First Prenatal!!!!

I know it's a bit late for a first prenatal at 16 weeks, but I just was not ready before this! Not even sure whether I was ready now, but I figured it was about time to go in :-) We talked a lot about my birthing options, she will need my surgery records to see how extensive the damage to my uterus is. From the way things went during the surgery, I don't think it can be too bad, but we hope to find out more when we see my records. The ob said that she was chipping away at the fibroid, and then she perforated the uterus (this was during a hysteroscopic procedure). She tried to repair it via a laparoscopy, but that didn't work. So she ended up doing a myomectomy, where she just cut me open to get the damage repaired.

She told me that the fibroid wasn't very big, it just was in a very awkward place. All this makes me hope that the scar can't be too big either, but I guess we'll see.

When the midwife has the records, she'll talk to the obs she usually works with and see what they think of it, and what my options are. She did not expect them to be supportive of homebirth under those circumstances, but that was not really a surprise to me. She is hoping that they might 'approve' me for birthing at the hospital they are practicing, which would be a much better choice for me than our local teaching hospital. I trust those obs a lot more than I would trust a ob on call at our local hospital, since they had homebirths themselves. I used them as backup for my last four homebirths, and always have been happy with them. Not that I really needed them, since I had uncomplicated homebirths, but it was nice to know that there were good, trustworthy obs that I could transfer to if I ever did run into a complication during birth. I also have heard a lot of good things about the hospital/birthing center where they practice, more than about our local teaching hospital. So I hope this will be an option for me. Although I have to admit that I really just want to have this miracle baby at home!

My uterus measured 15.5cm, which is right on track for my 16 weeks pg. She said she wants to see it within 2 cm, which this definitely is. But can I confess that I really had preferred it to be 16cm or 16.5cm? LOL I am just too picky! Or too prone to worrying during this pregnancy.

We tried to figure out when I felt movement with the other pregnancies, and it seems to be somewhere between 17 to 19 weeks, so it should be soon now. I just wish it would start already, I don't think I will really relax till I feel this little one kick!

Blood pressure and weight were perfect, and she took blood for prenatal labwork. We didn't listen for the heartbeat yet, since it's too early for the fetoscope, and I don't really want to use the doppler. But next appt, we should be able to hear the heartbeat. By then, I should feel kicking already too, so I won't really need that reassurance anymore, but it still will be neat.

We are preparing for Sinterklaas tonight. I am making borstplaat, a traditional, Dutch, Sinterklaascandy. It's pretty easy to make, but I still have managed to mess it up a few times over the last few weeks LOL. Today's is a caramelly variant, going to try to make a white one and a brown (chocolate) one later. Here's the recipe for borstplaat if any one wants to try it.

Borstplaat

Ingredients

- 2 Tbsp water
- 5 Tbsp heavy cream
- 250 g sugar (about 1 1/8 cups, so a bit more than a cup)

Combine ingredients in saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring almost continuously. Once it boils, let it boil for about 6 minutes (on medium low), keep stirring. Check the temp, I have found that 210 F seems to be the optimal temp, but I have to admit that I am not an expert yet either :-) But I have had the best results with this temp. Take the pan off the heat, and keep stirring, stirring, till it gets thicker, thick enough that it gets harder to stir, and that it starts keeping its shape when you take a few drops and drop them on top of the rest. Now pour it into greased molds, or just on some wax paper in a 8x8 inch baking dish. It won't cover the whole bottom, if it does, most likely it wasn't thick enough yet (in that case, don't panic, it's still edible, just will be a bit too crumbly). Let it cool down in a spot where the bottom gets air too, I usually put mine on a cookie rack. After a while (15 mins or more) you can take out the wax paper and borstplaat carefully,and put it on the cookie rack, so it will cool down faster. When it has cooled down, remover the wax paper, and break the borstplaat in small pieces. Enjoy!!!

If you want brown borstplaat, add 2 Tbsp of cocoa to the saucepan when you combine the ingredients. The brown will taste more chocolatey, the white tastes more creamy.