Baby is now just over 19 inches long and weighs about 4.4 pounds, approximately the size of a honeydew. She may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and her brain is developing like crazy. When Baby is awake, she is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. Pretty soon, she'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, her bones are hardening, and she's started to keep her eyes open when she's awake.
Sunday, April 24, 2011 ~ Not a lot to report this week. I was on Spring Break and realized how much more difficult it is to work than to be at home during this point in the pregnancy. Even though I was very active this week, it was still so much easier and I really look forward to being on leave. I have three weeks of teaching left. I'm a little bit nervous about the substitute teacher situation. The last I heard, my department chair put a call in to a retired teacher that she used to work with at another school who is considering the job. I'm hoping that works out!
I had a major case of nesting syndrome this week and I feel good about everything that I got done but there's still a lot to do. I need to tackle organizing our closet because it's a mess and I would like to think that we will organize the garage but it's not high on the priority list. Otherwise, I think it's just a matter of getting "stuff," like the second car seat base and the crib mattress.
This is going to be another busy week (April has been crazy) but it looks like May is going to be much less packed. We have our birth class on Monday, I'd like to get to yoga on Tuesday, Wednesday is my last AP Calc review session and an awards ceremony at school in the evening, Thursday is the last of my monthly doctors appointments (we switch to every two weeks and then every week), and I hope to get to yoga again on Friday. Somehow I have to work in some more walking, as well. I plan on getting a good 6-8 miles in this morning and then hope to go on at least one more walk this week.
The baby is definitely running out of space. I'm not feeling kicks as much as before but getting a lot of stretching out. Often she will stretch her legs out and I can feel her foot on the upper left side of my belly and her butt on my upper right side. Sometimes I'll feel her entire back running down the right side of my belly. Most of the time it's fun but sometimes it's uncomfortable. We also felt the first case of baby hiccups about a week ago and I've felt it several times since then.
I am absolutely smitten and in love with this little person and can't wait to meet her!
Friday, April 29, 2011 ~ Yesterday's appointment was pretty uneventful again. Baby is still head down and her heartbeat is strong. I start going every two weeks now and will get checked for dilation and effacement starting at my next appointment. If there's nothing going on, I'll wait two weeks for the following appointment but otherwise I'll go every week. I got my release paperwork and have two weeks left of work. Preparing for five weeks off is quite daunting and I know I'm going to be pretty busy next week.
We have our last natural labor class on Monday and we will be doing a labor run-through using ice (not exactly sure what that's about but I'm looking forward to it). We also have a Baby Safety class at Hoag tomorrow.
I had lost my energy around the beginning of the third trimester and then found it again for about a week but have been more tired for the last week or so. Nothing compares to the lack of energy during the first trimester though! I have also had another very hungry week which seems to be tapering off, however again, nothing compares to the hungry week I had during the first trimester. I've had three stretches of about 6 days where I was ridiculously hungry.
Less than a month and a half to go!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Week 32: April 17-23
Baby weighs about 4 pounds and is almost 19 inches long. His movements peak this week and his growth begins to slow. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. My blood volume has increased 40-50%, made evident by the vericous vein behind my right knee. I read (and hope) that it will go away once the baby arrives.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 ~ The baby shower was a big success! I had a lot of fun, everything was beautiful, and it was great to see all of my old pals from Tesoro. We got so much stuff that we really need and are super grateful.
This week I'm on Spring Break and the nesting instinct has definitely kicked in. In two days, I've cleaned the entire house (all but the floor and the baby's room because gifts need to be put away before I can clean up there); I've organized and cleaned out the bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen cabinets; and I spent an hour and far too much money at The Container Store buying things to help me organize all of the cabinets and the baby's closet. Oh, and we had our labor class Monday evening and I had lunch with Jessica and a dentist appointment yesterday.
Speaking of the dentist, if you're reading this and will be pregnant anytime in the future, floss!!! My hygenist and dentist were very impressed with the shape of my gums because I floss virtually every day (I might miss 2-3 days per month) and commented on all of the benefits to myself and the baby because of my gum health. I wasn't always the best flosser but I had my last appointment right at the beginning of the pregnancy and the hygenist went over the risks to the baby of poor gum health so I kicked it into high gear.
I thought I had already written this but I must have just thought about writing it: I've figured out my "birth plan". I hope for a natural birth and feel confident that I can do it. I believe that my body was made to give birth and think that exercise and yoga have prepared me, as well. However if I have a particularly long labor ("You've been in labor 12 hours and are only a 3") or if there are any abnormalities, I don't have a problem asking for an epidural.
