33 Weeks down... How many more to go?

Well this past week has flown by, at least with the growth and development of our baby girl. Other than weighing a bit more than what she should be at this point (thanks to the gestational diabetes), she’s been fairly cooperative with the doctors. Other than making antenatal nurses madly chase her around my belly with fetal monitors to just check and see if she’s active, she is passing her tests with flying colors.

I have been very impressed with the medical care that I’ve received over these past few weeks. These doctors and nurses don’t mess around; they get me the help that I need before I even know that I am in need of something. I have a few assignments; fax in my blood sugars every three days and start a bout of insulin shots, which is, ironically, a blessing. The best thing about all of the blood sugar hoopla is that it’s not my fault! I have been doing my job, but apparently the placenta is not making me look good. At least doctors are blaming something other than me!

Rob and I are now graduates of the Third Trimester Class course that we did at the hospital over the past two Saturdays. Last week, we discussed, from the beginning to the end, the initial expectations of labor, all of the way through to birth. Yesterday, we completed our course by discussing post labor and recovery, and baby care. Rob’s highlight of the class was to see an actual placenta, which the instructor showed to the entire class just because of Rob’s request (we might have made some enemies over this, as some of the future dads were already squirmy over the old school video footage of women in labor that we had to watch). We also took a tour of the labor and delivery rooms and recovery rooms. It was a very informative class, and it did its job to dispel the myths of labor, and to make us feel more prepared for the unexpected.

I just have a breastfeeding class Tuesday night, and then I will be as prepared as can be for the big event. We are getting more and more excited with each passing day. I also keep on thinking of things that need to get done before the baby comes. It just seems like when nine months is too long, the last few weeks tease you with getting nothing done at all. At least the nursery is completed!

Enjoy this week’s picture! Rob was the only courageous dad that volunteered to ‘try out the labor bed’ from our class. He joked afterwards that now he can relate to what I was going to go through, just by sitting in the bed. I am sure that his mind will be changed when the real thing happens. At least he had his moment!