Are We There Yet?

Grrr...those pregnancy weekly people are starting to irritate me. Newsletter was a day late again, but finally I got my weekly dose of pregnancy information. Like I don't go on every website I can find that details pregnancy week-by-week. What can I say? I'm obsessed.

This is day number 235 and you're 34 weeks pregnant!
You have 45 days or 6 weeks left, and are 85.0% of the way there.
Baby's age since conception is 221 days or 32 weeks. You are due on 6/9/2006.
In the next few weeks pay close attention to your body and all the clues it is giving you. Close your eyes during any Braxton-Hicks contractions and notice how the contraction moves in a wave-like motion, usually from top to bottom. Your doctor may have you use a fetal monitor to measure the frequency and strength of your contractions. Depending on the monitor's results, your doctor may discuss the possibility of inducing labor. Some women are put on bedrest at this point to insure they don't go into labor early.
Your baby is tipping the scales at about 5 pounds and is 19.8 inches from head to toe. He or she is running out of room in there and you may now be able to tell whether it is a hand or an elbow pushing against your belly. Have your partner touch your belly and feel your baby's movements; it's a playful and loving way for the two of them to get to know each other.

So, I totally freaked myself out yesterday. I have people ask me when I am due all the time, or how far along I am. But this lady at work yesterday morning goes, "So, how long do you have left?" " 6 1/2 weeks," I replied. And then my brain goes, "6 1/2 weeks? 6 1/2 weeks?!!! Oh my God!!!" Maybe not quite so dramatic, but you get the picture. My due date seems so close when I put it that way. And I want it to be close. I really don't care to be pregnant anymore, and I want to meet my baby. But at the same time, I do not want to go through labor all that badly. And I know how much things are going to change once he's born. Not that I just started thinking about all of this recently, but it's much easier to think about when delivery is months away. Now the time span between now and D-day is being measured in weeks and it's a bit scary! But exciting.

The baby shower that my sisters and mother are throwing me is this Saturday. I've been looking forward to it, even though I think it will probably just be family. Most of my friends live too far away to make the trip - even to see me in all my pregnant glory. Come on, I know that you all would secretly (or not so secretly, knowing my friends) enjoy the fact that I am fat now. That I huff and puff when walking and I waddle and can't reach my feet very well. I really should take some pictures and try to post them on here. For pure entertainment purposes if nothing else :o)

Ok, well better get back to work. I don't know if I'll post again this week or not...I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. If something exciting happens I might check in. If not I'll be sure to post next week when I get my new newsletter! I'm sure that the suspense will just kill you!

It's About Time!

Damn pregnancy newsletter. I checked and checked yesterday and it never did come. I was really busy earlier this morning at work, so when I finally got a chance to check I was very happy to see it! Withholding my pregnancy newsletter is not a wise idea. I can be very moody these days...

This is day number 228 and you're 33 weeks pregnant!
You have 52 days or 7 weeks left, and are 82.5% of the way there.
Baby's age since conception is 214 days or 31 weeks. You are due on 6/9/2006.
The next ten weeks will probably bring stronger and more frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions. These are absolutely normal but can be somewhat uncomfortable at times. Your body is literally practicing for labor, and they give you a little taste of what it will be like. In addition to the contractions, you may also feel a variety of aches and pains in your lower ribs and pelvis. Pelvic pain is generally felt in the lower back and is caused more by your pelvis expanding in preparation for birth than pressure from the baby. The rib pain is caused by pressure from your baby and uterus. It probably feels like a dull ache and can be felt all the way across the top of your abdomen. Ouch!
Your baby is now 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds, and you are probably both very aware that it is getting more and more cramped in there. Your baby's adrenal glands have grown and are producing hormones that stimulate you to lactate. Are you thinking about food more in this home-stretch? Seafood can boost the development of your baby's brain, which will develop most during the ninth month. However, the FDA recommends you consume no more than one serving per month of shark and swordfish due to potentially higher levels of methyl mercury found in these fish.

Well, I guess I'm lucky in that I don't have a lot of back pain. Hardly any, really. But pelvic pain? Oh my, yes. My pubic bone feels like it's been hit with a baseball bat. Rolling over in bed can be quite a painful thing, and putting on socks, shoes, etc. is getting really difficult at times. Not only because it hurts, but because I can't reach my darn feet very well! Pregnant stomachs do not give very much...it's not just a fat belly. There is a baby in there, complete with bones. Shoving your belly out of the way is not an option. And also, what's with the newsletter talking about "the next 10 weeks"? If I am pregnant for 10 more weeks the baby would be almost 3 weeks late. Better not happen! I'm hoping for 8 more weeks at the absolute most, preferably 6 or 7 more weeks. But we'll see I guess.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter. Mine was fine...ate a bunch of junk food and probably gained a massive amount of weight. I'm really starting to feel heavier these days - my feet especially have been noticing that they have to carry around a lot more than they used to! My fingers are swelling quite a bit by the end of the day, and my feet and ankles are starting to get in on the fun, too. But it will all be over soon, right? I keep telling myself that, and looking forward to holding my little guy. It's getting so close now...

I Think Somebody Beat Me...

