Hello, everyone!
There is good news! I went to an appointment this afternoon and found out that while I might go into labor on my own, due to a procedure a midwife did today, I am scheduled to go into the hospital tomorrow night at 8 pm. At that point they'll give me Cervadil, then the next morning they'll start me on Pitocin to get me going. They said that since I'll be overdue at that point, I have a medical reason for being induced and I am not likely to get bumped to another day. The baby will probably arrive, then, on April 30th. I will keep you all updated the best I can!!!
Thanks for all the good wishes these past months -- everyone has been really great and it has made me feel really special that you guys are so interested.
I love you guys!!!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
No baby yet!
Here I am, 6 days overdue, and at work. My parents arrived last night, and I can already tell it's going to be crazy. They had to bring their two cats (because they have "issues" -- the cats, not my parents... ha!), and with our one cat and the tiny house, I can tell it's going to be pretty crazy when MaybeBaby DOES arrive.
So, my parents' arrival is partly the reason I haven't updated on facebook, but also because when your status doesn't change, your status doesn't change. I should have updated with "status unchanged," I think. It's getting frustrating!
For those of you on facebook, if you'd like to post something about how I haven't had the baby yet, I'd appreciate it! :)
So, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, friends. I was supposed to have another appointment tomorrow (a week past the due date). At my last appointment, I was still at 2 cm and 50% effaced (so, no change) and the midwife (TMI alert) tried to bring down my cervix. Ow! It didn't work. She did say that we could go ahead and schedule an induction for a day after Wednesday, if I wanted to, in case I didn't "go on my own" before then.
Ian and I talked and decided this coming Friday might be good - I'd get in more days at work and we'd worry about money a little less, and it just seemed like a good idea. However, someone at work told me that if I get bumped for someone else, I might have to wait until MONDAY, which would be WAY TOO LONG. (The midwife had said that she didn't want me to go until May 4th.) So, I called the OB yesterday and talked to another midwife who said that they wouldn't just schedule me for an induction (no matter when it was) without having seen me for an exam. So, she recommended that I try to change my appointment from Wed. to today, which I did this morning. She said that they generally will admit an induction the night before, so I'm wondering if maybe, just MAYBE I might get them to enter me into the hospital tonight!!!
Or they could look at me today and say no, I need to wait a while longer.
Oh, my friends, I am READY for this baby to come out! I'm scared, but I am tired of not being able to feel my hands. Also tired of people saying, "Haven't you had that baby yet?!" You would think they'd be tired of hearing themselves say it, but I guess you'd be wrong, wouldn't you?
So, my parents' arrival is partly the reason I haven't updated on facebook, but also because when your status doesn't change, your status doesn't change. I should have updated with "status unchanged," I think. It's getting frustrating!
For those of you on facebook, if you'd like to post something about how I haven't had the baby yet, I'd appreciate it! :)
So, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, friends. I was supposed to have another appointment tomorrow (a week past the due date). At my last appointment, I was still at 2 cm and 50% effaced (so, no change) and the midwife (TMI alert) tried to bring down my cervix. Ow! It didn't work. She did say that we could go ahead and schedule an induction for a day after Wednesday, if I wanted to, in case I didn't "go on my own" before then.
Ian and I talked and decided this coming Friday might be good - I'd get in more days at work and we'd worry about money a little less, and it just seemed like a good idea. However, someone at work told me that if I get bumped for someone else, I might have to wait until MONDAY, which would be WAY TOO LONG. (The midwife had said that she didn't want me to go until May 4th.) So, I called the OB yesterday and talked to another midwife who said that they wouldn't just schedule me for an induction (no matter when it was) without having seen me for an exam. So, she recommended that I try to change my appointment from Wed. to today, which I did this morning. She said that they generally will admit an induction the night before, so I'm wondering if maybe, just MAYBE I might get them to enter me into the hospital tonight!!!
Or they could look at me today and say no, I need to wait a while longer.
Oh, my friends, I am READY for this baby to come out! I'm scared, but I am tired of not being able to feel my hands. Also tired of people saying, "Haven't you had that baby yet?!" You would think they'd be tired of hearing themselves say it, but I guess you'd be wrong, wouldn't you?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"Your Toes Look Like Little Sausages"...
... and other things not to say to a pregnant lady.
They include, "It looks like you're going to burst/pop/explode" and "Haven't you had that baby yet?"
Things to say: "You look great!", "Are you excited?", and "I'm so excited for you!"
But a lot of you already know that. I'm really just preaching to the choir, aren't I?
Well. I am one day away from my due date, with no sign of impending birth. I MAY be having those "practice contractions" (as my OB calls them, but others call them false labor or "Braxton-Hicks"), but since I've never been able to tell the difference between hunger pains and being sick, I'm probably not a very perceptive person when it comes to my body. Sometimes I THINK I'm feeling them, but I always second-guess myself.
