Baby Roxy

I'm 37 weeks along with Roxy.  Soon I'll be more pregnant than I've ever been before because Pippa was born early.  Here's how I look (This photo is from today).

My body handles this pregnancy thing pretty well.  My ankles never swelled up with Pippa and they swelled up for the first time with Roxy a few days ago.  But not crazy swollen, just swollen compared to how they normally look.  I don't think a stranger would have noticed.

Around 27 weeks I found out I have a low platelet count.  It's not too big of a deal and I get my blood drawn every week to check the count.  If my most recent platelet count when I go into labor is under 100, I might not be able to get an epidural (I wasn't planning to get an epidural anyway).  If it's under 100 and I have to have a c-section I will probably have to be placed under general anesthesia.  If it's under 100 I have a slight increased risk of bleeding more after delivery.  But the good news is that my count is usually around 112.  If it gets closer to 100 they might give me steroids which usually increase the platelet count.  But so far so good.

At my 37 week appointment I found out I tested positive for Group B Strep.  Also, not a big deal.  Group B Strep comes and goes in most adults and usually doesn't cause any problems or even symptoms.  There is a small chance that Baby Roxy could get Group B Strep during delivery.  So, I'll have to get IV antibiotics right when I first get checked into the hospital during labor to prevent Roxy from getting it.

Last night I had three hours of Braxton Hicks contractions.  I didn't feel a single Braxton Hicks contraction when I was pregnant with Pippa.  I've had them only one other time so far with Roxy and it only lasted about 30 minutes.  This time they were three minutes apart for three hours but never increased in intensity.  After the first 45 minutes I started thinking that maybe this was real labor because my back was sore, too.  T and I decided to go to bed to get a bit of rest in case it was something.  T fell asleep very quickly and I didn't sleep at all.  Obviously, it turned out to be nothing.

I know it's my second baby, but I'm nervous I won't be able to tell I'm in labor.  With Pippa, it was obvious because my labor started with my water breaking - I didn't have contractions until two hours later and the first contraction I had was so intense it nearly knocked me over.  None of this starting weak business.  So I'm concerned that this time around by the time I figure out that these weak contractions are real labor that they will be intense contractions and we won't have time to get T home from the city / babysitter over / make it to the hospital / get the IV antibiotics into me before Roxy arrives.

We are crazy excited to meet and hold Roxy.  We have no idea what we're in for, but we're excited for it and are so happy it is happening.  Now if we only knew if it is going to be a few more days or a few more weeks...