Hard to believe an entire month has passed since I last posted bump photos...also hard to believe I just passed the 35 week mark...and even harder to believe, our baby girl is going to be here in exactly one month!!! Seriously, it's official, the countdown has begun...one month from today, on August 31st, we are set to induce at the Sanyo Hospital here in Fukuoka, Japan! (That is if ALL goes planned and she doesn't decide to come on her own any earlier!)
Not going to lie, I am starting to get a little bit nervous...the thought of having 3 kids now...the thought that there is a BIG possibility I might not actually get an epidural...and the thought of no one being able to speak english to me while I deliver is definitely starting to creep into my mind!
I have met the doctor that is going to deliver our baby, he seems great, but prefers to speak Japanese though. Up until this point, I have seen him every 2 weeks. At the first appointment with him, the hospital provided me a staff member who spoke a little english to come along with me...she was some help...basically got to know me real fast when she had to ask me a bazillion questions while helping me fill out the health questionaire form, it was funny! She kept apologizing before asking me questions because they were sort of personal...(I think she cringed when she had to ask about how my bowl movements felt!)
The doctor explained to me that in Japan epidurals are not as common. He knows I want one, so he told me you basically have to schedule your delivery (be induced) in order to have one. (I really didn't want to be induced with this baby, I was induced with both Austin and Brooke and just wanted a normal, let your water break and go in experience this time!) But I guess the guy that gives the epidurals only works two days a week. Seriously. So if you want an epidural, but happen to go into labor on your own any other day or time that he is not working, you are out of luck. No epidural.
So the doctor took out his calendar and said, "OK, let's induce on this day." And he pointed to August 17th. I almost passed out...hello, that is literally 3 weeks before my due date!!!!! And as much as I am ready to be done being pregnant, I know from previous experience, that at least in America, doctors would never induce that early! I was starting to question if I even wanted an epidural anymore...it just didn't seem right to bring our baby out into the world that early just so I could have an epidural. So we basically duked it out with the doctor (I don't know why, but he really wants to induce this baby really early...I guess he thinks there's no chance I am making it to my due date!), and finally settled on August 31st, which is a week before my due date (and a date when Brian's team is in town, he is on the road the whole week before that).
I think he is just really concerned that if I go any earlier than that, I won't get my epidural, so he wanted to pick a date that would guarantee it. I appreciate that truly, it just doesn't feel right inducing so early. So we are set for the 31st...and hopefully, this baby will cooperate with us and wait to meet us then!!
At my next appointment, they are giving me all sorts of tests...I guess that's just what they do here. I will have blood work done, an EKG, and an Echocardiogram. Not sure why exactly, I guess they want to make sure you are strong enough to give birth! Never had the tests on the heart done before, so this should be interesting. Will let you know how it goes.
Other than that, the doctor visits are pretty normal. I like getting weighed here, they weigh you in kilograms, so instead of seeing a very large 3 digit number, I get to see a 2 digit number...it makes me feel like I am much lighter than I am :) And I am feeling as any pregnant girl does at 35 weeks, ready to be done already!! Over the heartburn, over the waddling, over the constant peeing, over the not sleeping very well, and especially over the "Ohhhhhh's!" when people see me here in Japan (seriously, I am huge over here not being pregnant! and believe me, they are not good oooh's!) Really though, I feel pretty darn good, I am really lucky, just feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER at this point!
So, one month to go, wish me luck, and send thoughts to our baby girl to stay in until the 31st!!!
Here's some bump shots over the last month!
32 weeks!
32 weeks again!
33 weeks!
33 weeks again!
34 weeks!
35 weeks!
