I did some rearranging in the baby's room yesterday. It mostly consisted of tidying up but it felt good to get it done because it needed to be done. Today I am physically exhausted. I don't want to do one little thing. Not one. As a matter of fact, I think it's nap time.
Once I rest up a bit, I've got a nice healthy dinner planned and then hopefully I can get a little more done in preparation of the baby.
I was going to go into a lot of detail, include photos and all... then I looked at some photos of gallstones and thought "nahhh, that's disgusting". I have gallstones. I'll say it instead of showing it. Frankly, every pic I've found is quite nauseating. That could be in part due to the fact that I'm both pregnant and currently trying to switch focus from my gallbladder pain and resulting acid reflux but it really is gross.
I'd have to say that of all the pregnancy-related symptoms I've had thus far, it's nice to find out that a) they're caused by my gallbladder and b) the discovery that I have gallstones is by far the worst "symptom".
What does this mean for me right now? It means I have had to make MAJOR diet changes. I should be eating lean poultry, little to no dairy and when I DO have dairy, it should be low-fat or fat-free, no red meat (I don't eat this anyway...), whole grain and whole wheat products as opposed to "white" foods, etc. What I have done is to reduce the amount of dairy I eat, cut back extremely on the chicken and increase the fish intake, eat multi-grain and whole wheat products in place of foods I normally eat. I also need to eat virtually NO grease or fat. That part isn't HARD but it does require me to be very aware of what I'm eating. It's only been 5 days but I'd say I'm doing OK so far.
The cranberry juice I had earlier is causing the acid-reflux I'm suffering from at the moment, and boy is it PAINFUL. If you've never had anything wrong with your gallbladder, you're lucky. It is extremely painful and makes me very sick if I don't eat properly. I have to say, I honestly feel best when I don't eat at ALL. That really puts a damper on things because obviously, being pregnant (and even when I wasn't--because that's unhealthy) I can't just avoid food entirely.
How is it treated? It is treated with diet and eventually surgery. I will have surgery around 8 weeks post-partum, so once my pregnancy recovery time is over, I'll have surgery and yet another recovery period. I don't at all look forward to another surgery but it's for my health and with another child in the house and with all the work that goes into having both a teenager and a newborn, I can't afford to be suffering from gallbladder attacks.
There IS some good news... there are only 36 days left until my due date! I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow. That also means that in 2 weeks, I'll be considered full term. As of tomorrow, I will have exactly 5 weeks left until my due date. SO now that you have all of that repetitive information, you should know that I am SO EXCITED and while I am still exhausted all the time, I'm kind of nesting. I need to get the mobile for the baby's room put together and hung up ASAP. I also need to get MY clothes into the hospital bag. And the last thing we need to do is to rearrange our bedroom because we're going to put the mini crib in here for the first month or three until she gets settled in and can sleep alone in the crib... I can't believe she is almost here.
As for names, just when I think we've settled on one, we go back to another or move on to the next but Joe has expressed that his favorite name is a certain one we've been back to over and over again so unless she is born and it just WON'T work for her, then her name is chosen. Something we've considered all along is the length of her name. We are using both of our last names for her (mine first, then his last) so we have considered long and short first and middle names and have ultimately decided not to name her something like Alexandria Natasha (totally made-up name... we never chose either of those names). My last name is 10 letters long and his is another 7 and at this point, if we stick to our guns, her first name will have 4 letters and her middle name 6. Not too much torture for the kid, but she'll still be a good speller, right?
As of my last Dr appointment at 34 weeks 3 days, I have not gained any more weight and baby is huge! I am measuring 36cm and she is approximately 5lbs 11oz already. Big girl! Considering my first baby was 7lbs 15oz at birth, I'm thinking this one will be about 1lb more. I can't wait to meet her!
