All is well with No. 2 - estimated to be 5.87 lbs now

No. 2 is doing just fine! Still a little ahead in terms of size. The doctor's estimate from the ultrasound is that he now weighs 5.87 pounds! The weird thing for me is I know exactly what a 5 pound baby looks like, and I know what a 34 week old baby looks like and it is a little weird to imagine that! floating around in a sac in my belly!

I passed my gestational diabetes test - not with flying colors - but without any worries. My blood pressure is holding steady at 122/68. The doctor is most concerned about the bottom number which should not go over 90. After a little scare where I was in the low 80s a couple weeks ago I have been holding steady in the upper 60s which is great!

I am going to continue the Lovenox and baby aspirin until September 16th. We have decided that I am going to have another C-section. The doctor and I decided this after much thought on my part and discussion. The doctor is concerned that because Jac was born so early and so small that when I had my first C-section they have to have cut through the muscle of my uterus, rather than lower in my uterus, which they would have done if he had been bigger, and further along. This means that I am at increased risk for a uterine rupture if I labor with No. 2. So, we have decided that is better for me to have another C-section. I have pretty much made my peace with this decision as the safest for all of us.

The C-section is scheduled for Oct. 1, so unless I go into labor on my own before this No. 2 will be born Oct. 1. I will be 39 weeks and 2 days on Oct. 1.

I get a lot of comments that I still look very small - which weirds me out a bit since with Jac I really was small. But the doctor has assured me it is because I am so tall (I didn't realize that the average height for a woman in the U.S. is 5'4") at 5'9". He said I can carry the baby more upright rather than sticking out like a shorter woman would. The baby is measuring big as is my belly when they do what is admittedly a fairly non-scientific measure of my belly size.

Interestingly, I am hungry again. For about a month I felt too "full" to eat. I still feel full but I am really hungry again like I was at the beginning of my pregnancy. I am not gaining much weight though. I think I have gained about 1.5 pounds in the last month and a half. I asked my doctor if he was concerned about that and he said no.

I also asked him what my chances of developing gestational diabetes and/or preeclampsia is at this point and he said about 5% - he said there is always a chance!

We are currently doing weekly NSTs (non-stress tests) to monitor No. 2's heart rate to make sure he is feeling fine. We will go to twice weekly NSTs when I hit 36 weeks. Dr. P says the reason for this is that NSTs are predictive for 72 hours. So, as long as No.2 looks good in an NST he is unlikely to have a major problem for 72 hours, but not longer then that. So, we go to monitoring every 3 days so we can be fairly confident that he is not having major problems right up to the last moment! The Dr. is being very careful and I am very glad.

The other Dr. P, the perinatologist, told me two weeks ago when I saw him that he did not need to see me again unless my primary OB wanted him to - and he doesn't!

It is such a good feeling to have No. 2 growing so well. I am not sure what I am going to do when they hand me a 7 pound baby - I am going to think they gave me a 9 month old and ask where my newborn is!

So, go No. 2. Keep on growing!