appointment with Dr. B

So I met up with Dr. Busingye today. I waited for a bit, but was eventually able to see him about 30 minutes after the appointment was set.
While I was waiting, I could hear a woman moaning and crying out and screaming in pain - I didn't actually see her - likely she was in labour on her way up to the maternity ward? It kinda made me smile and kinda made me freak out. As if I need or want to hear anyone else in labour...sigh. Another reason to be a bit sad that I'll not be having a home birth.

But anyway, the appointment went fine. He seems nice, he went through my birth plan with me and re-took my blood pressure; the numbers had gone down from when the nurse took it so that seemed more acceptable to him.
Now I've never had a male doctor since I was little and no men {apart from my husband of course} have ever seen my nether regions but he did a swab to test for GBS and was very professional about it all. I guess it was bound to happen eventually if he's going to be delivering my baby!

Baby's heartbeat sounded good. I'm measuring at 37 inches (cm? I think it's inches) which is right on for 37 weeks and his head is down although he's slightly off-center though Dr. B said that's nothing to be concerned about. He moves a heckuva lot anyway so I'm not worried.

Afterward I went to the lab to get my blood work done {to test for HIV - apparently it's routine here, my iron levels and something else which I forget} as well as urine testing for my sugar levels I think and to take the swab in for testing. Unfortunately I hadn't brought enough cash with me so I had to leave and come back. Thankfully I didn't have to wait and was able to just go in and get it done right after.
There are definitely times I miss using my debit card to pay directly but for the most part, paying in cash is fine. As long as you have enough.

I got the updated price list for how much it costs to deliver at the hospital. We'll pay up front but then our insurance will reimburse us. 1.9 million shillings sounds like a lot, right? It's not. $775. To have a baby! That's crazy. And that's one of the pricier hospitals here in Kampala. When I think of my American friends who pay thousands of dollars to have their baby in the hospital, several hundred dollars is chump change. Sorta.

Now I need to lie down and rest. It's been a decent but slightly stressful morning - my first appointment that I drove myself to! I feel so independent. Ha.

31 weeks + 3 days

I had my 2nd last midwife appointment with Michele today. It went well.
Jamie dropped me off because he had to go pick up our camera that I left at a friend's house on Saturday for his trip to Manila.
Of course this was the one time I sat waiting for Michele to finish up with her previous appointment. But it did give me enough time to chill, relax and almost doze off as I waited. Because of this, my blood pressure was nice and low. So we laughed about that. I should probably come to all my appointments early enough to sit and relax for a few minutes.
We heard the heartbeat and it sounded great and we only caught the ectopic beat at the very beginning and then the heartbeat sounded perfectly fine and regular. Again, she reassured me this was nothing to worry about and I'm not. I feel good and at peace about it.
I had her go through my birth plan and help me with wording and taking things out that are irrelevant and highlighting things that will be important for me and Jamie and the baby.
I also got the results of my blood work and for the first time in 3 pregnancies, my blood levels are within a normal range! Amazing. Perhaps I'm eating more red meat living here? I'm not sure. But I'm pleased.
I'll get blood work done once more around 36 weeks to double check as well as get tested for GBS and here's hoping it's negative. But we'll see.

Jamie got off to the airport okay and we all said good-bye to him after lunch.

I think that's it. I'll have one more appointment with Michele before she leaves for the UK and I'll meet Dr. Busingye (boo-sin-jee) at that time.

My next appointment is on Jude's birthday - July 31st.

thirty ONE

o canada!
breaking out my patriotic side with this shirt. i finally gave in and bought some maternity clothes. this shirt is not "maternity" but it's long. so it works.
there are some strawberry cupcakes sitting on my counter awaiting slatherings of icing and hungry bellies. tomorrow. i will likely eat at least two.
tuesday i have my next midwife appointment. i think i'll run through my birth plan with her to see if and what i need to change if they are things that are just not applicable. we'll see.
and it may be my last appointment with michele. i'm not sure but i'll find out on tuesday morning.
and now? i will sleep. and hope that jude does not wake up for the third night in a row with a tantrum because he doesn't want to be in his bed any more and that he wants to eat. um, no. we do not each at 3am. just because you chose not to eat your dinner, does not mean you get to make the rest of us pay the consequences.
that's all.
{31 weeks! crazy!}