Week #34, Maternity Photo Shoot & Doctor Appointment #11

Maternity Shoot:
My good friend Kathryn came over Sunday afternoon to take some pictures of my belly and me, since I'm sort of attached. We were also lucky enough to bribe talk Kevin into getting his picture taken as well. I'm really not much of a camera person, and despite having googled maternity photos, I had no idea what to do or how to position myself, especially considering how many maternity pictures lean towards the sensuality and intimacy of pregnancy (and that just isn't me).

Luckily, Kathryn came to my house with no preset notions, just vague ideas. So what did we do? Kevin and I did a few of the couple poses, both sitting and standing, and we incorporated a couple of props into the picture: a red heart-shaped pillow as well as foam blocks. We used the blocks to spell out "boy," "baby K," and his name. [As an aside, I don't know why I'm so reluctant to post his name on here; several of my friends and family members know his intended name, so it isn't like it is a huge secret, but I find it difficult to reveal it. Superstition, maybe? Or worry that someone will use it first?]

After Kevin left, I changed and the poses became dance oriented; more specifically, ballet. There was some jazz thrown in there, but ballet is a lot easier for me at this point, lol. We tried some different poses with props stolen from the kid's room: a toque ("Dude"), a bib ("I'm the Captain!"), and a onesie. We also did way more playing around with the blocks, spelling out everything from "boy" to his due date to his first and last names! It was so much fun! Even my cats swarmed me at one point while I was lying down!

I think having a trusted friend behind the camera allowed me to relax and laugh, so I think that when I finally see the pictures I'll have the results I want, not just some awkward poses and forced smiles.

Doctor Appointment:
On Wednesday I had my doctor's appointment with Dr. Cosio (who is amazing, btw). Do you ever remember someone as looking completely opposite of what they actually do? I had envisioned Dr. Cosio as an older woman who was graying or who had started dyeing her hair blonde (to cover the gray). Instead, she was probably in her 30s with brown hair and very slight blonde streaks. I hadn't seen Dr. Cosio for several months (not since my 9th week, to be exact) so it's an understandable mistake, but I used to have an amazing memory of what people look like. I guess that's gone now too, lol.

It was a standard checkup, and I learned that my belly size is bang-on for how far along I am! This is fantastic since I've always been curious about how big my belly is. The kid's heartrate was 145 bpm, which is about what it was last week, and he's still head down. My blood pressure is good, which means my insanely high heart rate (still 95!) is normal. The doctor did suggest that I watch my blood sugar intake for the last while of my pregnancy, since I was borderline for gestational diabetes. I do honestly want to follow her advice, but I have horrible eating habits, meaning my good intentions will fly out the window at my next meal. I also don't want to have a monstrous baby, so really that should be my motivation for cutting down the sugar.

My next appointment (March 22nd - one month from my due date!) will include a cervical swab checking for Group B streptococcus. This is quite a common infection and usually doesn't affect the mother; however, during the birthing process it is possible for this bacteria to pass onto the baby, which has the potential to cause neurological damage due to the baby's lowered immune system. If I do have this bacteria, I will be given IV antibiotics every 4 hours during labour that will cross the placenta to boost baby's immune system.

After my next appointment I will be seeing the doctor every week until the kid arrives. So close now!

My Opinion:
My feet are swollen again. I'm now convinced that it's weather-related, and that my feet act like a barometer of sorts. Unfortunately I haven't figured out what causes them to swell since it just sort of randomly happens. Maybe spending too much time on my feet over a couple days causes them to balloon? And, oddly enough, it's my left foot that is the most swollen. I guess I'm lucky that it isn't both. I almost think I have stretch marks on the bottom of my feet too - plus on my navel between the holes where my piercing sat for 10 years.

Sleep has been...weird. There have been a few days where I sleep but don't feel rested, and other days where staying in bed helps me feel more awake the next day, but it takes me a while to fall asleep that night. And then there was Tuesday night, where I barely slept but woke up feeling fine. I still sleep mainly on my back, but I have been able to sleep for an hour or two on my side later in the night.

Also, I've been cleaning in my dreams. Is this some sort of subconscious nesting that has finally taken root? I've been baking like crazy (compared to before - so maybe once or twice a week) and figured that was my form of nesting, but I guess cleaning isn't far behind, lol.

