24 Week Check-up

Well, since I am almost 31 weeks pregnant, I thought, why not post about my 24 week check-up?!?! Gosh, this kid is already getting slighted!!! LOL! Hopefully as she gets older, I can explain to her God's plan of me being pregnant during student teaching and she will understand my lack of blogging during that time! :)

Either way though, I do want to document for memories sake - so here goes my 24 week check-up!

All and all, everything was looking good at 24 weeks. The baby is growing strong and Mama is doing well. The 24 week appointment brought a sad realization to me though as I walked into the hospital and up to the midwifery center ALL BY MYSELF!!! If I can be frank on here, and it is my blog, so I think I will....the lame hospital ban because of the ridiculous H1N1 "media" scare has made it so that no one under the age of 18 is allowed in the hospital, unless they are the patient. So, since Sierra can't stay home by herself, Brian too has to miss out on all the appointments. To say the least, this is very disappointing to us and we are praying that the ban is lifted before the end of February. However, after a discussion with my midwife at this 24 week appointment, that is probably not likely to happen. :(

She did however discuss with me about doing a home-birth, but Brian and I are just not comfortable with that at this point; so instead we will take it all in stride, hospital ban and all. If

that is the worse that happens, we are blessed and won't complain too much. :) Then again, I

seem to be an emotional pregnant women these days, so we will see!

Other than the discussion of the silly hospital ban and my family not being able to attend the appointment, we did talk about my dizziness / lightheaded-ness that seems to be plaguing me this pregnancy. When taking my blood pressure - which was 88/58 - she joked by saying if she wasn't looking at me breathing, she would be wondering if I was even alive with that kind of pressure. :) Needless to say, my blood pressure has always been low and this pregnancy has really made it tip, I mean, dip the scales! She is certain this is why I have been feeling dizzy and even fainted back when I was 16 weeks prego (did I ever blog about that? Who knows!). Tara, our midwife, told me there was really nothing to be done, just try to sit down and relax when I

feel faint and continue to drink lots of fluids.

The only other stats to report at 24 weeks is that I gained 2 pounds, finally on the plus side! This makes me 3 pounds up from my pre-pregnancy weight. A very healthy weight gain, if I do say so myself! Also, the nausea and vomiting finally subsided around 22 weeks, so no more throwing up for me! The baby's heart rate was a healthy 155 bpm and my uterus is measuring a wonderful 25 cm! God is good and the baby is doing wonderful! We are so blessed and really can not wait to meet our precious girl!

Here are some pictures of my growing belly at 24 weeks. Don't you just love the stretch marks Sierra adoringly provided for me? Thankfully I have none to account for during this pregnancy and I hope it stays that way!!!