Wednesday, December 29, 2004
just don't measure the circumference
The midwife appointment went well today, and we even got to see a different midwife as mine was away. She was a very nice lady who made the appropriate sympathetic noises when I whined about my endless heartburn (she informed us that they give Ranitidine to women during labour - never found out why, though) and fatigue. She checked my blood test results and I am borderline anaemic. This means more roast beef dinners and greens for me, woohooooooo! At least this explains why I've been so tired lately and she also told us that babies have growth spurts at around 31 weeks, which would also account for my fatigue. It also explains why I've suddenly developed strong cravings for beef and peanut butter (not at the same time, mind you). She said that women usually find that their energy returns at 34-36 weeks, which would be just in time for my maternity leave. I'm thinking that work may be somewhat of a chore this month. Grand.
I was measured with a measuring tape for the first time (my regular midwife must just be an expert at judging by eye) and I am measuring exactly 32cm; perfect for being 32 weeks pregnant. When she first had a feel, Pip was head down with his back to my side and then he squirmed around a bit and his back was to mine. I didn't realise that he still had quite a bit of room to maneuver, which also explains the mystery of why I feel like there's an octopus in there sometimes. I thought he would be settled into one position, but couldn't figure out why I would feel pokes and prods all over my belly, often times concurrently. They won't really pay much attention to his position until around 36 weeks, so he's still got some time to dance about in there.
I have taken a Zantac and am currently enjoying a heartburn-free evening, even after a delicious supper (made with my husband's fair hands) of beef stroganoff, horseradish mash, and peas. Eight weeks doesn't seem so unbearable now.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
gonna be a long two months
I've entered the phase of pregnancy most commonly referred to as "Okay, I've Had Enough Now". While I still maintain that I love my bump and feeling all the squirms and prods, great discomfort is now my constant companion. Backache, shoulder/neck/rib ache, pulled belly muscles when I sneeze, heartburn (back like a motherfecker), fatigue, shortness of breath, leg cramps, nausea, and endless other aches and pains plague me throughout the day and night. Most of it doesn't bother me too much, but I absolutely hate being this fatigued. It feels like I'm always on the brink of a flu and I have no energy at all. I can do a few tasks, but then I've got to sit and catch my breath. Even in my smoking days, I wasn't this feeble. Thankfully I can manage to get a relatively decent night's sleep (I can go to the loo a few times a night without actually waking up, I think) but I still need to take a nap during the day.
I had a dream the other night in which I had given birth. I remember thinking to myself that it really wasn't all that bad, but the best part is, I now don't have any pregnancy discomforts. Hurrah! Then I suddenly realised that I was at home but didn't have the baby with me, and that I must have left him at the hospital. Oopsie.
Pip got a couple of Christmas presents already, lucky little guy. His Nanna (Paul's Mum) knit him a colourful clown doll, got him a Tweety bird toy, and a collection of Winnie the Pooh books. His Uncle Russell and Auntie Debbie gave him a kit to make a plaster cast of his tiny toes. Lots of our Christmas cards were written out to me, Paul, and Pip. Everyone has advised us to enjoy our last quiet Christmas, but to be honest, I cannot wait until Pip gets old enough to really enjoy it. I am so looking forwards to leaving out snacks for Santa and seeing his face when he tears into his presents on Christmas morning. I know we have at least two more Christmases to go before he gets to that stage, but I'm already eagerly anticipating it.
Eight more weeks to go, give or take. We have another midwife visit tomorrow and our NTC antenatal classes start a week tomorrow. Three and a half more weeks of work when we return in January, then we wait for the big day. Just please don't make me endure eight more weeks of heartburn.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
now i've just got to resist the urge to stuff my face
I had a thoroughly mundane day yesterday working from home, eating toast, cheese, a hard boiled egg, chicken soup (x2), more toast, and drinking tea. I made an appointment with a GP to get this heartburn thing settled once and for all because 12 weeks is too long for one girl to suffer. He said I could take Zantac (or any renitidine tablet), which I did with glee that evening. I don't want to take a pill every time the heartburn bothers me, but there are some days when it's very painful and keeps me up at night. After suffering with acid reflux all day yesterday (not to mention the hilarity from the night before) I took a tablet at bedtime and even now, the following afternoon, I feel pretty darn good. Great joy!
