The Fundus Among Us

Five month doctor (midwife) visit today

Unless you're going to be a fusspot worry-wart or actually have a genuine reason to be in a high risk pregnancy and really need the monthly attention, I'm beginning to wonder what would happen if I just stopped going for these appointments. It's like all they want to see is whether the baby still has a heart beat. (which is fine... I like to hear it) No measurements - a few feels of the almighty fundus through your belly, an offer to quickly answer any questions, and bam - I'm out of the office in more time than it took me to find parking the the structure.

So today I came armed with questions per the request of Saby, who wanted (if possible) stats on size, length, and heart rate. Also thought I'd try and score some more free prenatal vitamins, as they're super nice and don't make me constipated. Fun times!!

Well. As a result of today's visit I can give you boring information on how baby's femur is 3.4 something centimeters long, or I can tell you the slightly more interesting factoid of a 144 bpm heart rate. If all else fails, I can tell you that this morning I weighed 162 on the office scale... which is always higher than the home scale by which I swear. (Perception, baby... it's all about your perception) I also now have two more weeks worth of super vitamins with Lina-soluble iron. Thanks Nurse Mix... my colon thanks you too.

I guess the most interesting thing to me was that when I lifted my sweater and pulled down the Secret Fit panel of my jeans for midwife Lisa to doppler baby's heart, she had to chase the little swimmy around my uterus. First she was up high (my fundus is 2 fingers above my belly button, which is a pleasant surprise... I'm suddenly getting beeeeeeegg) and to the left (my left), and then s/he must have doggie paddled down lower to avoid whatever was making the house roof sag, where after a few seconds Lisa found the heartbeat again. That is interesting, because I almost always feel kicking/movement/SOMETHING in the same spot (mid lower right), and for this I sort of assumed that baby had settled into a comfy position and was just looking for a foot rest.

When Saby told his mother about our swimmy, moving baby, she said it must be taking after me, because he had been such a lazy infant, both in vitro and out. Saby was apparently a pavum, quiet little thing, weighing in at just barely 6 lbs. You'd be hard-put to look at him and say he was the smallest in his family for so long...

My other theory is that since it's St Patrick's Day, perhaps baby is jigging, utilizing the enthusiasm and gusto provided by his/her one-eighth Irish genetics. Perhaps it's the half Keralite that makes it want to beat on the walls of my uterus? No place here for half-cracked stereotypes ;-) Although if I did have a drink at any point, once the alcohol crossed the placenta the Irish and Mallu DNA might start a nasty bar brawl against each other... (harrr, harr harr...)

Just kidding :-)

I'm taking a nap and then making some St Pat's cupcakes. Haven't baked in ages... let's get our domestic on! The corned beef for our feast-for-two tonight is already at about hour 14 in the slow cooker, and smells nice... nice enough to finally kill the fishy smelly from two subsequent dinners of baked haddock and then salmon. Is THAT why baby is so swimmy? All the friendly Omega-3 DHA fatty acids from the fishies inspiring him/her??

Good night for now!