Update, Week 38. Moans and Groans.

Up until a few days ago, I had been enjoying this pregnancy. Well, perhaps the enjoyment began around June 20 or so, and ended near July 4... those were the easiest weeks for me. During those days, I experienced very little daytime nausea, few anxieties about birth or newborn baby, lots and lots of rest time, and the weather was fairly cool in Mid-Mo. My skin, hair, and mood were radiant. I felt happy and calm most of the time. I had a great trip to visit my family and friends in my hometown and a pleasant Independence Day trip. I felt pretty good about life, and totally loved getting a pedicure and my hair colored. I attended my water aerobics class regularly and was able to survive the day with only the briefest of naps.

So, in the last week things have changed. I visited the chiropractor for the first time in months in an attempt to assuage my weary back and neck. I've slept very little at night. I've been only able to attend a few aqua fitness classes, and when I am there, I cannot do very much, though its all low-impact. The temperature causes me to be sweaty, and I hate being sweaty on my scalp, back, and feet. My script for Nexium has run out, and is facing the insurance company for review, so I've got a grand-old case of the GERD again. Boo!

I've been quite forgetful this week, including tiny things like switching the laundry from the washer to the dryer, calling a friend to reschedule our appointment, where my keys are (that's not a new thing, though!!). and others.

I've also been feeling super heavy. Like I've got a solid lump of cement in my belly. A big, sometimes squirmy, lump that crushes my internal organs and makes it difficult to roll over. Frequently, the baby has spasms of energy that transform my abdomen into a shaking, jumping, shape-shifting weird thing. If he's active, he's super active! And now that his parts have all formed, I feel hard bits of skeleton like knees, spine, ankles prominently protruding like little lumps under the cover of my skin. SO odd.

To top it off, some of my "gee that maternity shirt is so huge it will never fit properly" apparel is now fitting snugly. I had to go buy a new shirt to have another one long and large enough to go into the rotation! Its a vibrant grape color, and while its cute and matches a pair of fuchsia shorts I also bought, I feel like a gigantic grape in it. Or perhaps like Violet B. from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

My pace is slower, and yesterday I asked Dan if the skin on the top of my feet was cracking or peeling because my feet hurt when I flexed them while walking. They weren't cracked, just swollen! Physically, my body is slower because of my achy joints and feet. I think the energy level I am feeling has reached an all time low... I have about as much energy as when I had mono. Seriously, I have to take a rest after I do a chore like walking to the mail box or folding clothes.

And speaking of swollen... its not just my feet! I've also had puffy fingers for about a month now, but in the last two weeks, my hands have gone to tingly to numb to frozen in weird positions when I sleep. I have to use one hand to physically straighten my fingers when I wake up. Its the weirdest thing, but would be a great Halloween trick! I can't remember ever feeling pain and pressure when I flex my fingers or curl them into a fist. Its SO odd.

The labor pains are still mild, irregular, and frequent. They haven't progressed into longer, stronger, closer together contractions, so its still not time for Baby H to emerge into the daylight.

Wednesday afternoon will be another baby doctor appointment, and this time the plans are well determined by which doctor I see. If I see Dr. G, the cautious, verbose scientist one, I'll definitely have a scheduled date and time to show up for inducement. If I see Dr. Kimberly, the peaceful, nature-will-take-her-course Canadian, she'll probably do a more natural procedure to move things along and urge me to wait another week before scheduling the inducement.

So... this means a baby within a week... or a baby in a week and a few days... but a baby before the "official due date" of July 26!

Due Date Update

Today at the weekly appointment, my doctor told me that I would be delivering before 40 weeks is up. In fact, before 39 weeks. Either my body will naturally begin the process of labor around 36-38 weeks, or I'll have a scheduled induction.

This means the baby will likely be born on or before July 20. This helps me with the mental preparation count down!

The reason why is the MTHFR deficiency I have as part of my genetic make up. It makes the life of the placenta a bit less than an unaffected placenta. Which makes the baby's last few days more unhealthy, if left to term.

I am not sure how large of an alarm this is or should be, because my doctor was pretty cautious about telling me these facts, and also emphasizing the importance of noting decreased fetal movements. Note: lots of fetal movements today around noon and 10 PM. WAY less during other times of the day. Def. freaks me out, but baby h probably has a very nice nap routine going!

In fact, I'll be returning to the office for another BioPhysical Profile (ultrasound and non-stress test) on Friday to further monitor this baby. These frequent BPP tests are used as a way to measure the baby's overall health, thereby making inferences about the placental health.


Interesting facts...
Did you know placentas are temporary organs, meant only to function for 40 weeks? In America, doctors routinely schedule labor inductions for post-term women because they feel the condition of the placenta is not so good.

Did you know that I was born 8 days after my due date, so I probably went with a less than satisfactory placenta for awhile?

Did you know that less than 5% of all infants are born on their scheduled due date?

Half Way There!

Hurray! This pregnancy is half way through, and in as much time as I've spent being sick, I'll get to have a baby! I am glad that medical professionals can estimate the date of birth and of conception... it helps me feel like I am making progress towards the goal and that the end is in sight. I can't imagine not knowing when I will be finally un-pregnant and holding our son. Countdowns are so comforting for those of us who aren't basking in the joy of being pregnant.

I have finally started to gain weight, and I think it is due to the fact that I've had a full two weeks of being able to eat supper! In the past three days I've actually been hungry. I know... sounds strange, but having an appetite is something I'm not yet used to.

All of the balanced nutrition has paid off in terms of development for my baby. He is measuring ahead of schedule, according to length and circumference measurements. I feel relieved that the daily ritual of dry-heaving and losing my lunch hasn't negatively impacted his development.

