Pregnancy: Week 33

I had planned to post this update last week, but I had my midwife appointment on Friday, so I thought I'd rather do it after the appointment when I had more stuff to write about. In short: I'm feeling really good after passing through week 32, which is a gigantic milestone in baby development. Obviously we want Baby E to continue cooking for at least another 5 weeks, like Ada, up to a whopping 9 (!!!) -- but if she for some reason came early, my midwife said everything would likely be OK.

Belly shot:

I am up 17.4 pounds total since the start of my pregnancy. I only gained a pound since my last appointment, but my midwife says that's alright. It's definitely because I've been having some of the most wicked heartburn and reflux of my life. Dinners lately have been mostly a bowl of cereal. I am still working on getting good nutrition throughout the day, but so many foods trigger the pain. I had this with Ada and -- actually -- I tend to have reflux in general. It's something I should probably get checked after delivery or maybe try the GERD diet.

I don't know how I feel about this one. My midwife says I may have "a touch" of antepartum anxiety. And while I can wholeheartedly agree that I do worry about things related to the baby (and life in general), I don't feel like it's to an unhealthy extent. I have a good support network and definitely talk through my concerns without panic attacks, crying fits, or anything like that -- and I haven't had an ultrasound since week 18 despite having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions! I plan to devote an entire post to this topic. The abridged version is that I feel like the things I have worried about during this pregnancy are founded concerns, especially with what it took to get to this point.

So, about those Braxton Hicks contractions. Who wouldn't worry about them when they come every 10 minutes for hours on end? In my last pregnancy, my midwife would routinely give me ultrasounds to ensure they weren't making cervical change. This time around, they keep telling me it must just be how my body handles pregnancy and to deal with it. So far, she's still cooking. It's just uneasy being alone for so much of the day and wondering if it'll turn into the real thing.

The good news is that they started later in this pregnancy (week 25 versus 17) and aren't every FIVE minutes like they were with Ada. The only thing that really frustrates me about them is that all the "tricks" to get them to stop don't work (laying down, drinking tons of water, etc.). I seem to have fewer on days when I'm really active, walking, exercising, doing yard work, and otherwise exhausted. Then on slow days I have tons of them. Or, really, there's no rhyme or reason. I'm starting to think it has more to do with her position. When she's really low and pressing on my bladder, I cannot shake them no matter what. My midwife prescribed me some muscle relaxing medicine if they get out of hand, but it has some side effects I don't think I want to deal with while being alone so often.

Speaking of activity, my exercise level has gone back up again after some physically hard weeks. I'm back to doing Barre four times a week for around 30-60 minutes a session. I also walk 30-60 minutes every day. I'm still bummed that I haven't been running in almost 10 weeks, which might be my longest break since I was like 20 years old, but I know it'll come back after the baby is born.

Ugh. I have GBS in my urine . . . again. I think this topic warrants its own post.

I started prepping the cloth diapers and washing baby clothes this weekend. Nesting is in full force. I'll be sure to post all about it sometime later this week. Anyone using hemp inserts have specific detergent recommendations? I did an initial wash cycle without detergent on all those -- but I didn't know what I wanted to use with the detergent. I'd like to do something that isn't specific to diapers, like Tide or Country Save, but I don't know what's best for hemp and top-loading machines.

Other stuff:

• Days till my due date: 48
• Days till gestation when I gave birth to Ada: 35
• Cravings: S'mores, dark chocolate ice cream, strawberries, avocados, runny eggs (but I don't indulge -- boo!), and I want to eat THE LOVER all the time.
• Baby's size: Durian fruit (never seen one), 17.2 to 18.7 inches and 4.2 to 5.8 pounds.
• To-do list: Finish painting the nursery, figure out how to get breast pump from insurance, pack Ada's overnight bag (my hospital bag is packed -- I'll post about it maybe with a video), and scrub the house from top to bottom.
• Excited about: We bought a new mattress for Mother's Day! We ended up getting one locally because I wanted to try it out. So, we'll be setting up our bedroom for co-habitation sometime soon.

Other updates:

• 30 weeks
• 28 weeks
• 25 weeks
• 23 weeks
• 21 weeks
• 20 weeks
• 19 weeks
• 18 weeks
• 17 weeks
• 16 weeks
• 15 weeks

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Pregnancy: Week 30

I feel like it's been forever since my last pregnancy update. While not a lot has changed, I have crossed over into week 30 territory, which feels HUGE. I'll be 31 weeks on Sunday, and now that my appointments are every two weeks -- time is flying, which is a point I've wanted to reach for a while. I feel mentally ready and just happy to be reaching closer to the end.

