39 weeks and last appointment with my midwife

So I've now passed the 39 week stage and currently have 5 days to go until my due date!! Exciting and scary at the same time.

I went to see my midwife yesterday and it seems that will be my last appointment with her. Something I wasn't aware of is that she will not be the midwife there when I give birth. No-one ever told me that. As I'm having my baby at a hospital that is about 12 miles away, it seems I am something called 'Shared Care' which means while I see her for my antenatal appointments (well I've seen her for 4 of them), I will see a midwife from the hospital I'll be going to for the birth. Its a bit scary having to depend on someone you haven't even met to be there for you through one of the most important and challenging experiences of your life. In retrospect its not such a big deal as I don't think my midwife is particularly good anyway, as I don't feel she has done anything for me since I started seeing her. I have had no information, no advice, no planning.... I'm a bit shocked at how little input she has had to be honest.

So my blood pressure is still ok. The babies heartbeat is fine. I am being tested for Obstetric Cholestasis due to severe itching Ive had (and I mean severe, I've scratched myself red raw and have broken the skin all down both shins). This is a liver disorder sometimes developed in pregnancy where your liver does not rid the body of bile and it builds up. It can be pretty dangerous for the baby, so I'm hoping I get the all clear. The midwife said she would call me today with the results.... she didn't... that's no big shock. If I don't get a call tomorrow, I'll give the GP surgery a call myself.

There was a 3rd year student nurse there and a doctor when I went in for my appointment. The student nurse did the stomach palpation to check the size and position of the baby. Now last week my midwife told me I was 1/5's engaged which is more of less fully engaged (0/5's is fully engaged). The nurse however said I was 'brim' which basically means the baby hasn't descended into the pelvis yet (this would be 5/5's). You get to feeling these people don't know their arse from their elbow and all the while I have no idea whats going on. The only reason I know what all this means is from researching it myself. The midwife has never given me any information.

So lastly the midwife said if I hadn't gone into labour by 9th March (a week over) I would need a stretch and sweep done. This is basically where they do an internal and sweep a finger around the cervix to try to stretch it and to separate the membranes which connect the baby from the neck of my womb. This in turn should make me produce hormones which triggers labour. This sometimes works and the woman goes into labour the same day.. other times its unsuccessful. Apparently its very uncomfortable, so we're hoping it doesn't get to a week over!

If we have no joy with that, I will be booked in for an induction on 14th March (12 days late). I really REALLY don't want that, so fingers crossed I'll go into labour naturally in the next week or so.

So folks, this could be the last blog before Isaacs arrival! Hopefully a story of a nice straightforward birth and lots of cute pictures will follow :o). We can but hope!