7 months down, 3 months to go

I had my 28 week appointment yesterday (even though I was only 27 weeks, 5 days). And I brought Lulu. Cute and bad idea all at the same thing.

Lulu was WOUND up and could not comprehend that I wasn't sick, she wasn't sick, her stuffed monkey that she brought (aptly named Monkey) wasn't sick, it was just a check up. She was certain we were bringing home a baby, especially when we got to the hospital. She was, of course, disappointed.

I gained no weight. Which actually means I lost weight. Because I wore my shoes for this weigh in but I didn't for the other apparently. Shoes are like 8 lbs right? Or not, but they do at least weigh half a pound. Both the nurse and the midwife actually expressed surprise which irritates me for reasons I'll talk about in a minute.

My blood glucose test came back fine, I don't need to repeat. Basically this means I don't have gestational diabetes. Also, my thyroid rocks. I'm positive for Group B Strep but I already knew that and so will need antibiotics in the hospital while I'm in labor. Meh, whatever.

My blood pressure was 112/70. That's really great.

She asked if I had already made my High Risk consultation appointment at which time I just looked blankly at her and said, "My what?"

As a few people already know but I haven't yet shared on the blog, my baby is measuring behind his expected due date according to my mid-pregnancy ultrasound. At the time they told us that he was 8 days behind but since then my midwife has told me that the ultrasound actually said 11 days behind. Which is significant. Which is why as I had a fetal echo cardiogram last week (Heart is fine) and why I have another ultrasound for next week.

After some discussion she agreed that we would play the whole high risk thing by ear until after my next ultrasound. Great. As if I needed to worry more about anything.

Then she measured me and had Lulu assist which I wish Micah had been around for because that was the cutest thing ever. I'm measuring at 30 weeks. Well my uterus is. That's 2 weeks ahead. Then the midwife (Jessica) let Lulu put the Doppler on me to listen for her Baby Brudder's heartbeat. That kid is a natural. She put it on one spot on my stomach and lo and behold, there was his heart. Beating in the 130's. Excellent.

We left feeling good and positive and while I'm happy I'll get to see the little guy again next week I'm pretty sure we aren't at a scary high risk type of place.

BUT, something that does irritate me, as I mentioned earlier, is the assumption that I should be high risk or should be gaining weight at a disgusting speed or should be diabetic etc.

The fact is, I'm chubby. Hell, I'm obese. I eat less than any person in my household and in the past I used to walk up to 2 miles a night. As mentioned, my thyroid is good, my heart is healthy, my blood pressure is perfect. So why do medical professionals always assume I'm going to be high risk or unhealthy or gain a disgusting amount of weight?

I gained 25 lbs in my last pregnancy. With 3 months to go I'm up to 7.5lbs gained. I'm on track to gain less than the 20 lbs my first OB recommended. With my last pregnancy I had to do the glucose test (3 hour test by the way, not the fun 1 hour) twice. This time apparently no one caught it until after I was too close to 7 months to just ignore it and do the standard 1 hour test anyways. Which, have I mentioned, was perfect. My blood pressure has not been anything but perfect, my pap smear was happy and healthy and I have 2 healthy vaginal deliveries with no real complications in my past.

And yet I constantly get surprise when I gain little weight, when I pass my glucose test, when my blood pressure is that of a much skinner person. That irritates me. Could these people at least PRETEND to not be surprised?

I know that overweight people on average have a higher risk of being higher risk. I get it people. But before you judge me and decide how my entire pregnancy is going to go could you at least look at my records people? Please?

Okay off my soapbox for a minute.

As a side note it turns out that my midwifes daughter names her monkey the same thing that Lulu named her monkey. Monkey. Weird coincidence, right?