38.1

38.1 - That is the number on my chart today for how far along this pregnancy is. 38 weeks and 1 day. I have one maybe two more appointments with the ObGyn before I will meet her (or him depending on who is on call) at the hospital to help welcome Baby Sabin into the great big world. Today I met with Dr. Gatto and I must admit he was my least favorite of all the doctors in the practice. I can't say there was anything specifically wrong with him, but we just didn't click. If he was the doctor to show up for delivery, I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't choose him. I think I was primarily turned off by his approach to pain management during L&D. He mostly talked about epidurals and how he likes to see women enjoying themselves during labor. He said recently that one woman actually asked him recently, "am I having a contraction now?" She didn't know because she couldn't feel anything! Somehow he thought this was a good thing. I don't want to know I am having a contraction because I see some lines on a monitor move up and down. I want to know I am having a contraction because I can feel my muscles doing what God intended them to do.

I know that must sound harsh to someone who chose an epidural. As I've said before, that is a personal decision and I don't expect that every woman will agree with my personal views on labor. I also know that many women have a lower pain threshold and a higher level of fear of labor. It is the fear of labor that I believe causes the most pain during L&D. When we are scared, our body goes into fight or flight mode. During either of these modes, blood and oxygen are carried to the essential muscles and organs of the body. The uterus and cervix are not included in the body's definition of "essential," so they get left out of the blood and oxygen cycle beyond what is minimally needed to keep them functioning. That doesn't leave much room for relaxing those muscles and allowing a baby to pass through the cervix.

I can also add that I feel confident trying to limit medical interventions during L&D because I have a solid rock of support in the form of Bruce. He is very patient and long-suffering and understands that what I will go through cannot compare to anything he will personally experience. I don't envision him trying to leave the room for a four-course meal while I am sucking on ice chips. He won't starve, but he will be very aware of my needs during this time. Bruce has demonstrated that during the last few weeks as my comfort level has decreased.

There was one minor bit of joy last night on the comfort front - I only woke up one time to empty my bladder instead of the now-typical three times! Yeah! I was able to get nearly 4 continuous hours of sleep. Which was definitely a blessing because we went by Bruce's new classroom today and I needed the sleep to deal with the stress of the condition of his classroom. It's no wonder Haines City High School has a hard time academically... there seems to be little pride in what happens to the facilities or supplies. I might post more about his classroom later, but probably not. He definitely has his work cut out for him in preparing for this coming school year (which is less than 3 weeks away!).

Today we also met with Suzanne at the Regency to make sure our car seat was properly installed. She was very gracious with her time and expertise and I feel as secure as our seat now is. :-) I must admit though that part of the experience was so horrible it was funny. It started to rain just as our appointment began so Suzanne had us pull up under the canopy at the front door (the place reserved for ambulances). We knew that if we saw the sirens, or a pregnant lady in labor, we would have to move out of the way, and quickly. Well, a taxi service pulled in behind us to pick up a random person and because we didn't move for him to pull through (Suzanne, a hospital employee told us to not move), he started yelling at us. Suzanne motioned for him to simply back up (it shouldn't have been a big deal) and go around, but he refused. He probably sat there for 4-5 minutes trying to wait us out. We ignored him and kept working on the car seat installation. Finally, he did back up and when he pulled up next to us told us how next time, he would just "push" our car out of the way! Suzanne took down the name of the cab company then went inside to notify security and a hospital administrator. The Regency won't be calling this cab company anymore! In the end though, watching him get angry was fairly humerus because his response was so wildly out of proportion to the situation.

I leave you with the Babycenter.com blurb about what Baby Sabin might be experiencing in the womb these days:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's nearly 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)