Fat is not the enemy. In fact, I'm starting to think that low fat foods are the enemy. One of the major changes I've made in my diet since being pregnant is eating fewer fat free and low fat foods in exchange for more low fat and full fat foods. I've found that my appetite has been much smaller despite needing an additional 300 calories per day for the baby. I associate this with the increased fat I've been eating. I stay full longer and feel more satisfied by my meals. I also associate these things with the increase in protein that seems to come with eating foods higher in fat. Despite not having as much time for exercise and not being able to exercise as hard when I do have time, I'm right in the middle of the ideal weight gain range. I don't think that I've gained any more fat than I should be gaining to sustain the pregnancy.
Of course, I'm trying to eat more fats that come from plants than animals but by no means am I cutting out animal fats. Healthy cheeses, milk, yogurt, and meat in their full fat or 2% form are huge staples in my pregnant diet. But unsaturated plant fats are a larger part of my diet - avocados, nuts, olive oil, olives, flaxseed, and peanut butter, for example.
Two reasons that I think lower fat foods are the enemy: they seem more processed than fuller fat foods and usually contain more sugars. Another huge change in my diet has been how much I've avoided processed foods. The fewer processed foods I eat, the worse they taste when I do eat them. I was so surprised to find that I don't enjoy Girl Scout cookies anymore; they just taste so fake. I'd so much rather bake some cookies myself from scratch. And sugars - I've changed the goal of my eating so that it's geared more towards filling me up and keeping me full. Of course, food is still one of my favorite things and I am still obsessed with cooking and eating, but I'm cooking and eating foods that are much different than what I used to. I prefer fresh or very minimally processed ingredients that generally contain more fat and protein and less sugar. I'm specifically focusing on avoiding corn syrup of any form. I can't say I've cut out all refined sugar; this baby has definitely developed the little bit of a sweet tooth that I had prepregnancy. But I think overall I've done a good job of balancing that with healthy foods. When I do make something sweet like muffins or pancakes, I make them from scratch and use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose.
We'll see how this new food philosophy works for me after the baby comes and I'm trying to get back into prepregnancy shape (or better). I'm still planning on running the Super Bowl Sunday half marathon in February.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Week 29: March 27-April 2
Average measurments are 2.7 pounds and 16.7 inches but at our ultrasound on Tuesday baby was already measuring 3 pounds 2 ounces; measuring big again and 9 days ahead. Her head is getting bigger as her brain grows and develops. The skull remains flexible to enable the head to squeeze through the birth canal even though the rest of the skeleton begins to harden. Baby's senses are already up and functioning. She can see light and dark, receive sensations from touch, and her taste buds are even well-developed enough that the tastes of sweet and sour are discernible.
Sunday, March 27, 2011 ~ Baby's kidneys are just fine. Got a call from the doctor on Friday and the ultrasound came back normal. Baby was measuring a little larger than she was about 5 weeks ago (she was 4-5 days ahead then) but the tech said that the measurements are less accurate as the baby grows. The tools they use to measure are oval shaped and as the baby gets larger and has less space, body parts aren't perfectly oval. In fact, when she was measuring baby's torso she showed us how she couldn't get the shape to fit perfectly because baby's torso was a little crammed.
We have gone back to the drawing board with names. We had a list of five girl names and six boy names but Dan has changed his mind about many of them. We are keeping two of the original girl names and have come up with three new ones. Boy names on the other hand have been a bit more of a struggle.
I'm still right in the middle of the healthy weight gain range but bad things are happening to my thighs. My legs have always been the thinnest part of my body but oh man, these thighs are not looking pretty. I think I mentioned last week that I could see a little weight gain in my legs and face. I kicked up my walk to 8 miles today because I have another busy week. I'm hoping to still get my 15 miles in though because I'm already more than halfway there. Unfortunately I won't be able to do yoga on Saturday but it's for a fun reason - my coworkers are throwing me a shower!
