25 Weeks

I can't believe it's March already! I think I might actually have to get off my butt and start getting things ready for my lil' bean. Which I guess I sort of have started. I've emailed a whole bunch of doula's to see if any are available for my due date, which I may add has been upped by 2 days. I've gotten a whole bunch of reply's and now I have to weed through them to find ones I'd like to interview.

The change in due date was noted at my last appointment with my midwife. After seeing Iwona for the last 4 visits, I decided to finally meet the other midwives in my pod. I was supposed to meet with Basak but for some reason I had been booked with Christine instead. She's a level III midwifery student and she was great. She didn't have the nonchalant attitude that I suppose comes with years of catching babies and dealing with the anxiety of first time moms. I learned things from her that I'm sure Iwona wouldn't have explained in as much detail. I know it sounds like Iwona wasn't the best midwife but I think her years of experience has taught her to be clear and to the point. After all, I'm sure a lot of women can't be bothered about specifics and only want to hear "everything looks good and the test results are where they're supposed to be".

I, on the other hand, thrive on details. Even though I may not remember what it all means, a thorough explanation puts me at ease better than the general "everything's fine." With Christine, she was more that happy to go through all the ultrasound results with Paul & I. The important parts being that my placenta was a good distance from my cervix. This means that there's no concern for placenta previa. And also that my blood iron levels and iron stores are excellent, so there shouldn't be a concern for anemia. I also learned that my bood type is AB+ which means that I don't need a RHOGAM shot. And finally, my lil' bean is still a boy. Paul & I had started wondering if the receptionist had misheard the sonographer, but it didn't happen. The paperwork says he's a boy!

After Christine answered the few questions I had, the usual checks were done. Once it was time to check on my lil' bean, she did something new. She checked the fundal height using a measuring tape. This allows the midwife to check the baby's growth, as the value in centimetres should match the gestational age +/- 2. This measurement will be accurate until about 36 weeks. And of course we heard the baby's heartbeat with the doppler. She also reviewed the signs of preterm labour and what to do if I feel any of the symptoms. I've been paying attention without getting to paranoid and haven't experienced anything. I've got one more appointment in 4 weeks and then I'll be seeing the midwife every two weeks. Things are really starting to pick up now and I know I'll be holding my lil' bean in no time.
This week my lil' bean is about 13 1/2 inches in length and weighs about as much as a rutabaga - 1 1/2 pounds. The structure of the spine is forming which includes 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments. His testicles have descended and are now in place. His hands are also complete, which means he's got his own set of fingerprints. As for his nose, the nostrils are now open and he may be turning to a head down position. But if he doesn't it's not a problem. He's got some time before I need to be concerned about a breech baby. He's gaining more fat and his skin will slowly start to unwrinkle. And let's not forget the hair that's sill growing!