Development:
He's getting big! The kid should weigh in around 2.146 kg (or 4.73 lbs) and should be around 45 cm (or 13.38 inches) long by now. My uterus should be about 14 cm above my belly button and 34 cm above my pubic symphysis (and I'm assuming it is).

He's now developing his own immune system to help him out once he's born, and his little fingernails are now reaching the ends of his fingers. They may even need to be trimmed a few days after birth. When he's born his eyes will appear blue, but they should (I'm hoping!) darken after he's a couple weeks old.

Oh, wtf? Apparently my amniotic fluid level has peaked, so from now on the baby will be taking over and I "will really start to feel every movement that [my] baby may make." I'm so screwed since it already feels like I feel every movement. As a result my skin will be stretched to the maximum, and this stretching will also cause my skin to feel itchy (yes) so it's best to stay moisturized.

In case you were curious, no, he hasn't dropped yet. I have mixed feelings about when he drops: on one hand I'll get to breathe again, but, on the other hand, the pressure on my bladder will get worse.

Misc:
Oh, hey! I just added a "Comments" section to my Belly Pics page, so feel free to leave one if you are so inclined.

I'm also going to have to start raiding Kevin's drawers for t-shirts, since mine are no longer long enough. The maternity wear shirts are fine, but just my normal ones? Nope. This kind of sucks since I don't want to go out and buy new clothes to only wear them for the next month or two - good thing Kevin is so much bigger than me.

Also, Kevin and I bought a 5 pack of onesies (or diaper shirts, if you will) from Costco last night - they are so cute! They have little racecars on them and they vary from solids to stripes (and sometimes the racecars make the stripes). Yeah, I still get giddy seeing baby clothes, lol.

Week #33, Doctor Appointment #10 & Hospital Tour

Hospital Tour:
We (finally) did the hospital tour on Wednesday. I figured that if we put it off much longer that we would run the risk of not knowing where to go when it was time for the baby to be born. There is a virtual tour available for the UHNBC for those curious-minded individuals, and for those interested in checking it out in person, the tour is every first and third Wednesday of the month from 1 pm to 2 pm.

The tour group was small (2 other couples, plus they brought one child each) so we weren't having to peer over shoulders to see what was going on. We weren't able to see any of the Assessment Rooms (they were full!) but we got a quick glimpse into one of the postpartum rooms. Most of the tour was conducted inside the Labour & Delivery Room, which was huge and equipped with extra supplies, labour accessories (exercise ball and labour bar), plus a private ensuite. There was an extra bed, a fetal heart rate monitor, baby bassinet, baby warmer, an IV pole, plus a personal supply of nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Apparently IVs are only necessary when the mother arrives on the dehydrated side, so I'm going to make sure I stay hydrated to avoid one.

It was definitely reassuring to know where to go when I eventually go into labour, and all of the different options available for labouring. Some of the info will be filed away for later use and some discarded entirely, but options are options and it is nice to know I have some.

Doctor Appointment:
I went into my doctor's appointment on Thursday feeling a little anxious. On Wednesday night I noticed that I had been spotting; however, since the baby is super active I wasn't terribly worried. But I did get a little excited thinking that maybe it was my mucus plug; but if that was the case I'd probably have to be a little more careful since that is what keeps bacteria, etc out of the uterus. Turns out I have a bladder infection (which is where the blood came from), so I'm on antibiotics for a week. The upside is that now my bladder won't be sensitive to touch anymore. There really is no downside, actually. A quick dipstick test of my urine sample tested positive for blood and bacteria, and my cervix was swabbed (just in case), so my next doctor's appointment is next week (with Dr. Cosio) to discuss my lab results, as well as do another checkup. My antibiotics are also only for a week, so if needed I could have my prescription refilled at that time. (Amoxicillin 500 mg t.i.d. x7 days - haha!)

Also, the baby's head is down! Or at least it was when the doctor checked him out. His heart rate was about 142 bpm, which is lower than it has been in the past, but the older the baby gets, the slower the heart rate becomes. My heartrate, on the other hand, was at 95. NINETY-FIVE. My normal resting heartrate used to be around 72 bpm and so I'm over 20 bpm higher than I was before I got pregnant. Insane!

