Two weeks ago at my 36 week appointment I was measuring ahead for the first time this pregnancy. The doctor wasn't very concerned but told me they would schedule an ultrasound with my next appointment to check Berry's growth. She added "I don't know if you realize this, but you are actually quite small." So we scheduled the 37 week check and an ultrasound.
That weekend a 3D ultrasound/prenatal massage place here in town was having an open house to celebrate opening at a new location, and they were having free five minute ultrasounds and massages. So of course I went! The lady who was doing the massage started rubbing my back and said "Wow! you're really tiny! That's definitely all baby out front!" I have to admit it surprised me to have gotten two such comments in one week. I have never considered myself to be small...just short. When we got the ultrasound we discovered that Berry is definitely head up. The bump that I have mentioned frequently sticking out right beside my belly button? That's where the tech had her wand for us to be watching Berry's face.
This week my appointment was on Tuesday at exactly 37 weeks. My doctor was on vacation so I was seeing someone new. It ended up being a crazy day! The appointment started at 2:05pm....we didn't get home until 4:00. We were in the waiting room for about half an hour before being called back for the ultrasound. The first 10 minutes or so we didn't get to see anything because we told the tech we want baby's sex to be a surprise, so she just left the big screen off. When she did turn it on she showed us that Berry has a full head of hair and then got a few very clear shots of the face. I was thrilled to see that baby has his/her daddy's chin and mouth, and that all the heartburn wasn't for nothing (if you can believe the old wives tales about heartburn and hair growth being connected. Which I personally don't ;) ) After the ultrasound we were sent back to the waiting room until the doctor was ready. Again, a 20 or 30 minute wait and then a nurse came out to get me and told me that the doctor had ordered a non-stress test for the baby. I knew this meant something was a little off, but didn't feel too worried. Spent the next 20 minutes in a recliner with monitors strapped to my belly and a little button I had to push whenever I felt Berry moving...which was often. Once that was done we were finally taken back to a room! Where we ended up waiting for another 20 minutes or so. Poor Alex was getting a bit frustrated, and I can certainly sympathize. Who wants to spend hours waiting? He felt like the nurses and doctors shouldn't have so crowded their schedules that nothing was done in a timely manner. When the doctor finally came in she seemed a bit flustered and stressed out. She sat down and pretty much said "We're confused."
Berry had weird measurements. The head was measuring about two weeks ahead, and the body about two weeks behind. Both measurements being within the two or three week error margin but the fact that they were so far off from each other had the doctor flabbergasted. She said that Berry is still breech and that sometimes that can make the head measure larger because it's not down in the pelvic bone. She also told me that I have extra fluid. But the stress test numbers were really good and from the ultrasound it is obvious that Berry is eating well and swallowing, his/her weight being estimated at about 6lbs 1oz right now. So their answer was "We have no idea what's going on, but it doesn't really look like there's anything to worry about, Things are just weird." So I'll be doing the non-stress test every week at my dr appointments and they'll just keep a close eye on things.
Because Berry is in breech position though, they went ahead and scheduled a c-section for me. If I haven't gone into labor on my own by the 29th of December I will be going in for a c-section. It seems so crazy to me that we have a definite date for when our baby will be here! I know I can't wait to meet our precious little one, and I'm not even too upset that Berry won't have his/her
own birthday...(my baby sister is turning 13 on the 29th.) I'm just praying for a healthy/happy baby and will do and/or go through whatever seems necessary to reach that goal.
