Tuesday, September 22, 2009

28 Weeks and a Shower


See above for my 28-week belly.

Saturday was our baby shower, which was so much fun. My sister-in-law and friend from D.C. hosted together. They did a Pooh theme, so all the food had honey in it or had names that were Pooh-related, i.e. Piglets in a Blanket. The shower was well-attended by my friends and family members from the area. We played a couple of very fun games and then opened gifts. Everyone told me that I'd get lots of gifts at my showers, but it was even more than I could've anticipated. From Bumbos to crib mattresses to car seats and baby tubs, we got a LOT of stuff.

The only frustrating element of the weekend was my insensitive mother-in-law. I don't think she realizes how hurtful she can be. When she first saw me, she said, "Is your doctor telling you that he's going to be a really big baby?" I, of course, assume this question comes up because she thinks I look too big for how far along I am. I explain that I am measuring right on track and have even lost a half pound since the last time she saw me. Then she acts alarmed that I'm losing rather than gaining weight. Ugh.

One of my friends at the shower is due 5 weeks after me. My MIL leaned over and asked if she was pregnant. I said yep and told her my friend's due date to which my MIL said, "Really?! But she's so much littler than you." Yeah, I wasn't happy to hear that. I tried to ignore it because I know my growth and weight gain are right where they need to be to grow this little boy, but it was hard for me to forget.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Leaking

Well, that was embarrassing. I was just chatting with a co-worker who kindly asked, "What's on your shirt?" I looked down, expecting to see a stain from lunch. Instead, there was a big wet spot directly centered on my left breast. I haven't had much leaking yet, so I honestly thought that it was from washing my hands five minutes before.

However, I got back to my desk and explored the situation, only to find out that it was indeed leaking. Time to invest in some nursing pads. With 12 weeks to go, I'm a little surprised that I leaked that much.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Prenatal Visit

I had an eventful prenatal visit today. We did the one-hour glucose screen, which really wasn't bad. The drink was super sweet and tasted like extra sugary Hi-C. I made the mistake of brushing my teeth shortly before drinking it, which I think made it taste worse.

I was able to ask my MW about my itchy arms, legs, and crotch. She said that the crotch itch was likely from a yeast infection and gave me a prescription for that. Since my arms and legs are itching without any rashes or bumps, it could be related to my liver, so she is having my blood checked for that.

Otherwise, all was good. My blood pressure was great, I lost a 1/2 pound somehow, and my belly was measuring right on track. If we can get this itching under control, I'll be very, very happy.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Third Trimester

I am now in my third trimester, at least according to the Bump. It's like my whole pregnancy changed dramatically as soon as I officially entered third tri. Seemingly overnight, my back started aching and I've gotten incredibly itchy on my legs. I was expecting an itchy belly, but the itchy legs are really killing me.

I've got a plan in place to cope with both:
  • I learned a few strengthening and stretching exercises for my back.
  • I'm squatting to pick things up, rather than bending at the waist.
  • Provided my MW gives me the ok, I'll be using a heating pad on my back occasionally.
  • I tried a belly support band yesterday, but it made my stomach itch more, so I have to decide whether the trade-off is worthwhile.
  • I'll be taking an oatmeal bath soon for the itching.
  • I've also started putting on moisturizer more often, which I don't usually do.
  • One other bizarre thing, is that my crotch has been super itchy for the past week or two. It's itchy in the same place at the same time every day. I read online to wipe with a baking soda paste, which sounded a little nuts. I tried it a few days ago and, after burning hard-core for about 10 minutes, the itching stopped.
Otherwise, pregnancy is coming along great. I can't believe he'll be here in less than 3 months!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Half as Cute

I hope my son is even half as cute as his daddy. I really am amazingly lucky to have such a fantastic husband. If we can raise Cashew to be like his daddy, I'll feel so proud. It would be a true gift to the world to add one more person like Brett to it.

He's been such a great dad already. He's been reading child development books, doing my Bradley exercises with me, attending every prenatal visit, giving me carte blanche to spend our money on housekeepers and massages, and doing the housework that I have neither the gag reflex nor energy to do. I'm just so happy to have him in my life and feel like our son is blessed to have such a great role model.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Nursery, Belly and a Fun Blog

Whew, it's been a baby-filled weekend.  We got lots and lots done on the nursery over the past week.  We are still struggling to fit all the furniture in the room without blocking a window or having the rocking chair bump up against the changing table.  We decided to make our smallest room the nursery, figuring that it would remain the nursery through the two kids we're planning to have and that infants need less space than toddlers.  However, it's become quite a challenge to fit it all in.