On Friday I was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced, and for those of you who haven't had babies and don't know a ton of people who have, that just means that my cervix is 50% "thinned out", which supposedly makes it favorable for more dilating. However, MaybeBaby appears comfy and has not even dropped yet, from what I can tell. (However, as I said above, I'm not too attuned to my body, so what do I know?)
TMI alert - I think I have lost my mucous plug, as well (over the weekend), which is also "good." I mean, all these signs might be pointing to "YES" but they could also totally be pointing to "HA HA IT WILL STILL BE LIKE TWO WEEKS HA HA."
I had spring break last week, which was great, because I sat around with my feet up every day and read books and watched old movies... but now I'm back at work, using up every day I can that I don't need to take leave for (sorry about the grammar).
My parents were supposed to arrive tomorrow (ON the due date, whether or not I actually delivered that day), but now they have decided to wait until we call them. They'll still have time to get here before we come home from the hospital, and if my dad can get enough work done before they come, then he won't have to drive back to PA to take care of business and then drive all the way back to NC. However, not knowing when the baby is coming and not knowing when THEY are coming means that we need to get the house cleaned up a bit.
It is hard when you're not allowed to, oh, bend or use any chemicals. (I do like those Clorox wipes. They are my friends.) But man, it'd be nice if my parents didn't have to clean once they arrived, you know? And Ian's trying, but he's got work and making dinner to do every day already (we used to make it together, but the blood pressure issue prevents that these days).
Speaking of blood pressure, my circulation is so bad in my hands THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS TINGLY. It is beyond annoying. I have sausage fingers besides the toes, you see -- though thankfully no one has commented on those. The tips of my middle fingers are especially prone to this sensation. Someone, please tell me this will stop being a problem directly after birth. Just lie to me. That's cool.
On the upside... I feel fine other than the swollen extremities! It's not easy to get dressed, but once I am, hey! I don't have to worry about it until bedtime!
I'll let y'all know if anything interesting happens. I have my next appointment on Thursday, and the only thing I'm truly concerned about is that they might say, "Hey, you're now not effaced at all, nor are you dilated!" Is that possible? Let's all hope not....
It's getting about time for MaybeBaby to show herself!
They include, "It looks like you're going to burst/pop/explode" and "Haven't you had that baby yet?"
Things to say: "You look great!", "Are you excited?", and "I'm so excited for you!"
But a lot of you already know that. I'm really just preaching to the choir, aren't I?
Well. I am one day away from my due date, with no sign of impending birth. I MAY be having those "practice contractions" (as my OB calls them, but others call them false labor or "Braxton-Hicks"), but since I've never been able to tell the difference between hunger pains and being sick, I'm probably not a very perceptive person when it comes to my body. Sometimes I THINK I'm feeling them, but I always second-guess myself.
On Friday I was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced, and for those of you who haven't had babies and don't know a ton of people who have, that just means that my cervix is 50% "thinned out", which supposedly makes it favorable for more dilating. However, MaybeBaby appears comfy and has not even dropped yet, from what I can tell. (However, as I said above, I'm not too attuned to my body, so what do I know?)
TMI alert - I think I have lost my mucous plug, as well (over the weekend), which is also "good." I mean, all these signs might be pointing to "YES" but they could also totally be pointing to "HA HA IT WILL STILL BE LIKE TWO WEEKS HA HA."
I had spring break last week, which was great, because I sat around with my feet up every day and read books and watched old movies... but now I'm back at work, using up every day I can that I don't need to take leave for (sorry about the grammar).
My parents were supposed to arrive tomorrow (ON the due date, whether or not I actually delivered that day), but now they have decided to wait until we call them. They'll still have time to get here before we come home from the hospital, and if my dad can get enough work done before they come, then he won't have to drive back to PA to take care of business and then drive all the way back to NC. However, not knowing when the baby is coming and not knowing when THEY are coming means that we need to get the house cleaned up a bit.
It is hard when you're not allowed to, oh, bend or use any chemicals. (I do like those Clorox wipes. They are my friends.) But man, it'd be nice if my parents didn't have to clean once they arrived, you know? And Ian's trying, but he's got work and making dinner to do every day already (we used to make it together, but the blood pressure issue prevents that these days).
Speaking of blood pressure, my circulation is so bad in my hands THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS TINGLY. It is beyond annoying. I have sausage fingers besides the toes, you see -- though thankfully no one has commented on those. The tips of my middle fingers are especially prone to this sensation. Someone, please tell me this will stop being a problem directly after birth. Just lie to me. That's cool.
