Midwife Appointments and Pregnancy Newsletters

September 7th Midwife appointment:
Everything went as usual. My efforts at diet and
exercise seemed to be paying off- I'd only gained 1
pound. :-D

September 21st Midwife appointment:
I was having a VERY emotional day (the reality of
leaving the twins was starting to hit) and the stress
reflected itself in my initial blood pressure reading.
So they had me lean back, relax, and chill out for
like 10 minutes. Then they took my blood pressure
again. This time it was fine. My weight
gain, on the other hand, had again been more than hoped for - I'd gained
another 12 lbs! However, it should be noted that I
also began experiencing extreme edema during those 2
weeks. I thought I had pigs feet before? Ha! I had no
idea how fat ankles could get without exploding! (No,
this is not cause for alarm. It is not related to any
other issue. It is simply one of the many "expected
symptoms of pregnancy".)

Because of the fluctuation in my blood pressure, I was
scheduled for another appointment for the following
week. So....

September 28th Midwife Appointment:
My blood pressure was not only within "normal" limits,
but had actually lowered! Yeah! However, I had already
gained another 5 pounds in those 7 days. Not so yeah.
:-< But the midwife just looked at my feet and said,
"Well I can see where the 5 pounds went." Also, as a
funny note, when the midwife was trying to take my
fundal measurement, Ethan decided to show off for her
by pushing up one side of my belly creating a 2 inch
bump near my belly button. She laughed, asked him where he thought he was
going, then told him that that wasn't the right way
out and that he needed to wait a while anyway! :-D LOL
(My fundal measurement was 35 centimeters. I was just
starting my 35th week that day. AKA- right on track.)

My next Midwife appointment is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12. I will be 36 weeks complete at that time and will be tested for Group B Strep as well as for anemia. Both are crucial tests which will have a big impact on my birthing experience.

If I test positive for Group B, I'll be considered a "carrier" and I will require an IV for antibiotic administration. I will need to get the antibiotics at least 4 hours before giving birth so that Ethan cannot catch the infection on his way out. This means having to arrive at the hospital sooner than we otherwise might and causes a concern that I not deliver too quickly. (My mother delivered both myself and my sister in about 4hrs from start to finish. However, my mother-in-law delivered her LARGE children at a MUCH slower pace. We will see...) I REALLY don't want an IV. I still remember the pain of the IV I had when I had my tonsels taken out in the 2nd grade! However, Group B is another one of those things that is annoying for the mother, but VERY dangerous for babies. Fortunately, it is very rare for a baby to catch Group B these days, even if the mother is a carrier, thanks to the precautions taken. I will also need an IV if it is determined that I am anemic (that there is not enough iron in my blood). Because I tended to have a higher amount of iron in my blood than most prepregnancy, it is unlikely that this will be the case. Please pray that I test negative for both Group B Strep and Anemia!

I read through my last week's pregnancy newsletters
this morning and here's what I learned:

Ethan's eyes are now open when awake, and closed when
sleeping. Most of the lanugo is gone and replaced with
a thich coat of vernix.

This week his testicles are making their way down from
his abdomen to his scrotum. (Some baby boys - three to
four percent - are born with undescended testicles,
but they usually make the trip down sometime before
the first birthday.)

Ethan's fingernails now reach the end of his
fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a
manicure one of the first things we'll need to do for
our little bundle. (Note to self- pack baby mittens
in hospital bag!)

He could be as tall as 20 inches right now and about
five pounds. Try holding something like flour or
potatoes that weigh 5lbs. Seriously! It doesn't sound
like much, but when you're holding it ..... WOW!

No wonder I'm so tired! 5 lbs doesn't sound like much,
but I picked up a bag of potatoes that came
pre-weighed at 5 lbs and WHOLLY COW is that HEAVY!!!
Seriously! Try it! And I'm not only carrying that
5lbs of baby, but the weight from the amniotic fluid
and extra blood and everything else too! No WONDER I am
soooo tired lately!

I am SOO glad not to have to go to work anymore
(yesterday was my last day). But on the other hand, I
cried off and on all last night because I'm going to
miss the twins SOO much! However, it is comforting to
know they're with someone who'll take good care of
them and that I can go and visit them often. Like, I
said, though, it's a relief not to have to work. I'm
always tired and wanting to take a nap these days when
the girls are just raring to go! It will be good for
them to have someone more capable of keeping up with
their energy. I think it'll be all I can do to keep
the house in order and get everything ready for
Ethan's arrival. I still have to sew his baby quilt
and two more Christmas stockings (his and mine- I
finished Luke's except for the gold paint for his
name).

I can't believe I'm in my 9th month! (I'm 34 weeks +4
days complete as of today.) It seems like Ethan could
show up any time now, but I also have the feeling this
is going to be the LONGEST month on record! ;-D