With just 38 days left until my due date, I thought I'd share this little collage of our family as it exists today. Two pets are missing from this collage--Pebbles, my daughter's cat and Shorty, her gecko. We don't see them all too often as they both live primarily in her bedroom. This is our family as of May 2013. Next month we will add child #2, a new baby girl.
Stay tuned for a pregnancy update... After last Friday's doctor appointment, some MAJOR new developments in the morning sickness department.
Technically I'm 34 weeks tomorrow, not today, but we're close enough. One of my best friends is in labor RIGHT NOW and I am so overwhelmingly excited for her and to meet her new little girl! This is her first baby ever and that makes it all the more exciting to me. I know she is anxious to have her tiny baby in her arms, and rightfully so but she has been in labor ALL DAY and is still at 6cm. I know she can do it but I hate to think how uncomfortable she has been for so long. It just sucks and it's just always nice to have a nice, short labor and be done with it, enjoying your baby. The anticipation would be KILLING ME if I were her. It's killing me now and I'm NOT her.
I still have 6 more weeks but since I don't need s c-section and the previa has resolved, I shouldn't complain. The only thing is that I'm feeling huge and it's 97 degrees outside already and it's getting hotter and hotter. I think I'm gonna convince my family to take a dip in our pool this weekend and hopefully the water isn't freezing. I don't think it would be but it's only been hot for one week. Anyway, I've never swam while pregnant and I bet the weightlessness feels AMAZING! I can't wait!
I always treat my cat like I would treat her if she were my 6 month old child. That is one thing that has always been since I adopted her and it will always be until she is no longer around.
One thing I have never had to worry about in all the 7 years she's lived with me is how she is NOT the baby. She is. My daughter is almost 13 and we got this particular cat when she was just shy of 6. The cat's role in our home was "baby".
NOW, flash forward 7 years and there is going to actually BE a new baby. At first, I tried to get her to lie on my belly to feel the baby's movements and she would have NONE OF THAT. She responded by sleeping farther from me in bed at night. She would let Joe pet her instead of me. This was not my cat's usual behavior. All of that changed about a month ago when she started to sleep right between my rib cage and belly. As you can imagine, at around 30 weeks pregnant, there isn't much room in that spot I just described but she scoots right into that little nook while I lie there on my side, unable to move without suffocating her with either boobs or belly.
Cats are strange. First, the deliberate rejection. Then the perfect over-protectiveness. This weekend she turned it up a notch. She will start out in the usual ribcage/belly spot, then when I need to turn to my opposite side, she will stay there for a while in about the same spot on the bed which ends up being about at shoulder blade level. She will nudge in really close to me so that if I lean forward too much, I can't lean back again without probably squishing her to death. Then she will eventually move to my front again.
I am SO happy that she is accepting my pregnancy as a comfy spot under next to me in bed. So happy that I just let her rule me while I sleep. I have also noticed that if she is near my belly, asleep, the baby will kick her and her head or whole body will jolt and she'll just lie there asleep like nothing ever happened. I wonder if it soothes her now. Who knows. I'm just happy I have my snuggle cat back.
The only problem is... how is she going to react when baby girl comes home and occupies a spot in OUR bed? When I was pregnant with my other daughter, my cat freaked out when I went into labor and then I was gone for 2 days. When I came home with Maya, she looked at me, sniffed the baby and ran away. She has hated Maya ever since and she doesn't like ME either. That cat was never like THIS cat, though. She was always a bit "off" to begin with. I was still hurt by her gestures.
Here she is... she basically lays ON me in some way as long as I am sitting where she CAN. I think it's cute.
1. Belly rubs
No thank you. I don't want to be touched unless your hand is freezing cold. Sorry, Joe.
2. Maternity clothes
This was a good one, at first. I loved buying new cute clothes that were both comfy and flattering. Now it's SO HOT to have that extra panel layer on all of my bottoms and the low cut versions annoy the shit out of me. Also, at first, when the belly was cute and round I loved how maternity shirts accommodated my boobs. Now, my belly is so huge it's just like wearing a regular shirt-not long enough to cover the boobs AND reach all the way down to cover my shorts. Lovely.