My walk was really great today. The sun was out and the ocean breeze was blowing. I walked north today past dog beach and enjoyed watching the dogs play. I had a pretty intense Braxton-Hicks contraction around mile 6 and it scared me for a minute but it went away when I stopped walking so I knew it wasn't a real contraction. I sat down with the sun in my face, listening to the ocean and feeling the breeze. I was trying to store all of the sensations in my memory so that I could use them to help get my mind off of labor pains when the time comes. Visualization is one of the things that we learned in our birth classes at Hoag.
Speaking of Hoag, I don't think I've updated since our last birth class on Wednesday. I had a cupcake leftover from my coworker's baby shower on the way to the hospital. About 20 minutes into the presentation, I started feeling hot and asked Dan if he was hot. He said he was fine. I rolled up my sleeves but still wasn't any cooler and started feeling queasy, then I started feeling dizzy and seeing spots. I told Dan that I wasn't ok and he asked if I wanted to get up but I knew from past experience that getting up would make it worse. I was on the edge of passing out. I started breathing very deeply and began to sweat, which cooled me off. I felt a little bit better so Dan and I got up and walked into the hall, which was much cooler than the room we were in. There was a nurse in the hallway checking people into her class and she came over to the couch that we found to sit on. She could tell I wasn't well and said my blood sugar was low. How could my blood sugar be low? I just had a cupcake? She got me a soda and a wet washcloth and after a few minutes I was feeling much better. I asked my friend at work who is diabetic and she said that the cupcake actually caused my blood sugar to be low. It spiked my blood sugar so high that my body produced a bunch of insulin, which then caused my blood sugar to plummet. Crazy! I knew Sprinkles cupcakes were overrated.
We're planning a trip to Palm Desert sometime in the next 6 weeks or so, kind of our last hoorah weekend getaway. All I want to do is sit by the pool and have a lazy dinner one night. I'm really looking forward to it!
Thursday, March 31, 2011 ~ Our monthly appointment went well today. I'm so glad that I changed my appointment day from Tuesdays to Thursdays. The office is so much less busy on Thursdays and I was in and out in no time! The baby's kidneys are fine and her heartrate is strong. Despite the baby measuring 9 days ahead at the ultrasound my fundal height is actually measuring right on schedule now (it was 3 weeks ahead at the last two appointments). The doctor said my weight gain is ideal but that I'm slightly anemic. I hadn't been taking my iron supplement for very long before the blood draw so I'm hoping that if I become consistent with it, my iron level will raise and I won't be quite as tired as I have been for the last week or so. Another piece of good news is that I don't have to go back for 4 weeks. April is our busiest month yet and I really wasn't looking forward to adding another appointment to the mix. I'll see him in 4 weeks right before I'm 34 weeks, then at 36 weeks, and then probably every week after that.
Last night I finally got the Charley Horses that I've been reading about. I was woken up by a couple in my right leg but they went away right when I stretched them out. At 3:30 am I was bolted up by the worst cramp I've ever gotten in my left calf. Oh and it took forever to loosen up. It was so tight that my calf has been sore all day. I have still been drinking the same amount of water every day - at least 96 oz. I'm wondering if sodium can contribute to these cramps because I know I've had too much this week. I guess I'll have to increase my banana intake.
Sunday, March 27, 2011 ~ Baby's kidneys are just fine. Got a call from the doctor on Friday and the ultrasound came back normal. Baby was measuring a little larger than she was about 5 weeks ago (she was 4-5 days ahead then) but the tech said that the measurements are less accurate as the baby grows. The tools they use to measure are oval shaped and as the baby gets larger and has less space, body parts aren't perfectly oval. In fact, when she was measuring baby's torso she showed us how she couldn't get the shape to fit perfectly because baby's torso was a little crammed.
We have gone back to the drawing board with names. We had a list of five girl names and six boy names but Dan has changed his mind about many of them. We are keeping two of the original girl names and have come up with three new ones. Boy names on the other hand have been a bit more of a struggle.
