For the third week in a row, the appointment with my midwife has caught me by surprise. This week offered several bits of (possibly) really great news.
A few weeks ago, Sundyna (my midwife) delivered the news that I tested positive for Group B Strep. If you read my blog post for that week, you know that I was less than pleased to hear this information. I really dreaded having to be given an IV during labor and didn't want to be put on a timer if my water broke before labor started. I admit, I was also pretty nervous about the increased risk of having to be induced and the cascade of interventions that could follow. This morning however, Sundyna informed me that a mistake was made. When I transferred my prenatal care to Dorchester House, the staff at Dedham Medical sent my patient file to Sundyna and included in that file was a positive diagnosis for Group B Strep based on a urine sample. When Sundyna first told me this, I thought it was a little strange that I was never given the diagnosis while I was still under the care of Dedham Medical, but was too focused on what this would mean for my delivery to question anything. It turns out, the diagnosis really was positive--but it wasn't mine. Sundyna had skimmed through my file to catch up on my patient history, but didn't realize that those test results weren't mine. Dedham Medical made a mistake and sent over a copy of a different patient's test results!! I may have gone through all of that stress and worrying for nothing! Anyway, she did a formal test this morning and I will get my results back later this week. So I may or may not be GBS+. On the one hand, I am relieved that those weren't my results and it's almost like I get a "second chance" to pass. On the other hand, I know there is still a chance that I could test positive and I will probably be a little let down again. But at least I will know what to expect and will be prepared for delivery with a positive diagnosis. I will be calling Sundyna on Thursday to get my results and will be (im)patiently waiting until then!

I also got some updated news regarding my consistently increasing anemia. When I first transferred to Sundyna's care she ordered lab work and my iron level was at 26, which was really concerning and put me at a higher risk of losing a lot of blood during delivery and also increased my chances of having to get a blood transfusion. She prescribed me a higher dose of iron and after just three weeks, my iron level went from, 26 to 29, which is exactly what she had hoped for. Every day that I take my supplement while baby is still in my belly increases the amount of red blood cells that we share and decreases any risks we have. It has already been one week since the blood work was done and there are still two more weeks before baby's estimated arrival. I just have a really good feeling that anemia won't even be a concern during my delivery.

Both of these are kind of up in the air still and could go either way, but I am really hopeful that everything will turn out for the best. I know I will have a happy and healthy baby either way, but being GBS+ and severely anemic are just making everything that much more stressful. Cross your fingers for me that I get a negative test result later this week and I'm going to continue to chug orange juice with my iron supplements!

It all started on Monday morning when I FINALLY got in touch with my Maternity Support nurse after two weeks of missing each other's calls. I'm so glad we finally spoke, as we had quite a long and involved chat! We reaffirmed my decision to deliver at Brigham and Women's Hospital and went over what that entailed. She said I must transfer my prenatal care over to a practice that is affiliated with B&W, and to do so as soon as possible because sometimes it is difficult to transfer prenatal care at this point and certain practices don't accept new patients who are already in their third trimester. And so the search began.

I googled around for what must have been hours, until I found the perfect practice to continue my prenatal care with- Dorchester House Multi-Service Center. They literally have everything I want: a midwife that will see me for every appointment from now until birth (instead of the doctor hopping I was doing with Dedham Medical- I saw 3 OB docs and a midwife there) and will be able to accompany me to B&W to deliver my baby, a pediatrics doctor who will also come to the hospital before I am discharged to establish a relationship with me and my baby and set up our first appointments together, optional group prenatal appointments (like a mini support group of mum's that are all due around the same date), a facility that is actually slightly closer to travel to, complete coverage by my insurance, AND they regularly work with patients who are looking to transfer their prenatal care! So I called Dorchester yesterday morning and have a prenatal registration appointment next week with a nurse for initial interview questions and then will set up my next set of appointments with my new midwife so my prenatal care won't be interrupted! :)

Unfortunately all of this means I somehow have to "break-up" with Dedham Medical. I actually feel bad about having to tell them I won't be continuing my prenatal care with them and asking to transfer my patient file over to Dorchester. It literally feels like a terrible break-up. I hope they don't take it too terribly!

To add to the excitement, Ashton and I went on a maternity tour of Brigham and Women's Hospital on Monday night. It was quite a rush actually being in the hospital and seeing all of the different rooms and floors that we would be traveling to in just 10 weeks. I watched the online tour video and almost decided on not going in for an in-person tour since it isn't necessarily recommended, but I am so glad that we did. It gave me peace of mind knowing exactly where to pull the car up (we drop the keys off for valet parking!) and actually see the front desk to check-in at and know where I will be wheeled off to next. Our tour guide told us about the triage room (where we might have to wait if we arrive too soon and I'm not far enough along to deliver yet), and showed us a labor and delivery room where we remain for 2 hours after delivery, a postpartum care room where we stay for the next two days, the nursery where the baby will only go if she can't be with me for medical reasons, and the waiting area for visitors that aren't one of my three support people (three support people are allowed to enter and exit the labor and delivery room and postpartum care room at any time, everyone else is considered a visitor and can only come to the postpartum care room between 1-8pm). She expressed the importance that the hospital places on immediate skin-to-skin contact between mother and child and also recommends breastfeeding as soon as possible (we will be visited by a lactation consultant soon after birth too). I will admit, I actually got really scared when we finally entered the labor and delivery room. Just looking at the hospital bed terrified me. I tried imagining myself laying in it and I felt my body get stiff and my eyes fill with tears. I'm so glad we left to continue the tour soon after that because I didn't want to have a meltdown in front of all the other couples there. How embarrassing! Overall, I loved the facility and agree with the practices that they recommend, I'm happy that my new midwife will be there throughout my birthing time, and am confident that everything will go smoothly.

ONLY TEN WEEKS!!!!! :)

This morning I set up a primary care physician, chose an OB/GYN and scheduled several appointments. My first appointment is next friday, October 4th with a midwife, Elizabeth Kettyle, for an initial appointment, which I am told is the longest, about an hour! I'm so so nervous, but also can't wait. 9 days away! It seems like forever away right now. If all goes well with that appointment, my second one is scheduled for October 24 with Dr. Cristina Diaz and should only be about 15-20 minutes. Usually the second appointment is about a month after the first but the woman I spoke with in the OB department said I might be a few weeks further along than I think and I can always push back the date of the appointment depending on what I find out in my first appointment. (If I am further along than I think, the beginning of this has been a breeze!) I decided to go with Dedham Medical Associates for my OB/GYN since they have been the most helpful of all the places that I've called.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that I finally have scheduled appointments. But now I am just super anxious about them. I am excited and terrified of my first appointment already. I hope the baby is okay.