I assume that Pip remains oblivious to any discomfort I experience, because he tumbles and kicks away as usual. I love how his movements have changed as the weeks have gone by - from the first little flutters to actually feeling him shift around and squirm when I press on my belly. I think I'm going to try and take an mpeg of my belly moving, just because I find it so very cool. I sit and watch my tummy warp and contort in the evenings (and during meetings), fascinated by all the activity happening. It's partially freaky (especially when I press down and can feel baby bits wriggling around), but it's mostly wonderful. And it makes me feel that much closer to the time when I will be able to feel him outside of my belly. Cannot wait.
Monday, December 20, 2004
i'm finally in fashion
According to this article on the BBC web site, more women are waiting until after 35 to have children. That's right, us old broads are squeezing out puppies at an increased rate than you young things these days. It's been nice knowing friends having baby #1 at 30 or later; it takes the edge off those days when I think about things like how I'll be almost 57 when our son celebrates his 21st birthday. At least I'm not going to be the only parent over 40 when we attend Pip's first Christmas pageant.
It's all circumstantial, really. I didn't exactly make a conscious choice to wait until after 35 to get pregnant, things just worked out that way. When I was in my 20s, I was with someone who didn't want kids and I certainly wasn't ready to be a Mum anyway. I hadn't the money nor the job stability, or the maturity for that matter. It wasn't until I got together with Paul that I realised the time had come - I was ready for motherhood and wanted it baaaaad. So here we are. Older and wiser and hot damn, am I ready for maternity leave.
fun while it lasted
So much for my heave-free pregnancy record. At 1.30 this morning, after a couple of hours attempting to get to sleep and trying to find a comfortable position, I finally succumbed to the Vom Monster. It's unlikely to be food poisoning or a stomach bug (thankfully) because it didn't last all night, so Paul and I think it's simply down to overeating that evening. Paul made one of his famous roast dinners, which I scarfed down greedily. Being a bit too enthusiastic about my recently acquired ability to get more food in my stomach, I had that fateful second helping. Paul did remind me that when I ate a full plate last Sunday of his roast lamb dinner, I wasn't feeling too stellar afterwards, but I was certain I'd be fine now that the bump seems to have dropped a bit and I'd been feeling much hungrier lately. That's the last time I listen to my stomach, I tell you.
So this is the second time I've scared myself and Paul at 1.30 in the morning, which leads me to believe that I'll probably go into labour at 1.30 in the morning. Although I realise that getting sick to your stomach is nothing to get alarmed about, it was the fact that I suddenly disappeared and Paul heard strange noises coming from the loo. I was worried because the horrible cramps and general feeling of ickyness before I got sick had me partially convinced that I was going into labour. I know, I know - I never claimed to be sane at 1.30 in the morning. I wonder if all pregnant women go through this phase in the last trimester? Am I going to keep thinking that I'm going into labour for the next 9 weeks? It doesn't help that I bought things for my maternity bag yesterday, so the superstitious side of me thinks that will induce labour. Oh and maternity bag, my arse. Who can fit everything they and the baby will need into a bag? I'll need a suitcase just for the nappies, maternity pads, cotton wool, and Pip's sleepsuits.
Anyway, so here I sit with my mug of tea and dry toast. We came to the conclusion that small meals often is the way to go, which means goodbye gigantic Christmas lunch, hello grazing over the course of a day. Moo.
Friday, December 17, 2004
i didn't drop him, honest
Before I get on with today's post, I must get this off my chest. YOU ATE ONE RUM BALL. GET OVER IT. YOU DIDN'T HURT YOUR UNBORN CHILD AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO RESPONDED BY SAYING EVEN MINISCULE AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL IN COOKED FOOD WILL CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS, SHADDUP. This rant has been brought to you by another post from the pregnancy Web boards. Thank you.
Anyway, back to today's post. I think Pip has shifted down slightly over the past couple of days. I can actually eat full meals again, and (please, please, please don't let me jinx myself) I had absolutely no heartburn yesterday. I'll hold back on the full celebration because I had a bit of heartburn today, but it's certainly nice to be able to eat without feeling stuffed to the gills. I have one pair of maternity jeans that have a large panel of cotton/jersey that goes over the bump (mmm sexy), and the denim bit used to sit under my bump comfortably. Now, the denim portion is cutting into my belly slightly so I think my bump is migrating south. I know that it's far too early for the baby's head to be engaged, but I wonder if babies drop a bit as we head into the final weeks? Curious.