On the upside... I feel fine other than the swollen extremities! It's not easy to get dressed, but once I am, hey! I don't have to worry about it until bedtime!
I'll let y'all know if anything interesting happens. I have my next appointment on Thursday, and the only thing I'm truly concerned about is that they might say, "Hey, you're now not effaced at all, nor are you dilated!" Is that possible? Let's all hope not....
It's getting about time for MaybeBaby to show herself!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Under Pressure!
This is the blood pressure episode, everyone!
I am 38 weeks tomorrow, and for the past couple weeks, I've been having trouble with my blood pressure. It's not horrible, just getting steadily worse, little by little.
The first appointment I had when they told me I had high blood pressure, the midwife also informed me that I had a urinary tract infection. AWESOME. (I'm usually pretty perceptive when it comes to urinary tract infections, but I guess when you're 30-something weeks pregnant, you stop knowing what's normal and what's not in your body. At least, that's how it's been for me!)
The midwives haven't been particularly worried about the blood pressure issue (calling them "the midwives" makes me picture a bunch of hens, somehow), but last week one of them told me that I should try to go to part-time at work to avoid being put on bed rest. Four days later, another midwife agreed. And today, of course, a third midwife also mentioned it. Argh!
Like most people, I work because I need money and insurance, and without working full time, I would lose some of the former and all of the latter. That is why I have to work full time. Fortunately, I have spring break next week, which is quite convenient, and the last three days of this week I can work from home for the mornings and go in to work for the afternoons.
I don't feel bad in any way, except that being 37 or 38 weeks pregnant is a LOT more uncomfortable than being 33 or 34 weeks. I'm drinking lots of water, I don't eat much salt at all, and we're eating lots of veggies. I'm also lying on the recliner (thank goodness my parents brought it down over Christmas!) and my husband makes dinner at night.
I also just got a second prenatal massage yesterday. They are fabulous, in case anyone wants to know. I wish it could've been an hour, but we're scrimping here and there, so I just had a half hour. My hips are starting to not feel so great, especially when trying to lay on my side to sleep, and I'm getting a lot more pressure on my pelvis (isn't this what you signed up for when you decided to read a pregnancy blog?), and my skin really feels like it's stretching.
So, blood pressure, not so awesome. But no protein found in my samples, so it's not pre-eclampsia, they say. (Did I spell that right? I'm too lazy to look it up.) Also, urinary tract infection is over with.
On to other things: a midwife checked me out today and is guessing that MaybeBaby will be 8 lbs when she arrives. Then we had yet another ultrasound to check on the fluid and movement (apparently the babies of mothers with high blood pressure sometimes may not have enough fluid to move around in) and things seem fine. The u/s technician said that she "looks like she'll be big"! Hmmm. It just makes me think about how I was over 8 lbs and my mom had to have a c-section. I know people have done regular deliveries for larger babies than that, but.... I will just put all of that out of my mind, because there's nothing I can do about it, either way!
Last Monday I was at 1 cm, and today they didn't check me. My midwife says they'll check me again on Friday. She also said that if I had the baby at any time, it would be fine. It's very strange to think that MaybeBaby could make her appearance at any time!
Last night, I had my first recognizable "practice labor" contractions. It didn't feel like I expected; I was thinking contractions (practice or no) would feel like a real cramp or an actual contraction of the uterus. It turned out to feel like I was about to get my period, which, after I thought about it, has never felt like active cramps so much as dull, aching pain in my lower abdomen. So, hey, cool! The uterus is getting ready! It was kind of painful, though, and I finally had to get up and walk around. I ended up packing a bag for the hospital (which we haven't done yet -- obviously), because I thought, "What if this ends up being the real thing?" It wasn't, of course, but it made me realize that we're a bit unprepared. We haven't washed any baby clothes or sheets or anything, the car seat bases haven't been installed in the cars, and we don't really have a bag packed for the hospital. So, in the bag I tried to put together, I put in 6 books (will I be in the mood for something new? something familiar? fiction? nonfiction? something easy? something challenging?), some DVDs (I know the rooms have TVs, but I'm not sure about DVD players -- never hurts to be prepared!), lollipops (based on people's recommendations), three different shirts, two different pairs of pants (crap! I just realized I didn't put in pajamas!), socks, underthings, and then three different (unwashed) baby outfits.
Speaking of going to the hospital and things we don't have ready, we still don't have a middle name picked out....
Sorry about the randomness of this posting! It's been so long and I definitely have pregnancy-brain. We're super excited but also nervous (when does a soon-to-be parent say otherwise?). I'll be letting everyone know if anything interesting happens.... Now I'm going to continue to lie on this recliner and eat dinner (not made by me!).
I am 38 weeks tomorrow, and for the past couple weeks, I've been having trouble with my blood pressure. It's not horrible, just getting steadily worse, little by little.
