38 weeks

 

Preeclampsia scare! I hadn’t had any symptoms until Thursday morning when I couldn’t comfortably put on my wedding rings or find shoes that fit my puffy feet. I didn’t think much of the unexpected swelling until I texted my sister, Sarah, who advised me to pack a hospital bag in preparation for my prenatal appointment the next day! Apparently sudden edema is a sign of high blood pressure; and if I were to have that coupled with proteinuria at this point in the pregnancy, they would likely induce labor. Terrified, especially considering my significant family history of preeclampsia, I did what I was told, packed a bag, and anxiously awaited my checkup the following day.

Then, of course, there was a slight malfunction with the blood pressure machine at the hospital that morning, and my first reading came out incredibly high. The second attempt was also high in comparison to my baseline, but still within normal range. The nurse wasn’t concerned, but had me leave a urine sample to ease my worried mind. Sure enough: negative for protein! Whew. My doctor assured me that my amount of swelling was typical and I was still well within the confines of a “normal pregnancy.” But for my own sanity, she told me I could call her if I should notice any other signs of preeclampsia (severe or persistent headache, blurred vision, nausea, light sensitivity, etc.) before my next checkup.

Otherwise, all is well! The doctor estimated Baby to be about 7 pounds and he is likely over 19 ½ inches long. My cervical exam yielded similar results to last week, but the doctor very clearly felt the baby’s skull this time! Baby is getting into birthing position now that his organs have matured and are prepared for life outside the womb. At the end of the visit, my doctor said she would either see me at my appointment next week or in labor and delivery before that!

Since Baby could truly arrive any day now, this past weekend was officially dubbed the Great Baby Preparation of 2014. But before we started working, Tom surprised me with a dinner date to Maxie’s on Friday night – just in case it was our last chance to have a spontaneous, romantic evening before the baby is born. What a sweetheart. On Saturday we called in reinforcements (aka: my parents), and the rest of the weekend was a blur of shopping, baby gear washing, hospital bag packing, cleaning, and nursery organizing. It was pretty intense, but we made some serious progress. And while there is still a little cleaning and organizing left to do, we’re finally in a place where I will feel prepared instead of panicked when I go into labor. What a huge relief!

Hear that, Baby? We’re ready when you are!