Prenatal Visit #10 - Week 36

One week shy of full term and the first of my now weekly visits to the birth center, I was greeted by the smiling faces of the ladies at the front desk telling me they had a "surprise" for me today. I knew what that meant. Group B strep vaginal and anal swab..... FUN TIMES! This entire time I thought I would come in, they would strap me to some stirrups and get to swabbing. NOPE! I was instructed on how to do it myself. I think this is why I love the birth center. One swab, two holes, clean to dirty. A little around and slightly in the vagina, a little around and slightly in the anus and voila! Success. Not bad, I felt a lot more comfortable doing it myself I think. It probably wouldn't have been bad either way. My weight was up 3lbs this week putting me at a solid 26lbs gained and still no protein or sugar in my urine.

This week I watched a video on pain management techniques used in the birth center. It's good to know all of your options. My midwife came in and asked if I had my birth plan for them. *insert blank stare* She said, "You better have that to us by next week at the latest." She decided to quiz me on stuff that should be in my birth plan so she could write it in my chart. Eye ointment for the baby or no eye ointment? Vitamin K shot or three oral doses? I made up stuff as I went along. Now that my birth plan is done hopefully they will change all the lies I told them. My birth plan is pretty fluid since I don't know how I'll be feeling once I'm in labor. I'll share it in another post.

 Baby's heartbeat was between 140 and 150 beats per minute. We couldn't get an accurate reading because she had the hiccups, which happens 4 to 5 times a day these days. She's still head down and still very active. I keep hearing that you feel less movement in the third trimester. Not me.

I was also given a handout on what to start doing to prep my body for labor. I have to start a red raspberry leaf and evening primrose oil regimen. Red raspberry leaf is supposed to improve uterine tone. It is thought that it helps the uterus contract more efficiently to push the baby down and out and it is also supposed to help it return to its regular size after the birth of the baby. I am currently taking red raspberry leaf capsules.   The other option is to drink 3 really strong cups of red raspberry leaf tea per day. If I run out of capsules before the baby is born, I'll start drinking the tea. The capsules are ROUGH going down.  With the evening primrose oil I'm suppose to take 3, 1300mg capsules per day orally and 1-3 capsules per day vaginally.  This helps with the effacement and dilation of the cervix.  Since Chef has already been massaging my perineum, I just have him stick a few pills in there before bed time. Just remember if oil goes in, some oil comes out. I sleep on a towel. Just sayin.

My appointment with the back up medical doctor is at 37 weeks. I go to see him so that he can fill out paperwork for the birth center saying that this baby and I are fit to be at the birth center. I also have to meet him because in case of emergency (c-section or hospital transfer) he will be the doctor that performs the surgery and delivers my baby. Of course I'll let you know how that goes.