My 34 week checkup went well today. Baby's heart rate was 144. My weight was the same as 2 weeks ago....yaaaay! :) My blood pressure was 116/62, still very good. Baby was so active during my appointment. He is not head down; I didn't expect him to be because he still flips around all day long. I am hoping that slows down in the next few weeks and he gets head down and stays there. :) Wishful thinking.
We ran over a few things with the doctor (who was the one who delivered Iris and is my favorite, I think, of all the doctors there - he is sarcastic and cracks jokes about everything....even calling the crappy weather today a "prozac day". lol!): baby will be circumcised. I am planning a natural birth again, and hopefully it will work out again that way. He knows I am home with the 3 girls, so there is always that slim chance I will have to take the girls to the hospital with me if I'm in labor and unable to find someone to watch them (but thankfully I have a few friends who are home during the week and could sit with them if needed). I am NOT looking to have a tubal ligation after the birth (he asked if I wanted one, should they have to do a c-section and "would be in that area anyway". LOL.). I plan to breastfeed again. I have no history of post-partum depression.
He really had a lot of things to ask me! I don't remember this run-down with previous pregnancies, but at least he covered all those things now and noted my chart. :)
When he delivered Iris, he and Arthur were sitting (literally - both of them had a chair at the end of my bed) and talking about Colorado and skiing. I found it funny, even in the middle of labor (I had an epidural for Iris' birth, so I was willing to laugh at it), but it still seemed pretty out of the ordinary. Haha! He was very nice during my labor and very patient. Actually, all 3 doctors for all 3 of my deliveries were very nice and patient....thankfully!
The doctor that delivered Addy was the oldest doctor there (age-wise). He was very quiet, and I was afraid he wouldn't approve of my last-minute decision to get an epidural for that delivery. Arthur and I both had the flu and I was so drained and weepy. I had wanted to have her naturally, since my water hadn't broken and they weren't pushing for any inducing meds at that time. Didn't work out, though, because of the vomiting I had done before getting to the hospital and then while I was in the bed; I was so exhausted I went ahead and got the epidural (and ended up throwing up while they were administering it....the anesthesiologist didn't like that too much). Poor Arthur had to keep running to the bathroom, too. He ended up checking in at the ER because he was so dehydrated from it. :(
Addy's delivery was picture perfect. We had a great evening right before, with our neighbors outside. The only negative to the night was mine and another pregnant neighbor's decision to have our husbands go get Taco Bell for us. :) We showered and went to bed around 11pm. I woke up at 1:30 with contractions and started timing them. Then, right at 3AM I woke up Arthur and we called the doctor. My in-laws came over to stay with Iris and Lily, and this time no one had the flu. :) We got to the hospital about 3:45Am and Addy was born at 7:20AM. No pain meds, no epidural, nothing. I was super proud. Of course, it hurt like crazy, but it's exactly what I had wanted the first 2 times. I did my breathing and Arthur was a great coach (he sat silent, except for when I forced him to go get the doctor or nurse because I really needed to push). I pushed 3 times, I think, before she was born. I say "I think" about the number of pushes because that was kind of a rushed time. I knew I needed to push but the nurse and doctor had just left the room and had said I might feel pressure like I need to go #2 but that I shouldn't push. I made Arthur run and get them just a few minutes later and when they came in and checked, Addy's head (and ALL her hair!) were right there waiting! LOL. They didn't have time to prep the bed and drop the end of it before I was pushing again. So, Addy was born after just a few pushes on an unready bed. They were scrambling around with the bassinet and lights and whatnot but Addy was NOT going to wait.
I will say, I felt every contraction and every push and it REALLY hurt, but I love knowing that I felt everything. Makes me appreciate the delivery and the miracle of birth that much more. I got to see and feel her arrival and even reach down and touch her while she was coming out. Sounds kind of gross, I know, but it was awesome. With Iris and Lily, the doctors set up a mirror so I could watch them be born, but they didn't have time with Addy so being able to reach down and touch her was amazing. And then holding her right after (they took Iris and Lily right away to check blood pressure and heart rate because I'd had the epidural) was so awesome, too. We were still physically connected by the umbilical cord and I was holding her and it was indescribable.
I do feel very blessed to be a woman and a mother. To know that feeling of intense pain....only to be followed by sheer joy. To know that the hurt and the painful contractions are leading to an end of bliss makes me want a natural birth so much more. And knowing that I can do it, makes me confident that we can do it again. I say "we" because Arthur is a huge help with reminding me to breathe, not hold my breath. And he is great at sitting silently while I work through a contraction, instead of trying to talk to me or touch me or ask me a question.....I'm very particular about the noise level while I'm in labor. I don't make sounds, and I don't want to hear any sounds. :)
I can't wait to do this all over again in a few weeks!
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