Lack of energy.. among other things.

This week's appointment went okay. It has me a little bit worried but nothing that I can't handle, at this point. There were a few issues/concerns that I had that I wanted to bring up to Dr.K and get her take on them. As well as some much needed advice. I am currently out of my bag full of tricks. Here are the issues I'm having and what her take and advice is:

Baby's Measurement: I'm terrified that Junior is going to be too large to pass through my pelvis so I have this repeating nightmare that I'm going to have to go through 4 days of labor and a full day of pushing, just to find out that his head is too large to pass through. Thus, forcing me to end up with a c-section, regardless of my efforts.

Dr K's Advice: This is something she is watching closely, already. If it gets to the point where she doesn't think he's going to be able to fit, she'll schedule an induction. But in all reality, the likelihood of it happening is slim.

Cervical Checks: I've been having this weird stretching/tearing/scratching feeling deep down in my cervix. The only way I can describe it is to say that it feels as if Junior has his hand down there and is squirming his hand around trying to shove it through my cervix. It's not a nice feeling, nor is it comfortable. I am afraid that one day I'm going to be in the bathroom or the shower to find a foot hanging out or a hand. Not a pretty picture.

Dr K's Advice: It's completely normal! That's Junior's way of pushing down on my cervix to let my cervix know that it's time to start preparing for delivery. It's actually making my cervix contract, which will help when it comes to ripening, effacement and dilation, so it's a GOOD thing. *Regardless, it still doesn't feel "good".*

H1N1 Vaccine: Big J received his shot, today and I'm still wondering when I'm going to get mine. Not that I'm impatient or anything, I just want to make sure to have it BEFORE Junior is born.

Dr K's Advice: They'll be getting their first shipment next week and they'll be administering them, then. No worries. I'll definitely have it before he gets here.

Heartburn: During my last appointment with Dr. K... she told me to start taking 75mg of Ranitidine(sp), twice per day, to ease my heartburn. She said I could take up to 150mg, twice per day, which would account for 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the evening. Now.. the problem that I'm having is that I'll take the 2 in the morning but they run out before I can take my second dose in the evening. *if I don't take 2 RIGHT before bed, I'll have heartburn very soon after going to bed.* So my question was.. would it be okay if I spaced the 4 tablets out, throughout the day? For example: Take one when I wake up (10ish), one 4 hours later (2ish), one 4 hours later (6ish), then one right before bed (10ish)?

Dr K's Advice: ABSOLUTELY! Feel free to space them out, as needed, as long as I don't go over the 4 tablet dose.

Hemorrhoids: So if you didn't notice in one of my previous "issues", Junior has been putting a LOT of pressure down in my pelvic area, causing cervical pressure and other issues that Dr K likes to call pressure in your "low pressure system". No, she's not talking about the weather report. When baby puts so much pressure down there.. you can tend to get hemorrhoids. What to do about it, is what I want to know?

Dr K's Advice: When the baby squeezes down into the pelvis (because he's quickly running out of room as well as preparing for delivery) you can get a lot of pressure down in the Vina Cava as well as your "low pressure system" which can cause blood to pool in the veins in your lower extremities as well as the bottom of your trunk. This, in turn, causes leg swelling, feet swelling, numbness and hemorrhoids, due to the fact that the baby is pinching off the vein access to get the blood back up and out of the area. Her advice is to get the baby OFF that area, as much as possible. The way to do it.. SWIM! If you can't swim, try getting your feet up and laying down with your legs elevated to try and move the baby off the vein. To minimize the symptoms of the hemorrhoid: use massive hydracortozone cream (1%), tucks pads, a squirt bottle to make sure it's clean after using the bathroom. You can also try taking a bath, because the warm water will help soothe the hemorrhoid as well as the water will help lift the baby off the vein enough to get some relief.

Now, here are some issues that I now have, that I didn't know I had.. thanks to my appointment:

High Blood Pressure: Everytime I go to the doctor, for my OB check up, the nurse routinely checks my blood pressure and everytime she always comes back with the same response, "great, as usual". Well, not this time. Her response was, "did you take the stairs when you came in?" We were in the middle of a conversation about the weight I had gained so far and how I look so tiny, so I thought it had to do with that, but I guess not. My husband was making the comment about how people can't believe I'm due in a month and look as good as I do. She commented that it was great that I hadn't gained an excessive amount of weight and how it'll be easy to loose once baby is here. She then asked if I had exercised during the pregnancy.. "um, no!" She then asked if I ate healthy and I responded with a yes.. gotta eat healthy. That's when she asked if I took the stairs when we came in. "Nope, elevator, all the way." (it's on the 4th floor). She then told me that my blood pressure was elevated and she'd make a note for the doctor. I also mentioned how I've been extremely out of breath lately and didn't know if that had anything to do with it?!

Dr Kim's Advice: We're going to monitor it closely. My urine came back completely normal so they're not alarmed, yet. She said to monitor the swelling in my hands and my headaches, which I get a few times per day. She said to watch the swelling in my hands and if it doesn't go down once I get up for the day, then to call and let her know. Same with my headaches.. if they get worse, call and let her know, asap! She also told my husband to monitor the swelling in my face. If it starts to swell at all or if I look like I've put on some weight rapidly (we have a scale at home that is the SAME as the doctors, so she said to monitor my weight, too) if it jumps or I get any swelling in my face, at all, then he has to take me in to the hospital, ASAP.

Junior's Delivery Date: She also mentioned that she didn't feel comfortable with letting me go over 40 weeks, with this pregnancy. With all the symptoms I've had and am having, she said that if I didn't go into labor, on my own, by November 18th, we'll be inducing. Honestly, I am completely happy with that. Her and I, however, are hoping he comes on his own, a week or two early. It would be easiest on all involved.

Here are the stats for the day, though:

Gestation: 35 weeks 1 day
Heart Rate: 157bpm (still a "girly" heart rate)
My Weight: 149lbs (I've gained 21 pounds, total)
Fundal Height: 36cm (36 cm = 36 weeks)

So lets all cross our fingers, rub a budah, throw a coin into a wishing well, wish upon a star, pray; do what ever it is that you like to do to make good things happen.. and lets coax this little man out a week or two early!!

Sound good to you?! Does to me!

*Please?! I'll give you cookies!*