My Opinion:
The maternity shots were postponed last weekend due to snow; we hope to do them soon.

There's been a lot of kicking of my right ribs lately and a lot of movement in my lower abdomen. It feels weird - sort of ticklish but like digestion at the same time. I think my belly is getting wider too - before it was sort of egg-shaped (narrow end sticking out) but now it seems to be filling in more. I've been having some trouble walking due to the hip pain, but this probably has a lot to do with the fact that I sit for hours on end working on my program. Although my feet and lower back would ache if I spent more time standing, so I'm really at that stage where I can't win either way.

Development:
This week the kid weighs in at 1.918 kg (or 4.23 lbs) and is around 43.7 cm (or 17.20 inches) long - although my kid is probably way taller than that by now, lol. My uterus is now around 13 cm above my belly button and 33 cm above my pubic symphysis, with my weight gain between 22 and 28 lbs (I'm at 30 lbs -- oops!).

He's also going to be putting that thumb to good use as he practices his sucking, and he will continue to put on weight to fill out those fat deposits. Also, his skin should be changing colour now from red to pink as a result of the aforementioned fat deposits.

Misc:
My mom was in town last week and bought some things for my baby: a crib pad, a crib sheet, a nasal aspirator (never would have thought of that one on my own), and a little outfit.

Kevin and I keep talking about how we need to get that bag packed, but haven't been able to pull it off quite yet. I want to pick up some travel-sized toiletries and then I don't need to worry about forgetting mine at home when the time comes. We also need to pick out a coming home outfit, especially since most of his clothes right now are around the 3 month old range, and maybe some brand new newborn diapers. We have size 1's, but then she showed us the ones in the hospital...and they're way smaller. Maybe just a small pack, just in case he does end up bigger.

I should probably also start washing some of his things, like receiving blankets, so that those are ready to go when he's born too. The other things, like larger clothes, can even wait if I don't get around to them before he's born.

Week #32 - 8 months

My Opinion:
Heh. I had that written down as IMHO (In My Honest Opinion) and then realized it looked like "I'M a HO" so I changed it.

I have solved the swollen feet fiasco! My office desk is situated so that the vent blows hot air onto my feet - which is great when I'm cold; however, with my pulse running at 90 bpm or higher my feet are never truly cold, and this caused them to swell. Like crazy. The past few days I've been working on my course stuff out in the living room and the swelling has disappeared. It's awesome!

My lower back and right hip have been causing me grief and I haven't figured out how to get around that yet. I've even tried sleeping on my side, but only after falling asleep on my back first - otherwise the heartburn kills me. Regardless of which position I fall asleep in, if I wake during the night my back feels stiff and cramped. My hips ache when I use my legs to help me roll over, so I'm assuming it'll either get worse or I'll find a way to make it bearable.

I've been feeling super tired lately, yet when I go to bed I have a difficult time falling asleep. If I find myself wide awake at 5 in the morning, I usually get up to go to the bathroom (might as well) but then when I lie down again, the kid has woken up and goes nuts. I've also been shuttling Kevin to work this week so it could be that my body is just complaining.

Development:
This week the kid is 1.702 kg (or 3.75 lbs) and is 42.4 cm (or 16.7 inches) long. My uterus should also be about 12 cm above my belly button and 32 cm above my pubic symphysis. I have currently gained around 26.5 lbs, but I was told (complimented?) earlier this week by Kevin's boss: he told me that I finally looked pregnant. I told him that I figured I'd have to at some point, and this seemed like a good time, lol.

This week my boy will be able to register on all 5 of his senses, he'll open his eyes in bright light and close them in dark (like a budgie!), and his toe nails should now be fully formed.

They go on to talk about how I must have felt Braxton Hicks contractions by now - but other than calling them spasms (or a tightening of the belly) that I may or may not have felt since I was 6 weeks along, I have no idea wtf they're talking about. Maybe if I'd been pregnant or given birth once before I'd know, but this is entirely useless information as far as I'm concerned. I do however notice when he kicks me in the ribs or has hiccups (or are those Braxton Hicks?).

