Sooner than Expected?? (37 weeks)

Baby #3 is due May 22nd.  At my 35 week check-up the doctor casually said, "We haven't seen this baby in a while, have we?"  This was a little odd to me because I've never had ultrasounds so late in pregnancy, but I decided not to analyze this too much.  This is a new doctor and maybe that's how she likes to do things...

Well, at 36 weeks we had an ultrasound and the baby looks healthy, but my amniotic fluid levels are low and the babies growth is behind schedule.  The thigh bone measured the size of a 33 week baby and the fluid level was about 6 (normal range is 8-20 anything less than 5 means time for delivery). 

We saw the doc afterwards and she said the combination of low fluid and slowed growth can mean a problem with the placenta.  The baby may not be getting the nutrients it needs.  If this is the case, it's better to have the baby come early than hang out until it's due date.  I planned to go to work one more week and we still had some things to do before the baby gets here.  All that changed.  I was told no more work and that we'd check the fluid levels again Monday (4/30).  She ordered me to lie around and drink lots of water. If things got better or stayed the same, we'd check again in a few days.  The doctor said she'd be surprised if my baby wasn't born within the next week (by 5/4)!!! 

I was SO relieved that Matt decided to go to this ultrasound appointment with me.  It was nice to have someone else with me listening to everything the doctor told me.  She said there's no need to stress, but we should be concerned.  After a stressful weekend worrying about the baby, the worry got the best of me Sunday evening and we headed into the hospital.  The baby was fine and they checked my levels again and the fluid was the same.  So we continue to hold...  Next ultrasound fluid check is Wednesday (5/2) and we'll figure out a new plan from there.  After being checked again in the hospital and seeing the healthy baby kicking around I feel much better.  Now we're just anxious to find out when the baby will get here!!! 

Luckily Grandma Dawn was already in town so she's been a HUGE help.  And by "huge help" I mean that she's more that willing to yell at me to sit back down every time I stand up.  :-)   Matt sprung into action and got busy finishing all our final projects.  They've been a great help and I've been a huge water drinking lump.  As far as I can tell, this will be the last time in my entire life that anyone will tell me to sit around and do nothing, so I'm doing my best to be a good patient and grow this baby a little longer. 

(picture taken by Paul)