the good, the bad, and the surprising: a baby update

As of yesterday, we are at 34 weeks. We had an ultrasound yesterday, and unfortunately, there aren't any good photos because she's too big (and she's a bit antisocial and just wants to bury her face in the back of my uterus). So, here it is:

The Good
Vivian continues to grow at a record pace. According to BabyCenter.com, the average 34-weeker weighs in at 4 lbs., 12 oz. Vivian is (drum roll please) 6 lbs., 7 oz.! Her measurements continue to be in the 98th and 99th percentiles (except for the legs, which are now in the 65th-70th percentile -- which is still better than the 58th that they were in 6 weeks ago). Now, weight estimates based on ultrasound can be off by quite a bit, 1/2 lb to 1 lb, but even if the estimate is off by a pound, she's still much larger than average. As people keep telling me, big babies are good, as they are more likely to sleep well (hurrah!).

The Bad
Vivian's kidneys are still not cooperating. They aren't getting better, but at least they aren't getting worse. We've been referred to a pediatric urologist, so we'll know more once we meet with him. The worst case scenario is that if the reflux issue does not improve, she'll have to have surgery when she's about a year old. But I'm not going there yet. It's still very much a wait and see issue.

The Surprising
Once we confirmed with my doctors that we would be having a repeat c-section, we were told to expect to be scheduled around 39 weeks, 1 day, or August 2. At our appointments this week, however, both our OB and our perinatologist told us that we would instead be scheduled around 37 weeks, or sometime around July 18! I know it's only a 2-week difference, but it feels like a huge shift.

Basically, the reasons we were given are that, 1) I've had a classical c-section (vertical incision) and they don't want me to go into labor (due to a chance of uterine rupture, which really, I'd like to avoid if possible, as it sounds bad), and 2) with a history of preeclampsia, if Vivian is ready to come out, why take the chance of prolonging the pregnancy and possibly developing pre-e again? (even though I have no signs or symptoms at this point). So, it looks like we'll schedule our delivery (and that's the hard part, because the maternity ward is very busy) and then schedule an amnio the day before to check her lung maturity. If all is well, we'll move forward.

So, Rich & I are basically trying not to freak out, and just calmly getting things ready. Easier said than done. Ack!