Category: Kate

Baby Update

I’ve been having increased blood pressure etc so my midwife sent me for more lab tests, the results of which I picked up today. She said that the results are not at all what she expected to see- it seems like I’m borderline anemic, but with thick blood, and there are some other tests that show that my liver function is a little funky…

So, I have a MD appointment tomorrow at the hospital, and she wants me to have another ultrasound to see if my placenta is ok too. She said that although she doesn’t think it’s serious yet, we have to keep an eye on things and that I’m approaching the point where she would no longer feel comfortable doing a homebirth.

I’m actually not that bothered by that. I’ve been having the feeling for a while that this baby will be a hospital birth- maybe because things are so different from with the boys. In a way, I feel like I don’t have to prove anything, having already done a homebirth twice!

So that’s where things are- I’ll have more information this time tomorrow.

Ramping Up


I had my eight month visit with my midwife Monday morning, and all is well. We had our final ultrasound on Friday, and so Petra, the midwife, was able to look over our results and confirm what the ultrasound midwife told us: “There are no contraindications for proceeding with a homebirth”. That’s medical person speak for “I think you’re crazy for wanting to do this without painkillers, but OK, go ahead.”Today I go to the hospital for my first (of three) ‘just in case’ visits, where I open a file, see the anesthesiologist and endure more medical person speak for ‘crazy American without painkillers’. I’m joking actually; having done this twice before the visit shouldn’t be that bad.

I’m now seeing a medical person weekly for the baby, what with prenatal visits, birth prep classes and hospital visits. Only 7.5 weeks left to go, and if you think I’m not counting the days, you’re crazy!

Jonah and Owen go to summer camp for the last time today- school starts next week!

Update: The visit went really well. The hospital midwife was quite nice, and there was also a student midwife there. The hospital midwife gave me the ‘I know you know this, but I have to warn you about the risks of homebirth’ shpeil for about two seconds, but in a very nonoffensive way.