Misc:
Time to figure out what to pack for the hospital! And what I want to do for a birth plan; thankfully I finally found a useful link for that aspect. Kevin and I (mainly my idea) decided to nix the prenatal classes since all the reviews I've heard have been negative. A couple of people have mentiond that they'd learned one useful thing, but I figure if all you can learn is 1 useful thing out of a 6 week program (slated at 1 hour each), then that's not a good enough reason to go. Especially when that person can just tell me that one useful thing, lol.

I have heard positive things about the delivery staff though, and if (hah!) I'm in pain I doubt I'll remember any of that information anyway, so I might as well be coached through it without hearing about the gory details. I somehow managed to make it all the way through high school without seeing the delivery videos, so I'll skip them now when they're a little more relevant. Besides, the internet contains heaps of information, and I'm a smart kid, so it isn't like I'm going in blind. I'm even debating creating a birth plan since even those carefully laid plans can be easily tossed aside.

Oh! I'm getting my maternity pictures taken tomorrow afternoon! Yay!

Week #31 & Doctor Appointment #9

My Opinion:
I am so ready for this to be over now. I'm uncomfortable more often than not, and I feel like an invalid. While it is nice to have Kevin fetch things for me from the basement or to carry 98% of the groceries in from the car, I do feel a little silly when he asks if I need help getting into and out of the car. Although, to be honest, I will probably need the help soon.

My feet are still incredibly swollen and my back (in between my shoulder blades and a little lower) has started to ache. My ribs have joined in as well, either out of sympathy or group protest. When I walk I sway like I'm in a canoe and when I sit I have to lean to the left since the kid has decided he likes the right side. On a good note, he doesn't kick as much as he used to; however, when he does move it is more painful. Why have I never heard about how it hurts when the baby kicks? For some reason I naively believed that I would be insulated from his movements. Wrong.

I recently added another pillow to my side of the bed (bringing me up to 4) so I can sleep higher at night. I have also discovered that if I stop eating a couple hours before bed then I don't get heartburn as badly. Score! Despite the fact that I've been sleeping well (read: not getting up at night to pee), I've still been tired during the day.

By the way, you must check out this link! It illustrates the internal changes while a woman pregnant, and, if you're curious like me, it shows where her organs go (hint: it's up) while the baby is cohabiting.

Doctor's Appointment:
I went to see Dr. Brenckmann today, and found out that I'm NEGATIVE for gestational diabetes! Woo! My numbers were on the high end of the normal range, but still below the cutoff mark, so I'm good. The kid also decided to cooperate with the doctor and allow her to measure his heart rate, although she isn't sure whether he's head down yet. I have another appointment in 2 weeks...at which point I'll only have 7 weeks left. Meaning less than 2 months. Eeep!

Development:
The kid is now around 1.502 kg (or 3.3 lbs) and is around 41.1 cm (16.2 inches) in length. My uterus is now 11 cm above my belly button and 31 cm above my pubic symphysis with my weight gain between 21 and 27 lbs (I'm at 26 lbs).

If I went into labour today, my baby would be able to breathe (very important), listen, see, remember and learn. His weight gain will slow down this week too, as his little body will start to put more energy into developing his internal organs. Also his skeleton is starting to harden like crazy, so calcium is very important right now (I'm all over that).

Misc.:
As you can see, I've changed the format of my Q&A section. I figured since my mood, cravings, and nursery never really changed that I would stop writing about them, unless something interesting happened. In which case it'll get added somewhere.

I did, however, receive the Nestle baby diaper bag package today! It's a one-shouldered diaper bag that includes the following: change mat, 150 mL Nuk Orthodontic (BPA-free) bottle, 340 g Nestle Good Start Iron-Fortified Formula, Baby's First Formula Feeding Kit (which includes 8x89 mL Nestle Good Start Omega 3 & 6 Ready-to-Feed bottles and bonus nipple), as well as a pamphlet on breastfeeding. It also included a pack of single-serving instant coffee, but I don't drink coffee, so it doesn't count.

PS - Blogger photo uploader is being an ass, so I wasn't able to include a picture of the package or of my sexy feet. Maybe later.

Week #30

Hello, week 30. I just realized that I have a maximum of 12 weeks left. 10 till my due date, and an extra 2 in case he refuses to leave, at which point he will be forcefully evicted. I just hope he decides to show up earlier than that so I don't have to have to be induced or have a C-section.

