Dr.'s Appointment and Childbirth Classes

We had another Dr.'s appointment yesterday and we'll be going weekly now until Little Miss Tolman arrives! I can't believe we're already to this stage! Anyway, like usual, everything checked out fine. My blood pressure is still creeping up; 138/70 mmHg. Dr. says she's still not concerned. It's common at this stage of the pregnancy and the heat contributes a little. She was glad to see the diastolic staying down. My total weight gain is about 24 lbs. We're still measuring small but baby continues to grow enough and her heartbeat sounded good.  I was also tested for Group B Strep this week and had my cervix checked for the first time. I was surprised to learn that it's starting to thin and is about a fingertip dilated. Adam was particularly concerned about my occassionally swollen ankles but Dr. McQuillan explained that it's normal, especially in the summertime, and has no real medical implications, just discomfort.

We attended two childbirth classes this week; Childbirth Preparation was an all day class on Saturday and Natural Childbirth was an evening class yesterday. We learned A LOT about what to expect and different strategies for labor and delivery. While the idea of giving birth is still very daunting, we're starting to feel more prepared. They put a lot of emphasis on having a support person and Ad seems ready to do all he can to help me get through it. Prior to the classes I was sure I'd have an epidural. And while I'm still not eliminating the possibility all together, we've decided to try all our other options before resorting to that. It should be interesting. I'm not exactly known for my high pain tolerance. :D

I'm trying to think if there are any other updates to give you...The nursery is coming along although it's still not quite complete. We're going to have to get busy since this baby's due in just over 5 weeks! As soon as it's finished I'll post pictures of it.

Well, I think that's it for now. Happy Thursday to ya!