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The Li'l Critter has definitely dropped.

For the non-pregnancy-fluent, that means that instead of floating around aimlessly, her head has moved down into my pelvis in preparation for birth. How this feels: ow. Pressure, sometimes painful, very low in my belly and in my pelvis. Fortunately, it's intermittent. (No, not rhythmically intermittent in an "I'm having contractions" sort of way. I still haven't ever had a Braxton-Hicks contraction, that I know of.)

We're not panicking, because a first baby can easily drop 4-6 weeks before birth, but it does tend to focus the mind on things like packing the hospital bag and making sure that we have enough supplies on hand.

Okay, maybe we're panicking a little.

Also: my shape has changed. I'm sticking out in front more, and the biggest part of the bump is lower. This apparently brings us into the "everybody's got something to say" portion of pregnancy, in which perfect strangers on the bus and in the supermarket feel the need to comment on my size or ask about the baby. Yesterday a patient who has been hospitalized for three months, and at times has been near death, made a big fuss about me needing to sit down and rest and take care of myself.

Mixed news from the midwife.

35-week midwife appointment this evening. Briefly, everything is swell for me and the baby, but my chances of having the kind of birth I want are not looking great.

Let's start with the good news: the L'il Critter is doing so well. She has indeed dropped, and has her head pressed against my cervix. She has a strong heartbeat which speeds up appropriately when she moves, as the midwife determined by poking her little hands and feet. Estimated weight: five pounds, which would put her at about seven pounds on her due date. And of course, she's nicely active - which I knew already, thank you very much.

I'm doing well, too. I'm gaining about a pound a week. My blood pressure is a beautiful 110/68. I have a tiny bit of swelling in my calves and ankles, but nothing to worry about - especially considering that it was an evening appointment. I'm not spilling any protein or sugar. My miscellaneous symptoms are all normal for the third trimester. My cervix is still closed, but it's about 25% effaced (which means that it's starting to shorten and thin for delivery). The baby's head pressing against my cervix should help that process along.

The main event for this visit was the pelvic exam. The senior midwife wanted to examine my pelvic architecture (which is abnormal because of my hip surgeries) to see if I had enough room in there to deliver vaginally. This is the part that didn't go so well.
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