Perfectly Average

This week I had another routine midwife visit, with the usual measurements (blood pressure, urinalysis, foetal heart rate) all checking out as normal. Routine checks with my midwife have now progressed from monthly to fortnightly as my pregnancy advances. My midwife is now also measuring my fundal height (length from the top of my bump down to my pubic bone) each visit to help track the growth of my baby. Fundal height should roughly correlate with the gestational week. Last visit my measurement was slightly above average - 30cm at 29 weeks. This week I am 33cm at 32 weeks - so still a little above average in measurement, but growing steadily at ~1cm per week, which is ideal. Overall, my midwife seems happy with my progress.

Diagram illustrating measurement of fundal height.
From: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/multimedia/fundal-height/img-20008049

I also had my 32 week scan, which was primarily to check position of the placenta relative to my cervix, as it was quite low in my 20 week scan. Today it was deemed to no longer be low-lying, which is good. They also checked the level of amniotic fluid, and took several measurements to check on the growth of the baby. Everything is thankfully looking very normal at this stage, and the baby's weight is currently estimated around the 2 kilogram mark, which is perfectly average for this gestational age. As the ultrasound technician pointed out - this is one of the times you actually want your child to be average! She is currently positioned with her head down, her back along my right hand side, and her backside up near my ribs. This explains why I tend to feel the most movement in my lower left abdomen - that's where her limbs are as she moves them around.

During my next midwife visit I will meet with my regular midwife's midwifery partner, so that I can get to know her in case she ends up being the one attending the birth. We also have antenatal classes coming up, so we are already getting used to much of our time already revolving around the baby - a sign of things to come.

Testing, testing

Nothing much to report (at this point no news is good news), but I thought I'd write a bit of an update of the appointments and tests I've had lately.

Midwife checkups
Routine 4-weekly appointments with my midwife have been thankfully uneventful, with my blood pressure, urinalysis, and the baby's heart rate all checking in as normal each time. They use each appointment to discuss any concerns, pass on information on what to look out for during pregnancy, when to call them, and when to arrange any upcoming tests. From here, my next appointment is 3 weeks following the previous, and then the checkups will move to fortnightly as my pregnancy is further along.

Anaesthetist
Four years ago I had a serious of four surgeries on my lower spine within the space of about five weeks; the first to remove a piece of prolapsed disc, and the subsequent surgeries to address complications I experienced. I mentioned this to my midwife, particularly since I was wondering if the scar tissue I likely have would affect my ability to have an epidural or spinal should I want or need one during the birth. They referred me to the hospital to discuss this directly with an anaesthetist. Incidentally, when I arrived at my appointment the doctor was the same one who oversaw my anaesthetic for my first spinal surgery. They asked me some questions about the surgeries, my recovery and current health, and performed a quick examination of my back to assess how easily they could feel and visualise my vertebrae. They had no concerns regarding administering an epidural or spinal should I require either, and discussed the risks and benefits of each as is routine before such a procedure.

Physiotherapist
A few weeks ago I was experiencing some referred sciatic pain in my leg, which while a very common pregnancy symptom, is also a sensation I am all too familiar with from the prolapsed disc I mentioned above. This time thankfully I only experienced the pain intermittently for about two weeks, but during that time I asked my midwife if I should see a doctor or physio, especially given my history of back problems. They referred me to the physio team at the hospital, and I had a very reassuring and helpful session with a physiotherapist who showed me some stretches that can help alleviate sciatic pain, assuming I'm likely to experience it again during my pregnancy as the baby grows and shifts around. I also experience some fatigue in my back at the base of my shoulder blades most evenings, and she gave me an elastic body bandage that I can wear around my middle for extra support to alleviate this.

Diagram explaining sciatic pain caused by pregnancy from https://www.cantrellcenter.com/is-your-baby-getting-on-your-nerve/

28 week antenatal blood test

At just over 28 weeks I had the routine 28 week blood test, which includes a complete blood count (CBC), iron levels, and glucose tolerance test. The CBC was normal, but my iron was low so I have started taking supplements prescribed by my midwife. My glucose was high, so I had to take the subsequent test which checks for gestational diabetes, and requires a fasted blood sample followed by another sample taken two hours after drinking a 75mg glucose solution. For this you have to remain in the waiting area for the full two hours, and as my appointment was just before christmas, the staff were playing christmas songs and singing along the whole time! Thankfully the subsequent glucose test came back normal. 

What's next?
At 32 weeks I'm due my next scan, which is to check the position of the placenta relative to my cervix. In my 20 week scan it was quite low, so they usually scan again at 32 weeks to check for placenta praevia, where the placenta lies across the opening of the cervix, and can get in the way during birth.

Otherwise, so far I'm feeling pretty normal, just tiring easily. My belly is getting bigger, and I can feel the baby as she is moving on and off all day. I'm still working part time, walking the dogs daily and swimming laps a couple of times a week. It remains to be seen how long I can keep this up.