The first appointment I had when they told me I had high blood pressure, the midwife also informed me that I had a urinary tract infection. AWESOME. (I'm usually pretty perceptive when it comes to urinary tract infections, but I guess when you're 30-something weeks pregnant, you stop knowing what's normal and what's not in your body. At least, that's how it's been for me!)
The midwives haven't been particularly worried about the blood pressure issue (calling them "the midwives" makes me picture a bunch of hens, somehow), but last week one of them told me that I should try to go to part-time at work to avoid being put on bed rest. Four days later, another midwife agreed. And today, of course, a third midwife also mentioned it. Argh!
Like most people, I work because I need money and insurance, and without working full time, I would lose some of the former and all of the latter. That is why I have to work full time. Fortunately, I have spring break next week, which is quite convenient, and the last three days of this week I can work from home for the mornings and go in to work for the afternoons.
I don't feel bad in any way, except that being 37 or 38 weeks pregnant is a LOT more uncomfortable than being 33 or 34 weeks. I'm drinking lots of water, I don't eat much salt at all, and we're eating lots of veggies. I'm also lying on the recliner (thank goodness my parents brought it down over Christmas!) and my husband makes dinner at night.
I also just got a second prenatal massage yesterday. They are fabulous, in case anyone wants to know. I wish it could've been an hour, but we're scrimping here and there, so I just had a half hour. My hips are starting to not feel so great, especially when trying to lay on my side to sleep, and I'm getting a lot more pressure on my pelvis (isn't this what you signed up for when you decided to read a pregnancy blog?), and my skin really feels like it's stretching.
So, blood pressure, not so awesome. But no protein found in my samples, so it's not pre-eclampsia, they say. (Did I spell that right? I'm too lazy to look it up.) Also, urinary tract infection is over with.
On to other things: a midwife checked me out today and is guessing that MaybeBaby will be 8 lbs when she arrives. Then we had yet another ultrasound to check on the fluid and movement (apparently the babies of mothers with high blood pressure sometimes may not have enough fluid to move around in) and things seem fine. The u/s technician said that she "looks like she'll be big"! Hmmm. It just makes me think about how I was over 8 lbs and my mom had to have a c-section. I know people have done regular deliveries for larger babies than that, but.... I will just put all of that out of my mind, because there's nothing I can do about it, either way!
Last Monday I was at 1 cm, and today they didn't check me. My midwife says they'll check me again on Friday. She also said that if I had the baby at any time, it would be fine. It's very strange to think that MaybeBaby could make her appearance at any time!
Last night, I had my first recognizable "practice labor" contractions. It didn't feel like I expected; I was thinking contractions (practice or no) would feel like a real cramp or an actual contraction of the uterus. It turned out to feel like I was about to get my period, which, after I thought about it, has never felt like active cramps so much as dull, aching pain in my lower abdomen. So, hey, cool! The uterus is getting ready! It was kind of painful, though, and I finally had to get up and walk around. I ended up packing a bag for the hospital (which we haven't done yet -- obviously), because I thought, "What if this ends up being the real thing?" It wasn't, of course, but it made me realize that we're a bit unprepared. We haven't washed any baby clothes or sheets or anything, the car seat bases haven't been installed in the cars, and we don't really have a bag packed for the hospital. So, in the bag I tried to put together, I put in 6 books (will I be in the mood for something new? something familiar? fiction? nonfiction? something easy? something challenging?), some DVDs (I know the rooms have TVs, but I'm not sure about DVD players -- never hurts to be prepared!), lollipops (based on people's recommendations), three different shirts, two different pairs of pants (crap! I just realized I didn't put in pajamas!), socks, underthings, and then three different (unwashed) baby outfits.
Speaking of going to the hospital and things we don't have ready, we still don't have a middle name picked out....
Sorry about the randomness of this posting! It's been so long and I definitely have pregnancy-brain. We're super excited but also nervous (when does a soon-to-be parent say otherwise?). I'll be letting everyone know if anything interesting happens.... Now I'm going to continue to lie on this recliner and eat dinner (not made by me!).
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Pictures!
Here's some of those belly pictures:
33 Weeks (above)
35 weeks (above) -- that shirt was given to me by a friend of my mother-in-law's -- This was taken on St. Patrick's Day, the only day I would wear a maternity shirt that had "Future Irish Miracle" on the stomach.
Below are some "4-D" ultrasound pictures. Technology is amazing!
Craziness!
35 weeks (above) -- that shirt was given to me by a friend of my mother-in-law's -- This was taken on St. Patrick's Day, the only day I would wear a maternity shirt that had "Future Irish Miracle" on the stomach.Below are some "4-D" ultrasound pictures. Technology is amazing!
