Saturday, November 29, 2008

Long Days For Mama

I'm down to the final days of this pregnancy. About a week ago I felt that things really began to change and I am now for sure feeling 9 months pregnant. Everything is going normally and the doctor thinks I will be having another good size baby. We've had 3 ultrasounds now and with each one the doctor proclaims, "She is perfect!" I did get a video of the ultrasound, but it's a rather large video file, so I need to see if I can trim it down before uploading.

I have had one concern though. In the states it is standard for expecting moms to be checked for a bacteria called Group B Strep at about 35-37 weeks. The testing has really only been standard in the states for about the past 10 years because I did not get tested when sister was born who is 11. With Brother I did test positive to be a carrier of this bacteria during my pregnancy. The risk is that about 1 in 200 babies will contract the bacteria without antibiotic treatment to the mother during labor. If a baby contracts the bacteria during birth it could make them very sick and can be deadly. The testing for the bacteria has not caught on here in Honduras and though my doctor does do the testing, they are currently out of the test kits. We called around and could not find anyone who knew what we were talking about and had not heard of this testing. I'm trying not to worry about this, but it's difficult. So the plan is to just get the antibiotics to be safe when I go into labor, which doesn't make me the happiest mama, but since I cannot get the test here, I don't want to risk anything since I know I've been a carrier in the past. The bacteria can come and go in your body.

If anyone reading this knows where to get a test in Honduras - let me know!!!

Life has been more or less boring for me otherwise because with feeling so pregnant, I'm not able to be quite as busy around the house. Cooking has even gotten more difficult. This has a tendency to make my days feel painfully dull and long. I'm still taking Spanish classes but for fewer days. I miss getting out of the house. I am grateful that Papa is out doing all the shopping, but I wish I could do more. The main problem about going out is that riding in the truck can be very uncomfortable because of all the bumps.

Today I was having a lot of discomfort and those practice contractions and I mentioned to Papa, "Maybe I'm starting labor", to which he replied, "but your water hasn't broke". Ummm....he has not done his homework on this subject, I guess. He'll just learn as he goes.

The baby is making her way lower in my belly, but I need her to hold on until at least the 15th when insurance for her kicks in. I also would like to get the house cleaned up and organized a little more. I can feel this terrible nesting urge kicking in. I had diapers on the shopping list I gave to Papa tonight but he said he wanted to wait to get them. When he said that he wouldn't be getting any, this terrible nesting, mother feeling rose up in me. I just need to have diapers on stand-by. Oh! I do have cloth diapers, but I'm not planning on starting with them until I'm ready to take care of the cleaning of them so I'll use disposable probably for a few weeks. I'm told the diapers they put on the babies at the hospital are terrible and to bring our own.

On another note - the house was just painted too! Yay! I'll have to post pictures very soon. Things still need to be put away and cleaned up a little. Our kitchen sink is also currently broken so I have all the dishes piled up waiting to be washed. I've been washing as needed in the tiny bathroom sink. Ha!

7 comments:

aighmeigh said...

I'm very glad things are going well!

I've never heard of that test... I only made it to 35 weeks, so I guess it's not that surprising. Good thing to know!

You and your family will continue to be in my thoughts!! :D

Anonymous said...

Best wishes for a safe delivery!

Anonymous said...

I wish you and your family the best throughout this time of joy and excitement(and maybe some pain for you:-)) Take Care and Happy Holidays!
Olivia 'TN

Anonymous said...

God is with you and He will take care of you always.

I had my first child in Honduras, and the service and care was the best! I had my second baby at the Medical Center in Houston and It was horrible. I was surprised!

Yes, I'm from Honduras. I am a legal resident and I had insurance. What happended, who knows?

I wish you the best!

Anonymous said...

If you want some info on things you could check the British Medical Journal site (bmj.com) and searches for Group B Strep, they have some articles.

For a pretty good summary: http://onyx-ii.com/birthsong/page.cfm?gbs

Some tips from Midwifery Today on prevention, you might have to scroll down: http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0128.asp

Also, there are many good threads on Mothering.com in the Birth and Beyond section.

Hope that helps!

Bilingual teacher in Omaha

Anonymous said...

Oops, that was supposed to read "info on things you could do".

Karine and Tom said...

You're almost there! I'm thinking about you a lot lately- we just repainted our bedroom last weekend, and it's amazing how homey a fresh coat of paint can make a room feel! That nesting instinct is a real thing-huh? I hope these last days aren't too uncomfortable for you, and that your supply of diapers grows soon!

Karine