I'm also dying to know how Pip is positioned because I can't, for the life of me, figure it out by his movements. I envision him facing outwards because I constantly feel little limbs moving about quite low down in my tummy. It seems that if he was facing my back, I wouldn't feel as much movement. I guess I'll find out when I see the midwife at the end of this month. Really, I would love to know what he gets up to in there all day long.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
in my thirties
Good lord, I've just passed the 30 week mark. Woohoo! Although the first months seemed to last forever, the last remaining weeks are flying by - which is a good thing. While cuddling a workmate's wee baby earlier this week (he's now almost four months old) I really wanted to be able to hold our baby in my arms. On the other hand, I'll really miss my bump. I've truly enjoyed being pregnant and I love feeling Pip bounce around inside me. It's a remarkable, special experience.
I'm not even that freaked out about giving birth anymore. Despite the horror stories that people have conveyed in great detail to me over the months, I have come up with a few ideas that I find comforting. First, I think that the more you work yourself up about the pain, the worse it'll be. On a very small scale, think of it like when you got shots as a kid and you'd scream "OW!!" before the needle was within 6 inches of your skin - and it really did seem to hurt at that point. If I know something is going to hurt (or while something hurts), I try to divert my attention and focus on something else because the more I think about how awful it is, the worse I feel. Second, I keep reading how water births can be more relaxing and a bit less painful than giving birth lying down, especially if you've been induced (apparently that makes the contractions much stronger and more painful). Although I'm not kidding myself and thinking that I will definitely have a water birth (I only know of one friend who's been able to do so), I take comfort in the idea that our child might be born in the water. That seems like a much calmer, nicer way to come into the world. Third, it's all going to be worth it in the end. That's what's most important.
Don't get me wrong, I am scared about it all. Not just labour and birth, but being a parent. Nothing prepares you for either, and there's no way to know how it'll all go. Luckily, I married a sane man who is excited about being a father and who is much calmer and rational than me. Knowing that he will be there through everything is enormously comforting.
Of course ask me about all of this in another 6-8 weeks, and I'll probably be back to freaking out again.
Friday, December 10, 2004
on the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
...three ladies gestating...
...two ladies working ('cos one just went on maternity leave),
and sleep deprivation arriving in the new yeaaaaaar!
That's me, Tosha, and Conchita in our office three bumps photo. Must be the water cooler on our floor!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
maybe we should call him "pat"
Ever since we found out that we're having a boy, part of me is slightly sceptical that the woman doing the scan got it right. Although she very confidently pointed out his boy bits, neither one of us could see them and we both said to her, "Okay, if you say so!" Even looking at the scan several times at home on DVD (ah, bless Fetal Fotos and the low American dollar), I still can't discern the gender. I read a post from a woman who was devastated because Fetal Fotos told her she was having a girl, but a hospital scan a few weeks later confirmed that it's a boy. Our hospital won't tell us the gender unless we pay for a specific gender scan, and really, I am not worried about it and wouldn't bother with another scan at this point.
Still, part of my brain is preparing itself to greet a new daughter in February. The clothes we have are generally gender neutral and I decided to go with a nursery colour scheme that's also gender neutral, so it wouldn't be a problem if Pip ends up being a girl. I never had a preference anyway, and as an added bonus, we have a girl name at the ready.
It reminds me of The Simpsons:
Homer: "It's a boy! And WHAT A BOY!"
Dr. Hibbert: "That's the umbilical cord. It's a girl."
Homer: "WOOHOO!"
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
appreciation
I will not moan about the maternity benefits we receive here ever again. Coming from Canada, you tend to assume that the Americans have it better when it comes to things like benefits and holidays. At the last company I worked for in Montreal, you had a year off for maternity leave, for which you got paid (something like 80% of your pay at first, sliding down to 40-50% over the following months). Here, I get 6 weeks at 90% pay, then 6 months at statutory maternity pay (just over £100/week), then 6 months unpaid. I ranted and raved, and made noise about how unfair that was and how on earth do single mothers/low income families do it?
Then I learned what the Americans get.
On one of the pregnancy boards I read, someone asked about maternity leave in the States. Most women get around 2-4 weeks paid, take some time off using their yearly vacation (which is generally 2-3 weeks) and that's about it. Some got paid a little bit longer, some were not paid but their jobs were held for them for at least a couple of months. A manager at our office in Ft. Lauderdale is due in late March and she is returning to work at the beginning of July.
It's mind-boggling. I'll shut up now and just appreciate what I've got.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
yay, Libby!
Congratulations to Libby and Dan on the birth of their gorgeous little boy yesterday! We'll just have to make another trip to San Francisco one day to say hello and introduce our boys. Much happiness (and sleep!) to you all.