3.Cleavage!
I've always had this. Since I had boobs. I would appreciate if these babies would STOP GROWING but they're not going to. They never have stopped growing and I'll be getting the lovely milk growth. Cheers to those who can celebrate this pregnancy feature but not I.
While I've been sick and growing sick of being pregnant, I have found little things I do love. I really love how as long as I've recently emptied my bladder, I can comfortably watch baby girl move and kick and swim like a crazy karate-kickin' maniac in there.
Now that I'm taking iron supplements, I have found that although I'm still tired the majority of the day (again), I have more energy in the evening and don't always get sick making dinner for my family. Until you can't do that, you can't appreciate it when you CAN.
My hair is VERY healthy and shiny and getting pretty long. Everyone can appreciate this, I think. Well, some people like short hair but if you've ever liked long hair or yearned for a change, get pregnant.
One last thing... even though I have consistently felt like ass, I have the pregnancy glow people want. I have good skin and hair and don't need makeup to look decent, most days. LOVELY!
Here I am at 32 weeks, today!
31 weeks and 4 days down, 59 days to go until my due date. That is roughly 8 weeks.
The transition from week 30 to present has come with a few new symptoms, ailments and general things I've noticed that are changing. I am still having round ligament pains and despite the muscle relaxers, the back pain has come and gone. When the back pain is present, it's horrible. I can't walk correctly nor can I shift in my seat or adjust to a new lying down position. The muscle relaxers couldn't do less. Not a help in the least.
Acid reflux seems to haunt me when I least expect it. Just when I think it's gone, it's back. Zantac 75 used to work for this but now I need Zantac 150. At least there is something that helps. I appreciate that more than anyone could ever imagine. Have you ever been woken up from acid reflux? It's the worst. Speaking of sleep. I have insomnia. Spending half the night flipping from my left to my right side is a chore and a half. Here's how it goes. I TRY to fall asleep on my left side because it's supposed to be the right way to lay whilst pregnant. The problem with this is that baby girl is head down, resting on my bladder which means that as long as I'm on my left side, the pressure of her weight makes me have to pee every 20 minutes. I am in NO way exaggerating. So I want to turn to my right but now that I'm getting so huge in the gut region, I have found that I have to go from my left side to my back, then rest for a minute before turning over to my right side. This is especially cumbersome in the middle of the night when it wakes me up completely. I soon realize I have to pee anyway. Ugh!
As far as my mood goes, anyone who knows me, knows that I like to do things by myself. The fact that I am restricted because of pain and my belly size means I am having to ask others for help. I hate this. I would rather sleep the rest of my life pregnant than have anyone do something for me that I can normally do alone. I like things done a certain way for the most part but that is not what bothers me. What bothers me is not being able to do normal things such as cleaning my house or helping assemble our family pool (an 18'x9'x52" above ground pool). It's getting to the point where if I do too much, it affects my back within a couple hours. It is actually hurting right now. Also, driving any longer than 45 minutes means there must be a bathroom on the way. I have to pee CONSTANTLY! It's pretty annoying. I pee, I leave to go wherever I'm going. I get 30-45 mins and have to pee. I get there, I pee. It's just inconvenient. If you have been here, you know. My first daughter was NOT resting on my bladder and I didn't have this issue. So as you can imagine, being annoyed with little things like this on the daily make for a more moody me.
I had another minor nose bleed last week. It was only the 2nd nose bleed I've had in my life and the other one was also during this pregnancy.
My belly has been itchy to no end! Almost nothing helps it. This is another way I know she's grown. This happens each time she has a growth spurt. I used Curel, I used Mama Bee Belly Butter and I used Bio Oil. I think the Curel helps most and it helps more if I use it a few times a day. That annoyance is totally manageable.
I still have nausea, especially on days after I've over-exerted myself. Because of this, I try not to over-exert myself.