I'm still right in the middle of the healthy weight gain range but bad things are happening to my thighs. My legs have always been the thinnest part of my body but oh man, these thighs are not looking pretty. I think I mentioned last week that I could see a little weight gain in my legs and face. I kicked up my walk to 8 miles today because I have another busy week. I'm hoping to still get my 15 miles in though because I'm already more than halfway there. Unfortunately I won't be able to do yoga on Saturday but it's for a fun reason - my coworkers are throwing me a shower!
My walk was really great today. The sun was out and the ocean breeze was blowing. I walked north today past dog beach and enjoyed watching the dogs play. I had a pretty intense Braxton-Hicks contraction around mile 6 and it scared me for a minute but it went away when I stopped walking so I knew it wasn't a real contraction. I sat down with the sun in my face, listening to the ocean and feeling the breeze. I was trying to store all of the sensations in my memory so that I could use them to help get my mind off of labor pains when the time comes. Visualization is one of the things that we learned in our birth classes at Hoag.
Speaking of Hoag, I don't think I've updated since our last birth class on Wednesday. I had a cupcake leftover from my coworker's baby shower on the way to the hospital. About 20 minutes into the presentation, I started feeling hot and asked Dan if he was hot. He said he was fine. I rolled up my sleeves but still wasn't any cooler and started feeling queasy, then I started feeling dizzy and seeing spots. I told Dan that I wasn't ok and he asked if I wanted to get up but I knew from past experience that getting up would make it worse. I was on the edge of passing out. I started breathing very deeply and began to sweat, which cooled me off. I felt a little bit better so Dan and I got up and walked into the hall, which was much cooler than the room we were in. There was a nurse in the hallway checking people into her class and she came over to the couch that we found to sit on. She could tell I wasn't well and said my blood sugar was low. How could my blood sugar be low? I just had a cupcake? She got me a soda and a wet washcloth and after a few minutes I was feeling much better. I asked my friend at work who is diabetic and she said that the cupcake actually caused my blood sugar to be low. It spiked my blood sugar so high that my body produced a bunch of insulin, which then caused my blood sugar to plummet. Crazy! I knew Sprinkles cupcakes were overrated.
We're planning a trip to Palm Desert sometime in the next 6 weeks or so, kind of our last hoorah weekend getaway. All I want to do is sit by the pool and have a lazy dinner one night. I'm really looking forward to it!
Thursday, March 31, 2011 ~ Our monthly appointment went well today. I'm so glad that I changed my appointment day from Tuesdays to Thursdays. The office is so much less busy on Thursdays and I was in and out in no time! The baby's kidneys are fine and her heartrate is strong. Despite the baby measuring 9 days ahead at the ultrasound my fundal height is actually measuring right on schedule now (it was 3 weeks ahead at the last two appointments). The doctor said my weight gain is ideal but that I'm slightly anemic. I hadn't been taking my iron supplement for very long before the blood draw so I'm hoping that if I become consistent with it, my iron level will raise and I won't be quite as tired as I have been for the last week or so. Another piece of good news is that I don't have to go back for 4 weeks. April is our busiest month yet and I really wasn't looking forward to adding another appointment to the mix. I'll see him in 4 weeks right before I'm 34 weeks, then at 36 weeks, and then probably every week after that.
Last night I finally got the Charley Horses that I've been reading about. I was woken up by a couple in my right leg but they went away right when I stretched them out. At 3:30 am I was bolted up by the worst cramp I've ever gotten in my left calf. Oh and it took forever to loosen up. It was so tight that my calf has been sore all day. I have still been drinking the same amount of water every day - at least 96 oz. I'm wondering if sodium can contribute to these cramps because I know I've had too much this week. I guess I'll have to increase my banana intake.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Week 28: March 20-27
Baby is now about 15.75 inches long and weighs 2.4 pounds. His brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissues within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. The hair that covers his scalp is also getting longer. He can now open and close his eyes, which have eyelashes. The third trimester has officially started! I will start having biweekly appointments with the doctor soon, according to most websites. I'll find out at my next appointment at the end of the month.
