3 Weeks To Go

Time is marching on with only 3 weeks to go to the "official" due date. We are on weekly visits with the OB/GYNE. I have managed to miss only two or three appointments throughout the pregnancy, so I feel pretty confident that I know as much as Lorraine does about the technical side.

I have been to the classes for "Preparing For Childbirth", and for "Caring For Your Newborn". Still to come are "Infant CPR" and "Boot Camp For New Dads". Of course I have no idea what is going on inside Lorraine other than what the books tell me.

Every time we go to the doc we get to hear the heart rate on portable monitors, and lately on the full on fetal monitor, which prints out a chart like that to the above. The top line is the heart rate, the little notation in the middle means that the baby moved right at that moment, cos Lorraine pressed a special button, and the bottom line is the contractions, which, fortunately at this point, are non existent.

Lorraine had one of those yummy pelvic exams today with the cold gel, during which the doc concluded that the cervix was not yet open. Perfect!

Having never been through the experience in the UK I have no reference point, but it seems like they tell you a lot of stuff here, that I am not sure you need to hear. I can't help thinking that it is brought on by the litigious society which over many years has made doctors more and more scared of being sued for some little natural occurrence they failed to mention.

We have heard chapter and verse about every little possible complication, contra indication and slight suspicion or possibility. Blood tests for this, that and the other, and the results are always OK. Personally I would rather they take the blood for routine tests, and then tell us afterwards what they tested for, so we don't have to worry about things in the meantime. Although I am probably unusual, I am sure there are those who want to know every detail..I just want to know my baby and wife are healthy!

We have a birth plan drawn up, something I have never heard of before coming here. What drugs we will accept, medical interventions, whether we would want the baby circumcised should it be male, how we want to go through labour, walking, on a ball, in a bed, etc. I guess it makes sense, but it seems that we got through a lot of babies in the world before we got to all this rigmarole.

Anyway, we have a healthy baby en route. Lorraine is ready to get it out. The bags are packed, the room is almost ready. Most of the big stuff is done, car seats fitted, MIL will be with us for 6 weeks from the 17th. So it's all systems go. Check back for more regular updates over the coming weeks & months.

Wish us luck!!

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