8 Month Update

These last few months flew by and I hardly noticed that I haven’t been making any updates on my blog. Now that time is quickly winding down, I thought it would be best to give an update.

This little girl has been nothing but trouble. I mean that in the best possible way, of course. It started back in June when I went in for a growth scan and to check on the little cysts on her brain. The good news is that the cysts were gone and she was very healthy. The unexpected news was that she was very small and the doctors were concerned with her below average weight. I met with one of the high risk doctors for a consultation and soon was on my way to having 2-3 appointments per week which included a non-stress test and ultrasound. By the stat of the third week the growth ultrasound showed that she gained enough weight to bring me out of the high risk category. I was so relieved! I went about the next two weeks, happy as a clam and insisting that I will get to meet her in September, right on schedule. I was excited about my birth plan and having a very natural birth. I was anticipating laboring on my own and getting to experience labor without drugs, like Pitocin. We planned our weekends out for the month of August and had our to-do list ironed out completely.

That weekend I was 35 weeks along and had my Mom take a comparison photos of my 35-week baby bellies. After viewing the pictures side by side I noticed something quite apparent. My baby belly is significantly smaller with this little girl. I knew that I had an appointment set up for the next day and I brushed it off, even though I thought that it was quite odd that I seemed to be carrying so much smaller this time around.

On July 29^th I had a routine follow up which involved a growth ultrasound. The growth ultrasound seemed normal and I even got a few profile pictures of her lovely face. At the end the tech ran out to review the results with the doctor. When the doctor came in to review the results of the ultrasound with me I knew something was wrong. The baby was in fact, very small for her gestational age and the doctor was concerned. The doctor then strongly suggested that I be induced at full-term (37 weeks). Instantly tears formed in my eyes and I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But what about my natural birth plan? What about my September baby? What about carrying out those few extra weeks of work and welcoming my baby when I’m really ready?

I asked a few questions and raised a few concerns and she was extremely pleasant and informative. Smaller babies have a greater chance of being stillborn and therefore, they would like to welcome her into the World early and have the opportunity to help her gain weight rather than letting her in there where they are essentially helpless. They assured me that women have babies at 37 weeks all of the time and that most of the time, the babies are not taken to the NICU. She assured me that this truly is the best thing for my baby and although it’s ultimately my choice, that they strongly suggest early induction.

After the initial tears and anxiety wore off, I finally came to peace with it. It’s not exactly what I wanted but all I really want is a healthy, happy baby! If that means meeting her just a few weeks early, then I’m up for the challenge. I’m not ready, but I’ll get ready! We are already on the hunt for some preemie clothes and diapers for those first few weeks and are ironing out all of the necessary last minute items in preparation for our little princess! Now that we are meeting her in just two weeks, we actually turned that fear into excitement. I just can’t stop thinking about what it will be like to hold her, to give her a name, to snuggle with her and to watch her snooze in my arms.

Enjoy some of my favorite 35 Weeks Maternity photos: