test all pregnant gals undergo near the end of term.
My OB’s parting words?
“You basically have a month left. Keep up the good work!”
Yikes! I have one week off, next week, and then I begin seeing my OB every week until March 29th. If Sprout hasn’t been born by then, we’ll schedule a few more appointments to track me ’til she’s born. And, of course, there are some OB checkups after Sprout’s here, to check on me post-delivery, but we schedule those later.
Painting is only “fun” for a short period of time, then you wish you could just take a Photoshop paint bucket tool to the room and — with one click — be done with it already!
