Medical evacuation. It sounds serious doesn’t it? It’s pretty standard for pregnancy deliveries though. One of the perks of being in Riyadh, and many posts around the world, is that families have the option of coming back to the States to deliver. I know of one American diplomat who delivered in Riyadh and her experience was fine. But I would feel terrible about our family not being able to see baby girl soon after she’s born. Riyadh isn’t the easiest place to travel to so it would be difficult for people to visit.
And just in case this little lady ends up running for President one day, I don’t want her place of birth being an issue. ;) JK! She’d be a US citizen no matter where we’re living or where she’s born because we’re US citizens. I clarify this because we’ve actually had a number of people ask us about this.
The one thing I was worried most about the medevac process was finding a doctor Stateside and building a relationship 34 weeks into my pregnancy. I heard from other women who opted to medevac to the US that a lot of doctors don’t like taking on new patients so far into a pregnancy. Surprisingly, or maybe by luck, I was able to secure a doctor at The University of Michigan with one phone call.
The staff at the women’s practice was completely understanding of my situation and even said that they’ve dealt with similar situations previously. I suppose that makes sense being a university hospital with many traveling professors and being in a town that’s pretty transient. Fortunately there were still two doctors available to deliver, given my due date. I started feeling more at ease, securing a doctor and speaking with the staff that was really helpful and communicative.
When we arrived in Chicago I had an initial intake interview with the practice. I thought ahead and emailed a digital copy of my medical file to the office for reference. The nurse asked a series typical history questions. Since we’d be in Chicago for a couple weeks still she gave me her direct line, as well as an emergency number, case I needed it for anything.
Once I arrived in Michigan I had my week-34 appointment in Ann Arbor, where I met my doctor for the first time. She’s great. She not only asked me a lot of questions, but gave me the opportunity as well. She listened to my concerns, the biggest one being that J is here for the delivery. We discussed options, VBAC vs. c-section, and concluded that scheduling a c-section was best, which is scheduled for August 23.
Of course baby girl may decide to come early, but at least we have a little insurance to get J here in time. And the Embassy is closed the week prior for Eid, which means J comes back even earlier! So as long as I can keep baking this girl until he arrives, we should be good to go!
And speaking of 'good to go', I had my last ultrasound on this past Monday. When my doctor measured my belly at week-34 she measured the baby closer to 32 weeks. Measuring with a tape measure isn’t very precise, I know. Since Royce lost weight that last week of the pregnancy she wanted to get precise measurements to make sure baby girl is healthy. And she is, measuring on schedule. She’s also moved head-down. She was quite the performer - smiling, opening her mouth, and sucking her thumb. Was really nice to get a 3-D scan of her as well. She definitely resembles her brothers.
Tomorrow we move into our Ann Arbor apartment and I’ll go in for my week-36 appointment to begin the weekly non-stress tests. I’m definitely beginning to feel like we’re nearing the end. I had a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions the last few weeks and now I’m feeling so much pressure on my pelvis. The pain in my hip flexors is increasing each day, even with yoga and stretching, to the point that I’m now waddling from time to time! So say a little prayer for us, that we make it until J arrives! xo
