36 Week Appointment
Today I had a routine OB appointment. Due to COVID-19, I was not seen at 34 weeks, but I will continue to have weekly appointments from here until Muffin's birth. In the four weeks since my last appointment, the office has changed the policy from one visitor to no visitors. I was supposed to text the office when I arrived in the parking lot, they called me to check me in from the car, and then sent me a text when my room was available. The nurse met me at the door and took me straight back to the exam room. All of the medical staff wore masks and face shields and I was required to wear a mask the whole time as well. It seems bizarre, but also feels like going to appointments is low-risk.
The nurse checked my weight, blood pressure, and the baby's heart rate (130 bpm). She also gave me a handout with information about delivery and COVID-19. The newest updates are that laboring mothers will be tested for coronavirus upon admittance to the hospital. If I were to test positive, the baby would be separated from me after birth and until we are discharged. Eric would be my support person during labor, but would go with the baby after birth as the primary caregiver. While I would hate to be separated from them, I'm glad to know that the baby would get to have Eric for the entire stay. As long as I was asymptomatic, we would all be sent home on the third day as usual and would use extra precautions upon our return home (masks at home, changing clothes often, etc.).
Dr. Kaufman had limited availability this week, so I saw Dr. Bedia today. I asked him about pains in my lower abdomen (he said increased pressure/pulling is normal and mine might be exaggerated because of scar tissue), bringing any nursing supplies to the hospital (I don't need to bring anything), the entrance we are supposed to use when we arrive (Powell 1), and about the little bulge I feel in my belly - right next to my vertical scar. The bulge could be nothing, or it could be a hernia. We won't know until after delivery since the uterus blocks his ability to feel what is going on back there. Just another thing to monitor and address after the baby is born. I'm glad I asked as I had not thought of that as a potential explanation.
The doctor was a little concerned about my weight gain as I have not gained any weight in the past 4 weeks. He said this is the time when people typically "pack on the pounds." The baby should be gaining weight steadily at this time, so it is expected that the mother is also gaining weight. Then he measured my belly and it was a bit smaller than expected (34 cm instead of 36-37 cm). Because of these measurements, he recommended we schedule an ultrasound with my appointment next week. That will allow us to measure the baby and see what the growth curve looks like. If the baby is growing appropriately, we will stay the course and continue the pregnancy until 39/40 weeks (or until I go into labor). If the baby does not appear to be keeping pace with the growth curve, I could begin a high-calorie diet or we could discuss an induction. At this next appointment I will be 37 weeks + 4 days and being born at this stage would pose very little risk to the baby. Dr. Bedia said that we would consider "changing the environment if the baby is not thriving in its current environment." So I now have an ultrasound scheduled for 3:00 next Wednesday, with an appointment with Dr. Kaufman immediately afterward.
I have also been having some contractions today. Today is the first time I felt contractions that I could time, with a distinct beginning and ending. They are very inconsistent, short, and never closer than 15-20 minutes apart.
After today's appointment, the next 3-4 weeks seem just as uncertain as ever. Depending on the results of our ultrasound and cervix check, we could have an induction next week, an induction on May 30, or go full term and not meet this baby until June 6. Or I could go into labor spontaneously any time in between. So for now we take it one day at a time and just wait until my appointment next week!