I had a routine doc appt yesterday and got weighed and measured. I had no increase in weight gain, but at this point, I don't care. I also had my group beta strep screening as my last OB test. It's a bacteria that is naturally produced in our intestines (or something like this) and shouldn't be present in the birth canal as it could potentially transfer to the baby and make him sick. If I tested positive for this, it just means I'd have to have antibiotics given to me via IV during labor. Which would suck (but it's not the worst) and I hope my test results are negative.
During my belly measurement, the doc seemed concerned when the tape measure registered a lower number than the previous week. I should be growing, not shrinking, and I appeared to have lost a centimeter and a half since the previous week. Though she chalked up the decrease to baby's internal position, she recommended getting another ultrasound to formally check his size, position, and my fluid level. Then she asked to do a quick pelvic exam to see if she could physically determine his position and a few seconds later, confirmed very plainly that she could touch his head; he was that low. So that pretty much explained the measurement deficit as he's just locked into my pelvis and not sticking out externally as much as he moves down into position. I'm still getting the ultrasound per her instruction, but we're not anticipating anything abnormal. Also, I'm apparently 1 cm dilated and my cervix is 80% effaced. Which is strange because I feel like I would have somehow felt my body physically ready itself for labor. I've had no real cramping or false contractions or any physical labor-related symptoms that my brain might link to my stereotypical vision of labor. At least this explains the unending stress on my groin...and now my lady parts are feeling the stress. I guess it's sort of par for the course when I'm supporting a 6-7 lb nose-down torpedo with only my pelvic bone.
KJ is always moving and I can definitely tell when there's rotating points of rigidity moving across my abdomen at any given time. I think he's getting rather big in there because it feels like he's trying to bust out; there's an immense amount of outward pressure as though he's pushing with all extremities in every direction. He's doing something in there that's not registering on the surface of my belly, which is hitting a nerve running up my right thigh/butt/lower back. Not really painful, but not pleasant if I'm sitting. As I'm on the couch typing this, he's pushing downward and it's a lot of little pokes around my rectum. There's intermittent pokes in the front too, but very low - right above my pubic bone. He's pretty much everywhere, moving in all directions. There's been less rib kicks, so that's nice!
And based on his super low position, he's still giving hell to my pelvic ligaments (and my bladder - I might as well just move my desk at work into the ladies' restroom). Strangely though, my belly, externally, doesn't appear all that low like it's officially dropped yet. In profile, my stomach still appears to be up fairly high for now. We'll see if it visibly drops in the next couple of weeks - I'll be keeping weekly pics for comparison and will share if there's an obvious change. I won't be getting any bigger since the baby's locked down so any new pics of myself that I post will be comparable to my 36 week pics; just perhaps a different belly position.
I'll post again Thursday with an ultrasound update (baby's size) and any pics we're able to get.
Bonus: this is what the little one may look like - some combination thereof...
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