BABY LUCAS: WEEK 30

30 weeks and Ben is the size of a head of cabbage - weighing almost 3 pounds and measuring about 15.7 inches. 

Monday I called and found out my glucose tests were normal which is a HUGE relief! I had our 30 week doctors appointment on Wednesday and have gained 18 pounds so far and my blood pressure has been really great. 

I asked our midwife about the belly bands you receive after a c-section and inquired if they were available to vaginal deliveries as well. She told me she orders them for each of her patients and believes it really helps your tummy to get back to normal and helps to regulate your hormones - so I will definitely be requesting one after Ben is born. 

This week I was super proactive. I made a list of what to pack in our hospital bag after doing some online research, called and made meet-and-greet appointments with the two pediatrician offices we are interested in and called the insurance company to get some questions answered. After the insurance call I was drained - I felt rushed and like all of my questions weren't completely answered so Chris and I are going to call back together in the next couple of weeks. I did find out that:

1. Circumcision is included at no out-of-pocket cost
2. The maximum out-of-pocket cost for our hospital stay is $300
3. I cannot order a breast pump until the baby is born and only from 2 vendors - which will ship the pump out within 24 hours. Note to self: include those vendors and the contact info in my hospital bag
4. We need to inform Chris' HR department once Ben is born so they can add him to our insurance since his hospital bills are separate - we have 31 days to do this. I think it's smart to have Chris talk to his HR department to see if they can set up the paperwork in advance

There are other things I want to know, such as - what are some unexpected costs we could incur? If I have to have a c-section, is that an additional cost since it's a surgery? Are NICU costs covered? What costs for Ben aren't covered - is the newborn screening included? I'm the type of person that the unknown scares me more than the known, so having some of these answers makes me feel more prepared.

This week we also had our Lucas-side co-ed baby shower at the Mussel Bar in Harbor East. Pam and the girls did a great job setting it up and it was so nice to just come and relax at this shower. Next weekend while we are at the beach I am hoping to knock out those thank you cards. We now have most of the items we need - and anything we don't have, we have gift cards we can use. Chris and I came home and organized all of our gifts and Ben's clothes.

I'll upload some photos from the shower and my bump later this week or next!