Craziness!Sunday, February 22, 2009
New Orleans, Pneumonia, and Moving, Oh My!
Oh, my dear, dear friends,
Things have been a bit difficult here in MaybeBaby land. This is part of the reason I haven't updated in ages, and the other part of the reason is that I'm lazy. Or pregnant, which equals tired and cranky at night (not the best mood for blogging?).
We'll just cut to the chase so as to be as concise as possible:
* We spent the month of January moving from our apartment to a small house downtown. It was a huge hassle, of course, because we would pack the cars up, then unload them, then unpack some boxes at the new place, then take the empty boxes back, and do the whole cycle again. It was less stressful (I think) than moving all in one day and then having to unpack (plus, we didn't have enough boxes to do that), but it was still difficult. We, luckily, had a good number of great friends who came and helped us move furniture in their cars/trucks, so that was a huge help. The day after was the worst, though, because we had to clean the apartment we were leaving. I hadn't thought to leave a chair behind to sit in, so there I was, six months along, trying to clean out cabinets, dust, vacuum, and swiffer... and I had to take breaks by sitting in the car! My feet and legs were so swollen by the end of the day that I think they have yet to recover! Don't worry, I didn't clean the bathroom or use any of the harsh chemicals they say not to use while you're pregnant; Ian got to do all of that (lucky him). The whole process took way more time than I anticipated, so of course that made me extra cranky. (We like the new place, so I guess it was all worthwhile?)
* Speaking of swelling: I knew that my stomach would get huge. I knew my hips would "spread" (though I didn't really know what that meant). I knew my feet would swell. I did NOT know, however, that my thighs, knees, calves, and ankles would become UNRECOGNIZABLE as my own! I also did not know that one could get stretch marks on one's rear end. Oh, horrors! I feel like this is supremely unfair, though I should be feeling lucky that I've gotten to 31 weeks now and the baby is doing fine (they tell me). That's easy to forget, though, when I'm getting ready to shower and suddenly catch sight of my body-that-no-longer-seems-like-my-body. I mean, people, it's horrifying! No one could have prepared me for this. My sister-in-law did reassure me a little that the swelling will go down after the baby's born, though I know that stretch marks don't just go away. No, no, they "fade with time." A friend said to me the other day, "Why, when women are more sensitive about their bodies than men, do they have to go through this experience?" Punishment! I do declare, though, that I will take those walks before and after the baby comes, I will breastfeed to the best of my ability, and I will LOSE this weight and return close to my previous self. Or, at least, I declare that I will try.
* I haven't been taking any walks recently, because as soon as I got back from New Orleans (for a conference), I became seriously sick with some kind of cold. I think I got it actually while I was there -- it started as only a slightly irritating cough. Then it progressed into a more annoying cold with congestion. Then the cough got WAY worse and I felt like I was pulling all the muscles in my stomach -- then, later on, in my back -- and I started to worry that I was hurting the baby with all my coughing. Now, no scoffing, people: I know that there are crazy things that can happen to pregnant ladies (I researched them online, which I hope I'll never do again, because it was way more scary than it was helpful). So, yes, the baby is surrounded by fluid, but I was concerned about the placenta. That's all I'll say. Then I couldn't feel MaybeBaby moving anymore and I really freaked. I drank some cold water and waited and waited... and when we were on the verge of going to the emergency room (I know, right?!), I felt her move faintly. Then I thought, "Oh, no, it's just a little flutter -- she might be losing her strength!" (Reminder: I've never been pregnant before and I've never been so responsible for keeping someone alive by myself before!) Well, naturally, she moved more and more and I was eventually reassured. Poor Ian. I knew he was super worried, too, but he was very good and stable. This, I would like to believe, may transfer into the delivery room?
Okay, so, disaster averted (or recognized to not be a disaster after all); however, I'm still coughing and it hurts and I'm pissed off. This is the second time I've been sick during my pregnancy and I feel really annoyed about it. So, after going to the OB where they hook me up and give me a non-stress test (to reassure me that MaybeBaby is just fine, which she is), they say just to sleep a lot and wait out the cold. I try that for a week, but end up having to take two and a half days off. This "sleeping-off" business is not working. I call them on Friday and ask for a referral to a family doctor (still haven't gotten one of those), and they refer me to someone who can see me that day, which is awesome. He's super nice and has apparently delivered babies and can be relied upon not to give me meds that will hurt the baby. He listens to my lungs and informs me that I have pneumonia. What the f***?! I seriously almost cry right then, because who the f gets pneumonia when she's pregnant? But he seems almost jovial (probably to keep me from breaking down right then and there), says he's got some meds that will be fine for the baby, prescribes me some expensive-ass cough medicine (that has a narcotic in it -- not codeine, because that cough medicine wasn't working for me this time -- I had it left over from my cough back in December), antibiotics, and I also get to have a shot! I try not to sound freaked out about taking all this medicine while I'm pregnant, but he says that if I wasn't pregnant, he'd be prescribing something different altogether, and that everything is fine. I mean, if I can't trust a doctor, who can I trust?