Friday, December 03, 2004
i've got 12 more weeks of THIS?
I woke up in the middle of the night with a sore back, which isn't unusual. I often lie in one position for too long and I wake up with an aching lower back that usually subsides when I roll over to the other side. I rolled over, and the pain got worse. I stood up, thinking that maybe stretching my back out would help. I felt my lower back muscles seize up, cramping and hurting like hell. I put both hands on the bed and bent over, crying and saying "ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!" trying to figure out why I was in so much pain. Am I in labour?
Paul jumped out of bed and rubbed my back, and my fantastic, loving, very worried husband did everything he could think of while both of us had no idea of what to do. A cold compress made it hurt worse. I couldn't describe the pain to him - it wasn't sharp, so all I could say was "It HURTS!!" A hot water bottle finally did the trick and the pain subsided. I felt Pip tumble around so I knew he was fine (and probably oblivious to the whole thing except for that rush of adrenaline which might have woken him up), and I attempted to go back to sleep. Paranoid that I would wake up in great pain again, I kept waking up and rolling over as soon as I started to feel uncomfortable...which was every 15 minutes or so. Even now, my back is very sore and as an added bonus, my shoulders and neck are in pain as well. Well, this is good fun.
I don't know if it was a pinched nerve or something to do with the sciatic nerve (the pain started on the right hand side of my lower back and went down to the top of my thigh), but I certainly hope this isn't going to be a nightly ritual. My fort of pillows and our gigantic bed should be enough to keep me comfy; I'm not sure what else I can do. Hire a home massage therapist and acupuncturist, maybe?
Thursday, December 02, 2004
i need a womb cam
As I am sitting here attempting to do some work, I can feel what can only be described as intermittent rumbling or intense vibration. Really, I'm at a loss to figure out what Pip could possibly be doing in there. Is he putting his hands against the uterine wall and giving it a good shake? Does he possess a very soft jackhammer? Is he strumming his umbilical cord against my abdomen like a giant guitar string? The mind boggles. It must also boggle the mind of our midwife because she looked at me like I was slightly insane (pot/kettle, lady) when I asked her about it. I explained to her that one night, I woke up because it felt like my entire stomach was vibrating. It wasn't just the little flutters I used to feel weeks ago, this was enough belly shaking to wake me up.
Perhaps the enormous mugs of chai latte tea and hot chocolate I'm consuming at night is making my son a tad jittery.
home stretch
Yesterday marked yet another milestone - I am now in the third trimester. Whee! Of course, depending on which book you read, this may have started 1-2 weeks ago but I'll go with 28 weeks marking this point. It's still quite a long way to go until B-Day, but it's nice to have reached these final weeks. I can divide my pregnancy up into the following stages:
-the first few weeks: still not quite believing that I'm pregnant. Very nervous, super aware of every twinge and ache, and bursting to tell the world.
-after you spill the beans: worried that I've jinxed it. Feel slightly panicky until the first scan date, which takes flippin' forever.
-after the first scan: on cloud nine, still not entirely convinced that there's a baby in there, and feeling less panicky. Wait until the next scan, which takes flippin' forever.
-after the second scan: big relief, and joy at knowing the gender and letting the shopping commence. Once the baby's movements get stronger and I get an impressive bump, it's all so much more real. My brain finally gets round the concept that a little baby will be in our house in a few months. Cannot stop thinking about it, and have not stopped thinking about it since day one. Super duper mega excited.
-waiting for the delivery: in progress. So far, it's a relief to get to this point and have just started to read about labour and birth without cringing. Will let you know how the rest of this stage goes.
Had a midwife appointment yesterday, and all is well. Pip co-operated this time and we got to hear his little heart go thuda thuda thuda thuda, much to our delight. He is lying with his head pointing downwards, which is good but he's still got room to move around and change positions before the birth. I requested some sort of powerful magical pill that will make my heartburn go away. The midwife said they usually prescribe liquid Gaviscon, at which point I said pshaw, that stuff does nothing for me. I pick up my prescription today, so we'll see how that goes. Otherwise, I'm doing well and everything is going normally. Amazingly, even my blood pressure is normal - given my work deadlines at the moment, I thought it would be through the roof.
I have discovered nose strips, little plaster-like things you stick to the bridge of your nose that help you breathe. They're actually quite good if, like me, you're prone to a lot of snuffling and sniffling throughout the night. Have also discovered that they are painful to remove if you decide to rip them off quickly in one go.
Mmm nose waxing.