It's funny how different pregnancies are. With Bean, I could tell you exactly how far along I was, I took weekly photos and constantly blogged about how I was feeling and progress in getting ready for the baby.
This time around, I'm clueless on how far along I am, and I have yet to take pictures back to back - last pictures were 7 weeks apart, ha! Steve and I rarely talk about the baby (other than when I'm complaining about how uncomfortable she is making me with jabs in the ribs) and have yet to even come up with name options.
I think the reality this time around is that I just have other things on my mind and in my life that are higher priority than this baby at this point in time. I know once she is here, she will get a lot of my attention, so I'm trying to take care of other things while I can. I know it is more common to hear women talk about how awesome pregnancy is and how they just love it and soak it up. Well, that's not me.
This time around, I seem to be experiencing the hardships a whole lot sooner -- heartburn, jabs in the ribs, constant braxton hicks contractions, sleeplessness (I wake every 2-3 hours to go pee at night), feeling like I'm going to pop (baby is already out of room and I can feel my tummy stretching), and I still have a couple months left -- yikes!
Don't get me wrong -- I am extremely thankful that I am able to create and carry babies. I am amazed at how God orchestrated the human body and reproduction and truly see each babe as a miracle. I don't like to complain openly about how I truly feel about pregnancy, because I know there are several women who crave to have the experience who can't. I am thankful, I'm just also realistic in that pregnancy is HARD! It isn't always sunshine and roses for me. It is tiring, has my brain fried, and has shortened my temper exponentially (sorry Steve and Bean!).
I couldn't do this pregnancy without Steve. He has been so great through it all. He is a huge help even when he is exhausted. He helps to entertain Bean when I just need space from her. He has also stepped up the back rubs (guess that complaining worked, ha!) and is quicker to say, "let's just go pick up dinner".
Now the stats of this pregnancy:
*Weight Gain: So far I've only gained 10 pounds - I'm "allowed" to gain 15-20 more. I'm not trying to not gain weight. In fact, my running and exercising has taken a significant placement on the back burner. I'm not one of those pregnant women who can eat whatever they want whenever and enjoy it. Eating is a chore for me - I have to think about whether the food will cause me heartburn and how much of the food I can eat before I feel like I'm going to explode. For the record, I'm on a daily heartburn pill now and still have to deal with heartburn at the end of the day.
*Baby Movement: I feel the baby move ALL.THE.TIME. I tune it out a lot and have to stop and think about if she is moving. If I'm up and moving, she's probably sleeping because I don't feel movement as much (but then again, I'm using my brain for other things). When I rest, she goes into what I think are acrobatic routines. I can feel her all the way down inside me (which is an extremely odd feeling I can't describe) and can watch her shifting my stomach back and forth. She doesn't like it when I am sitting (or hunched over). She lets me know this by jabbing me in the rib and reminding me she's got minimal space. I have to sit with my back arched or laying back.
*Braxton Hicks: I get "tightenings" known as Braxton Hicks contractions ALL.THE.TIME! Sometimes they are related to a need like more water or having to pee. But sometimes, they are brought on for no reason. They are never at a regular interval or anything so there's no need to be concerned yet. However, since I was induced with Bean, I have no idea what the onset of labor looks like. It is still early for me to be worrying about it, but it is on my mind.
*Cravings: I don't really have cravings, just anything that doesn't cause heartburn?? I went through an ice cream phase a month ago (thank you Meijer for having Tofts Ice Cream for 3 for $10), and I'm typically not big on eating ice cream. I'd say that I've lost desire for foods more - cut way back on soda and coffee. I did go through a pickle phase a couple weeks ago and ate a whole jar by myself, but I loved pickles prior to pregnancy, so nothing odd about that!
*Doctors Appointments: All my appointments have gone quick and textbook. My blood pressure is always good, I've passed my glucose test with no signs of sugar issues, and my iron and thyroid levels have been great. I do have to have an extra ultrasound (in a week) this time around because standards have changed for women with thyroid disorders while pregnant. I'm excited to see little Sprout on camera one more time!
*Bean's Thoughts: She thinks she can feel baby sister by putting her finger in my belly button (which I detest). There's a commercial on tv with a baby walking and every time it comes on, she tells me, "baby sister has to grow, then come out!" I think she is excited, but really has no idea what is about to hit her!
(So I'm a week behind, I'm actually 30 weeks as I write this, but if I waited to get another picture and have it be current, it'd take another 2 weeks to write this post. I realized it had been awhile since I had taken a picture. Then as I was writing down the "29" I realized I had sailed into the 3rd trimester without realizing it. Whoa! And for the record, I think the photographer was getting creative with camera angles and is making me look thinner than I am. The belly in that picture does not accurately portray the belly I'm sporting.)
(Bean wanted to be in the picture, too! I think she had a ploy just to get the board so that she could potentially use the markers. That ploy didn't work out for her this time.)
No comments:
Post a Comment