I've been talking with a friend of mine lately about doing some maternity shots, which I am super excited about! We've been chatting about doing some dance poses, and since she took dance with me last year she will be able to make sure that I'm standing properly in the picture, lol.

I have decided that I can't wait till he's born; however, this sentiment comes from the knowledge that his birth will mean that I have my body (read: bladder) all to myself again. And for this, I cannot wait. I haven't been able to sleep on my stomach since probably month 3 or slightly earlier, since the pressure on my uterus was uncomfortable. He's also very fidgety, so if he's born he can flail all he wants and I don't have to know about it! I'll also be able to breathe properly again, which I'm very excited about. And tie my shoes. I've loosely laced my shoes so then I can just slip them on and off, but I hate loose shoes. The heartburn can just go diaf too.

On Thursday I went back to the lab for my confirmation testing of gestational diabetes. This involved having blood drawn (for a control, I assume), drinking another, more potent, sugary drink, waiting an hour before drawing blood, and then waiting another hour before drawing blood again. I hate needles, so this was not a good time for me. Actually, that's not true; I had just decided after the second needle that this wasn't so bad and that I must be getting better. And then needle 3 came along, and it seemed, imo, that the nurse look longer to finish drawing blood for #2, so I suggested a different arm. However, my left arm sucks and there really isn't a vein in the crook of my elbow, so the woman took it from the outside of my crease, towards my elbow. I thought that this was a novel idea and why had no one ever done this before?! And when she drew blood, I understood why: it hurts like hell.

The kid is now around 1.32 kg (or just under 3 lbs) and is around 40 cm (15.71 inches) from crown to heel. Good news: there's only 10 weeks left. Bad news: he, the placenta and my uterus are all going to keep growing until he makes his grand entrance.

By now my little guy should be able to produce his own red blood cells, instead of by tissue groups called "blood islands." His brain is developing convolutions (ridges) which increases the surface area to hold more brain cells. His nerve cell transmission will speed up with the help due to myelin (fatty substance that coats the outside of the nerve cells), and his lanugo will be nearly gone by now. His hair (if any) should be in now, as well as his wee toenails.

How am I feeling? I was feeling incredibly tired at the beginning of the week. I also felt sick. That's passed though, so I'm feeling better and more motivated now.

What am I craving this week? Not too much.

Mood swings? No, not really. I only get those if something happens all the time and it just builds up until melt-down.

Any baby purchases? No.

What about the nursery? Same.

Doctor's appointment next week!

Doctor Appointment #8

From now on I'll be seeing my doctor every other week until week #36, at which point I will go every week until the baby is born. At least I think it's week 36 - I just tried double checking and gave up after 2 sites.

The doctor's appointment went well: I saw Dr. Brenckmann again. I've probably seen her the most frequently, and I really like her, so this is working out well for me. When it came time to check his heart rate, the kid just would not comply! Plus she got kicked for her efforts, lol. By the time she was able to find his heart, he wouldn't sit still and rolled twice on her. She decided that based on what she was able to hear it sounded good, and he was obviously doing well if he was moving that much.

I tested borderline for gestational diabetes - meaning I have to do a more comprehensive test soon. So while I didn't test positive...I didn't test negative either. This means that after a 10 hour fast I'll have to drink another sugary drink (which will be twice as potent) and then wait 2 hours before they draw blood. Goody, more needles.

If I do test positive, it's possible to control the diabetes with proper diet; but it also means that the likelihood of acquiring diabetes when I'm older skyrockets. (Note: having gestational diabetes does not give you diabetes later, but the strain of pregnancy brings it out, just like old age. Gestational diabetes is actually a glimpse into the future of your diabetic health.) Gestational diabetes, for those who don't know, means that my body is unable to produce enough insulin to keep up with high sugar levels, and the side effects on my child could be large birth weight, low blood sugar, and/or jaundice. Fortunately, if I do get it, it should disappear after giving birth (unless it rears its ugly head again in the future as Type II diabetes).

Week #29

Did you see that I finally posted new belly pictures? If you want to see how big I've gotten recently, go have a look.

Pregnancy is weird. And creepy. It's the only time in your life that you willingly allow a parasite to live inside yourself, and you also allow it to reach maturation and burst from your body.