(Note: this is me NOT going online and reading about pregnant ladies who thought they could trust their doctors to prescribe things that wouldn't harm their baby and then finding out that they couldn't.)
So now I'm on mucinex, antibiotics, crazy cough syrup (that still doesn't knock me out at night, though it does help with the coughing), decaf hot tea with honey, and sometimes tylenol if I'm desperate for my back and stomach to stop hurting when I cough. (By the way, the dr. said that the reason my back is hurting is because it's pneumonia and it's in my lungs. I preferred the idea of a pulled muscle, but that's cool, I guess.)
The worst part of being sick is just being afraid that everything will hurt the baby; the second worst thing is that I've stopped being excited about the baby and just have been miserable. I do think I'm on the turnaround now, though -- I can actually sit at the computer and type this all up, which I couldn't do a day or two ago. I also slept through the night last night, which was grand! I woke up feeling like you-know-what, but that happens when you're sick whether you're pregnant or not.
* So, New Orleans! I went there for that conference and got sick, but there's more to know! Are you ready for this? I had my first Stranger Rubs Pregnant Lady's Belly experience! Dude. I didn't really think people did that. I mean, it was WEIRD. She was obviously participating in the conference, so she was dressed professionally. (This wasn't on the street, in other words.) I was talking to a colleague, and all of the sudden, I feel this hand on my belly and I hear this woman say, "I really wanted to do that!" Then she skedaddles off. I mean, she didn't even introduce herself! (I didn't have enough time to read her nametag, either. Ha!) She was middle-aged or older, but not someone so old you could excuse her based on her age. (White-haired grandmas who rub one's belly seem less sinister?) I don't know if she was hoping for luck or a genie to pop out, but I just sort of smiled stupidly and didn't say anything, except for maybe, "Oh!" My colleague looked at me and said, "Did that just happen?" Yes. Yes, it did. It is now added to my list of things that are supposed to happen when you're pregnant, but you don't think they will.
I got to see my friend in New Orleans, which was awesome. The un-awesome part -- the swelling was totally worse there, because just because you spend a lot of time sitting down, it doesn't mean that your circulation is working to its best ability. We also walked a lot in the evening. I would pass by a window and see a reflection and think, "Who's that fat person? Oh, s***, that's me! Dammit!" I really don't feel as big as I look. Surely other people must have experienced that. Sitting here, I almost feel normal (except for the wracking coughs and pile of used tissues next to me), but I know if I see myself in the mirror, I'll see a whale. What's that Juno says in the movie? About being a planet? I only feel like a planet if I see myself. This must be willful misleading body-imaging something-or-other. I'm okay with it. I'll just avoid mirrors from now on.
* Had baby showers -- two of them! Two family ones. One was after Christmas, and one was just about a week ago. Let me say: LOVE people who buy from the registry! Also, love books. I don't mind books not bought from the registry, because people will buy you ones that their kids really loved, and that makes sense. Clothing, even, up to a certain point, is very welcome. People have found some really cute stuff -- Classic Pooh stuff, which I adore, but is really only available at Target. (I think we've got just about everything they make for babies in that line -- with the exception of nursery stuff, which we don't need.) However, we are now at the point where we have all the clothes we need (up to 6 months, probably higher), since some really awesome people have donated (or lent) their baby clothes to us, too. This is SWEET! Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! But enough is enough. My mom is the buying stuff from our registries whenever she sees it on sale, because she thinks no one will get it for us. I keep saying, "STOP! Wait until after the showers!" but she will insist on buying this stuff anyway. Registries are a great idea, if people follow them. I don't mind a few things that aren't from the registry (especially if the gift giver is someone who has young children and knows what we may really need), but seriously, the registry is there because if no one buys it for us, we have to buy it. (Okay, not everything on the registry is something we need. People have told us, "Put more on than you need, because you can always return it if you don't get something else you want.") In conclusion (to this very all-over-the-place paragraph), to those of you people out there who think, "I HATE buying from registries!", please be sure to give the recipient a gift receipt.
* Last thing -- I know I need to post a belly picture. I'm 31 weeks and, as you've seen from what I've written above, pretty large! I'm also "carrying high," some people have told me. I don't know whether that's so or not. You can tell me. I do have a picture from New Orleans, but it doesn't really show you anything except that I'm large (not a side-view or anything). I will try to get on the belly picture thing.
