more Peanut updates

First of all,,,if I haven't visited your blog in a while, I'm sorry. Chances are also good that I have visited and haven't commented. I have little patience for computer time right now...don't know why, although I have been having some sciatic pain off and on too. I'm getting, really, just comically large and uncomfortable...

Yesterday I had my 36 week "risk assessment" appointment with my midwife's back-up OB. This final appointment with the OB clears me for delivery with the midwife at the alternative birthing center (aka, house with one bedroom-turned-birthing-room owned by midwife across the street from the hospital). She did a surprise ultrasound while we were there, the only one I've had, because she just wanted to make sure the baby was positioned well for delivery. Everything looked great, and it was neat to get a peek at Peanut. He/she (she said she couldn't tell, and we didn't really want to know anyway) is head down, posterior, and looks good and healthy. We could see him/her (I hate saying "it"!) "breathing" amniotic fluid in and out, which was really neat too. She said the placenta and cord look good and healthy, and the placenta is attached to the belly side of my uterus which is why it's been tricky sometimes to find and keep a heartbeat at my appointments lately.

Then today I had an appointment with my midwife. Everything, of course, was still fine, but of course you never can hear that enough I guess. She did say I had a trace amount of blood in my urine, which might mean that I'm starting to dilate and having a little bit of show. It could be, I passed a bit of mucus the other day too. (By the way,,,I'm a nurse, for those who don't know, that took care of women and babies for a living, so I'm pretty free with blood and mucus talk around here. Sorry if that bothers anyone. :)) I'd love to have this baby a bit sooner than later, but I also know you can walk around a bit dilated for quite a while, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Oops...too late!

Anyway, we are really all looking forward to meeting this sweet baby. And not just so we can stop calling it "it". I'm feeling positive and good about the coming labor, and I've gotten a couple of chances to practice my breathing and relaxation techniques during the couple of gallstones I've passed, hehe.