The bumpdate post

I generally don't talk about this stuff on the interwebs.  Part modesty, part fatigue from the same kind of updates over and over, part "do people really want to know about this?"  I am putting this post together based on the FAQ I get from friends and family and based on the other types of posts I see out there in blogland.  If you are curious about an aspect of the "pregnant in another country" vibe that I don't cover, feel free to ask in a comment.

Okay, so first.  I am pretty darn pregnant.  I sent Neil a text today that read, "Not to alarm you or anything, but we are having a baby in less than a month.  HOLYSHIT!"  His response, "What?!?!?"

God bless that man.

We are scheduled for a c-section on August 10, 2012 to welcome our little girl, Quinn Scarlett, to the family.  Here is a picture from a week ago- excuse the self-portrait, but my husband is traveling a ton.  I realized that I had very few pics of this pregnancy, so I decided to snap one while I was thinking about it.

Yes, I used the Instagram version.  It was cropped already, and I am lazy.  

In that shot, I am 33 weeks and a couple days.  I swear the belly has grown inches since then.  I had a play group that week, and when a mom from that group saw me the other day, she commented on how much the belly had grown. (Yes, in a tactful way.  It was sweeter than it sounds.)

Let me talk a minute about pregnancy and moving to another country.  Yes, it is daunting.  I loved my doctors in Atlanta.  I was sad to leave their practice and comfort.  When I did my research online using search engines and  message boards, I found that there were many viable options for birth here that were extremely similar to the US.  I even started an email relationship with someone who writes about health care in Shanghai- specializing in women's care- and she was a few months ahead of me in her third pregnancy.  I came around to the idea.

Neil and I had many discussions about what was best for our family.  First priority, of course, was the health of both the baby and me.  We decided our second priority was to keep the family together as much as possible; though the idea of moving out of my medical comfort zone was daunting, even more so was the idea of living separate lives for months while he started a new job and I went through third trimester.   Not to mention separating Neil and Harper for months with only a couple visits.  Since I decided that it was a viable option to have the baby in China, we set up two main criterion for the final choice.  If the anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks found no complications or problematic developments, we would take a second trip to China to meet doctors and tour hospitals.  As long as I was happy with what I found, we would move here as a family.

The ultrasound was perfectly fine, and my doctors saw no medical reason to stay in the US.  The hospital tours and doctors I met were lovely, though different than their US counterparts, and I was able to easily decide which hospital and which doctor I preferred.  The hospitals I saw were private, international hospitals.  Very expensive for most people who don't have insurance- and can be expensive for those whose coverage does not extend as far as others.  Luckily, we have excellent coverage with Neil's company and our costs won't be much different than Harper's birth.  

I went in with a long list of questions for the doctors, and the answers were the same as they were in the States- Husband in the OR was fine, c-section procedure the same, rooming in with baby fine, duration of stay, recovery, tests and appointment schedule, all the answers were exactly what my doctor at home would have said.  The rooms were nice; the hospital clean.  I saw good practices as far as masks and gloves and hand-washing and all that jazz.  The biggest difference here is that the doctor's offices are in the hospital not a separate shop.  So the vibe of the basic appointment feels more like you've gone to the ER.  They also do "package deals" were you can pay a set discounted price for all your prenatal tests and care at once- and then they have packages for birth as well.  Seems strange at first, but I guess it makes sense when you want someone to have comprehensive care.  And no, we did not get the package deal.  Doesn't make sense this late in the game.  

I'll do a more detailed comparison of the care later.  I've only done three appointments here including the initial visit, so I have more to learn and experience before I feel comfortable commenting in full.  As of right now, I feel quite good about my level of care and my doctors.  

I have also planned a post about the cultural differences around pregnancy and birth here versus the States.  The customs and practices are different, and I am finding it interesting to navigate the social mores and taboos. 

I'll end with a short and sweet Q & A that is popular among pregnant mommy bloggers.  Again, laziness abounds.   

How far along? 34 weeks and 5 days

Last appointment: Pretty basic, but did include a growth scan.  Happy to report that the little one is at 38% for her gestational age and predicted to be around 7 lbs at birth.  I know to many of you that sounds small, but Harper was less than five pounds at birth and came home at 4 lbs, 10 oz.  Seven pounds sounds HUGE to us.  (For those who may not know, I had a medical condition last pregnancy that required 12 weeks of bed rest and delivery just before 37 weeks.  Harper was perfectly healthy but a small baby to begin with)Total weight gain/loss: Still at a loss of around 23 lbs.  The hypermesis (fancy name for my-morning-sickness-never-ended-and-was-crippling-my-life-so-I-have-drugs-to-help-me-cope) is still around though better than it was.  I have leveled off the losing, though I did drop a little this last appointment.  Nothing of concern though. 
Maternity clothes? All of them.  
Stretch marks? I didn't get as lucky this time around, and I have a few battle scars on the belly.  I'm fine with it though.  I earned them. 
Sleep: Good lord, I miss the comfort of non-pregnant sleep.  I am still getting my hours in, but I wake up all the time.  Sometimes I can go back to sleep, sometimes the insomnia kicks in.  And turning over is hard with the belly.  But, part of my hypermesis drug regime is Unisom every night, so that helps me get at least 6 hours in.  Compared to life with a newborn, I am Rip Van Wrinkle. 
Best moment this week: Harper seeing the belly move and staring like I was an alien.  She is also pretty pissed that my lap is slowly whittling away and makes her opinion known. 
Movement:  All the time, and you can see the big rolls now.  A few times I have caught people staring in public.  It's getting a bit more painful now that she is so big, but still makes me smile.  And the hiccups are amusing but are full body shakes now as well. 
Food cravings: Cereal.  Pop tarts.  PB&Js.  And I would KILL for a glass of non-heartburn inducing Sav Blanc in this heat.
Food aversions:  Anything with a strong/ spicy smell or flavor.  I am liking the mild right now.  Not being too adventurous in my food choices because I don;t want to loose my dinner. 
Labor Signs: Some Braxton Hicks contractions, especially when I am particularly active or starting to dehydrate.  Nothing uncommon.
Belly Button in or out? Ummmm, flat?  Yeah.  I guess still in technically, but it is pretty much flattened. 
What I miss: Turning over without a major to-do, getting out of a sitting position without grunting, my lap, balance.  Wine on a hot day.  Being able to chase after Harper without getting winded.  
What I am looking forward to:  Well, the baby of course.  And introducing Harper to her sister.  But I am also looking forward to the weeks of Neil being home and us being together as a family of four.