Sunday, March 20, 2011 ~ My most comfortable sleeping position is starting to cause a bit of back pain. I knew it would happen sooner or later and I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Prepregnancy I was always a belly sleeper and it was a tough transition but I've become mostly a back sleeper. For at least three months I've read that I shouldn't be sleeping on my back because a major vein runs under the uterus and the bloodflow back to my heart could be compromised once the baby starts weighing more. I asked my doctor about it long ago and he said I can sleep on my back for as long as I'm comfortable. Looks like the sides will become my only option soon.
I can't remember if I've mentioned how amazing prenatal yoga is. Every time I leave, I feel wonderful and can't wait to go back. I've been going on Saturdays for several weeks and was set on going Tuesdays as well, however last week and for the next two weeks the regular instructor won't be there and she suggested that we just stick with Saturdays until she's back. Not only do I physically feel great but I really believe that it's preparing my body for labor and will make a natural labor easier.
I think I've gained a little pudge weight in the last two weeks. I'm starting to see it in my legs and a little bit in my face. Dan says he can't tell but of course he wouldn't tell me if he could. I think I've allowed myself to indulge in sweets a little bit too much, especially around my birthday. Otherwise I've still been eating really healthfully. So this week I'm going to cut back on the sweets. Exercise is going to be rough because it's raining today and tomorrow, we have an ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon, a childbirth class on Wed, and I'm getting together with Jessica on Thursday. I'm going to try my hardest to find the energy to go on at least a short walk after our ultrasound Tuesday (fingers crossed that it's a short appointment) and a short walk before I see Jessica Thursday. I haven't had the ligament/muscle pain I mentioned in my previous post after my last two 6 mile walks so hopefully I'll be able to go three days in a row this week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If I can do four miles all four days, I'll meet my goal.
Speaking of our ultrasound, I'm looking forward to going in and finding out that the baby's kidney is not dilated. Since we can't get cute shots with the baby as large as he is, I'm hoping that it's a quick in and out appointment. The last one was incredibly long!
I can't believe we're in the third trimester!!! Only 84 days to go. I keep having conversations with the baby that 37 weeks would be ideal if he wants to come early. That's the point where he would not be considered premature and it would give me three more weeks with him before I have to go back to work. I'm meeting with my department chair on Thursday to drop the bomb that I want to take a few weeks off in September. I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about that. I'm not really sure why I'm nervous but I think it's because I have a hard time putting my needs ahead of my students' needs. Missing the first few weeks of school will be rough on everybody but I believe that I can find a good substitute and it won't be a big deal. I'm actually hoping that one of the three ladies who retired when I got hired would be interested in helping me out. One or two of them have been doing some sporadic substitute teaching. We also need to do a couple more daycare interviews and hopefully have something set up soon.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 ~ Just a quick update after the ultrasound - amniotic fluid level is normal and the baby's kidneys are both about the same size. I'm hoping that means that the dilated kidney is no longer dilated and not the other way around. The tech said they'll send my doctor the results tomorrow so I'll probably hear from him by Thursday. Baby is measuring 9 days ahead, 3 lbs 2 oz. The tech said that usually means the baby will be early however you never know. She also said that the weight and size predictions are less and less accurate the larger the baby gets. For the first time, the tech had us look away as she measured the kidneys. She couldn't really tell the position of the baby's bottom half and wanted to make sure we didn't see anything that would spoil the gender surprise.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Week 27: March 13-20
Baby is now about 15 in long and weighs about 2.2 pounds. Her lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means she's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in the womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.
Monday, March 14, 2011 ~ I've been feeling more and more interesting sensations over the last couple weeks. Yesterday and today I've had a fluttering sensation, similar to the way it felt when I first felt the little bugger move but much stronger. I've been feeling more of the sweeping sensation that I mentioned last week but baby hasn't been jabbing me as much over the last few days.
I feel like my belly is growing at a much faster pace these days and I can feel myself running out of space. I walked with Danielle yesterday and could feel the decreased lung capacity as I tried to chat while walking. And over the last few days I've noticed less space to eat. It's also getting a little more challenging to sleep, although I'm still sleeping pretty well and can't complain.
