36 weeks

At my 36 week dr. appointment I was a nervous wreck for some reason.  I was so anxious my palms were sweating like crazy.  I knew my blood pressure had been elevated and along with the extreme swelling I was  experiencing, I was concerned that I was exhibiting symptoms of preeclampsia.  Luckily my dr. assured me that I do not have preeclampsia but do have pregnancy hypertension which is why my blood pressure was up (although I'm sure being anxious did not help my reading that day). She didn't seem concerned which was a relief to me.  She instructed me to keep putting my feet up when I can and drink a lot of water.  As we moved through the rest of the appointment she took the baby's heart rate (which was great!) and felt around on my belly to see how the baby is positioned.  She thought she was head down but when I told her that I still felt kicking type movement down low she second guessed herself.  During the internal exam she felt the baby and said that it felt more like a butt than a head so she was going to fit me in for a quick ultrasound.  At that time she presented us with our options if the baby was indeed breech.  Try to manually turn the baby at 37 weeks and/or schedule a c-section for 39 weeks.  She gave us time to think about it while we waited for the ultrasound tech.  

The ultrasound quickly confirmed that the baby is indeed breech.  She was butt down with her legs crossed underneath her Indian style.  Jason and I discussed doing the external version where the dr. tries to turn the baby and decided against it.  The dr. said there was only about a 40% chance that it would work and it could end in an emergency c-section if the baby goes into distress or my water broke.  It just didn't seem worth it to us.  On a side note, my sister was in the exact same position with her first, Millie.  They did try the version and it was not successful and was stressful for both my sister and Millie.  Knowing this made me all that more hesitant to try it.  So we decided to go ahead and schedule a c-section for December 8th - a week before my due date.  

It's been an emotional roller coaster the past few days knowing that our little girl will be here in 2 weeks!  While I've never been dead set on a vaginal delivery, I did find myself feeling dissapointed that I would not even have the chance to attempt it and see what my body can do.  Jason made the comment that having a scheduled c-section is a little anti-climatic.  There will likely be no frantic/excited phone calls or rushed car rides to the hospital due to labor starting.  Unless I go into labor prior to the 8th, I won't even get to experience what a contraction feels like.  In the end though, it really doesn't matter to me as long as we end up with a healthy little girl.  The way she is brought into this world doesn't change the journey of the past 9 months or the new one that will begin with her first breath :)

How Far Along: 36 weeks.
Size of Baby: Weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. About the size of a honeydew melon!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +29 and hoping to hold steady for the next few weeks!
Maternity Clothes: Yep.  My wardrobe is pretty much all maternity now.  

Movement: My stomach literally changes shapes depending on where she is lying and often looks very lopsided.  She seems to love shoving her head up into my rib cage which is very uncomfortable!
Symptoms: Swelling. Oh the swelling.  I don't even recognize my feet by the end of the day they are so huge and puffy!  I've been spending my evenings with my feet propped up on several pillows to get them above my heart.  It helps but the swelling never completely goes away.  My blood pressure has also been a little on the high side lately, but the dr. said she is not concerned at this point.  Minor heartburn, fatigue, and occasional pelvic pain are a couple of others I've been dealing with.
What I Miss: Wearing my heels!  I have a closet full of cute shoes that I can't wear right now.  It's flats and tennis shoes for me and these fat feet!
Girl or Boy: Girl!
Belly button In or Out:  Still an innie.  The edges are kind of popped out but the middle is still in there although getting pretty shallow!
Stretch Marks: None yet.  My dr. told me that if I don't have them now, I shouldn't get them.  Fingers crossed!
Cravings: No real cravings lately. 
Best Moments:  Finishing the nursery and checking items off my "To do before baby" list!
The Bump: Still growing by the week and looking kind of oddly shaped due to the baby's position!  

32 weeks

   

35 weeks and looking every bit of it :)