Who knew that modified bed rest could involve so much travel? Monday we went back to the midwives practice (after a trip to school to pick up, put away, and take out things for the kids for the rest of the year... just in case) and got our first set of marching orders: Don't go back to work (ha! done!), stay resting as much as possible, call with any increase in symptoms of pretty much anything, keep eating a low sodium, low refined carb, and high protein diet, and come back Wednesday after an ultrasound Tuesday.
Right-O!
Tuesday we went for the ultrasound, and everything looked great. They think he's 6lbs 9oz +/- 15oz. (For anyone who hasn't gotten in on the www.expectnet.com/ChickpeaChawan date/time/size game.... that might help you out!) and that he's measuring right in the 50% percentile for everything... except for his femurs. Those are 'long for dates.' This is potentially wonderful news for me. In further good news, it looks like his toes are normal -- as opposed to being like mine where the second toe is actually shorter than the third. (It's congenital, so if someone knows whose side this comes from, I'd be glad to hear who is at the root of the damage.) Bottom line: All this baby that they keep feeling might just be length. I think that exiting someone long would be easier than exiting someone, ummm, well, fat. Maybe I won't have a 9lb giant after all!
Yesterday, it was back to the midwives. I told the front desk lady that she was going to get tired of seeing us, and she gave me that look -- that look that says 'not me.' And, then I said, "Right, why lie, I'm going to get tired of coming here." They were okay with my blood pressure and I'd lost another pound since Monday (-5 lbs of puffiness, thanks, super low sodium blah taste diet), so we were all pleased. Good news / bad news: since all is well enough if left alone, we're leaving alone. This minimal intervention business sounded so good before I was this pregnant.
The good news required a trip to Target to look for a tri-fold chaise lounge for the outdoors. If I'm required to be resting and it's 80 and sunny outside, you can bet that all of me (in some sort of attractive granny pantie and sports bra get up) is going to lounge in the backyard. If I get really fat & sassy feeling , I might move to the front and make a sign that says something about honking if you want to save the whales.
I'll go back on Monday and at that point they'll be willing to do something called membrane stripping. I think it was the birth class lady who described this as "a really rough internal exam" where the midwife encourages labor by separating any little attachments holding baby's comfy, but temporary aquatic home to my more permanent features. There are some interesting articles and descriptions of this online, but I'll spare the faint of stomach or those who've not yet had the pleasure of being tired of being pregnant. Why spoil the fun?
Today, though, I get to have doctor visit no. 4 for the week. A trip to the eye doc is in order just to check out the visual disturbances I've been having since this blood pressure thing started. This is for mom's sake. I put mom on worry rest--not allowed to worry unless it's worry that can be acted upon (she's doing well at not verbalizing the other worries, but I'm sure I've not broken her worry habit). She found something I could act on, so we're going to the eye doctor. While it will be nice to know whether there's anything wrong with my eyes, I'm especially looking forward to the expedition to Bed Bath & Beyond afterward--come to find out, Target, WalMart, KMart... none of them carry tri-fold chaises. Apparently my low-end taste can only be met at BBB, and for $30 at that! Oh well, a small price to pay for memories of what bed rest CAN be.
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The journey from two-ness to three-ness ... and what happens after that.
