Baby’s
Size: Cantaloupe
How far
along: 34 Weeks
Total
weight gain: 20 pounds. Those two pounds that came on last
week decided to stay with me. At least they chose not to bring any of their
friends. Still gaining roughly 1 pound a week. So, if I keep it up and go full term I am
looking at about 26 pounds total. One less than with Kenzie and she was delivered
at 37 weeks, 1 day.
Sleep: Still
not too great, but at least I am able to get SOME each night. I just spend so
much time getting up and down to go the bathroom or resituating myself. I’m at
that point when I have to actually sit up and lay down again to change from one
side to another. (You should watch me try to actually get up to go to the
bathroom too. It involves a lot of grunting and using my body weight to swing
me out of bed. I’m actually really surprised Steven doesn’t comment on it every
time I do it… 6 or so times a night.) I
do still randomly wake up laying on my back too. I figure it’s not a huge deal.
I know it’s not recommended, but how can I stop it when I am sleeping? I
usually wake up which is likely my body’s way of telling me to go back on to my
side. One plus is that the numbness and sciatic nerve pain in my leg have
pretty much ceased when sleeping. I’ve also noticed that I have made it farther
into this pregnancy without Charlie horses at night in my calves. I’m not
eating more bananas or doing anything different that I can attribute that to.
I’m sure I’ve also now jinxed myself. I remember waking up with them at least a
couple of times a week with Kenzie. I would wake up screaming almost and
usually woke Steven up too. Those things are crazy. I have a super high pain
tolerance and they killed me. I think because they just showed up with such
vengeance so quickly and I was never prepared. I think Steven hated them more
than me because there wasn’t much he could do about them. Not sure why I
haven’t started getting them yet though…. Not that I miss them, that’s for
sure.
Maternity
Clothes: Of course. I do still have those random things that I am
stretching to their limit. For instance… I HAD to wear my Dolphins shirt
yesterday (and good thing I did… what if I didn’t and they lost?!?) Anyway,
it’s definitely not maternity. I’m not sure how I got away with it, but it
worked out. Now to wash it and hope it regains its shape.
Food
cravings: Nothing too much this week. I have been really in to dark
chocolate almond milk. That’s a bit weird actually because I used to try to
drink it when I was pregnant with Kenzie and I HATED it. I actually avoided
drinking it after giving birth but something told me I should try it again and
now I have at least a glass a day, if not more.
I’m not a milk person but I know that Will chooses to take whatever he
needs from my body for himself and calcium tends to be one of those things that
babies take more of than anything else. They are forming bones after all. So,
almond milk has almost double the calcium of a glass of normal cow’s milk. I’ll
take it!
Symptoms
I HAVE: Heartburn, of course. I’ve also been getting
nauseous periodically. I have gotten sick a few times in the past couple of
weeks. I remember the last few weeks with Kenzie were like this. I’m back at
that point that I can’t eat a ton at a time because it doesn’t fit in my
stomach. However, because I am constantly busy with a toddler, I can’t eat as
often as I probably should and I get nauseous as a result. I’ve had quite a few
Braxton Hicks this week. They are getting stronger, but are definitely not more
than just BH. Mine tend to manifest more as just cramping though and not the
overall tightness that a lot of women experience. I asked the doc about them
though and he said that’s definitely what they are. They are not very
comfortable, but they do not hurt. I
have finally had a couple of the “normal” BH though that most women experience.
The overall tightness in one area of my belly that isn’t baby. Will definitely
doesn’t seem to be a fan of anything tightening on him and he tends to move
quite a bit when the tightness ceases like he is protesting. Makes me wonder
what true labor is going to be like. Maybe he’s going to be one of those that
is perfectly happy in there and just prefers to not come out. I’ve also been
having some round ligament pain and my joints are obviously starting to weaken
a bit. I’m also exhausted by the end of the day. I don’t expect any less, but I
think I could probably lay down right after Kenzie goes to bed and most nights
I would be out pretty quickly. I don’t do that so that I can spend time with
Steven… but I probably could. I had some swelling Sunday in my ankles. I think
it was related to all the walking I did on Saturday during my solo mommy day.
Yesterday at the doctor’s office he noted that I had absolutely no swelling
whatsoever so it is obviously all gone now. It’s also been really hot lately so
that contributes to it as well.
Stretchmarks: Still no
new ones but those old ones are definitely all starting to make a reappearance.
Oh well. I had those already so who am I to try to stop them from coming back?
I just hope to not add any more.
