24 Weeks & 27 Weeks

I never got around to a 24 week update, so this post covers two appointments.  I am at the end of my second trimester, with three more months to go.  That sounds like so long and also not very much time at all.

I actually lost a pound between weeks 24 and 27 because I had a horrible stomach bug a couple of weeks ago that prevented me from eating anything but ginger ale and saltines for about 4 days.  Thanks, Henry, you germy little bug.  I lost at least five pounds and it's been very slow to come back on.  My total weight gain for the pregnancy so far is now 14 pounds, which is great.  My goal is to gain 26 pounds or less this time, so I should be good.  The midwife was not at all concerned about my weight loss, and in fact told me that the baby would be just fine if I didn't gain another ounce.  My fundal height is also more in line with the 1 cm per week guidelines (if you recall I was 3 cm ahead at one point), and Girl Baby is still rocking and rolling in there.

I had my one hour glucose test yesterday, which screens for Gestational Diabetes.  It's not pleasant to drink the sugar stuff first thing in the morning, but the fruit punch flavor wasn't bad.  I felt vaguely unwell the rest of the day, either starving or a bit nauseous. They called to say that I barely passed with a 121, which is funny because I passed with a 136 when I was pregnant with Henry.  Different practitioners have a different cutoff, usually 130 or 140.  The birth center sends you for the three hour test at 125, but they are much more cautious there since GD can be a reason to risk you out and send you packing.

Slowly but surely I am eliminating reasons I could be risked out of having this baby at the birth center.  No gestational diabetes, placenta is nice and high, everything looked perfect on the ultrasound, and baby has been head down since 17 weeks and we're hoping she stays that way.   My blood pressure has been great, so low that the midwife said she'd be really surprised if it ever gets high enough to be worrisome.  I am borderline anemic, but I am hoping some Floradix will take care of that. (Floradix is a liquid iron supplement you can buy at Whole Foods.  I took it when I turned up anemic after Henry's birth.  Since it's liquid and plant based it is more easily absorbed than traditional supplements and it doesn't cause constipation.  Very important when your downstairs is in delicate shape following childbirth. I highly recommend it, despite the nasty taste.)  I know lots of things can still happen in the last trimester, but I am hoping everything continues on postively.

This post has been very boring and medical.  After the excitement of the ultrasound, appointments just aren't as fun these days.  My 24 week appointment was hard because I had to bring Henry with me.  I usually go when he's in school but they were booked up and Husband couldn't come as he usually does.  Henry was great in the waiting room but his patience ran out by the time they called us back.  He was horrible in the kind of way that's terribly embarrassing even though the midwife has kids of her own.  I did get to fill out the super secret questionnaire they've never given me before since Husband has been at every other appointment.  It asks about education, employment, living arrangements, and several questions about history of abuse.  Thankfully I could say no to all of them.  One asked if my partner had been verbally abusive to me during this pregnancy.  Good thing it wasn't the other way around or I would have said yes! But I doubt that they would find jokes about the domestic violence risk assessment to be very funny so I kept that one to myself.

At the 27 week appointment yesterday I finally asked something that keeps creeping into my head.  What happens if the baby comes so fast that we don't make it to the birth center?  Obviously if you are planning to go to the hospital anyway you can call an ambulance.  But then you spend the first moments after the birth riding in an ambulance with strangers, getting wheeled through the ER, and then you are admitted and stuck there for a day or two.  Of course I am happy to be at the hospital if the need arises but it's really not part of the plan this time around.  If it the baby comes in the car we are supposed to keep driving.  Can't really imagine Husband continuing to drive down 183 while I push a baby out, but whatever.  If it happens at home they will send a midwife to check on us, although obviously we will go ahead and call that ambulance if something doesn't seem right.  My labor with Henry took 20 hours, so I'm fairly sure none of this will happen.  Right?