I've been bragging for a few weeks that the baby has been in "optimal position" since two ultrasounds ago (about 8 weeks ago) but on Monday I found out that I'm wrong. I was under the impression that head down and facing either side was optimal and as the baby descends, he rotates 90 degrees in either direction; 90 degrees facing the back is ideal and 90 degrees facing forward causes a more painful and often longer labor. Well, I found out at our natural birth class on Monday that with the baby currently facing left, many babies will rotate facing forward. Argh! There are lots of strategies as we get toward the end and especially during the early phases of labor to encourage the baby to rotate facing back so hopefully they will work for us!
I'm excited to start putting the baby's room together and to buy the last necessities on our registry (like the crib mattress). Today I'm going to finish organizing a few things and clean the floor downstairs and then I'll start upstairs tomorrow. I'm also very excited about the stained glass animals that Mom is making for the upstairs windows. I can't wait to see everything come together!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Week 31: April 10-16
Baby is about 18 inches long and weighs about 3.5 pounds. This week marks an incredible milestone in her lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in her lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in her lungs. Surfactant prevents baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and she is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. She can hear my voice and other familiar sounds that she will recognize after birth. Baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. Her fingernails have grown to the end of her fingers and she may scratch herself while she is in the womb. Baby's going through major brain and nerve development these days.
Sunday, April 10, 2011 ~ I am beginning to feel the upward push on my lungs and stomach. I have to sit up very straight after I eat to avoid discomfort and find myself short of breath sometimes. This is a minor irritation though and overall I am still feeling really good. I found out that my yoga instructor teaches classes nearby on Mondays and Wednesdays. They are not prenatal classes but she said that I should attend anyway; several of the people who attend the Saturday prenatal classes in Irvine attend her Monday and Wednesday classes in Huntington. I hope to be able to do yoga twice a week for the remainder of the pregnancy. I really attribute it to how good I've been feeling.
In addition to the upward push, I'm feeling an outward push as well. I can tell that the baby has less room because she is "sticking out" a lot more often, especially after I eat. I think I officially need to drastically cut my meal size and just eat pretty much all day at this point. I haven't really been able to distinguish body parts yet but I think I'm feeling her butt and back quite often. It's fun but sometimes uncomfortable.
The baby has been very cooperative when it comes to sleep (knock on wood). I keep reading that she will be more active at night, often keeping me awake, however that hasn't happened yet. The worst that has happened is if I wake up in the morning to use the restroom, the baby will wake up, too, and start moving around. But this weekend I haven't been able to fall back asleep anyway so it hasn't really mattered (yesterday I was up at 5 am and today at 6:30 am).
I think we made some progress on names last night. Our original list was all but thrown out the window by Dan; he had a change of heart on most of the names. We have a new list of some tentative names for each gender and I hope that the baby's name is on that list but I have a feeling we won't have a name set in stone until we meet the little bugger. I mean, obviously not because we don't know the gender, but I doubt we will even have one for each gender set in stone.
We have also made progress on the daycare front. We have met two in-home daycare providers and also stopped into a daycare center. We both liked all three places but have a slight preference towards in-home daycare. Of course, Dan likes one daycare provider slightly more and I like the other; this is par for the course with us. Despite being apprehensive about daycare in general, I know that we will make the right decision and, like I've said before, I believe that the baby will thrive being surrounded by other children and that a learning environment is a great place for her to be from the start.
I am very excited about my shower on Sunday! So many people are genuinely excited for us, even people that I haven't known that long or don't know very well, and it's been really fun to be the recipient of that excitement. I can already tell that this baby is going to be incredibly loved by a lot of people and it makes me so grateful. I have always known that I'm a lucky person to live the life that I live surrounded by the people in it, but this has really amplified that feeling.
Sunday, April 10, 2011 ~ I am beginning to feel the upward push on my lungs and stomach. I have to sit up very straight after I eat to avoid discomfort and find myself short of breath sometimes. This is a minor irritation though and overall I am still feeling really good. I found out that my yoga instructor teaches classes nearby on Mondays and Wednesdays. They are not prenatal classes but she said that I should attend anyway; several of the people who attend the Saturday prenatal classes in Irvine attend her Monday and Wednesday classes in Huntington. I hope to be able to do yoga twice a week for the remainder of the pregnancy. I really attribute it to how good I've been feeling.
In addition to the upward push, I'm feeling an outward push as well. I can tell that the baby has less room because she is "sticking out" a lot more often, especially after I eat. I think I officially need to drastically cut my meal size and just eat pretty much all day at this point. I haven't really been able to distinguish body parts yet but I think I'm feeling her butt and back quite often. It's fun but sometimes uncomfortable.
