Prenatal Appointment #9

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I had my 9th prenatal appointment yesterday. Everything is looking great! I am starting to feel very pregnant - I feel like I've exploded over the past week or so - but I feel like it is all belly at this point.

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Blood pressure is "perfect" according to the nurse; no swelling to report and doctor says that weight gain is "excellent"! They checked my hemoglobin today (hadn't checked that in a few weeks, maybe a month) and it too was excellent at 12.4 (up from 11 the last time they checked it).

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The baby's heartbeat was 146. I measured at 36 inches - which is perfect for being 36 weeks and 4 days along - I continue to measure average as far as the baby's growth.

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Given we are at the 36+ week mark, the doctor wanted to start "checking" me! In both of my previous pregnancies I have seen midwives and they were not adamant on "checking" me - so with Bella, I was never checked until we got to the hospital (at which point I was already 9 cm and she was born within 30 minutes). With Brooklyn, I was checked the week before but only because we made a trip to the hospital because I thought I was in labor but it was just a stomach virus (that proved to be worse than labor)! So - he started talking about the internal exam and explaining his rationale and I expressed my feelings of not wanting to be checked every single week when I came in. In the end - we compromised - since he was doing the Strep B test, he went ahead and did an internal exam as well to see if there were any indications of labor! He said there was some softening of the cervix beginning and that I was maybe 1cm (if he pushed it - so basically, I took that as not being dilated)! So, no signs of labor whatsoever! Now going forward - I hope not to be checked at the weekly visits.

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Total weight gain to date: 31.8 pounds
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I go back next Tuesday for another visit. I should get the results of the Group B Strep test at that visit. Otherwise, it will be very uneventful - weight check, blood pressure, pee-in-a-cup, hear the heartbeat and check to ensure baby remains head down!

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And for a picture - I know I've posted most of these already but this was one of both the girls kissing my belly (excuse my hand in the picture - remember we are given a CD with the unedited pictures on it)! I was 36 weeks and 1 day along at this point....

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