Love to you all -- again, sorry I haven't updated in so long! I will try to be better, especially as there are only 9 weeks to go!
Things have been a bit difficult here in MaybeBaby land. This is part of the reason I haven't updated in ages, and the other part of the reason is that I'm lazy. Or pregnant, which equals tired and cranky at night (not the best mood for blogging?).
We'll just cut to the chase so as to be as concise as possible:
* We spent the month of January moving from our apartment to a small house downtown. It was a huge hassle, of course, because we would pack the cars up, then unload them, then unpack some boxes at the new place, then take the empty boxes back, and do the whole cycle again. It was less stressful (I think) than moving all in one day and then having to unpack (plus, we didn't have enough boxes to do that), but it was still difficult. We, luckily, had a good number of great friends who came and helped us move furniture in their cars/trucks, so that was a huge help. The day after was the worst, though, because we had to clean the apartment we were leaving. I hadn't thought to leave a chair behind to sit in, so there I was, six months along, trying to clean out cabinets, dust, vacuum, and swiffer... and I had to take breaks by sitting in the car! My feet and legs were so swollen by the end of the day that I think they have yet to recover! Don't worry, I didn't clean the bathroom or use any of the harsh chemicals they say not to use while you're pregnant; Ian got to do all of that (lucky him). The whole process took way more time than I anticipated, so of course that made me extra cranky. (We like the new place, so I guess it was all worthwhile?)
* Speaking of swelling: I knew that my stomach would get huge. I knew my hips would "spread" (though I didn't really know what that meant). I knew my feet would swell. I did NOT know, however, that my thighs, knees, calves, and ankles would become UNRECOGNIZABLE as my own! I also did not know that one could get stretch marks on one's rear end. Oh, horrors! I feel like this is supremely unfair, though I should be feeling lucky that I've gotten to 31 weeks now and the baby is doing fine (they tell me). That's easy to forget, though, when I'm getting ready to shower and suddenly catch sight of my body-that-no-longer-seems-like-my-body. I mean, people, it's horrifying! No one could have prepared me for this. My sister-in-law did reassure me a little that the swelling will go down after the baby's born, though I know that stretch marks don't just go away. No, no, they "fade with time." A friend said to me the other day, "Why, when women are more sensitive about their bodies than men, do they have to go through this experience?" Punishment! I do declare, though, that I will take those walks before and after the baby comes, I will breastfeed to the best of my ability, and I will LOSE this weight and return close to my previous self. Or, at least, I declare that I will try.
* I haven't been taking any walks recently, because as soon as I got back from New Orleans (for a conference), I became seriously sick with some kind of cold. I think I got it actually while I was there -- it started as only a slightly irritating cough. Then it progressed into a more annoying cold with congestion. Then the cough got WAY worse and I felt like I was pulling all the muscles in my stomach -- then, later on, in my back -- and I started to worry that I was hurting the baby with all my coughing. Now, no scoffing, people: I know that there are crazy things that can happen to pregnant ladies (I researched them online, which I hope I'll never do again, because it was way more scary than it was helpful). So, yes, the baby is surrounded by fluid, but I was concerned about the placenta. That's all I'll say. Then I couldn't feel MaybeBaby moving anymore and I really freaked. I drank some cold water and waited and waited... and when we were on the verge of going to the emergency room (I know, right?!), I felt her move faintly. Then I thought, "Oh, no, it's just a little flutter -- she might be losing her strength!" (Reminder: I've never been pregnant before and I've never been so responsible for keeping someone alive by myself before!) Well, naturally, she moved more and more and I was eventually reassured. Poor Ian. I knew he was super worried, too, but he was very good and stable. This, I would like to believe, may transfer into the delivery room?
Okay, so, disaster averted (or recognized to not be a disaster after all); however, I'm still coughing and it hurts and I'm pissed off. This is the second time I've been sick during my pregnancy and I feel really annoyed about it. So, after going to the OB where they hook me up and give me a non-stress test (to reassure me that MaybeBaby is just fine, which she is), they say just to sleep a lot and wait out the cold. I try that for a week, but end up having to take two and a half days off. This "sleeping-off" business is not working. I call them on Friday and ask for a referral to a family doctor (still haven't gotten one of those), and they refer me to someone who can see me that day, which is awesome. He's super nice and has apparently delivered babies and can be relied upon not to give me meds that will hurt the baby. He listens to my lungs and informs me that I have pneumonia. What the f***?! I seriously almost cry right then, because who the f gets pneumonia when she's pregnant? But he seems almost jovial (probably to keep me from breaking down right then and there), says he's got some meds that will be fine for the baby, prescribes me some expensive-ass cough medicine (that has a narcotic in it -- not codeine, because that cough medicine wasn't working for me this time -- I had it left over from my cough back in December), antibiotics, and I also get to have a shot! I try not to sound freaked out about taking all this medicine while I'm pregnant, but he says that if I wasn't pregnant, he'd be prescribing something different altogether, and that everything is fine. I mean, if I can't trust a doctor, who can I trust?