Baby girl's movements are feeling big and floppy. Still sort of like a large puppy trying to run in jello. Or possibly how it would feel if you put your hand to a bowl made of plastic wrap if someone was swimming in jello inside of it. That sounds weird but it's dead-on for me. That is exactly how it feels.
I have another appointment with my midwife on May 3rd and I'll be 32 weeks, 1 day by then. I will find out when I have another ultrasound to check on my placenta previa and I will also ask when my c-section will be scheduled for if I need one. This is important to know NOW because my first daughter is turning 13 and we're trying to plan her birthday party in June-the same month I'm due. We're hoping to have the party in mid-June but we'll see. Either I'll be 2 weeks from my due date or possibly 1 week post-partum. I'm crazy. I know this.
As far as pregnancy goes, I'm ready to be done and I still have about 8 weeks to go. I am just SO uncomfortable and feeling huge and I can't imagine how much bigger I'll be by then. I do hope to make it to my due date and have the baby naturally but I can only hope at this point. Wish me luck!
I will officially be 31 weeks pregnant tomorrow! This update is about all that has happened during my 30th week.
I saw my midwife last Friday, at 30 weeks, 1 day. We discussed a number of things and below are the final results and decisions of anything needing care as well as some other general feelings, ailments, etc.
First of all, I had an ultrasound last Thursday to check up on the status of my marginal placenta previa. It is still about the same. Unfortunately, if it doesn't improve significantly I'll be scheduled for a c-section at around 37 weeks. I will have another ultrasound between 32 and 36 weeks to get another update.
Last week I had some major lower back pain that nearly prevented me from walking properly. I mentioned this to the midwife and ended up with a muscle relaxer. It did not help but the pain has MOSTLY gone away. If I sit upright in an uncomfortable chair or for too long, it comes back. I do my best to avoid that, of course. It also hurts if I walk for too long but I just suck it up.
I also mentioned to the midwife how much I had been sleeping. I was sleeping 6-8 hours per night, off and on between bathroom trips PLUS from about 9am until 1:30 pm each day. Also, about every other day, I would go back to sleep from about 3pm until 6pm. On those days, I was sleeping 13-15 hours in a 24-hour period. That is ridiculous! Even for a pregnant woman. She asked if I thought I had any symptoms of depression and I stated I didn't think I did. She looked at my most recent lab work and found that my iron had been borderline low. She prescribed ferrous sulfate (iron) 325mg and I'm happy to report that those have definitely helped!
So far, by 30 weeks, 1 day, I have gained a total of 5 lbs with this pregnancy. Both me and my midwife are happy about this weight gain. I am going to be especially happy about it once baby girl is born and I really start to lose the baby weight. I may end up weighing less after I have her than I weighed before I got pregnant. We'll see. I haven't had a weight gain goal other than to stay under 20lbs. I have not done anything differently other than having little appetite and constant morning sickness. I eat plenty of food and consume ample calories per day and I don't vomit everything up, either. I think if I was eating the same and NOT sick, I'd still have gained the same amount.
Yesterday I noticed that baby has grown yet again and that my belly button area is starting to flatten out. This makes my skin itch incredibly bad! I have put Bio Oil on it, Curel lotion on it, Mama Bee Belly Butter on it. My skin still itches. Oh well... not the end of the world.
Baby girl moves like crazy and seeing my entire belly shape shift while I'm lying in bed is quickly becoming one of my favorite new hobbies. I can feel what body parts are where most of the time, too. Her butt is always up just above my belly button, on the right, almost near my ribs. She is still head-down, as confirmed by the most recent ultrasound. We got some really great pics this time because although she tends to have her face toward my spine, she turned to look and she was waving her little hand around. It was such a cute show! Here is a pic of her little face... I can't decide who she looks most like, me or dad. Do you see her waving?