Doctor’s
Appointment: Yesterday. So, we started
the appointment with taking my blood pressure… twice. The first reading was
141/90. Yikes! After letting me sit for a minute we took it again and it was
114/81. That is much better and is hanging around right where I have been. Doc
thinks the first reading was a fluke. However, because it happened, we have
decided to move my weekly appointments up and I start going weekly now until
the end of the pregnancy. While he doesn’t think it is a major issue, he wants
to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on me based on my history with
Kenzie. I am definitely fine with that. He did note that I do not need to
change my diet or activity level at this point (meaning I am eating okay and we
are not even considering bed rest at this point). Will’s heartbeat was 157. He was
moving around a lot right before it was taken which I think accounts for the
fact that it was higher this week than it has been in the past for the most
part. Still completely normal. I am measuring right on track and he is still
head down. I know he could turn, but we are hoping he decides to stay right
where he is (and eventually just drops down and engages like that). Definitely
going to be using my yoga ball daily at this point. I think I experience a bit
more freaking out related to his position than most pregnant women just because
of the history with Kenzie. She was head down at this point too… and we know
how that turned out. I am constantly trying to feel for his head or determine
if the movements I am feeling could be butt or something else. I have read a
lot on mapping… that just freaks me out more. I have to stop reading junk. We
went ahead and set up my repeat c-section for October 24 at 11am should it come
to that. (Um… that means we will have him here in no more than 6 weeks and 3
days!!!!!) However, I have an appointment on the 20th (the day
before my due date) and if I am favorable for an induction because he hasn’t
come on his own, then we will switch to that. If we get to that point and I am
not dilated at all then we will proceed with pre-op for the c section. It is
dangerous to induce a VBAC that isn’t dilated at all. I’m just so happy that
this doctor is all for my plans to attempt the VBAC. Now, we just hope my blood
pressure remains happy and he decides to show up on his own just before his due
date (not too early though.)
Movement: Yep.
He has had hiccups quite often lately so I feel him jumping a bit randomly. He
definitely doesn’t get them as often as Kenzie did… but I think I mentioned
last week that I like when he has them because it gives me an idea of his position.
He is also loving putting his little bottom as far up as possible and he is
really starting to kick in to my lungs (more than he already was). I think he
is just trying to stretch out… but he can’t really so instead I just get a lot
of insane pressure as he pushes this way and that. I spend a lot of time
pushing his butt back in. Thanks, Will… but I can’t breathe when you do that. I
watch him move a lot and I swear, I could be cast in the next Alien remake.
Belly
Button (In or Out): Still in. No more
than 6 weeks or so to go so we will see what happens.
Wedding
Ring (On or Off): On but I have had some random swelling lately (see above
symptoms). I can still wear it, but I have more trouble getting it off at
night. It has been hot so that might contribute some to my swelling. It changes
with the day too. Some days are worse than others depending on what I have been
doing.
Labor
Signs: None. Too bad Braxton Hicks are not necessarily technically
labor signs… if they were I would have more to report here. Not that I want to
be having labor signs at this point, but I just always write “none” and it
seems so boring.
Gender: Boy!
Happy
or Moody Most of the Time: I’ve been pretty moody. I break down quite often.
Kenzie sometimes asks me “okay, Mama?” I feel terrible that she sees me get
upset or sad but these hormones make it to where I just have a ton of issues
with controlling it sometimes. I can’t wait to get back to my normal hormone
levels. I’m dreading those first few weeks after Will gets here. I remember
what a mess I was with Kenzie. Granted, this time I am going in to it knowing a
bit (though not a ton) more than I did with her. I am more prepared for his
birth to not go exactly as I plan, to deal with breastfeeding, and to just have
a newborn in the house but combined with having Kenzie too… I’m still dreading
what I will be like. I preemptively apologize to anyone I snap at in those
first few weeks… I promise to try to keep it together though.
Best moment of the week: The
Dolphins won their season opener this past weekend! I told the doctor it was
good that I didn’t go into labor on Sunday (mainly because it was too early)
because it is likely I would have shown up to the hospital alone as Steven was
not going to stop watching that game. Haha! He proceeded to tell me about an OB
friend he has that is a die hard gator fan that made his wife breathe (instead
of pushing) for as long as possible so he could catch the tail end of a Gator
game that he was trying to watch in the delivery room. Apparently it was a good
game. I can see Steven doing that to me. Doc promised he would show up though…
unless Michigan is playing. Let’s just hope that’s not the case. =) Kenzie
loved the game until near the end when I think it just became too loud (we were
at Froggers) and she lost it. She ended up taking over an hour or so to finally
calm down once we were home.
What
I’m looking forward to: Watching
our friends get married later this week. Can’t wait to see such good friends
take this next step in their lives. =)
What I
miss: I want wine. Yep… wine.
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