One day when I have time to sit for a while I want to record the earthquakes in my belly. I enjoy watching them so much and think that it will be fun to show the baby when she's older. I haven't scheduled our follow up ultrasound yet because the weeks are just too busy but we need to find time. I only have about a week and a half to get that and the bloodwork done.
We haven't revisited our list of names (5 girls and 6 boys) although Dan just mentioned that we should probably narrow the list down. I honestly don't think I want to pick a name until we meet the baby but I think we should narrow it down to 2 or so for each gender. I have my favorite girl names and am pretty open to almost all of the boy names on our list. I think middle names are going to be challenging!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 ~ Almost immediately after shutting my computer down I felt the most awesome jabs ever (after commenting that I hadn't felt jabs in a while). I happened to have my hand on the right side of my belly and some round body part (butt, head?) completely jabbed out and filled my hand. It happened several times and Dan got to feel it, too. Baby has been moving around a ton today, lots of little earthquakes and sweeps across my belly.
I realized on my walk today that I haven't written about how amazing prenatal yoga is. I am amazed at how good I feel when I leave and can't wait to start doing it twice per week. Right now I'm doing it on Saturdays and the yoga studio offers classes on Tuesday afternoon but I haven't been able to make it yet (it's at 3:30 in Irvine so it's a tight squeeze to get there after work). This week I was bound and determined to go but the instructor said she wasn't going to be there on Tuesdays for three weeks and when I asked about the sub she made it clear that it would be better just to stick with Saturdays for now. It's a little expensive but it's definitely worth it and I will highly recommend it to anybody I know that gets pregnant from now on.
Speaking of walking, I've been having some muscle and ligament pain when I go on my long walks and it's made it a bit more difficult to get my exercise in. It's far easier for me to get three long walks in than it is to get several short walks done per week. But I definitely can't do long walks two days in a row because it takes at least a full 24 hours for the pain to subside and sometimes I just have too many appointments to get the miles done that I want. I'm doing the best that I can and not beating myself up about it but I'm hoping that the pain goes away, similar to the shoulder pain I was having a couple months ago. I walked 6 miles this evening and so far am feeling pretty good. I can feel that the pain is there but it doesn't seem like it will be bad.
Monday, March 14, 2011 ~ I've been feeling more and more interesting sensations over the last couple weeks. Yesterday and today I've had a fluttering sensation, similar to the way it felt when I first felt the little bugger move but much stronger. I've been feeling more of the sweeping sensation that I mentioned last week but baby hasn't been jabbing me as much over the last few days.
I feel like my belly is growing at a much faster pace these days and I can feel myself running out of space. I walked with Danielle yesterday and could feel the decreased lung capacity as I tried to chat while walking. And over the last few days I've noticed less space to eat. It's also getting a little more challenging to sleep, although I'm still sleeping pretty well and can't complain.
One day when I have time to sit for a while I want to record the earthquakes in my belly. I enjoy watching them so much and think that it will be fun to show the baby when she's older. I haven't scheduled our follow up ultrasound yet because the weeks are just too busy but we need to find time. I only have about a week and a half to get that and the bloodwork done.
We haven't revisited our list of names (5 girls and 6 boys) although Dan just mentioned that we should probably narrow the list down. I honestly don't think I want to pick a name until we meet the baby but I think we should narrow it down to 2 or so for each gender. I have my favorite girl names and am pretty open to almost all of the boy names on our list. I think middle names are going to be challenging!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 ~ Almost immediately after shutting my computer down I felt the most awesome jabs ever (after commenting that I hadn't felt jabs in a while). I happened to have my hand on the right side of my belly and some round body part (butt, head?) completely jabbed out and filled my hand. It happened several times and Dan got to feel it, too. Baby has been moving around a ton today, lots of little earthquakes and sweeps across my belly.
