Monday 4/14/08

I saw my chiropractor today and told her about last week. She suggested that I don't go for any more NST/AFI* testing now that everything is fine. I did have that thought myself at one point, like since the AFI was up to 15 on Friday, doesn't that prove that it was only low because of the dehydration and now that I'm better do I still need to go twice weekly and expose my baby to the ultrasound waves and risk exposing myself to the medical-fear world. So, I plan to call tomorrow morning and cancel my hospital visit. The time conflicts with a yoga class I'd like to go to, anyway. A prenatal yoga class taught by my doula will serve me better. I'm committed to decreasing unnecessary stressful situations and increasing calming ones.

Eating has been slow going in that I can eat only small amounts at a time. My stomach is being squeezed smaller by our baby's bottom which is tucked under my ribs on my left side. The nervousness which I've had related to last week's events also contributes to my difficulty with eating. So I am drinking a lot of fluids and eating a lot of small snacks throughout the day and even during the night, if I wake up hungry. I still feel hydrated and generally healthy, but I hope to be able to feel more relaxed soon.

* NST = Non Stress Test which is when they put an external fetal monitor on the mom's belly and record the baby's heart beat for at least 20 minutes to determine the baby's activity level
AFI = Amniotic Fluid Index which is when they use an ultrasound/sonogram to measure the size of amniotic fluid pockets in each of the four abdominal quadrants