The baby has been very cooperative when it comes to sleep (knock on wood). I keep reading that she will be more active at night, often keeping me awake, however that hasn't happened yet. The worst that has happened is if I wake up in the morning to use the restroom, the baby will wake up, too, and start moving around. But this weekend I haven't been able to fall back asleep anyway so it hasn't really mattered (yesterday I was up at 5 am and today at 6:30 am).
I think we made some progress on names last night. Our original list was all but thrown out the window by Dan; he had a change of heart on most of the names. We have a new list of some tentative names for each gender and I hope that the baby's name is on that list but I have a feeling we won't have a name set in stone until we meet the little bugger. I mean, obviously not because we don't know the gender, but I doubt we will even have one for each gender set in stone.
We have also made progress on the daycare front. We have met two in-home daycare providers and also stopped into a daycare center. We both liked all three places but have a slight preference towards in-home daycare. Of course, Dan likes one daycare provider slightly more and I like the other; this is par for the course with us. Despite being apprehensive about daycare in general, I know that we will make the right decision and, like I've said before, I believe that the baby will thrive being surrounded by other children and that a learning environment is a great place for her to be from the start.
I am very excited about my shower on Sunday! So many people are genuinely excited for us, even people that I haven't known that long or don't know very well, and it's been really fun to be the recipient of that excitement. I can already tell that this baby is going to be incredibly loved by a lot of people and it makes me so grateful. I have always known that I'm a lucky person to live the life that I live surrounded by the people in it, but this has really amplified that feeling.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Week 30: April 3-9
Baby is about 17 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds. As baby's skin smoothes out, his brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. He's also adding some brawn -- his grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 ~ Wow I just read that we only have 67 days to go. Overall, the last 5 months have been pretty slow-going but the last two weeks seem to have gone pretty quickly. While I was getting ready for my work shower on Saturday I was thinking about my coworker's shower two weeks earlier, which seemed like days earlier.
Speaking of my work shower, it was great! I feel so supported at Fountain Valley and was really touched by how much my coworkers put into the shower and by how excited they are for Dan and me. We had fun, good food, and lots of fun gifts. I'm really looking forward to my other shower in a week and a half!
All of a sudden I feel like I am carrying the baby completely differently. Despite my belly, I had kept some pretty nice curves. But now the baby seems to be pushing out the sides of my belly and the curves are all but gone. I also felt really different at yoga today. I can't quite describe it. The baby also seems to be sticking out more in the front and continues to be sitting really low in my belly.
It seems like it's going to be a bit difficult to find a substitute for my maternity leave. Unfortunately neither of the two retired ladies are interested in subbing so we have to use the substitute list even though we don't know any of them. I say "we" but really my department chair has taken the reins. I'm not super concerned with the person who will sub for the end of the school year because Calculus will be done (the AP Exam is May 4) and Precalculus has a pretty easy chapter at the end of the year; anybody with half a brain will be able to teach my Algebra B class. But the four weeks I want to take off at the beginning of the year are another story. Not only is it more important to the success of my classes, it is going to be more difficult to find a sub because most people will be trying to find a teaching job during the summer, not looking for a subbing job. I keep reminding myself that it will work out for the best, one way or another.
I'm still feeling really good and my only real complaint is just lack of energy starting around lunch time. If I could take a nap every afternoon, I'd have no complaints. I really think yoga has made my pregnancy a million times easier and can't recommend it highly enough!
We started our natural childbirth class last night. I didn't feel great about the first class but mostly because a lot of the material we had already learned at our Hoag birth class, which I kind of expected. I think I will feel better about the classes after next week; we will be learning more relaxation techniques, which is really what I wanted out of these classes.
Friday, April 8, 2011 ~ Had a rough parent meeting after school today. A student of mine is dealing with things that no kid should have to deal with. She's a good kid but is really struggling with school because of her home situation. I want to help her out but there's only so many times I can tell her what she needs to do and have her not follow through. This time I had the support of the assistant principal and we laid it out: this is her last chance. I'm really hoping that she'll find it within herself to make it happen and I'm going to be really disappointed if she doesn't.
After that, Dan and I went to a daycare center. Sean and Sandi love the daycare center that they send Evyn to so we went to check it out. I really like the place and everybody we met was very nice. The thought of sending the baby to daycare at only a few months old just kills me and I wish I could take a year off of work but I believe that daycare is going to be a good environment for the baby to become more social and potentially start learning at an earlier age. We have an interview with another in home daycare tomorrow and hopefully we'll have a decision made within a week.
