36 week Dr appt

My 36 week Dr appt went pretty well. My blood pressure great at 110/60 and my weight gain was 3lbs this time... puts me at a total of 23lbs which is nice.

My Dr started with a heartbeat check and there was a slight irregularity in the beat... she said she wasn't concerned at all, she said it was a little irregular but not a bad irregular... chances are if she listened again in a couple days it would be totally normal, the heart beat was at 140bpm, 2 weeks ago I think it was in the 160's.

Then I had the group B strep test (has to be done just in case I will be doing a VBAC) and then a full exam. She said my cervix is still closed but it's softening-- I was not expecting that at all.. I figured it would be like Henry-- "nope - hard as a rock".. so who knows, maybe I won't go over due this time??! When she felt my stomach she said my uterus felt really hard-- I said ya, I get that a lot lately, my whole stomach just tightens and then it goes away-- she said, "well that's a contraction" and I said oh really? I guess I've never felt one before, so good to know what it's like! I never really had contractions with Henry- well they said I did but I never felt them until I got induced and when I got induced they were moderate ones with cramping- so not just the stomach tightening thing- she said more like Braxton Hicks contractions at this point... so sort of interesting I am having contractions and sounds like my cervix is starting to soften.. no dilation yet though. I see her again in a week and a half so I'll be anxious to see what's going on with little baby Pagel then!

I do really hope to go 40 weeks with this bambino... I have too many things I need to get done at work and at home. We leave for a little vacation next week and then when we come home I suppose I should pack the hospital bag and get the car seat ready and such. SOOO many other things to have ready, but really its not like it all needs to be done before he or she arrives... things can get done when we're home too. I really just need to have somewhere for the baby to sleep, some clothes and diapers and wipes and we'll be able to manage just fine. : )

I'll be almost 38 weeks by my next visit because of our vacation and my Dr's schedule, but my she said that was just fine. So until then!