Anyhow, I'm so happy with the paint job.  The walls were originally a light green and we painted vertical stripes in a slightly darker tone.  I think it's subtle and sweet and adds lots of personality to the room.  Don't be fooled, though, it was a herculean task to complete this paint job.  We probably spent three or four nights getting the lines measured, leveled, and taped and two more nights painting and touching up.  It was all worth it, though.

This is the same chair my parents rocked my brother and I in.  You can see little Champ too.

This is the massive changing table/dresser that we got at a fancy garage sale.  We're going to accessorize it with Classic Pooh.
Here we are at 26 weeks.  I apologize for looking raggedy, but we worked in the yard most of the day.  I wear the same tank top in every belly pic so it's easier to see the change week after week.

Lastly, I wanted to share some funny pregnancy stuff, because when you gain 25 pounds and have a constant slime trail coming out of your vag, well, you really have to find a way to laugh at it.  I just found this hilarious blog by a female comedian who's 8 months along.  Some of you might recognize her from hosting TLC's "While You Were Out."  The most recent blog on breastfeeding cracked me up.  I also really like the Preggisode on Suffocation.

This song is not only catchy, but a pretty accurate slam on pregnant women.  Should I feel bad that I've actually said, "We know but we're not telling"?  



Friday, September 4, 2009

Umm, I Dunno About That

We had our second birthing class on Wednesday night and I felt a little less enamored with the instructor after this class. I'm very excited about the prospect of a natural birth and am taking this class to give myself the best possible chance of delivering naturally. At the same time, I understand that giving birth doesn't always go as planned. If this baby's breech or his heartrate shows signs of distress in labor, I'll sacrifice my natural birth for his health in a second.

There were a few instances during this week's class when I felt like the instructor and most of the students were bashing the medical establishment. Granted, there is plenty of evidence that many C-sections are unnecessary and that episiotomies are performed way too often. Despite all this, I don't want to approach my delivery like it's me vs. the hospital. A lot of the discussion almost seemed to villainize hospital personnel, suggesting they're just waiting at the front door to pounce, induce, and cut every pregnant woman who walks through the door. I am going to take this with a grain of salt and approach my delivery with a sense of optimism and respect. I trust that my body will do what it needs to do to deliver this little guy naturally, but I also recognize that I'm not a medical professional and will need to rely on the professional opinion of my midwife.

One of the weirdest parts of Wednesday's class was when we were discussing inductions. The instructor seems to be very against them, which is fairly understandable since they make your labor harder and less likely to be natural. Also, if there's a miscalculation in dating your pregnancy, the baby could actually come too early. Despite all this, if I go a week past my due date, I plan to use every natural induction method available to get this show on the road. If that doesn't work, I'll consider a medical induction. I'm due December 12th and really don't want my baby born too close to Christmas.

The instructor says that if your provider suggests induction, you should only consider it if you or the baby is not doing well. Someone asked how to know if the baby is doing well and the instructor suggested that nonstress tests and other medical tests are designed to find a reason to induce and therefore not very reliable. Instead, she said that moms should ask their babies how they are doing. According to her, the baby will usually give mom a little kick to let her know that he/she is okay. This was the part where I started thinking I might've gotten myself into a bit of a cuckoo birthing class. Ah well, like I said, I'm taking it all with a grain of salt. I like learning about the birthing exercises and relaxation techniques, but will leave the conspiracy theories and belly-talking behind.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Silly Placenta

So I had an appointment yesterday afternoon with my MW to follow-up after the ER visit. She said that the best kind of bleeding during pregnancy is anything that comes from outside the uterus and cervix. She also said that it was likely from a cyst or polyp that's been around for awhile, but is bleeding due to the increased bloodflow that comes with pregnancy. She recommended that we just leave things as they are and don't mess with it until after Cashew's birth. This does mean that I may have more bleeding, but I shouldn't worry unless it is different in volume or color than it has been in the past.

Just to be on the safe side, she had me do a dildo cam ultrasound, which showed that my placenta is well clear of my cervix. At the 20-week ultrasound, it was low, but not low enough to be placenta previa. At 25 weeks, that's all cleared up and the placenta is right where it needs to be.