First, the most frequently asked question, "How are you feeling"?
Considering I am pregnant, I feel great! I definitely feel better at this point than I did with Hope, which is incredible, I think. Aren't pregnancies supposed to get increasingly difficult? The first trimester was no doubt my worst yet, but second and third trimesters have been good. I have had occasional sciatic nerve pain (like a total of 6 times), but no other back pain to speak of. I also have occasional hip pain, but again, it is no where near persistent enough to have me complaining. My biggest discomfort is that the baby is riding high this time. Both of the other girls were low, low, low from the start, so I never experienced heartburn, gasping for air just to carry a conversation, or leaning back to get a breath. The midwife tells me that my uterus is more "elastic" this time. I think she meant to say, "stretched out and weak"!
One other source of discomfort, and I don't know if I'm strange or nobody else talks about this... From about 22 weeks on, I always have a sore pelvic region. Everything is sore. I must have a weak pelvic wall. Or maybe weird hips. I don't know why, but by the end of each day, my crotch just aches. And in the middle of the night if I (try to) roll over, my pelvis groans and pops and cracks, like I'm cracking my knuckles. You know the really sore muscle feeling- after the first hard workout in a long time, you get out of bed the next morning and can't move. That's what my "pelvic region" is like every morning. But it warms up later, and like I said, I can't really complain overall. Do you other moms experience this too???
Katie always wants to know, how much weight have you gained?
At my 32 week appointment I weighed 155.4 pounds, which means I've gained just over 26 pounds. I might actually cross the finish line behind the 40 pound mark, and well behind the last two pregnancies. I already feel my postpartum body thanking me, not to mention my gleeful postpartum mental state! (knock on wood, everyone!)
Are you getting excited to see the baby?
Maybe a little bit. I've never been one to daydream about the baby before it's arrival, sadly. With this being #3, I'm wishing time would slow down just a little before we're flying through the turbulent days of adjusting to a newborn. I should remind myself that I've had very content babies so far, and I shouldn't expect anything different this time. But I think I have pretty low expectations for the other girls' adjustment period. We'll see...
Do you have everything ready for the arrival?
Ha! I have a list that contains no less than 25 things I want to get done before the big event. I have anywhere from 5 to 9 weeks to accomplish these goals (with one week of vacation in the mix), and I don't think I'm anywhere near ready. Today I managed to clean one set of blinds on one window, so at least I'm slowly chipping away at it though :). If past experience is any indication, the baby will be here in about 5.5 weeks, and I'll be content with the things that got done and the things that didn't. Unless I stop blogging and start doing... then maybe the list will be complete!
Are you doing anything to prepare for labor and breastfeeding?
Well, sort of. My goal is to walk each night (increasing the soreness of the above mentioned pelvic region), and so far I'm getting out regularly enough. I'd also like to review the Bradley method handbook and brush up on some relaxation techniques. Nutritionally, I am trying to amp up my calcium intake to ease the gosh-awful after labor pains and have more muscle endurance. I am primarily attempting to do this through vegetable sources like dandelion greens, kale, beets, and other leafy greens. I'd also like to take a little more coconut oil each day, keep up with the cod liver oil, and have a wheat grass shot once a week or so. Just yesterday I started my daily dose of red raspberry leaf infusion. I threw in nettle leaves as well, which are supposed to help with postpartum recovery, among other things. Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking tells all about it, pretty much exactly as I would explain it (references and all). There's a picture of my daily brew at the left.What are you going to name the babe?
We don't know, but we have a short and uninspired list going. We're open to any suggestions!
Is the baby busy inside you?
Why yes, strange that you should ask that! This is a large motor skills child, I think. All movements (except for two days last week) are big and bold. She has very predictable sleep-wake patterns so far, and I'm suspecting we'll have a night owl on our hands :).
So, how are you sleeping?
Well! Finally, Hope sleeps well most nights (she's almost two, y'all!), so I only wake once or twice to go to the bathroom. Unless, of course, Eva has a bad dream or any one of a million other things happens in the middle of the night. I do try to make up for poor night sleeping with the occasional afternoon nap though.
Speaking of Hope, how is potty training going (crazy woman!)?
Well, that's not really about the pregnancy now, is it? But, good news! She likes it. She didn't have a single accident today, and we put undies on her for the first time this morning. She goes on command, and even recognizes the urge and runs to the potty sometimes, especially for #2 (phew!). Today was our third day, so I feel optimistic. I am not overly optimistic that she will be perfectly trained by the time the baby arrives, but at least we probably won't be struggling to train her. Yay! Hope's favorite reads right now are "Where's the Poop - a lift the flap book", "Michael's Big Boy Potty", and "I'm a Big Sister". Obviously, she is experiencing some major life transitions and trying her best to be well-informed on the issues at hand!
What!?! You're not going to post a picture of your enormous girth?
Say, that's not very nice! I would LOVE to post a picture from my sister's baby shower last week of the two of us and our pregnant cousin, Emily. However, I am still waiting for someone to send me the photos. When they arrive I will definitely post, and you'll see us for what we really are!
******
If you've stuck with me this long, you get a virtual gold star next to your name... longest post ever. Thanks, and nighty-night!
5 comments:
hilarious! and, yes- major pelvic region soreness. I carry high too, so maybe its something to do with that... but I must say my kegal muscles are in tip top condition (really truly, not exaggerating) and I still have that lovely moan and groan through a night of trying to role over... so its not the pelvic floor, its more likely to be hormones affecting the "pubic symphysis" :D Big words from a nursing major! :)
I totally have the pelvic pain when I'm prego too.
Pelvic pain was felt here too! I can't remember how early it started, but it felt like I had it forever. Of course I had lots of hip pain all throughout my pregnancy with Novia so I don't know if the two are related.
Glad the potty training is going well. I am procrastinating on that issue right now. She's ready, but scared of the toilet... not the flushing sound... that she'll fall in. So we need to buy a smaller seat and maybe a potty chair too, we'll see if we start any time soon. =)
No pelvic pain here! Must have been why they had to cut him out. :)
The more pregnanies, the worse the pelvic pain. Fun, huh??? I'm right there with ya. :)
Post a Comment