Belly shot:

I am up 16 pounds as of my midwife appointment this morning. This is almost exactly my weight gain at this point in pregnancy with Ada. So weird how that's worked out because my activity level has been like 100% different. Also weird is that I weigh now what I did when I delivered her.

Speaking of weight, etc., I don't have any major fitness goals for the postpartum period. With Ada, I wanted to be running again ASAP. This time around, I really think I want my body to heal more gradually. I had a lot of pelvic pain the whole year after having Ada -- and I think if I had waited a while longer to run, I may have been in better shape. So, right now I am planning to eat well, walk, and ease back in with Barre and yoga. Maybe run a 5K by September.

Baby is measuring right on. I only know this from belly measurements. I haven't had an ultrasound since week 18! To me, this is absolutely crazy because I had had so many with Ada. But in a way, it's nice having some unknown. Everything else is looking good, too. Blood pressure, not UTIs, etc.

I am still exercising an hour a day, 5-6 days out of the week. Mostly walking. It feels good. The weather change has helped my mood immensely. Instead of looking at walks as fitness, they have become a real mental health thing. I look forward to the quiet and relaxation.

Stephen's hours have been hard on us, but I am getting more used to the routine. There is a period in the afternoon where Ada and I lay in my bed and watch videos on YouTube for like an hour -- totally necessary break in the day. I am continuing to work at about 25 hours each week and hope to continue this pace until delivery.

Some of you were asking about my "maternity leave" and as a freelancer, I don't technically get one. So, I am planning to take between 6-8 weeks off totally from writing and then ease back in after that. I will be making all my arrangements soon, but I am thankful that my checks lag a bit because we won't have a period where absolutely NO money is coming in over the summer. Phew.

I have decided to start packing my hospital bag and one for Ada as well. My big goal for the next few weeks is to really figure out exactly what we're going to do when I go into labor, whenever that will be. I will feel much better with a plan in place. The last time, I didn't have a bag packed and didn't need really anything I would have stashed in there. I am going to do a post on this soon.

Other stuff:

• Cravings: Soy hot dogs with mustard, BBQ kettle chips, ice cream, s'mores. You know, all the health foods.
• Movements: Crazy. I do the kick counting and get 10 kicks before 2 minutes most times.
• Aches + pains: Weird cervix stuff my midwife says is just normal stretching. Back pain comes and goes, but my SI-joint has been awesome since I stopped running (for the most part).
• Days till due date: 66
• Feelings: I think we have decided after this pregnancy to be done at 2. This is something I'll write more about another time, but pregnancy has been so difficult emotionally this time around -- I don't know if I could do it again. 
• Baby's size: Large cabbage (almost 3 pounds)
• Most looking forward to: Time off from working (both of us) and the summer weather. As much as it's going to be awful to lose sleep, in a way -- it will be a bit "easier" than the hectic schedule we're doing now!

Other updates:

• 28 weeks
• 25 weeks
• 23 weeks
• 21 weeks
• 20 weeks
• 19 weeks
• 18 weeks
• 17 weeks
• 16 weeks
• 15 weeks

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Pregnancy: Week 28

I wanted to wait until after my latest appointment to do a pregnancy update. We are now in week 28 -- the undisputed third trimester! Does anyone else hear trumpets?! I was really excited for this part of pregnancy for obvious reasons. I mean, there are likely fewer than 12 weeks before the end. My doctor appointments become more frequent. SPRING has sprung. Oh, wait. It "feels like" 5 degrees outside right now with snow on the ground. Ugh.

Belly shot:

Ada's big sister class was on Sunday. I was actually a bit disappointed if I'll being honest. Most of the kids were like 2, and Ada didn't really learn anything she didn't know already. I had envisioned they would have gone more in-depth into certain sibling topics, but I think with the young crowd, it just wasn't possible.

The good thing? We've been reading a lot about it. Here are my two favorite books for older kids expecting siblings:

• Baby on the Way by Sears Children's Library
• What Baby Needs by Sears Children's Library

Both books provide information in a way that kids can understand. They cover emotional stuff, plain info stuff (like terms for uterus, contractions, breasts, nursing, etc.), and Ada asks to have these read to her again and again. I like how they focus more on the way of parenting that we practice. Rooming in, breastfeeding, using a midwife, baby-wearing, etc. I highly recommend these books.

