Checkup, and Drafting the Big Plan

Why do I love my doctors? Because even though I've gained 32 pounds so far at 29 weeks along and feel like a complete MOOSE, my woman-doc breezed into the the exam room today and said, "Deanna, you look wonderful, as always!" I wanted to throw myself at her feet and shower blessings upon all her offspring, but instead I just shook her hand and blushed a "Thank You!" It's one thing when Jake tells me I still look good, but when my doctors tell me, I consider them the experts and their compliments really mean the world to me.

Aside from being completely at-ease with my weight gain, my doc also announced the happy news that my glucose screening test was absolutely normal. I felt compelled to write a letter to Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry, just to let them know that our friendship will still be going strong through the next 11 weeks. (After that, I might have to get kick-ass about dieting, but until the baby is born, well, nobody's saying the "D" word around here.)

Snippet's heart rate was a solid 140---just a few beats away from the same range he's been at since we first heard his heart pounding away at 6 weeks along. He's such a steady boy, and it is still an incredible pleasure each visit to hear that rhythmic reassurance. Oddly enough, though I feel Snippet moving now constantly, I still have not felt him moving above my belly button, and usually he moves a good inch below it. I asked the doctor if this was normal and she said Yes, because I'm tall with lots of room. (I think this was her nice way of saying, "Girl, you've got wide hips. Why would he move up and be cramped, when he's got all the room in the world down there?")

With a nervous quiver, I found the courage to ask her about birthing plans. I had expected The Gong of Dread to sound somewhere in the building, but she didn't seem terribly phased. I told her we had started childbirth classes and drafting the birth plan was part of our homework. I wanted to know what format she preferred to receive it in, as our instructor was insisting that we should write full paragraphs detailing our intentions. Although I'm a fan of writing and would love for my doctors and the entire hospital to know why Jake and I feel the way we do about all of our decisions, I can't honestly believe that anyone actually wants to read multiple-page birth plans. My doctor quickly agreed and said she much prefers a checklist format that any of the staff can quickly asses and understand our desires. She told me to bring in the plan next month and she'll review it with the man-doc, and then discuss our choices with us. I think most of our wishes are pretty reasonable, but I'll be glad for the chance to actually talk about them with her before we all converge at the hospital for the big event.

If you wrote a birth plan, where did you find inspiration for it online? We're currently researching and I would love a few good links. Did you encounter much opposition from your docs or hospital staff? How did you handle any disagreements?