I can now feel Baby K roll around in my stomach with my hand. A couple nights ago I had my hand resting on my stomach feeling his kicks (which I've gotten used to) when all of a sudden the bulge under my hand flattened. He'd moved. He did it a few times after that, but I was so creeped out that I couldn't rest my hand on my stomach anymore.

The little stinker is also active enough that it is getting harder to fall asleep at night. I just keep telling myself that it's a sign of strength and that this is a good thing. Although I guess it is good practice for the sleepless nights that are coming up. He's been giving me hella heartburn at night, and sometimes even being propped up doesn't help. And then there's my feet. I've never been a foot person, but I used to think my feet were proportionate - they were longish and slender. Now they're fat and swollen. Especially my left one. My ankles have disappeared into the wonderful world of my calves, so now I fully understand the meaning of "cankles." I've only put on a little bit of weight in my face, but I expect that part to catch up soon. I just keep telling myself that after a couple months I'll stop getting bigger and then I can focus on losing the weight. Until he's born I'm going to keep gaining weight since he still needs to gain another 5+ lbs, so I just need to suck it up until then.

The kid now weighs in at 1.153 kg (approximately 2.54 lbs) and measures 38.6 cm (15.2 inches). My uterus should now sit about 7.5-10 cm above my belly button and 29 cm above my pubic symphysis. By this time my weight gain should be around 18-27 lbs (I weigh in at 20 lbs). Considering how much I've already gained, I'm going to assume that I'll put on a total of 30 lbs. I just hope I'm not over by too much.

My baby's lungs are now developed enough that he would be able to breathe air, and his brain is advanced enough to control rhythmic breathing on its own, should he be impatient enough to make an appearance. In fact, with each passing day his chances of surviving increase dramatically, so I'll keep him inside for a little while longer. With each passing week a baby's weight gain increases rapidly, so the longer he stays indoors, the bigger he'll be. On a side note: boys weigh more than girls (I'm doomed), and the baby's weight gain increases with each birth (although I'm sure there are exceptions). I've already figured out that Kevin weighed just over 8 lbs (I think it was 8 lbs 0.5 oz), and my brothers never weighed that much, so I'm reallyreallyreally hoping this kid won't weigh more than 8 lbs. I get that everyone's body is equipped to birth babies of that size, but I just don't want to lug around that much weight! I already feel winded as it is.

Oh! My baby is also learning the difference between light and dark (meaning: when it's dark it's party time!), sound, taste, and even his skin is becoming more sensitive. His eyes are even capable of moving in their sockets so he's going to practice ogling.

How am I feeling? Some nights this kid keeps me awake, but other times I can sleep right through, so it just depends. Although I've been off my schedule this week so that's probably why I feel all messed up. Sometimes at night I feel like I can't breathe properly, so I have to deal with that on top of the heartburn. Good times.

By the way, if you ever want a good laugh, watch a pregnant woman attempt to tie her shoe laces. I would think it was funnier if it wasn't me that I was laughing at.

What am I craving this week? Food doesn't interest me as much this week. I mean, I still eat and snack, but it seems like I would go longer between meals if it weren't for my boredom snacking while I do my coursework. Food that normally appeals to me just seems blah when I think about it. I think I eat more out of habit that desire right now, which is probably not a bad thing since I'm still eating.

Mood swings? Meh, it happens.

Any baby purchases? No.

What about the nursery?  No changes, but I'm starting to think about washing all the clothes/blankets/etc that I have just so then they're ready to go. I'll probably wait on those for another month yet.

I've now finished coursework that wasn't due until April 10th! My midterm was originally slated for May 22nd, with my personal goal to have it finished by March 14th. I'm now aiming to have my midterm finished by the beginning of March. Earlier, if possible, but I won't push myself too hard. My grades are really high and I have huge goals of being hired by Accentus right after I'm finished my course. They love CanScribe grads and I'm hoping that the sooner I finish, the sooner I can start working (part time, of course). As an Independent Contractor I'll be able to work from my home and set my own hours, and after the baby goes to school (or later, if we decide to have another) I want to work in a hospital setting. I think this is the most post-school goal-oriented I've ever been, to be honest!

Doctor's appointment later today! Hopefully I'll find out that I'm diabetes free.