I think I've hit another growth stage. I had Braxton Hicks so frequently on Saturday that I had to stop everything I was doing and take a nap for an hour to get them to slow down. Thankfully I haven't had them nearly as much as I did with Ada, but holy moly. When they start, I get all freaked out. My midwife is really laid back about them this time around, which is both good and bad. She has given me some guidelines for when to worry versus when not to worry -- so I think I'll be OK. I just HATE them.

At my appointment, baby was measuring on track. I've gained 13 pounds at this stage, which is just a couple less than I had with Ada at 28 weeks. Heart sounds good. Everything is good. I think it's hard for me to BELIEVE it's all good because with Ada I had so many ultrasounds toward the end due to the contractions. I am a see to believe kind of person, so I left my appointment feeling OK, but also still so curious.

I try not to think so far ahead, but I truly believe this will be my last pregnancy. We had always tossed around the idea of having three kids. And if I'm being honest, in my heart I have always wanted three. But after three miscarriages and just generally feeling lots of anxiety during pregnancy -- again, it's not fun for me. My babies hang out really low in the uterus, too, so the back pain is creeping back up. I know pregnancy isn't easy for anyone necessarily, but I find myself regularly saying "I feel immensely blessed to be carrying this child, but I don't think I can make it through this again." Only time will tell.

I passed my glucose screen! I failed with Ada and had to take the 3-hour test. But I passed and actually aced the test with a 95 (I was 137 with Ada). My midwife told me it was best to take it as close to 28 weeks as possible to get the most accurate read. I wrote about it on Instagram, but pretty much all the medical test calls we've received for anyone in our family in the last 2+ years have shown abnormalities or worrisome things. I jumped for joy when I got this result. My iron and D3 levels are also great at this point. I always marvel at the iron being so good because as a vegetarian I don't particularly go nuts trying to make sure I get good amounts in my diet.

Stephen's track schedule is rough. We didn't know he'd be able to get a coaching position this year, but when it came open -- he pounced on it. The issue? It runs exactly through until week 38, which is when I had Ada (cue the freak out!). He's gone from around 7AM until 6PM (7PM or later if there are meets) and then on many Saturdays he'll be gone from around 8AM until 6PM for meets. I know many women have it worse, but with working from home and having no family in the area . . . this new schedule has been an adjustment for all of us. By the time he returns in the evenings, I need to lay down even though he's also tired. Family dinners have been few and far between. We're both just really drained trying to figure out the new normal. But I know it will be worth it in the long run. Whine over. We'll power through!

Emotionally, I'm pretty up and down. Little things make me cry. I feel very clingy and needy. I don't remember feeling this way as much with Ada, but I do remember it being a roller coaster at points. I think the hardest part about having another child and being pregnant is feeling like I'm just not giving enough to her. There are times when I simply cannot play or when I don't have the stamina to do my normal stuff. I also think the weather is affecting my adversely. I feel so much better when I can go outdoors and enjoy the sun. C'mon, spring!

OK. So after all that negative stuff (sorry! I really am not feeling as bad as this sounds), I will say that I am so incredibly psyched for it to be June. I need to figure out what type of "leave" I'll be taking from work. How long and how it will affect our summer income (any freelancers have suggestions?). But this long-held dream of ours is fast becoming reality. I don't know if it will sink in until I'm holding Baby E in my arms . . . but I already know I'll be bawling tears of JOY because I remember every bit of how hard it was to get here. With Ada, I was excited. With Baby E, I have this whole new regard and awe for life and the creation of life. It's powerful stuff.

Other things:

• Days till due date: 82
• Baby is size of: An eggplant! 2-1/2 pounds or so
• Cravings: Black seedless grapes, peach Greek yogurt, chocolate cupcakes
• Workouts: Walks and Barre3 online -- a mix totaling 1-hour most days of week
• What I'm Watching: All of season 2 of Fixer Upper last week. I want to move to Waco, y'all.
• Belly: It's big, but not as HUGE as it felt a few weeks ago in relation to my gestation
• Post-pregnancy goal: A 5K in late August. Slow and steady, but I'd love to be jogging again.
• Reading this week: Breastfeeding books. I've forgotten so much!

Other updates:

• 25 weeks
• 23 weeks
• 21 weeks
• 20 weeks
• 19 weeks
• 18 weeks
• 17 weeks
• 16 weeks
• 15 weeks

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...