36w Appt

Yes, we are in weekly appointments now. This shiz is getting real, fast!

I had my 36w appointment today. I am happy to report that I am only up 1 pound from my last appointment and being that Thanksgiving was during that 10 days in between, I am pretty darn proud of that! That brings me to a total weight gain of 32 pounds.

My GBS swab from last week was negative, meaning I won't need to worry about having IV antibiotics during labor, which is nice.

Belly is measuring at 39 weeks, BP was down to normal at 112/60, baby is still head down and her heartrate is at 140.

I had another internal check and have progressed slightly from last week. The only thing is, baby is still at -3 station, meaning she is extremely high up. I am planning to sit/bounce on my exercise ball quite a bit over the next couple of weeks to encourage her to come down on her own.

I did have a lot of questions for the doctor this appointment.
- I asked about the protocol if my water breaks.  I would really like to labor a little while at home and shower etc before going in, she said I should call immediately, but that I would likely have the ability to stay home a little while before coming in.
- I also asked about the epidural and whether or not I would be allowed to move around after getting it. She said no. I guess this means that I really should labor a good while before having it placed, so I have the ability move about.
- C-sections: How long can I labor before they would push me for a C? She said it depends. If I stall for more than 4 hours and they do not see any progress, they would likely move for a C. Also, obviously if baby is in distress and they need to get her out. Also, I asked if my hands/arms would be strapped down. She said no.
- I asked about immediate skin-to-skin. She said as long as baby is crying/healthy they will give her to me immediately.
- Also we discussed post-baby birth control. I let her know that I did not want to go back on BCP, and know that with breastfeeding it will limit my options greatly. I told her that since it took us such a long while to get pregnant, and we aren't opposed to another pregnancy we would likely just see what happens. She agreed, thankfully.

Overall, a great appointment. Everything looks perfect, baby girl is healthy and I am getting ready for D-day.