I realized on my walk today that I haven't written about how amazing prenatal yoga is. I am amazed at how good I feel when I leave and can't wait to start doing it twice per week. Right now I'm doing it on Saturdays and the yoga studio offers classes on Tuesday afternoon but I haven't been able to make it yet (it's at 3:30 in Irvine so it's a tight squeeze to get there after work). This week I was bound and determined to go but the instructor said she wasn't going to be there on Tuesdays for three weeks and when I asked about the sub she made it clear that it would be better just to stick with Saturdays for now. It's a little expensive but it's definitely worth it and I will highly recommend it to anybody I know that gets pregnant from now on.
Speaking of walking, I've been having some muscle and ligament pain when I go on my long walks and it's made it a bit more difficult to get my exercise in. It's far easier for me to get three long walks in than it is to get several short walks done per week. But I definitely can't do long walks two days in a row because it takes at least a full 24 hours for the pain to subside and sometimes I just have too many appointments to get the miles done that I want. I'm doing the best that I can and not beating myself up about it but I'm hoping that the pain goes away, similar to the shoulder pain I was having a couple months ago. I walked 6 miles this evening and so far am feeling pretty good. I can feel that the pain is there but it doesn't seem like it will be bad.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Week 26: March 6-12
Baby is about 14 in long and weighs about 2 pounds. He's soaking up antibodies, getting his immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and he'll soon be practicing the blink... perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air.
Sunday, March 6, 2011 ~ I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post but at my last appointment on Thursday, I was still measuring 3 weeks ahead. The doctor said the amniotic fluid felt normal to him and the ultrasound a couple weeks ago reported it normal so he's not concerned about the large external measurement. He also mentioned that I gained a little less weight than normal last month but nothing off-the-charts low.
This afternoon I'm not feeling very wonderful and the Braxton-Hicks contractions are making me uncomfortable. I think that what I eat is really having an effect on how I feel: when I don't eat very healthy I get pretty queasy and when I overeat even the slightest bit I can feel my ribs pushing out and sometimes have the most uncomfortable BH.
The baby has been moving around more than ever for the last few days. Previously, I felt kicks in relatively the same area all of the time. Now I think the baby is changing position because I'm feeling kicks in different spots on different days. I read that the baby will be the most active between now and about 36 weeks. Christina saw the baby move at my birthday "happy hour" on Friday and I look forward to more people feeling and seeing him move. I doubt that it's as fun for other people as it is for me but I still want people to experience it. Who would have guessed that being pregnant would teach me more about portion control than I ever expected?
Time seems like it's going by so slowly. I keep thinking that I'm further along than I actually am. This week I kept thinking that I was going on 27 weeks because it seems like it's been forever since I took my 24 week picture. I can't wait to meet this little person and I'm ready for him to join the world now! I'm sure things will pick up over the next several weeks because we will be a little busier. Our Hoag labor classes start on Wednesday and run for three weeks, then we have a week off before we start five weeks of natural labor classes start.
Thursday, March 10, 2011 ~ I am SLOW today, both mentally and physically. By sixth period my students were telling me I was off my game because I couldn't do simple things like add a whole number and a fraction. And when I went for a walk I did alright for the first few miles but was up to about a 16 min mile for the last 2-3. I am just tired. I'm not sure if it's because I've had a pretty busy 7-8 days in a row or what. I may be anemic. It's pretty common in this stage of pregnancy and my doctor has me on an iron supplement but I've only been taking it every other day. I'm going to bump it up to every day and see if that helps. It might just be that my second trimester energy is ending.
Yesterday we had our first labor class at Hoag. It was really good! The nurse talked about the stages of labor and what physically happens to a woman's body, which I have already read about, but it was good for Dan to hear. We also learned some breathing exercises. The thing that eased my mind the most was that the nurse continued to say that they will support whatever decision we make when it comes to pain management and that there's almost no such thing as "too late" for an epidural; the baby has to be crowning for it to be too late and I figure if I get that far, I'm sure I won't even want an epidural so close to the end. I also feel that they won't try to push medical interventions unless it really is in the best interest of myself or the baby. I have read many things online that make hospitals sound terrible, pushing epidurals and medical interventions when they aren't necessary, so I was very relieved after this first class. We have two more classes at Hoag and will start a natural childbirth series of classes taught by a doula in April.
