Wow, the last four days or so have been so incredibly nerve wracking for me! Thank goodness they're finally over! Our ultrasound was scheduled for last Friday (June 3rd), but due to a really bad storm we got overnight, the OB clinic on post lost power, so they were unable to see me that morning. The soonest they could get me back in was today (June 7th). Of course, after waiting 10 days already since the ultrasound had been scheduled, I was really bummed about not going in that day. I'm sure you all know that I've been a little stressed about Emalyn running into the same complications that Juliet did, with the IUGR and not growing at a healthy rate. So when the ultrasound was cancelled, I started worrying myself even more. I knew that at my previous OB visit, my belly had measured a little on the small side, but nothing that seemed to concern the doctor. So I ended up measuring my own belly, just to give myself peace of mind while I waited for Tuesday to roll around. Turns out, the number I was getting was about 4cm smaller than it should have been, so this ended up worrying me further. I called the OB nurse and explained what was happening, and he was very helpful in listening and looking into my charts and history. He did mention that at my last OB visit, the doctor had also measured me 4cm smaller than normal. I guess that's what he meant by "a little on the small side." The nurse told me that as long as Emalyn is still kicking, and her activity level doesn't change, then I shouldn't be worried, and that the ultrasound on Tuesday would be able to give me more answers. Of course, all I heard was that my belly has been measuring 4 weeks behind. (When the doctors first discovered the problem with Juliet, my belly had measured 3 weeks too small.) I panicked. I had a complete meltdown, and spent the next two hours crying uncontrollably on my couch. I felt sure that the same thing was happening all over again, and that when I went in for Tuesday's ultrasound, they were going to find that she was too small and end up delivering her by c-section that day. (That's how it happened with Juliet.) Thankfully, Juliet was taking a nap during all of this. I ended up taking a bubble bath to help myself relax. So needless to say, I had been mentally preparing myself for the worst at the ultrasound.
BUT.... Everything looks great! Emalyn weighs 5lb 3oz today, and is in the 43rd percentile for her age. She's already more than a pound heavier than Juliet was when she was born! Her heart rate is 158bpm, and everything looks perfect! She even has her head down still! I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that she's healthy and safe in my belly.
The OB said that I may just always have a small belly, and that they're no longer going to look at the specific number and if it matches the week of pregnancy I'm in, but instead, they just want to make sure that the number is increasing steadily. Our next appointment is in two weeks.
Last week I went to the childbirth class offered at Tripler, where we'll be delivering Emalyn. I spend a LOT of time reading up on pregnancy and vbac deliveries and whatnot, so I wasn't sure what the class would tell me that I hadn't already learned, but I still felt it was important to go, since this will technically be my first time giving birth. I'm so glad I did, because in addition to going through the stages of labor and what I can expect and the types of interventions the doctors use at this specific hospital, I was able to talk to the L&D nurse about my individual situation, and have a better idea now of how my labor will be handled once I'm admitted. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm a little bummed about having to remain on continuous fetal monitoring, but at least I'm prepared for that now and wont have my hopes shot down while I'm in labor. Since I'm not planning on having an epidural, I'll be able to sit in a rocking chair or on the birthing ball (as long as I keep them close enough to the monitors), and depending on the nursing staff, I might also be able to use the jacuzzi tub in the room, which would be fantastic! After taking the childbirth classes, I feel so much more confident that I'll be able to have a successful VBAC delivery.
We've been busy at home, too, over the last couple of weeks. Juliet and I have washed and put away all of Emalyn's clothes, receiving blankets, bedding, burp cloths, etc. It amazes me how much laundry someone who's not even born could have! I think I ended up with 4 loads of laundry, just for Emalyn. I've also gotten my hospital bag packed and ready to go! I'm really excited about it actually, I ended up buying a new diaper bag, and that's what I'm using for the hospital. I spent about a month and a half researching reviews and looking for the perfect bag that would be big enough to carry what I need for two small kids, while not being gigantic. I had made a diaper bag a while back for this purpose, but after using it with just Juliet, I learned that it still wasn't big enough. I had it completely packed anytime we went out, and can't imagine how crowded and cluttered it would feel when I added in all of a newborn's needs as well. The one I ended up getting was a Skip Hop Loft bag from Target, and I love it! It's a super cute bag, wasn't expensive at all, and has everything I was looking for! I'm so happy, and I can't wait until Emalyn is here and I can use it!
I've been feeling very uncomfortable lately. Emalyn is big and gets herself into all sorts of awkward positions. Her head is on my bladder, her butt is under the left side of my ribcage, and her feet are constantly kicking the right side of my ribcage, and sometimes my right hip, too. Bending over to get anything is nearly impossible (thankfully I've perfected my ability to pick things up with my toes!!) and a lot of times I have to arch my back and push down just to get her to move into a slightly more comfortable position. I get heartburn just about anytime I eat or drink anything, or lay down, or bend over, or put any sort of pressure on the top of my belly (say, when Juliet tries to climb all over me). My hips and back are pretty much constantly aching, and I take a bubble bath almost every night. I dread going to bed every night because it almost always ends in hours of tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling while I try to fall asleep. But despite all of this, I'm still very relieved that I get to stay pregnant for another month or so, instead of delivering Emalyn now because of a complication.
Hopefully Matt will be able to come home soon, and Kaitlin will be here in 3 weeks! After that, I'm perfectly fine with going into labor at any time!
