Third Trimester and Pregnancy Related Questions

I have entered the third trimester. Hurray! We had an ultrasound and OB appt yesterday. The fluid levels have gone up to12.1 from 9.8 and so that is one thing less to worry about. The little one was head down yesterday and I hope it stays that way. Yay! I kind of had an intuition that the baby had flipped because my upper abdomen was no longer hard since last week.

My iron level was low and the OB recommended taking Iron Supplements daily. We are scheduled for weekly Non Stress Tests from Week 30. Now that I am in my third trimester, I have lot of doubts and not to mention anxiety. I had plenty of questions for my OB.

I asked my doctor what are the chances of being induced before my due date because of gestational diabetes. She said they usually allow women to go beyond 40 weeks and only induce by Week 41, unless the sugar levels get uncontrollable. So that was kind of reassuring. Some of my friends told me that I would be induced by Week 38 as the baby would get bigger in size beyond that, which made me kind of nervous. My Mom & MIL also thought 38 weeks was full term and 40 was too far away! Come on Ladies, please don't confuse me. The most ridiculous question I heard was from a relative as to whether I was planning to have an elective C-Section. What!!! Why do I need to schedule a c-section? Yes, I know we have waited for 6 years for this precious little one but that doesn't mean that I want to put myself under unnecessary procedures.

I am still undecided about attending Birthing Classes. Our hospital offers paid classes but I am not sure if it's really going to help. DH gets dizzy at the sight of blood and so I don't want to torture him with gory visuals. I also watched "The Business of Being Born" and liked the idea of home birth. I have a high risk pregnancy and so we will need to use a OB/Gyn and Hospital. Midwives and home deliveries are not going to work. However, I don't want unnecessary medical intervention if that is possible. That's something to discuss with my doctors and possibly find out while touring the hospital. I have borrowed a few DVDs from the library and am hoping it helps.

I still don't know if I can do a natural birth or if I will be going the epidural route. Most of the ladies I have spoken to talk about how easy epidural is and so on, but I am worried about the possible side effects like spinal headaches. I know that I have plenty of time to decide and what finally matters is that the little one arrives safely.

I haven't packed a hospital bag yet and there are friends who have told that I should be always prepared because labor could happen anytime. Hmmm, I don't think it is all that important and I honestly don't have the energy to do it right away. Must be the low iron !! ;)

During the second trimester, I didn't do any shopping but now I have started ordering stuff for the baby. I don't want to overdo it. In India, people don't even buy essentials for the baby before birth. They usually do it after the baby is born but things are slowly beginning to change. Ladies, any suggestions as to what the absolute essentials are and the stuff you loved. We are planning to get a Mini Crib since the little one will be in our room. We don't decorate Nurseries or have baby showers. Baby co-sleeps with Mama. I understand it is very different here in the US.

My parents and in-laws will be staying with us for at least four months. We will baptizing our little one within a week or two of birth which means the grandparents need to be here. Since they are traveling all the way from India, they will be here for a while. I hope I don't lose my sanity by the end of four months. :) Well, it's a nice opportunity to grow in humility & patience. I hope and pray God gives me the grace and strength to handle two families at the same time.

28 Weeks and Still Here

I am back after a long hiatus! I have wanted to update my blog for a while but things became a little busy around here and I lost my interest for blogging. My Mom was with me for four months and she returned the beginning of this month since I had been doing well for sometime now.

Coming to this amazing gift God has given us.... I will be 28 Weeks next Tuesday which means I will be entering the Third trimester. Thank You Lord Jesus for your great mercy. So far things have been going smoothly except for a a few minor worries. We transferred my OB care to a place near home when I completed 20 weeks. I like the new place but I still prefer my NaPro OB to any other doctor.

During the 22 week appointment, the new OB got worried seeing my history and all the meds I was taking or had taken in the past. She was worried as I tested borderline positive for Anti Phospholipid Antibodies during our visit to Dr.KK in 2012. She felt it could cause problems such as the placenta detaching from the uterus or clots forming in the placenta. All this was enough to stress us out. She referred me to a Maternal Fetal Specialist for a second opinion. The MFM doctor went through my history and suggested repeating bloodwork for APA but he felt things looked normal since baby's growth was on track. He suggested getting monthly ultrasounds. One thing he insisted was stopping the PIO, suppositories and HCG. He felt it could harm the a baby as there weren't enough studies. We just politely listened to his suggestions. Thankfully, none of the OBs pestered us about stopping the shots.

We went in for another ultrasound at 24 weeks. This time our baby was head up (breech) and was curled up into a ball with feet over face. Poor baby! I am sure that wasn't the most comfortable position. Baby was head-down during the 20 week ultrasound and I thought that was how it was going to be till the end. Well, I was wrong! The tech told that my fluid was a little low something around 9.1 when they usually like to see it above 10. OB suggested increasing my fluid intake and told us it wasn't concerning but asked us to come back in 2 weeks.

We went in for another ultrasound at 26 weeks. The fluid level had increased slightly. Gone up to 9.8 but still borderline low. And guess what - the naughty little one was still head up and curled into a ball. We go back for another ultrasound on Tuesday. How I wish the fluid levels will be normal. I will be having weekly Non Stress Tests and Biophysical Profiles from Week 30. I am glad for all the extra monitoring they are doing. It sure can be stressful but the ultrasounds are an added relief even though we end up paying $50 copay each time. My Gestational Diabetes is under control with the Metformin and diet but that is another reason why my OB has put me under the high risk pregnancy category. Some days, I just can't follow the diet and I eat whatever I can keep down but that is ok I guess.

I have been feeling the baby move from 22 weeks. It wasn't all that regular and I would get tensed when the baby wouldn't move on some days. However, from Week 24, the little one decided to kick and move around regularly. I am so glad because it is such a reassurance. The little one is active in the evenings usually around 7pm when we pray our family rosary. Guess the sweet one likes praying! :)

Just 3 more months till my due date or 12 weeks. I still cannot believe that I am pregnant and there is a baby growing in my womb. We give you thanks Lord for every second of our baby's life. Please continue praying for us that the third trimester continues to go smoothly and that we will get this meet this sweet little one.