Up until about a week ago I have been feeling baby's kicks pretty much in the same area all of the time but now the baby must be moving around a lot more. I'll feel kicks all over the place these days. I'm also feeling swiping motions, like the babys head or foot is rubbing against my insides, and sometimes I'll feel something sticking out a bit. It's still so cool! Baby has become a bit more distracting, making big kicks or digging a knee into my side while I'm teaching, but my students are getting a "kick" out of it. Haha, pun intended. Wow, I really am tired!
Sunday, March 6, 2011 ~ I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post but at my last appointment on Thursday, I was still measuring 3 weeks ahead. The doctor said the amniotic fluid felt normal to him and the ultrasound a couple weeks ago reported it normal so he's not concerned about the large external measurement. He also mentioned that I gained a little less weight than normal last month but nothing off-the-charts low.
This afternoon I'm not feeling very wonderful and the Braxton-Hicks contractions are making me uncomfortable. I think that what I eat is really having an effect on how I feel: when I don't eat very healthy I get pretty queasy and when I overeat even the slightest bit I can feel my ribs pushing out and sometimes have the most uncomfortable BH.
The baby has been moving around more than ever for the last few days. Previously, I felt kicks in relatively the same area all of the time. Now I think the baby is changing position because I'm feeling kicks in different spots on different days. I read that the baby will be the most active between now and about 36 weeks. Christina saw the baby move at my birthday "happy hour" on Friday and I look forward to more people feeling and seeing him move. I doubt that it's as fun for other people as it is for me but I still want people to experience it. Who would have guessed that being pregnant would teach me more about portion control than I ever expected?
Time seems like it's going by so slowly. I keep thinking that I'm further along than I actually am. This week I kept thinking that I was going on 27 weeks because it seems like it's been forever since I took my 24 week picture. I can't wait to meet this little person and I'm ready for him to join the world now! I'm sure things will pick up over the next several weeks because we will be a little busier. Our Hoag labor classes start on Wednesday and run for three weeks, then we have a week off before we start five weeks of natural labor classes start.
Thursday, March 10, 2011 ~ I am SLOW today, both mentally and physically. By sixth period my students were telling me I was off my game because I couldn't do simple things like add a whole number and a fraction. And when I went for a walk I did alright for the first few miles but was up to about a 16 min mile for the last 2-3. I am just tired. I'm not sure if it's because I've had a pretty busy 7-8 days in a row or what. I may be anemic. It's pretty common in this stage of pregnancy and my doctor has me on an iron supplement but I've only been taking it every other day. I'm going to bump it up to every day and see if that helps. It might just be that my second trimester energy is ending.
Yesterday we had our first labor class at Hoag. It was really good! The nurse talked about the stages of labor and what physically happens to a woman's body, which I have already read about, but it was good for Dan to hear. We also learned some breathing exercises. The thing that eased my mind the most was that the nurse continued to say that they will support whatever decision we make when it comes to pain management and that there's almost no such thing as "too late" for an epidural; the baby has to be crowning for it to be too late and I figure if I get that far, I'm sure I won't even want an epidural so close to the end. I also feel that they won't try to push medical interventions unless it really is in the best interest of myself or the baby. I have read many things online that make hospitals sound terrible, pushing epidurals and medical interventions when they aren't necessary, so I was very relieved after this first class. We have two more classes at Hoag and will start a natural childbirth series of classes taught by a doula in April.
Up until about a week ago I have been feeling baby's kicks pretty much in the same area all of the time but now the baby must be moving around a lot more. I'll feel kicks all over the place these days. I'm also feeling swiping motions, like the babys head or foot is rubbing against my insides, and sometimes I'll feel something sticking out a bit. It's still so cool! Baby has become a bit more distracting, making big kicks or digging a knee into my side while I'm teaching, but my students are getting a "kick" out of it. Haha, pun intended. Wow, I really am tired!
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