Initially, all that came to mind were hideous memories of being 39+ weeks pregnant. The heartburn (OMG the heartburn), the insomnia, the boredom and the intense fear of the unknown. In hindsight, I now realize that I was pretty depressed when I was pregnant. Isn't hindsight great? Luckily, those hormones that made me feel so miserable disappeared almost as soon as he was born and I felt like myself again. I'd much rather have had depression whilst pregnant rather than after he was born. As least I had time back then to wallow in my own misery!
I'd spent much of my pregnancy trying not to feel anxious about childbirth. After all, it's inevitable ending to the whole pregnancy thing and stressing about it for 9 months wouldn't change anything. However, that all changed when I had a scan at 32 weeks to re-check a previously low lying placenta. That is when I was told that I was having a 'Macrosomic Baby'. In laymans terms, that means that my child was huge. At 32 weeks, he was the size of a 36 weeker. I was having a shrek baby.
The thought of childbirth is terrifying enough for a first time mother and finding out that my baby was the size of a baby hippo made it even worse. On the same day of the 32 weeks scan, we also had our first childbirth education class. Our teacher was an old school nurse who should us a graphic video that was filmed sometime in the '70s. It was horrible. After that day, I was an anxious wreck. The fear kept me awake most of the night and it was all I could think of during the day. How on earth was I going to squeeze out Mr Macrosomic??
The doctors were convinced that I had gestational diabetes so I had to do the darn glucose tolerance test again. Whoever thought up a test making a pregnant woman fast is a sadist.
I didn't have gestational diabetes.
(38.5 weeks pregnant with mega-saurus child)
I had another scan at 36 weeks and this time he was the size of a 41.5 weeker. Holy crap, the kid just kept getting bigger. I begged anyone who would listen to induce me. By now I was envisaging him being the size of a full grown toddler by 40 weeks. The answer was always the same. "Let's just see what happens". Not that reassuring really.
Finally, one day before I was 39 weeks, a midwife was concerned about the size of my baby and referred me urgently to an Obstetrician. And that was where I went on the day before Max was born. Exactly 6 months ago. I was so excited about the appointment but the obstetrician gave me the same response "let's just see what happens". I cried when I left that appointment. Ok, I didn't just cry I bawled my eyes out. That same night, my waters broke. I'll spare you the birth story. He finally came out weighing 8 pound 10 ounces- completely bloody normal.
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Good,glad for you that your baby came out fine.love your baby.
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