(Note: this is me NOT going online and reading about pregnant ladies who thought they could trust their doctors to prescribe things that wouldn't harm their baby and then finding out that they couldn't.)
So now I'm on mucinex, antibiotics, crazy cough syrup (that still doesn't knock me out at night, though it does help with the coughing), decaf hot tea with honey, and sometimes tylenol if I'm desperate for my back and stomach to stop hurting when I cough. (By the way, the dr. said that the reason my back is hurting is because it's pneumonia and it's in my lungs. I preferred the idea of a pulled muscle, but that's cool, I guess.)
The worst part of being sick is just being afraid that everything will hurt the baby; the second worst thing is that I've stopped being excited about the baby and just have been miserable. I do think I'm on the turnaround now, though -- I can actually sit at the computer and type this all up, which I couldn't do a day or two ago. I also slept through the night last night, which was grand! I woke up feeling like you-know-what, but that happens when you're sick whether you're pregnant or not.
* So, New Orleans! I went there for that conference and got sick, but there's more to know! Are you ready for this? I had my first Stranger Rubs Pregnant Lady's Belly experience! Dude. I didn't really think people did that. I mean, it was WEIRD. She was obviously participating in the conference, so she was dressed professionally. (This wasn't on the street, in other words.) I was talking to a colleague, and all of the sudden, I feel this hand on my belly and I hear this woman say, "I really wanted to do that!" Then she skedaddles off. I mean, she didn't even introduce herself! (I didn't have enough time to read her nametag, either. Ha!) She was middle-aged or older, but not someone so old you could excuse her based on her age. (White-haired grandmas who rub one's belly seem less sinister?) I don't know if she was hoping for luck or a genie to pop out, but I just sort of smiled stupidly and didn't say anything, except for maybe, "Oh!" My colleague looked at me and said, "Did that just happen?" Yes. Yes, it did. It is now added to my list of things that are supposed to happen when you're pregnant, but you don't think they will.
I got to see my friend in New Orleans, which was awesome. The un-awesome part -- the swelling was totally worse there, because just because you spend a lot of time sitting down, it doesn't mean that your circulation is working to its best ability. We also walked a lot in the evening. I would pass by a window and see a reflection and think, "Who's that fat person? Oh, s***, that's me! Dammit!" I really don't feel as big as I look. Surely other people must have experienced that. Sitting here, I almost feel normal (except for the wracking coughs and pile of used tissues next to me), but I know if I see myself in the mirror, I'll see a whale. What's that Juno says in the movie? About being a planet? I only feel like a planet if I see myself. This must be willful misleading body-imaging something-or-other. I'm okay with it. I'll just avoid mirrors from now on.
* Had baby showers -- two of them! Two family ones. One was after Christmas, and one was just about a week ago. Let me say: LOVE people who buy from the registry! Also, love books. I don't mind books not bought from the registry, because people will buy you ones that their kids really loved, and that makes sense. Clothing, even, up to a certain point, is very welcome. People have found some really cute stuff -- Classic Pooh stuff, which I adore, but is really only available at Target. (I think we've got just about everything they make for babies in that line -- with the exception of nursery stuff, which we don't need.) However, we are now at the point where we have all the clothes we need (up to 6 months, probably higher), since some really awesome people have donated (or lent) their baby clothes to us, too. This is SWEET! Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! But enough is enough. My mom is the buying stuff from our registries whenever she sees it on sale, because she thinks no one will get it for us. I keep saying, "STOP! Wait until after the showers!" but she will insist on buying this stuff anyway. Registries are a great idea, if people follow them. I don't mind a few things that aren't from the registry (especially if the gift giver is someone who has young children and knows what we may really need), but seriously, the registry is there because if no one buys it for us, we have to buy it. (Okay, not everything on the registry is something we need. People have told us, "Put more on than you need, because you can always return it if you don't get something else you want.") In conclusion (to this very all-over-the-place paragraph), to those of you people out there who think, "I HATE buying from registries!", please be sure to give the recipient a gift receipt.
* Last thing -- I know I need to post a belly picture. I'm 31 weeks and, as you've seen from what I've written above, pretty large! I'm also "carrying high," some people have told me. I don't know whether that's so or not. You can tell me. I do have a picture from New Orleans, but it doesn't really show you anything except that I'm large (not a side-view or anything). I will try to get on the belly picture thing.
Love to you all -- again, sorry I haven't updated in so long! I will try to be better, especially as there are only 9 weeks to go!
Friday, February 13, 2009
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