32 Week Check Up.

I really like going to the doctor. I know, I'm crazy but there's something strangely reassuring about getting to talk exclusively about the baby and my other favorite subject, me. I also love the fact that my OB is a solo practitioner so he only has one nurse and one front desk admin. So they know me by name and it feels more intimate and like a little family. 

The only part I don't like about going to the doctor is the scale. Call me a typical female but the scale sucks. I've talked about my feelings of superiority about my previous weight gain and how it bit me in the ass when I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks at 28 weeks. Well, this week was worse. Last check up was 2 weeks ago and I had gained 2 pounds at 189, right on point. I hate the scale at the office even more because it's one of the older ones where you have to manually move the numbers. Of course it started at 150 and she moved the other part up, and up, and past the usual 30s and into the 40s. It stopped at 44. Add those two numbers together. 194. I gained FIVE POUNDS in TWO WEEKS. How the hell do I keep doing this?! 

I was, yet again, concerned that Dr. Man would be upset with me. He, yet again, wasn't. He said overall my gain of 26 pounds at 32 weeks is perfect and that he's not concerned. I always hear these horror stories of women getting reamed for gaining too much or too little or the wrong way or whatever but Dr. Man is so reassuring. I wish every woman could have the same experience as I have had with him. He is so laid back and calm and always answers my inane questions. His suggestion was to try to fit in a little more activity, even through the pesky contractions and "maybe lay off carbs." His words exactly. He knows me too well...

I had been reading this past week how you can palpate (basically feel) the baby and get a pretty good estimate of the weight and how it's often more accurate than an ultrasound because of all of things ultrasounds don't take into consideration (position of mother, levels of fluid, etc). I asked Dr. Man if he would be up for giving me a rough idea. He grabbed her head, which is down in my pelvis and felt all the way up. Her little knees are in my left side (usually in my ribs) and her butt is wedged in my right side. It was pretty neat how he could totally tell where everything is located. His guesstimate is that she weighs around 4.5 pounds and will most likely gain another 4 pounds before delivery. I had a dream a few weeks ago that Junie weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 inches long so I'm very curious how close my intuition will be! Dr. Man is equally curious now!

I want to draw this on my belly before my next appointment.

I didn't blog about this for some reason but for the past two weeks I've been having a ton of contractions. They're only Braxton Hicks but they landed me in L&D last Monday. Everything was fine, no dilation, no effacement, nothing to be really worried about. Dr. Man did say to limit my activity as my body tolerated. Well, my body hasn't been tolerating any activity. It's still contracting pretty much every time I stand up. They're getting more uncomfortable and frequent. Today he told me to call if I have more than 6 in an hour. So at least now I have a number in mind and anything under that is okay. I asked him if maybe because of all of these contractions preparing my uterus my labor will be a little easier. His reaction: a funny smile and almost snort like laugh, "well, maybe." I'm going to keep telling myself that...