Lately I'm noticing how big my belly is. It is difficult to get dressed standing up sometimes. I sit down to put my bottoms on and this started when my back started to hurt. I wonder if the extra baby weight contributed to the back pain starting. I know that I can stand to put on my right pant leg but not my right. Minor issues. I have gotten to the point that I can't do my own pedicure comfortably and I actually went and had it done yesterday. This morning I did my own mani to match.
Tomorrow we are going to Disneyland with family because my uncle and his wife will be in town from out of state. I plan to look cute even if I feel like crap or am achy, in pain or what have you. I'm hoping I can get enough sit-time and snacks to get me through the day as we'll be there for about 12 hours. I'm sure it'll be fine...
64 days to go!
During my pregnancy, we have received and purchased various diapers. We purchased a box of 216 Costco Size 1 diapers first. Then we thought about cloth diapering. We purchased a pack of Pampers and matching wipes and a pack of Huggies and matching wipes. Then we decided we'd try cloth diapering instead. We will use the disposables we purchased and the ones we received as gifts (and whatever we get from the hospital) for long day or overnight trips away from home.
We have purchased three Charlie Banana One Size Hybrid Pocket diapers and I think we'll love those for their form and function. They really seem superb to us based on reviews and demonstrations and facts I've found while doing research on features and ratings. We have ten 6-ply and ten 3-ply pre-fold cloth diapers and three vinyl covers for those. We also have a small iplay swim diaper that we got at a local children's second-hand store.
Yesterday I got this sense of urgency to complete our cloth diaper stash so we'll have enough to last us 2 days between washes and have a few left over for half of that wash day.
I decided to try a Kawaii Ultra Soft One Size Pocket Diaper which I ordered from jilliansdrawers.com They have a 30 day love em or return em policy which is an awesome thing if you're just starting out. I highly doubt I'll use it but just in case I do... it's there. This is the description of the diapers from their site:
"A highly economical one-size diaper! This pocket diaper is lined with biodegradable TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) for waterproofing and comes with 2 full size microfiber inserts! The cover itself can also be used as a diaper cover over your favorite prefold or fitted diapers."
I ordered one of these for now... in Blue Water. I think the color is pretty neutral which will be good if we end up having another baby. Also, it will be easy to match with shirts and outfits in case I end up caring about that. If we like these, I can see us stocking up on them as the price is certainly right for us. Also, these are comparable to the Charlie Bananas in features for the most part which would mean we'd get what we like at a great price!
In addition to that, I ordered the econobum One Size Diaper Kit. You get a lot of bang for your buck. This is an economical kit but one that comes with great reviews and since we feel comfortable using prefolds for most of our stash, this kit was a no-brainer for us. Here is the description from their website:
"Remember, with our new return policy, if you don't completely LOVE your new diapers, you can return any stain-free diapers within 30 days!
A kit to get you started with cloth diapers! AND, enough diapers to get through one day for less than $50! (That's 3 weeks of disposables!) Each kit includes 12 one-size prefolds (fit from 10 lb - 35 lb), 3 one-size covers, and a wetbag. Order 2 kits and you'll have enough diapers to wash every other day.
The included prefolds are extra soft and ridiculously absorbent. Some buy this kit just for the prefolds! Fold one direction and they'll be shorter for smaller babies. Turn and fold the other direction, and they'll be longer for older babies."
So 12 prefolds, 3 covers and a wetbag for $48.95! That's just crazy talk. We don't even have a wet bag yet and the price for one is around $20.00 so that ALONE makes this a great deal. I can't WAIT to get these new diapers in the mail and check 'em out. Once the baby is here and we're in full-swing cloth diapering and washing, etc and we have a little routine, I'll definitely be reviewing what we have.
All in all, I think we are going to love what we have. Most importantly, I really think that with all the research I've done and comparison shopping and investigation, what we have will work for us, for our lifestyle. I can't wait to dive into the cloth diaper world with baby girl.
