Really Strong Kool-Aid

After playing in the snow this morning Chad & I dropped Riley off and headed to my doctor’s appointment. Before we left I had Chad snap this photo of me in front of the tree.

(27 weeks 3 days)

While I feel like my stomach is HUGE (I still have just under 3 months to go...how gigantic will I be in the end???) I had only gained one pound in the last 4 weeks, which I find to be amazing, especially considering that Thanksgiving fell in those past four weeks. I am sure that me being sick for about 3 weeks worked in my favor with the weight gain, but I was still shocked to see the scale had only risen one pound, especially since I was also wearing heavy winter clothes and boots today. At my parent's house last week my mom and I were looking at a picture of when she was pregnant with Jake at Christmas. Jake was born 4 days before my due date so we wanted to compare. My stomach is already as big as my mom's was at Christmas and we were still a month earlier! And Jake weighed 10 pounds 6 ounces at birth so I am just a little bit scared as to how big Carter is going to end up being.

Today was also the day of my glucose test to test my blood for gestational diabetes as well as another test to test my blood for anemia. I am hoping both tests turn out fine, and am hopeful that they will. When we arrived I had to drink a sugar drink that tastes like really strong kool-aid. Unfortunately, they did not give me a flavor choice and it was red, fake-cherry tasting, which is my least favorite fake fruit flavor. I just downed it in about 30 seconds and the nurse was like “wow!” I wasn’t wasting any time, especially since I knew they would not draw my blood until an hour after I finished the drink. We then waited in the exam room for about 30 minutes for the doctor. I guess Wednesday mornings are a busy time for him as last time I had a Wednesday morning appointment he was too busy delivering babies to make it in, so I saw his nurse practitioner.

Once the doctor did come in he asked how I was feeling from the bronchitis and I said better and he was glad. I did tell him about the severe pain I experience every night when I change positions or get up out of bed. He assured me that even though I did not have this pain with Riley that it was normal and just happening because I was carrying extra weight and getting bigger. Bummer that there is not anything I can do to alleviate it, but I didn’t expect there to be anything he could do or suggest. Just looks like a few more months of painful nights and then hopefully it will be behind me.

He then checked Carter’s heartbeat with the Doppler and said the reading was great – 145 bpm. He then asked if we had any questions and I told him that I read that I needed to sign a consent form 30 days prior to delivery if I wanted a tubal ligation after a c-section. I told him that if there was any chance I would have a c-section that I wanted to insure that I had any paperwork filled out to guarantee that I could get a tubal ligation. He said the 30 day window was only for Medicaid, but that he would make a note in my file of my wishes. He then said to be sure that was what we wanted because it was not reversible and we assured him that we were done after two. Chad said if she doesn’t get it, I will. The doctor then just said that the only reason they would not do it would be if I had an emergency c-section and the baby was in trouble or not doing well or if the baby had to go to the ICU after delivery. We agreed that was a good choice and I feel good that the doctor knows my wishes.

He then informed me that today was the last of my every four weeks doctor’s appointments. Starting now I will see the doctor every two weeks. I can’t believe we are already at this mark in my pregnancy! It has all gone so fast it seems! Just trying to enjoy it (pain and all) since it will be my last time being pregnant!