28 Weeks

Today marks the beginning of the third trimester!  This week Muffin is as big as an eggplant (15 inches long and approximately 2.25 pounds).  He or she is practicing breathing, sucking, hiccuping, coughing, and blinking.  Babies also experience REM sleep at this stage, so Muffin may be dreaming!

I have my 28-week prenatal appointment on Wednesday.  I try to schedule my appointments with Dr. Kaufman, but I have had to see other doctors in her group for my last two check-ins.  This will be my first appointment with her since I was 16 weeks pregnant - and since then I've had two ultrasounds and passed my gestational diabetes test.  I'm looking forward to seeing her again!  

At this appointment, I want to ask Dr. Kaufman two things:

1.  Is it still okay to travel to Phoenix in 2.5 weeks?  The coronavirus is causing a lot of chaos and I want to verify that her recommendation has not changed in light of the growing number of confirmed cases in the US.

2.  What is the group's policy on scheduled inductions?  I am most nervous about delivering a baby larger than Gavin was (8 lb, 7 oz) or needing a C-section. According to my research, a 39-week induction could decrease the likelihood of both of those scenarios.  

3.  Do I need to be seen at 30 weeks?  The doctor I saw last time said that I would come every 2 weeks beginning at 28 weeks, but the receptionist said that begins at 32 weeks.

This week I'll start tracking Muffin's kicks using the Count the Kicks app.  Muffin seems to be the most consistently active in the late evening, around 9:00 pm.  So I will probably try to be ready for bed by that time each night and count kicks before falling asleep.