I finally got to have my consult with a NICU pediatrician, aka neonatologist, at the hospital where I am delivering.
So I asked about what it was that they would need to do with baby immediately after birth, if they would be whisking baby away within a minute, and would baby be getting more than an IV. And the doc said oh no, it would be more than a few minutes, so that was good. And he said, the IV was the only thing they anticipate doing, and will have the IV drip on the floor, in anticipation of baby's birth. So I asked if I could hold baby while they put in the IV, and he looked horrified! He said it was a pretty tricky procedure, it goes into baby's hand or foot. They need a stable surface. So he said, but we can wheel over the warming bassinet right next to you, so you can stay in contact with baby while we put in the IV!!!!!!! I was so thrilled to hear this! (Otherwise, they planned to do it in the nursery.)
I asked about arterial umbilical lines that another CHD mom had mentioned and he said they do not anticipate putting those in unless baby is VERY sick. He said it carries a high level of risk that they prefer not to put baby through unnecessarily. (They use the arterial line to measure blood gasses to make sure the baby is getting enough oxygen, not retaining too much CO2, not becoming acidotic from poor heart function, check electrolyte balances, etc.)
He did say this, though: the number one and worst side effect of prostaglandins (which is what the IV is for) is Apnea. Apnea is difficulty or cessation of breathing. He said if that does happen, then they will need to bring the baby to the NICU to intubate. He said that many babies don't have a problem with the prostaglandins, however.
So then I asked if baby didn't need the intubation, would they still intubate the baby prior to the children's hospital team taking baby by ambulance to their hospital, as I had heard that. And he said, no, they would not intubate a baby that didn't need it. So this was another huge thing to hear.
I did ask about keeping baby connected to the umbilical cord, if that would help baby to continue getting oxygen. He said I had to be careful with that. If baby is placed above the placenta, then blood will drain down out of baby, possibly leaving baby anemic. And if baby is below the placenta, baby could face being overwhelmed with blood, not a good thing. So I am thinking maybe about lying on my side after birth, so baby is about even with the placenta. I don't know, though. Since we are doing the cord blood thing, we will probably just go ahead and clamp the cord after the last pulses, and then I can do chest to chest (hoping) with baby.
I am just so happy to have had this talk. He said he would update the medical orders to indicate the IV placement in the OR. And I said I would update my birth plan to indicate this, too. We both agreed that if the situation is not ideal/healthy for baby, that all these plans get thrown out, and I can live with that.
In addition to the consult, I had my weekly prenatal office visit, fluid check, and biweekly NST. Unfortunately, I have not progressed much since last week, still just 50% effaced, and only fingertip dilated. She did say the cervix was a little softer. Baby is still doing well, passed the NST (which showed two contractions I had thought were baby stretching) with a heart rate of about 135 BPM, and the fluid level was 17.3 centimeters. My blood pressure was 109/65. One interesting thing the nurse practitioner showed us (Mary Anne was with me) was something floating in the amniotic fluid around baby. She said it was the baby's
vernex, which is that white moisturizing/insulating layer found on all babies, which slowly disappears as baby gets closer to birth. It looked like snow floating in a snow globe.
My next prenatal appointment will be Monday, since the office is closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. If I still need one, I have another prenatal scheduled for December 1, and at that point I will be four days past my due date. Let's hope I have long since had the baby by then; the sooner baby is born, the sooner baby will be home for Christmas.
I'm not sleeping as well these days, I get odd cramps in my knees, or I wake up and can't fall back asleep, thinking about my long to-do list! I did put a towel and piece of plastic under the sheet to protect the mattress in case my water breaks at night! So the plastic is a little warm, and that doesn't help either.
Nurse also mentioned that baby appears to by laying in an optimal position, Right Occiput Anterior, where baby's back is on my right side. Here is a neat website showing baby's head in the pelvis (scroll down): Fetal Position within the Birth Canal. [Other info from the appointment: blood pressure nice and low at 104/66, I passed the Strep B test, so no need for antibiotics at birth, baby passed the NST as usual, and fluid level was 13.8.]
On October 4, my friend and ninth cousin (!) Beverly Land cohosted a baby shower for us at her home in Parkville. Kimberly Mensch, a good friend from my golf club who had long ago offered to host a shower if we ever fostered a child, was the cohost. (Bev and I both do genealogy which is how we figured out our relationship. She is technically my only family who lives locally!)
The invitation list included my neighbors (and former one who flew in from New York!) and golfing friends. Quite a few who could not attend sent gifts. I was taken aback by everyone's generocity and thoughtfulness! Tim enjoyed looking at the gifts after I brought them home. I did bring in my mother-in-law's bassinet to use as a backdrop and gift holder, which worked out quite well. 
The lovely gifts included Two handmade small quilts, Four boxed photo albums, Polka dotted sage crib skirt and sheets; Giraffe baby blankie, Sweet pea boppy, baby sign language set, breastmilk storage bags, breast flow bottles, "Guess How Much I Love You" book and soft matching rabbit, Chenille pastel baby blanket, "squeeze me" onesie, Irish pastel wool blanket, rosary beads, moo bib, peace signs onesie, silver feeding spoon, Wedgewood Beatrix Potter china set (bowl, plate, cup), Bathtub super scooper, sassy bath toys in bag, travel size Baby Johnson products, BRU gift card, Cowboys NFL bib autographed by Tony Romo, Jacksonville NFL bib autographed by Derrick Harvey, Peter Rabbit baby book, Beatrix Potter "wallies" cutouts, Hand woven pastel baby blanket (very soft and washable), 3-packs: bibs (I love grandma), too cute onesies, best of friends onesies, Gerber t-shirts; hat and sock set, playtex bottle liners, foam bath mat, Evenflo bottles, Bathtub, rubber ducky heat sensor, nasal aspirator, nail clipper with magnifying glass, and a High chair.
They served these absolutely delicious frosted sugar cookies -- and let me take home the extra! We also played a few games. The first one was to guess how many diapers were in a sturdy plastic case. Having purchased a few boxes of them over the past few weeks, I was closest at 150, which was probably an unfair advantage! In addition to getting to take this home as a gift, as a little prize Bev also gave me a "baby's first Christmas" ornament, the only one we've received! A second game was to match baby pictures to names, some of celebrities but mostly of the ladies present. 
One of the guests was my next-door-neighbor, Ilona, who is due about three weeks before me. We did a belly comparison photo! At the time this photo was taken, I was at 32w2d, and Ilona was 35w0d.
