Pregnancy Log - Week 35

Wednesday, July 20:

Yesterday began week 35 for me. I thought I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning, but when I went, I found out that it was for today! My test came back and I do not have preeclampsia and my blood pressure was normal this morning - 130/80. Tomorrow, a nurse from Baby Love is coming and one of the things she will do is take my blood pressure again and hopefully it will continue to be normal. I had a couple more tests taken today. A GBS (I think) test, which is for an infection that many women have and only needs to be treated for the baby's sake, and a DNA test, again it's for the baby and it has nothing to do with paternity or the sex of the child. I'm measuring at 36 weeks, which doesn't bother me much because many doctors take fundal measurements differently. But this combined with the margin of error present in dating the fetus' age by ultrasound, I'm reminded that I can't know for sure when I'll go into labor. I just have to be ready.
Addie and I have started a little sewing project to make a dust ruffle and/or crib bumpers out of various pieces of cloth. I also have a couple of framing projects to work on to decorate the nursery. I also must get the cradle we have (which currently holds my stuffed animal collection) ready for Daniel, who will be sleeping in it for a few weeks and probably taking naps in it so I can sleep close by and not worry. Getting his baby book and beginning to fill it out is another project I want to get started on. I found my baby book and read through it yesterday and it really is a priceless keepsake for mother and child.
I'm glad my nesting urge comes with spurts of energy to get things done. I've been still feeling the great need to alternate moving around with rest (taking time to do fetal movement monitoring helps me take time out). It's been slightly more difficult to move around, the heat really gets to me, and I've been having a lot of low crampy feelings/B-H contractions. But all things considered, I'm still having a marvelous pregnancy.

Thursday, July 21:
This morning, I was visited by a very friendly home health nurse. Dawn was mainly there to let me know that she was there to give advice, be an advocate and intervene in extreme circumstances. We looked over my medical concerns (mainly bipolar and possible hypertension) as well as my plans for daycare, breastfeeding, school, etc. One of her jobs is to encourage a smoke-free home and car with a cessation rewards program, but luckily I get the benefits simply by not smoking already. I get little gifts every few weeks or so, which is cool considering there are already so many other rewards for not smoking. She also talked a lot about breastfeeding, which made me think I might really want to take a class or something. Some of the things she warned me about scared me a little - I didn't imagine that it would be easy, but I didn't know it would be so complicated. I'm sure it will be worth it though.
I'm still having the cramping feelings and think that I might be effacing (thinning out). I'm far enough along to where that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, so I'm not really concerned. Two of the other women in our childbirthing class reported that their doctors had confirmed the fact that they were effacing. Daniel's also been moving a lot - almost in a jumpy/jerky manner. I feel like there's a good deal of movement going on in my belly and below, and it's actually exciting!