stupid strep.

so at my 36 week appointment, as is procedure, i was tested for strep B. Group B Strep is found in 10-30% of pregnant women. it is found in the birth canal and is benign to the mother, but can infect the baby during birth, leading to sepsis, menangitis, and pneumonia. it can be very dangerous for newborns, and is fatal for 5-15% of infants infected.

as it turns out, i fall into the 10-30%. what that means is that during labor, i will have to receive IV antibiotics that will pass to the baby through the placenta, hopefully protecting her from infection. despite antibiotics, some infants still contract group b strep, but the antibiotics are a largely-effective means of prevention.

the good news is that being strep b positive does not mean that we have to change our birthing plans. we will still be able to birth at family beginnings. however, we will be required to stay at the hospital for 48 hours after birth in order for the baby to be monitored for signs of infection. if we are able to stay in a family beginnings room for that time, we'll be pretty comfortable. but if another mother needs the room to birth, we'll have to move into a regular l/d room.

at my appointment today i had lost 1.5 pounds since last week...which, although i have no idea why or how, i'm fine with...and better yet, the doctor is fine with. he did an exam today (i know, i said i would wait until next week, but i've had so many contractions this week, i just couldn't handle the curiosity)... as it turns out, things are moving along. i'm 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, my cervix is VERY soft, and her head is VERY low. he also noted that at this point, he can tell if the baby will fit through ok, and he said we're good to go.

as for any predictions on when we might have a baby in our arms rather than in my belly, he was reticent to predict. which i appreciate. i'd much rather he tell me he doesn't know, than tell me something that ends up not happening and them i'm really upset and anxious. that's the kind of honesty i appreciate.

also, this past weekend i had my last orchestra concert of the year. derek's parents and sister came in town to see it and we had a nice weekend with them. here's a pic of the belly and the cello: