7 months. Is it just me or is time slipping away faster now?
I finally did my glucose tolerance test on Monday and it wasn't as bad as I'd originally feared. I did drink a sugary orange drink - but it was very reminiscent of the orange pop that McDonald's used to serve. The drink did get nastier by the end, but it was still tolerable. I got pretty jittery after I drank it and later that afternoon I had a major sugar crash. The woman who drew my blood after the allotted 1 hour wait was pleasant and she's my favourite (she makes it not hurt). I haven't heard back about my results, but I am going to see my doctor next week, so hopefully I'll know then. Gestational diabetes only affects 2-7% of pregnancies, and rapid weight gain at this stage of pregnancy would be indicative of a positive result. However, I'm still growing at the same rate, so I'm hoping I'm ok.
Baby K now weighs in at just over 1000 grams (or 2.22 lbs) and is now 37.6 cm (14.80 inches). 11 weeks ago my kid only weighed in at 100 grams, so he now weighs 10 times what he weighed then. My uterus is now about 8 cm above my belly button and 28 cm above my pubic symphysis. At this stage my weight gain should be between 16 and 22 lbs (I'm at 19 lbs).
Baby K's brain has started to develop the characteristic grooves and indentations that are found in mature brains. His eyelashes and eyebrows are present, and his hair should now be growing longer. His eyes are now unfusing and should open sometime this week. He'll be able to see light and dark, but not objects. His fat deposits are growing, so he's starting to look chubbier. By now his little body should be made up of 2-3% fat. His muscle tone is improving and it is not uncommon for a baby's movements to wake the mother. So far I haven't woken up because of his movements; however, for several weeks I've had a harder time falling asleep at night because he's kicking.
How am I feeling? I have started waking up a little more frequently at night, so there are times when I feel like I didn't sleep well. However, I feel like I'm getting my body on to a schedule so then I can sleep deeper at night since I'm actually tired. If I am super tired I just stay in bed longer that morning. Also, realizing I have 3 months left (give or take) didn't send me into the panic that it normally does. I'm starting to become more excited about his arrival, but I still have my anxiety issues surrounding the change.
What am I craving this week? To be quite honest, I feel as though my appetite has changed and that food tastes differently - but not necessarily for the better. I find I notice texture more now than before and that I can taste the salt in everything. It isn't appetizing.
Mood swings? I've been really irritated with Facebook lately - and the passive-agressive bitchiness that seems to be going on. I just wish I could get rid of the whole thing and not have to deal with those who annoy me. So, I've taken liberties to "hide" people instead. Now my Facebook feed is only from those who don't piss me off.
Any baby purchases? No.
What about the nursery? No change.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Week #27
Welcome to the 3rd Trimester! (Also known as the most uncomfortable phase of your entire pregnancy.)
Lately I've been feeling nauseous at night and so, in an attempt to make myself more comfortable, I have been propping myself up with pillows. It seems to be working so far. Even lying on my side makes me feel sick, so I am assuming that getting my head up higher than the rest of my body is the way to alleviate the nausea. The kid's kicks/turns/happy hour are getting harder - but not as hard as I had originally assumed they would be. Soon he'll run out of space to wind up and his kicks will either become less frequent or less hard. Either one works for me.
I've decided that it's a lot harder to ignore the baby while he's kicking than I had originally thought. Especially while sitting. Just last night I was forced to get up and walk around a little just to ease the kicking - and it probably put the kid to sleep. Since I've been working for hours on end with my course, it means that I've been sitting for long periods of time as well. I don't know if he gets bored or cramped or what since he's taken to kicking me to the point where I have to get up. And he always stops when Kevin tries to feel him move. Crazy, hey? I swear he knows the difference between my hand and his dad's. Kevin put his ear to my belly last night and said that it sounded like running water - so, it may have been the heart beat or the amniotic fluid he heard.
Baby K now weighs in at a whopping 875 grams (just under 2 lbs) and measures 36.6 cm from head to heel (about 14.41 inches). My uterus is now about 7 cm above my belly button and 27 cm above my pubic bone.
It is around 27 or 28 weeks that the baby's eyelids unfuse and he will start to develop his sense of sight. His brain is still developing and his week special attention is paid to his forebrain, as well as the parts of the brain that deals with auditory and visual information.
If I end up developing gestational diabetes (I still haven't done that test yet...), it is right about now that I'll start to rapidly gain weight.
How am I feeling? Tired. Since I felt really sick a couple nights in a row, it really messed with my sleep; however, I think I may have that figured out now so it should (hopefully) improve. I know that today I definitely feel better than I did yesterday.
What am I craving this week? Pizza and Cadbury Creme eggs. Not necessarily at the same time though. I guess I'm craving just junk food in general.
Mood swings? I have no idea. I have been getting a workout lately (from shovelling) and I really do think exercise improves my mood, so I think I've been ok. You should see my arms now: they're excellent!
Any baby purchases? Nope.
What about the nursery? Still the same, although Isis has taken to sleeping on the bed every day. I think the baby is going to have a roommate!
I really haven't been feeling motivated to do much of anything lately, except work on my program. My cross-stitch has progressed a little, but I feel like I really can't be bothered to do anything else. Including fixing my computer or using Kevin's computer to upload pictures. One of these days, maybe. Apparently my "nesting" is supposed to kick in next week or so for the following month, so hopefully I'll manage to find the motivation to get things done.
Lately I've been feeling nauseous at night and so, in an attempt to make myself more comfortable, I have been propping myself up with pillows. It seems to be working so far. Even lying on my side makes me feel sick, so I am assuming that getting my head up higher than the rest of my body is the way to alleviate the nausea. The kid's kicks/turns/happy hour are getting harder - but not as hard as I had originally assumed they would be. Soon he'll run out of space to wind up and his kicks will either become less frequent or less hard. Either one works for me.
I've decided that it's a lot harder to ignore the baby while he's kicking than I had originally thought. Especially while sitting. Just last night I was forced to get up and walk around a little just to ease the kicking - and it probably put the kid to sleep. Since I've been working for hours on end with my course, it means that I've been sitting for long periods of time as well. I don't know if he gets bored or cramped or what since he's taken to kicking me to the point where I have to get up. And he always stops when Kevin tries to feel him move. Crazy, hey? I swear he knows the difference between my hand and his dad's. Kevin put his ear to my belly last night and said that it sounded like running water - so, it may have been the heart beat or the amniotic fluid he heard.
Baby K now weighs in at a whopping 875 grams (just under 2 lbs) and measures 36.6 cm from head to heel (about 14.41 inches). My uterus is now about 7 cm above my belly button and 27 cm above my pubic bone.
It is around 27 or 28 weeks that the baby's eyelids unfuse and he will start to develop his sense of sight. His brain is still developing and his week special attention is paid to his forebrain, as well as the parts of the brain that deals with auditory and visual information.
If I end up developing gestational diabetes (I still haven't done that test yet...), it is right about now that I'll start to rapidly gain weight.
How am I feeling? Tired. Since I felt really sick a couple nights in a row, it really messed with my sleep; however, I think I may have that figured out now so it should (hopefully) improve. I know that today I definitely feel better than I did yesterday.
What am I craving this week? Pizza and Cadbury Creme eggs. Not necessarily at the same time though. I guess I'm craving just junk food in general.
Mood swings? I have no idea. I have been getting a workout lately (from shovelling) and I really do think exercise improves my mood, so I think I've been ok. You should see my arms now: they're excellent!
Any baby purchases? Nope.
What about the nursery? Still the same, although Isis has taken to sleeping on the bed every day. I think the baby is going to have a roommate!
I really haven't been feeling motivated to do much of anything lately, except work on my program. My cross-stitch has progressed a little, but I feel like I really can't be bothered to do anything else. Including fixing my computer or using Kevin's computer to upload pictures. One of these days, maybe. Apparently my "nesting" is supposed to kick in next week or so for the following month, so hopefully I'll manage to find the motivation to get things done.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Week #26 & Doctor Appointment #7
I didn't think the Doctor's appointment I had last week warranted its own post and then proceeded to not update last week's post to include it. Sooo, here it is: baby is healthy and growing. He kept moving away from the doctor's fetal heart rate monitor when she tried listening to his heart - which he also did to the ultrasound tech, so at least he's consistent. I didn't ask for his heart rate, so I don't know what it is, but I peeked at the blood pressure monitor when I was having mine done, and I was at 90 beats per minute. Normally I'm at 72 (or lower). Wow! It explains why I'm sweltering at night and why this cold weather isn't bothering me (perk!) for once. And whenever someone mentions the "pregnancy glow" I just tell them it's all that blood going to my face and that I'm actually sweating. It has nothing to do with joy and happiness, lol. I also have my paperwork to get tested for gestational diabetes. *Fingers crossed for negative*
How's this for panic-inducing: I have 3.5 months left till my due date. Three and a half MONTHS before my life changes forever. I'm so not ready for this. I have less than 100 days before my baby is due, and, really, he could show up anytime now. I think I'm going to go hyperventilate now....
When he kicks, you can now see it from the outside, so one of these days I'm going to record the movement and upload it. Monday night I was resting my arm on my belly and doing my cross-stitch, so the stinker went and kicked my arm. Apparently he doesn't like his space being invaded - how ironic.
I am officially in maternity clothes now. I wear the jeans with the band and the long flowy shirts. I still have a couple of my normal shirts that I can wear, but my belly is starting to poke out of the bottom (so attractive, I know) so I've decided to just go with the maternity stuff. Oh, and my belly is lopsided. Honestly. I don't know if it does that normally or if it's just me (I have scoliosis and so my ribs and shoulder blade on one side stick out more than they do on the other - maybe that's why my belly looks like it does?). Also? I think my belly is adorable! It's just so cute and getting round - and it makes my butt/thighs/everything look tiny in comparison!! How's that for a perk?!
I've also finally started doing my Medical Transcription course! At first I was bored to tears with the hardware, software and technical computer aspect of it (especially considering I already spent 3 days doing the same thing, only to have to repeat again in more detail), but now I'm into the medical terminology aspect of it and, while overwhelming at times, I'm really loving it. If I finish the medical word building module by tomorrow (which I probably will) I'll be 5 weeks ahead of schedule. I'm trying to do as much of it as I can so then I'll have some wiggle room if I need to slow down or take a couple days off here and there (and not just when the baby is born).
By now my baby weighs about 760 grams (or 1.7 lbs) and is 35.6 cm long (or 14 inches). My uterus should now be about 6 cm above my belly button and 26 cm above my pubic bone and I should have gained between 16 and 22 lbs (I'm at 16 lbs).
So, while I'm sure the baby has developed some semblance of a sleeping pattern, I haven't figured it out. I do pay attention when he's kicking, but I don't mark it down times or anything. He likes moving when I'm being still, but other than thant, I have no idea. According to the website, back pain, leg cramps and pelvic pressure should be increasing...but...I haven't really been feeling that; although it could be because I sit on my butt all day. I do, however, feel winded when I walk too fast and if I've been sitting for a while and then walk it feels like the baby needs some time to readjust before it's comfortable for me.
How am I feeling? My sleeping patterns are still off-kilter, but I find that my schooling has put some of my early mornings to good use; however, it is nice to have the option to sleep in much later (like yesterday) if I need it. I also had the absolute worst case of heart burn last night: it felt like something was trying to claw its way out of my chest through my sternum! The only reason why I think it was heart burn was because I took some tums and it seemed to help; but because of my scoliosis, my ribcage and sternum aren't connected very well (instead of a hard connection, it's soft) so any pressure on my back or shoulders causes chest pain. It's very possible that it was a combination of both things that caused the pain.
What am I craving this week? Chocolate. This may not seem like such big news, but I'm craving it worse than the usual "chocolate would be lovely right about now" craving. It's a good thing we have so much kicking about the house still, although I did bake a pan of brownies last night. I read on one of my email newsletters (from babycenter.ca) that by now my baby has developed a sweet tooth, so I'm just going to go ahead and blame him for this.
Mood swings? I still find somethings hysterically funny, as much as one week later but I do feel like, in some instances, my easy-going nature has been replaced by something a little more sensitive. Especially with the due date looming so much closer and with my schooling taking up so much of my time. I think about how busy I am now and how it'll get just that much busier after he's born: and it's overwhelming. I've tried explaining it to Kevin, but his response is just: "you'll do fine." Which I'm sure I will, but it's hard to think about how I'll manage in a few months when I feel so busy already.
Any baby purchases? No and there probably won't be any for a while yet!
What about the nursery? Same condition as before, but with my schooling my cross-stitch has been taking backseat so I haven't been working on it as much as I was.
Next week I'll officially be in my Third Trimester! Only 14-ish more weeks left! .... ....
Oh, and PS, my computer isn't reading my USB plugs anymore, so I'm not sure when I'll update my pictures again. I could just go on Kevin's computer, upload from my camera and onto here, but we'll see if that actually happens.
How's this for panic-inducing: I have 3.5 months left till my due date. Three and a half MONTHS before my life changes forever. I'm so not ready for this. I have less than 100 days before my baby is due, and, really, he could show up anytime now. I think I'm going to go hyperventilate now....
When he kicks, you can now see it from the outside, so one of these days I'm going to record the movement and upload it. Monday night I was resting my arm on my belly and doing my cross-stitch, so the stinker went and kicked my arm. Apparently he doesn't like his space being invaded - how ironic.
I am officially in maternity clothes now. I wear the jeans with the band and the long flowy shirts. I still have a couple of my normal shirts that I can wear, but my belly is starting to poke out of the bottom (so attractive, I know) so I've decided to just go with the maternity stuff. Oh, and my belly is lopsided. Honestly. I don't know if it does that normally or if it's just me (I have scoliosis and so my ribs and shoulder blade on one side stick out more than they do on the other - maybe that's why my belly looks like it does?). Also? I think my belly is adorable! It's just so cute and getting round - and it makes my butt/thighs/everything look tiny in comparison!! How's that for a perk?!
I've also finally started doing my Medical Transcription course! At first I was bored to tears with the hardware, software and technical computer aspect of it (especially considering I already spent 3 days doing the same thing, only to have to repeat again in more detail), but now I'm into the medical terminology aspect of it and, while overwhelming at times, I'm really loving it. If I finish the medical word building module by tomorrow (which I probably will) I'll be 5 weeks ahead of schedule. I'm trying to do as much of it as I can so then I'll have some wiggle room if I need to slow down or take a couple days off here and there (and not just when the baby is born).
By now my baby weighs about 760 grams (or 1.7 lbs) and is 35.6 cm long (or 14 inches). My uterus should now be about 6 cm above my belly button and 26 cm above my pubic bone and I should have gained between 16 and 22 lbs (I'm at 16 lbs).
So, while I'm sure the baby has developed some semblance of a sleeping pattern, I haven't figured it out. I do pay attention when he's kicking, but I don't mark it down times or anything. He likes moving when I'm being still, but other than thant, I have no idea. According to the website, back pain, leg cramps and pelvic pressure should be increasing...but...I haven't really been feeling that; although it could be because I sit on my butt all day. I do, however, feel winded when I walk too fast and if I've been sitting for a while and then walk it feels like the baby needs some time to readjust before it's comfortable for me.
How am I feeling? My sleeping patterns are still off-kilter, but I find that my schooling has put some of my early mornings to good use; however, it is nice to have the option to sleep in much later (like yesterday) if I need it. I also had the absolute worst case of heart burn last night: it felt like something was trying to claw its way out of my chest through my sternum! The only reason why I think it was heart burn was because I took some tums and it seemed to help; but because of my scoliosis, my ribcage and sternum aren't connected very well (instead of a hard connection, it's soft) so any pressure on my back or shoulders causes chest pain. It's very possible that it was a combination of both things that caused the pain.
What am I craving this week? Chocolate. This may not seem like such big news, but I'm craving it worse than the usual "chocolate would be lovely right about now" craving. It's a good thing we have so much kicking about the house still, although I did bake a pan of brownies last night. I read on one of my email newsletters (from babycenter.ca) that by now my baby has developed a sweet tooth, so I'm just going to go ahead and blame him for this.
Mood swings? I still find somethings hysterically funny, as much as one week later but I do feel like, in some instances, my easy-going nature has been replaced by something a little more sensitive. Especially with the due date looming so much closer and with my schooling taking up so much of my time. I think about how busy I am now and how it'll get just that much busier after he's born: and it's overwhelming. I've tried explaining it to Kevin, but his response is just: "you'll do fine." Which I'm sure I will, but it's hard to think about how I'll manage in a few months when I feel so busy already.
Any baby purchases? No and there probably won't be any for a while yet!
What about the nursery? Same condition as before, but with my schooling my cross-stitch has been taking backseat so I haven't been working on it as much as I was.
Next week I'll officially be in my Third Trimester! Only 14-ish more weeks left! .... ....
Oh, and PS, my computer isn't reading my USB plugs anymore, so I'm not sure when I'll update my pictures again. I could just go on Kevin's computer, upload from my camera and onto here, but we'll see if that actually happens.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Week #25
Mystery solved: my doctor's appointment was apparently scheduled on the 29th instead of the 28th (although my appointment card said otherwise), so it has now been rescheduled for this afternoon.
I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm finally starting to enjoy this whole pregnancy thing. I mean, getting up once or twice a night does suck, but I'm definitely in the honeymoon stage right now. I'm sure that'll change once I get into the third trimester (which, incidentally, is in about 2 weeks) when I start getting to be too big to do anything and have to get up multiple times during the night every night. And when I can't see my toes.
I've been feeling really good about myself in terms of my body image as well. I've seen several friends recently who I haven't seen in a while and they all think I look great. One even said that I looked like I had just finished a huge dinner and then promptly compared her belly to mine (she isn't pregnant). I had never spent much time around pregnant women, so I really didn't know what the belly felt like, but, despite its appearance, it is firm to the touch. More like rock-hard abs, only much, much rounder.
The kid kicks all the time now and has (finally) stopped kicking my bladder. I even felt movement one time on the upper right side, then a harder movement on the lower left - so I think I was punched and then kicked. It was a weird sensation. It still feels like a muscle spasm, only now you can definitely feel it from the outside. After I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I can feel him moving a lot more when I lay down, so I think I've woken him up at that point. I think Kevin has actually transitioned into the daddy mind-state sooner than I've switched to mommy-mode; I asked him if he thought it was weird that he was going to be a dad in only a few months and he said no. I know that I am still adjusting!
This week my boy weighs in at 660 grams (1.5 lbs) and is 34.6 cm (13.6 inches) long. My uterus is 25 cm from the pubic syphysis to the top and is roughly the size of a small soccer ball. Really? Blood vessels are starting to form under his skin and his skin is turning pinkish.
Some common ailments during pregnancy in this stage are itchy skin and swelling/bloating. The itchy skin is caused by the stretching of the uterus and stomach and can be alleviated through lotions and creams. The swelling and bloating (and subsequent "cankles") can be helped by staying hydrated, eating foods that act as natural diuretics and by putting your feet up (and begging for a foot rub). I've started getting paranoid that my ankles are being slowly swallowed by my calves and actually asked Kevin for his opinion the other night - he said they look fine.
How am I feeling? I'm getting used to being larger and even rolling out of bed, so it isn't as big of an adjustment anymore. I sleep on my side 80% of the night now (with a pillow tucked under my belly) because when I lie on my back the kid takes that as a cue to move. Or maybe I just feel it more. Plus, when I sleep on my side with the pillow it takes me back to when I was a teenager (or younger) and used to sleep curled up with my pillow squished into the wall. I go back and forth between feeling exhausted or energized each day, but I think I'm even getting used to that aspect.
What am I craving this week? I eat waffles every morning (no, I don't make them from scratch...), but I've found that during the past couple weeks I want more, immediately after finishing them. For some reason they just taste extra amazing now. I still love my mandarin oranges too.
Mood swings? Not really. I say that because, while I don't necessarily feel like I'm being pissy, I recognize that my comments sound like I am. In some ways I almost feel a little uninhibited when I talk - especially with Kevin - but I don't know if he thinks I'm being bitchy or not. I should ask. I still find that when I find something funny, I think it's funny for a long time after.
Any baby purchases? Not yet - still need to order the play yard for the kid though.
What about the nursery? I feel like the nursery is starting to take on a nautical theme - which I'm totally ok with. But not with motorized boats - more like the sailing ships of old. For example, Kevin has this fantastic model boat that we have in the nursery and I'm working on a birth announcement cross-stitch piece. And, now that I have the pictures side-by-side, I realize they're practically identical. That's fantastic!! I think the stars we have in place will suit the new theme just fine (for navigational purposes, of course) and I still want the motorized solar system and Twilight Turtle, but I think the combined theme will add more fun to the room.
I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm finally starting to enjoy this whole pregnancy thing. I mean, getting up once or twice a night does suck, but I'm definitely in the honeymoon stage right now. I'm sure that'll change once I get into the third trimester (which, incidentally, is in about 2 weeks) when I start getting to be too big to do anything and have to get up multiple times during the night every night. And when I can't see my toes.
I've been feeling really good about myself in terms of my body image as well. I've seen several friends recently who I haven't seen in a while and they all think I look great. One even said that I looked like I had just finished a huge dinner and then promptly compared her belly to mine (she isn't pregnant). I had never spent much time around pregnant women, so I really didn't know what the belly felt like, but, despite its appearance, it is firm to the touch. More like rock-hard abs, only much, much rounder.
The kid kicks all the time now and has (finally) stopped kicking my bladder. I even felt movement one time on the upper right side, then a harder movement on the lower left - so I think I was punched and then kicked. It was a weird sensation. It still feels like a muscle spasm, only now you can definitely feel it from the outside. After I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I can feel him moving a lot more when I lay down, so I think I've woken him up at that point. I think Kevin has actually transitioned into the daddy mind-state sooner than I've switched to mommy-mode; I asked him if he thought it was weird that he was going to be a dad in only a few months and he said no. I know that I am still adjusting!
This week my boy weighs in at 660 grams (1.5 lbs) and is 34.6 cm (13.6 inches) long. My uterus is 25 cm from the pubic syphysis to the top and is roughly the size of a small soccer ball. Really? Blood vessels are starting to form under his skin and his skin is turning pinkish.
Some common ailments during pregnancy in this stage are itchy skin and swelling/bloating. The itchy skin is caused by the stretching of the uterus and stomach and can be alleviated through lotions and creams. The swelling and bloating (and subsequent "cankles") can be helped by staying hydrated, eating foods that act as natural diuretics and by putting your feet up (and begging for a foot rub). I've started getting paranoid that my ankles are being slowly swallowed by my calves and actually asked Kevin for his opinion the other night - he said they look fine.
How am I feeling? I'm getting used to being larger and even rolling out of bed, so it isn't as big of an adjustment anymore. I sleep on my side 80% of the night now (with a pillow tucked under my belly) because when I lie on my back the kid takes that as a cue to move. Or maybe I just feel it more. Plus, when I sleep on my side with the pillow it takes me back to when I was a teenager (or younger) and used to sleep curled up with my pillow squished into the wall. I go back and forth between feeling exhausted or energized each day, but I think I'm even getting used to that aspect.
What am I craving this week? I eat waffles every morning (no, I don't make them from scratch...), but I've found that during the past couple weeks I want more, immediately after finishing them. For some reason they just taste extra amazing now. I still love my mandarin oranges too.
Mood swings? Not really. I say that because, while I don't necessarily feel like I'm being pissy, I recognize that my comments sound like I am. In some ways I almost feel a little uninhibited when I talk - especially with Kevin - but I don't know if he thinks I'm being bitchy or not. I should ask. I still find that when I find something funny, I think it's funny for a long time after.
Any baby purchases? Not yet - still need to order the play yard for the kid though.
What about the nursery? I feel like the nursery is starting to take on a nautical theme - which I'm totally ok with. But not with motorized boats - more like the sailing ships of old. For example, Kevin has this fantastic model boat that we have in the nursery and I'm working on a birth announcement cross-stitch piece. And, now that I have the pictures side-by-side, I realize they're practically identical. That's fantastic!! I think the stars we have in place will suit the new theme just fine (for navigational purposes, of course) and I still want the motorized solar system and Twilight Turtle, but I think the combined theme will add more fun to the room.
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