Because I am so sore! Ok, so it's just from carrying all the groceries up to my second floor apartment last night. How pathetic. My pelvic region is just not enjoying my third trimester. I have never experienced a sore pubic bone before, and it's not pretty. Add the sore hips in with it, and I am definitely starting to waddle. It hurt so bad last night that I was actually using the headboard to help me roll over, and little pants and grunts were coming out like I was doing really heavy exercise or something! I cannot wait until I get my body back.

This is day number 220 and you're 32 weeks pregnant!
You have 60 days or 8 weeks left, and are 80.0% of the way there.
Baby's age since conception is 206 days or 30 weeks. You are due on 6/9/2006.
You may begin to experience several not-so-pleasant symptoms of pregnancy, such as shortness of breath, leg cramps, swelling of your hands and feet (called edema), and back pain. You can relieve some of the discomfort by paying attention to your posture, and by exercising regularly.
As your baby grows, there is less room left for your lungs to expand - this is usually the cause of your shortness of breath. Exercising moderately can keep your body functioning at peak performance and strengthen some of the muscles needed to carry your load properly. Exercising before bed can also help with leg cramps. Try taking a 30 minute walk after dinner to help keep some of these pesky pregnancy symptoms at bay.
Your baby is 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. He or she will gain weight more quickly now and will probably double in weight between now and his or her birth. Just like a newborn, your baby sleeps a lot of the time. He or she even experiences rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the period of sleep when we dream! The decision to breastfeed or bottle-feed is a major point of debate among birth professionals and mothers. Breast milk contains a variety of nutrients that, along with your baby's stem cells, help maintain his or her healthy immune system.

I'm not quite sure that the 18.9 inches is a correct estimate about the baby's length. I was born a week early (at 39 weeks gestation) and was only 18 inches long. Most other things I read say that they baby is probably somewhere around 16 inches from head to toe right now. Although when he really starts moving around in there, I can't believe he still has 2 months left of growing to do. It's starting to hurt!

My doctor's appointment last week went well. I am up another 8 pounds, which is just shocking to me. I've never been one to gain weight quickly, and now I've gained 23 pounds in the last 3 months! My blood pressure is still good, though, and Matthew is fine. They were just going to do another fundal height measurement and listen to his heartbeat, but when I mentioned that sometimes I get a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, the doctor decided to do a pelvic exam to make sure that the contractions weren't causing me to dilate early. Thankfully everything is still closed up tight in there! Although I wouldn't mind having the baby a bit early, having a 4 pounder isn't really a good thing. And his lungs are just not quite ready yet. During my exam the doctor said that she could feel that he was head down! He could still move, but it's good to know that he has figured out how to get into the right position for delivery. I really, really do not want a C-section.

Ok, well that's about it for the week! Hopefully it will go fast - we get Good Friday off so it's the first short week I've had since last year. And I could use a short week! I get so tired by Friday these days. My husband and I will be traveling down to Indianapolis to spend Easter with his family. Hopefully I won't have to have him pull over at too many McDonalds for potty breaks. Oh, and I almost forgot...tomorrow's my birthday! I haven't gotten that excited about it this year, seeing as how there are more exciting things going on, but I've always enjoyed birthdays. Happy 26th to me!

Yay!

My newsletter came early today! Usually it shows up later in the afternoon, but it was waiting for me when I first checked my email this morning. Of course, there were other things that I had to take care of first, but I'm finally getting a chance to read it. I don't know why I get so excited - I guess it just means that another week has passed and I'm getting closer and closer to my baby being born. And not being pregnant anymore. Which I'm really, really looking forward to:

This is day number 213 and you're 31 weeks pregnant!
You have 67 days or 9 weeks left, and are 77.5% of the way there.
Baby's age since conception is 199 days or 29 weeks. You are due on 6/9/2006.
you probably are getting a pretty good idea of which birth option you will choose and other details about your labor and delivery. Many expectant moms find it helpful to write down a specific birth plan and give a copy to their doctor and the hospital. Creating a birth plan reduces the number of questions asked of you during labor, a time when you may not wish to be bothered by decision making.
Heartburn is a discomfort many pregnant women face. The pain in your chest and abdomen is caused by your uterus pressing against your stomach, causing its acidic contents to be pushed back up into your esophagus. For relief, you can safely use antacids; however, as with any medication, check with your doctor first.
Your baby now weighs approximately 3.5 pounds, measures about 18 inches from head to toe, and is getting used to the world of light and dark by opening and closing its eyes. Its facial muscles continue to strengthen, and your baby can make different expressions.

Yeah, heartburn creeps up on me pretty often these days. It's usually not too bad - not painful, but I can feel that things are wanting to back up in my system. Just about everytime I burp these days, something wants to come up besides air. Which is not pleasant and probably TMI. But oh well! I have another doctor's appointment this week, so I'll probably post again on Wednesday or Thursday. I'm going to bring up my contractions again. I know it's "normal" to have Braxton Hicks at this stage, but some days I have a ton of them and I want to make sure the doctor knows. On Saturday night I was trying to get to sleep and I had 3 in a row, about 2 minutes apart. It's not like they are really painful, but having them right in a row took my breath away a bit and made things pretty uncomfortable. I'm also going to ask the doctor if she can tell what position the baby is in. I know that he can freely change positions until about 36 weeks, but I'm curious to know if those are hands or feet that keep moving around right above my belly button. I can't tell.

Well, back to work. Everyone have a great week!