30 Weeks And Failing

I had my 30 week OB appointment today. All is well, except I'm measuring big. Which really doesn't surprise me. When Aiden was born at 38 weeks I was measuring around six weeks too big. He was 9 pounds 1 ounce and breech, so I had an enormous belly. But my midwife is sending me for an ultrasound this time, just in case.

On the way home I decided I was going to call her on Monday and ask if this was really necessary. Due to some ridiculous change in my insurance coverage and policies, I can't get my ultrasound in my OB's office anymore. I have to travel over an hour...into the downtown of our closest big city....to one of those humongous parking garages attached to a hospital and thousands of doctor's suites. It's INSANITY to the nth degree. I would really like to avoid dealing with that again, if at all possible...especially when we're only talking a measurement difference of ONE week. Besides, they already know I'm having a c-section so it's not like we have to worry about this baby being too big.

Then I remembered a comment my midwife made during our appointment. There was a sticky note in my file that said "amnio 37 weeks". She asked me if I knew anything about that and I said, "no, why on Earth would they do one that late?". She poo-pood it too and that was that. I decided to look it up tonight and discovered that with any scheduled c-section/induction prior to 39 weeks, it's advised to do an amnio to check on lung maturity. (for the record, Aiden was a scheduled 38 week C-section and I did not have an amnio). Sooooo my mind starts spinning.

I remember my last OB told me I had about two gallons of amniotic fluid when I delivered. So I start googling "too much amniotic fluid", and find it can be a pretty big problem. It's often a marker for other, more serious problems (like birth defects. Yay me).

So I think I'm going to lay low with the ultrasound...make my big city trip....check this little girl out again. If all appears fine, then I'm going to ask my OB about this amnio sticky note. Seriously, if you're going to slice open my belly....why stick a needle in it first? Why not give me the shots that help lung maturity and do a biophysical profile when I get closer to 38 weeks? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

The whole fiasco leaves me feeling so defeated though. I fought so hard...SO hard...last time to have an all natural birth. I did everything in my power, and it didn't work out. Now I feel like I'm the poster child for medicalized birth yet again. I really really hate it.