Birth center planning meeting

Yesterday at the instruction of my doctor, I got a call from the birthing center (at which I am probably not going to get to deliver my baby) inviting me to attend the monthly birthday planning meeting that took place last night at the center. This is a meeting at which all of the mamas planning to deliver at the center over the next month get detailed information about when and how to call and when to come in when they believe they are in labor, what supplies to bring to the birth, what to expect once at the center and after the birth, etc.

In case you haven't noticed, I am trying not to get my hopes up too high about delivering naturally, let alone at the birthing center. But I did attend the meeting, mostly because I want to keep my options open. Even if my odds of giving birth there are abysmally low, I'd be pretty upset if a miracle happened and my doc allowed me to give birth naturally, but I couldn't have the birth at the center where I really want to because I simply hadn't prepared for it. I'm hedging my bets.

My next appointment with the perinatologist is on Friday afternoon, and it's hard to wait. It is a little weird to have gone from wanting no ultrasounds throughout the entire pregnancy to waiting in suspense for each weekly appointment, but since the ultrasounds have direct bearing on when and how I'll be delivering the baby, they've become the focus for me in my week-to-week waiting game.

It felt great to get out of the house last night on a doctor-sanctioned outing. I'm still on bed rest, so getting in the car and going to a doctor's appointment (or a birthing center meeting) feels like a treat. I do get tired pretty quickly being out and about, and I noticed a lot more of the Braxton-Hicks contractions for a few hours after getting home last night, but my doctor says even though I'm having a lot of them, they are not worrisome right now since they are not causing any cervical changes. At any rate, it was nice to have a reason to wear shoes.