Right before I got on the computer I was thinking that I'm starting to feel ready to have my body back. Almost immediately afterward I got the worst Charley Horse I've ever had. It's become more challenging to get off of the couch and with this ridiculous cramp in my leg, it was impossible. I had to call Dan over to help me up so that I could flatten my foot on the ground and slowly work the cramp out. It hurt so badly, I literally almost started crying. This is the second time I've had a terrible cramp in about a week. The other one happened in the middle of the night. I had been woken up by a few small cramps but as soon as I bent my foot towards my shin, they went away and I was able to fall right back to sleep. Then around 3 am I got one that shot me up in bed faster than I thought I could move. The cramp took quite a while to get out and my calf was very sore the next day. My calf is already sore from the cramp that I just had. I know it's from not having enough water (although my body's definition of enough is insane; I drink at least 96 oz every day, not including any juices or soda).
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 ~ Wow I just read that we only have 67 days to go. Overall, the last 5 months have been pretty slow-going but the last two weeks seem to have gone pretty quickly. While I was getting ready for my work shower on Saturday I was thinking about my coworker's shower two weeks earlier, which seemed like days earlier.
Speaking of my work shower, it was great! I feel so supported at Fountain Valley and was really touched by how much my coworkers put into the shower and by how excited they are for Dan and me. We had fun, good food, and lots of fun gifts. I'm really looking forward to my other shower in a week and a half!
All of a sudden I feel like I am carrying the baby completely differently. Despite my belly, I had kept some pretty nice curves. But now the baby seems to be pushing out the sides of my belly and the curves are all but gone. I also felt really different at yoga today. I can't quite describe it. The baby also seems to be sticking out more in the front and continues to be sitting really low in my belly.
It seems like it's going to be a bit difficult to find a substitute for my maternity leave. Unfortunately neither of the two retired ladies are interested in subbing so we have to use the substitute list even though we don't know any of them. I say "we" but really my department chair has taken the reins. I'm not super concerned with the person who will sub for the end of the school year because Calculus will be done (the AP Exam is May 4) and Precalculus has a pretty easy chapter at the end of the year; anybody with half a brain will be able to teach my Algebra B class. But the four weeks I want to take off at the beginning of the year are another story. Not only is it more important to the success of my classes, it is going to be more difficult to find a sub because most people will be trying to find a teaching job during the summer, not looking for a subbing job. I keep reminding myself that it will work out for the best, one way or another.
I'm still feeling really good and my only real complaint is just lack of energy starting around lunch time. If I could take a nap every afternoon, I'd have no complaints. I really think yoga has made my pregnancy a million times easier and can't recommend it highly enough!
We started our natural childbirth class last night. I didn't feel great about the first class but mostly because a lot of the material we had already learned at our Hoag birth class, which I kind of expected. I think I will feel better about the classes after next week; we will be learning more relaxation techniques, which is really what I wanted out of these classes.
Friday, April 8, 2011 ~ Had a rough parent meeting after school today. A student of mine is dealing with things that no kid should have to deal with. She's a good kid but is really struggling with school because of her home situation. I want to help her out but there's only so many times I can tell her what she needs to do and have her not follow through. This time I had the support of the assistant principal and we laid it out: this is her last chance. I'm really hoping that she'll find it within herself to make it happen and I'm going to be really disappointed if she doesn't.
After that, Dan and I went to a daycare center. Sean and Sandi love the daycare center that they send Evyn to so we went to check it out. I really like the place and everybody we met was very nice. The thought of sending the baby to daycare at only a few months old just kills me and I wish I could take a year off of work but I believe that daycare is going to be a good environment for the baby to become more social and potentially start learning at an earlier age. We have an interview with another in home daycare tomorrow and hopefully we'll have a decision made within a week.
Right before I got on the computer I was thinking that I'm starting to feel ready to have my body back. Almost immediately afterward I got the worst Charley Horse I've ever had. It's become more challenging to get off of the couch and with this ridiculous cramp in my leg, it was impossible. I had to call Dan over to help me up so that I could flatten my foot on the ground and slowly work the cramp out. It hurt so badly, I literally almost started crying. This is the second time I've had a terrible cramp in about a week. The other one happened in the middle of the night. I had been woken up by a few small cramps but as soon as I bent my foot towards my shin, they went away and I was able to fall right back to sleep. Then around 3 am I got one that shot me up in bed faster than I thought I could move. The cramp took quite a while to get out and my calf was very sore the next day. My calf is already sore from the cramp that I just had. I know it's from not having enough water (although my body's definition of enough is insane; I drink at least 96 oz every day, not including any juices or soda).
Thursday, March 31, 2011
My New Food Philosophy ~ Fat is Good!
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.
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.
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.
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