The Most

I am offically the most pregnant I have ever been.

Will made his appearance at 38 weeks, 3 days, after my 38 week appointment where the midwife swept my membranes. . . without telling me that she was doing it first! 

With Emma, a combination of swelling, moderate protein in my urine, and platelet issues, led to her slightly early appearance at 38 weeks, 2 days.  Both have been considered term and born without any complications, and I KNOW that the belly is the best place for Andrew to be.  I am impatient to get the show on the road, but I also am trying to savor these last days of the truly final pregnancy I will ever have.  Also, I know how hectic the newborn phase will be, and I am also trying to spend a little extra time with Will and Emma, knowing my focus will have to shift in the next few weeks.

I am now 38 weeks, 4 days pregnant.  I had my 38 week appointment today, where we discussed moving my c-section up to this week.  Ultimately, we made the decision to do daily platelet counts and leave things as scheduled for next week, on Thursday, 10-11-12, unless he decides to make an appearance on his own schedule before then.

Dr. S also had some disappointing news for me.  He had said when I was discharged that if we could show a long history of platelet counts in the 80-90,000 range that it would be possible that I would be allowed to be awake for the c-section.  It turns out that my hospital's policy is any count under 100,000 in the past two weeks means an automatic general.  ALL of my counts have been under 100,000 and have been for awhile.  Dr. S said that it is possible (though unlikely) that the anesthesiologist could make the call the day of, based on my platelet counts that morning, but it truly depends on the provider and most of them do not want to be making decisions that go against hospital policy (which you can't blame them for).

I am disappointed, though I do appreciate the fact that my safety is being taken into consideration.  I do understand the extra risks that a spinal would mean and I am not arguing the decision.  I am just sad that I won't get the immediate post-surgery nursing time that I did with Emma.  I realize that I have a lifetime with Andrew, it's just that. . . well, that time with Emma was so special and I really did want to have a repeat of that.  Then again, Andrew and I will have our own special moments.

After my appointment tonight, M presented me with my "push present" (known as my zipper present 'round these parts).  It is a beautiful silver necklace with Will, Emma, and Andrew inscribed on it.  Since we had discussed me not getting such a gift this time around (what with a new house being a gift in and of itself), I was really surprised with it.  Because I am lazy and don't want to go downstairs for my camera to take a pciture, here is the necklace pic from the etsy site, though obviously NOT mine! ;)

It is really beautiful and I love seeing their three names together.  It makes it all seem a bit more "real", I guess, even though you would think that my growing belly and active boy would make it "real".  When I was leaving the hospital with my two kids and growing belly, an older woman wearing a grandma sweatshirt stopped me and said, "Honey, that was me, forty years ago."

It took me a minute to realize that she meant her with three kidlets.  We chatted for a moment and she wished me luck.  It was said with that camaraderie that women have . . . with the knowledge that there will be tough moments ahead, but that it will all be worth it.