37w4d Update

Yesterday I had the first of my weekly OB appointments (although there won't be too many more!).  I was really looking forward to it, because it was the first time my doctor checked to see if I'd started dilating or if the baby had "dropped."

But ... no.  Nothing.  Nada.  This baby is staying firmly put for the time being!  And I suppose that's a good thing.  Fortunately I'm not too miserable, so I can stand the thought of staying pregnant for another 2-3 weeks.  The baby has not dropped into position, and I am not dilated at all.  My doctor said that although this is not a guarantee, it means that I am not likely to go into labor in the next week or so.

Otto is also measuring about 2.5 weeks small now (change from 1.5 weeks small the last time we measured).  I am not worried, because my doctor predicted this when he first noticed Otto was starting to measure a bit small.  And he expects that the size lag may get even greater in the next few weeks; the baby could be measuring as much as 4 weeks small by the time he makes his grand entrance into the world.

However, to be on the safe side and to provide another statistical point, my doctor is scheduling me for another ultrasound next Wednesday.  He will compare the previous size estimate to next week's estimate to get a more accurate picture of how big Otto is.  So we have that to look forward to!

I also went over my birth plan ("wish list") with my doctor, and he was fairly pleased with it.  He plans to go over it in more detail next week, but for the time being he clarified a few things for me, asked some follow-up questions, and seemed genuinely happy to get his first glimpse into MJ's and my goals for this childbirth.

As I mentioned yesterday, Otto has been moving around a lot lately.  So I wasn't too surprised to learn that for the first time in months, he has changed position.  Although he is still head-down, he is now facing forwards instead of backwards.  This is referred to as posterior positioning (or "sunny side up"), and is usually the cause of back labor -- very long, painful labor with lots of pressure and discomfort in the mother's back. 

I am trying not to be too worried about that, because he could always change position again, especially since he hasn't dropped yet.  But I will definitely be saying some extra prayers in the next few weeks to encourage him to shift!