Which leads me to discuss my wardrobe... I am living exclusively in maternity pants (dress, cords, jeans - I've got them all now), yoga pants, Bella bands, long tank tops, and "normal" shirts. I do have three or four maternity tops that are making their first appearances, but I want to hold out on those as long as possible. I feel more "normal" wearing my "real" shirts, and for some reason, the maternity tops make me look more pregnant than the normal fitting shirts.

I am feeling the baby move quite frequently. The movement has changed over the last few weeks to go from a sudden twinge, to constant bubbling/boiling feeling to the occasional large movement. I haven't felt anything painful - no sharp jabs or kicks - but when I am laying down flat (like in the dentist chair or on the ultrasound table) big movements are more pronounced.

Baby is Hungry for... Version 2

My food sources have really shifted lately. I am hungry for certain, uncharacteristic Bethany foods. Other foods sound perfectly terrible.

I have only had a handful of times during February and January when I've truly felt hungry... not empty feeling... but hungry.

Here are the things I've been hungry for: Arby's Roast Beef sandwiches, very cheesy pizza without meat, apples, baked potato, and Chinese noodles with pickled cabbage.

I've found a few "trick foods", ones that trick my stomach into not turning. These are Cheerios (recently, off brand ones called Happy-Os), small juice boxes in the morning and afternoon, and chewing gum (sometimes). Sometimes saltines do the trick, but not lately!

If I am ever pregnant again and experiencing the same constant nausea and vomiting, I'll have this list of "go to" foods available. This time its purely trial and error!

Pregnancy Update, 4 months.

I am well into the fourth month. In fact, if we were in an Asian country, rather than in the US, the fourth month would be over and I'd be starting the fifth month... half way there! I still feel confused about the Asian way of counting 40 weeks as 10 months, and then after that 40 weeks your baby is born and becomes 1 year old. This compared to the American style of 40 weeks is equal to 9 months, and when the baby is born, time starts over again at 0 months.

At this point, I am feeling some movement. Its hard to explain, sort of like twitching or digestion. I usually can't notice it unless I am very still and very calm and very patient. These moods and behaviors don't coincide very often!

I've still experienced all day weakness, nausea, and frequent vomiting. I took the day off of work on Monday, 2/9 to get a refill of the Zofran and to rest. I have times when I fear I am dehydrated and can't stand the thought of ANY foods, and then other times when I am as hungry as a bear!

As for my physical appearance, I most assuredly think I look pregnant. I feel pregnant. I wear pregnant lady pants. I move slightly different, and my center of balance has shifted.

In next time's post: Baby Gender Update.

Week 15 Visit...

Scheduled for tomorrow, Feb 2.

For the first time, we only have ONE appointment scheduled for this month. With any luck and with good health for the two of us, the next appointment will be March 2.

However, I've been dehydrated lately and its causing a little alarm. I'll have this checked out tomorrow, as well as ask questions about my lack of caloric intake due to the extreme nausea and vomiting of week 14.

The night before a scheduled appointment, like tonight, I feel incredibly tense. I don't sleep well, and I tend to hyper-focus on one thing to avoid worries about the appointment. Now I am feeling most concerned about the baby's progress since my second trimester progress hasn't really happened. All the books, suggestions from well-meaning friends, and medical sources indicate that I should be getting relief from the exhaustion and vomiting. I have been feeling worse, if anything. Its hard to imagine actually being worse that I was in late Nov, all of Dec, all of Jan, but its true. Pregnancy just isn't agreeing with me.

Maybe learning our baby's gender or feeling some movement will perk me up and help me to focus on the fun we'll have this fall, rather than the puny-ness I've had all winter!

**Haven't actually decided about learning baby h's gender just yet. Probably we won't be able to tell tomorrow, so there are four more weeks until decision time!

Baby is hungry for...

Here I'll keep a list of the foods I am currently "off" of and ones that are abnormal for me, but are totally what I've "gotta have". To make this list, the "off" foods need to make my stomach turn at the mere thought. The "on" foods need to have been a craving.

I will update it since it will be short right now.


OFF: Dr. Pepper, DDP, cheeses, meat, chocolate, chili

ON: Double Bubble rock hard gum, Cream Soda and fresh strawberries, Tazo Passion tea, hot breakfast foods like hash browns and French Toast, Asian pickled cabbage and/or Phat Thai with tofu, pizza, wheat berry bread

First Trimester Appetite

Many of my students have asked me if I have had any "cravings". While I haven't had any bizarre combinations of food or urges for a certain sweet, y appetite the past few months has shifted.

Prior to pregnancy, I enjoyed fall and winter comfort foods, such as Curry Pumpkin Soup and Stuffing. I am currently hungry for blueberries, strawberries, and watermelon. I'm also really enjoying wheat bread with the whole wheat kernels.

I've also stopped enjoying soda. For some reason, every flavor of soda seems uninteresting.

Trip to OB ER

I wasn't feeling well yesterday.

I was so unwell, in fact, that I went to the OB ER at a local hospital. My doctors at CFMFC advised me to go because I had a nasty case of gastroenteritis and hadn't been able to keep any food or liquids in for half a day.

When I arrived, I was so dehydrated that I had to have 4 bags of fluids! They also gave me some Zofran and Phinergan, which are anti-nausea medicines for cancer patients. The other blood and urine test they ran confirmed a case of dehydration and a potassium deficiency. It did rule of diabetes, which is great news.

On days like this, I feel like baby h is making me fall apart! Vomiting and nausea are ever present, as are extreme fatigue and grumpiness. Luckily my husband is a patient partner, ready to step up and take care of me.