As I was switching my laundry over to the dryer and starting a tiny load of baby things I noticed the mailman in front of my house, getting back into his truck. I thought it was odd because out here in the desert, the mail carriers stay in their trucks the whole route. I opened the door to go get the mail once he left and found a decent sized box on my porch. WHAT!? Is this for MEEEE?! I love getting packages in the mail.
Seeing that it was from a certain set of married friends who just had their own baby about a year ago, I started taking pics because I KNEW it would be exceptionally good.
Here is the just-opened box... she even passed on bottles they no longer needed which is AWESOME because who knows what/if baby girl will use. There are BornFree and Dr. Brown's, two of which we don't already have.
Once opened, I saw the Baby Mum-Mum Organic Rice Rusks first and then that ADORABLE Hello Kitty wrapping paper. I had to see what was inside! That box on top was a pair of pink Converse and there was a set of onesies to match. And check out those pink and white skull socks!
The box beneath that was HILARIOUS! I unwrapped it and cracked up...
Then I opened the box.
Did you see that book? YEP! For those desperate nights... when you can't handle one more damn story and you just need a laugh. A laugh of lack of sleep and full of hysteria.
These things also came in the box. I am pretty sure this is the best box of baby goods anyone EVER received for their baby shower! EVAR! I'm sure you can see the theme here. The skulls are even on the diapers! These diapers are SO CUTE, I don't even want to waste them on baby poop. Seriously.
What do you think? Could anything have made this box more awesome?! I don't think so.
Pregnancy is a never-ending roller coaster. I'm up one day and able to get things done and I try to leave the house and be productive if not exercise. The next day (or FOUR!) I'm in bed asleep from the time I get back from taking the 12-year-old to school until it's time to pick her up. That is about 8am to almost 2pm. Seriously guys, that is a LOT of sleep. I might add that I'm also going to bed at around 11pm and I wake up at 6am. I actually wake up at 4-4:30am to pee because, well, because I'm pregnant and the baby is up then. All put together, that is about 11 hours of sleep per day/night. WOW! Also, I don't feel like I can miss any of this sleep. If I do, I am more sick, more tired, and more cranky than ever! It is not good for me or anyone around me.
I am secretly hoping that when baby girl is born, her active schedules stay the same as they are currently while I'm pregnant. Typically she is very active between 8:30pm and 11pm and again at 4am until 7 am. Those time slots work VERY well for me and I'd love for them to continue. I can dream, can't I?
She has definitely grown a bit this week. I am having to take my asthma inhaler most nights before bed so I can get a sufficient breath. Yesterday I had to use it twice. Tomorrow I will go see the midwife and discuss my placenta previa issue and also get the results of my 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Cross your fingers that I passed! I don't want gestational diabetes but I AM constantly sleepy and craving the sugar. Those things combined don't sound promising to me but we'll see.
We got a few really good new things in for baby girl in the past two weeks so I'll be posting a blog about them soon!
Today I went to Motherhood Maternity and got a nursing tank in a size that fits me now, at 27 weeks. I am assuming my belly will be smaller than it is now once baby girl is born and my boobs will probably be larger so the shirt will still fit because those things will exchange space and even out. At least that is what I'm hoping. I think I'm right. I know my body pretty well. I also got some maternity shorts that fit now. They are the same style and size as the ones I bought just before Christmas and they still fit perfectly. Those were black and the new ones are sky blue. It is totally out of my style realm to own colored shorts but I love them.
I got this pull-down nursing tank in charcoal heather gray.
I also got a little gift for baby and mom from Motherhood Maternity and inside was a New Avent Natural Bottle, a sample of Butt Paste and numerous coupons. Among the coupons was a gift card for a FREE Seven Everyday Slings sling. I was JUST telling Joe last night that although we have a carrier, I'd really like a sling so I took this as a "sign" to go ahead and order one. ALSO, this sling is simple, sleek and basic but can be used for infants lying down and older babies on the hip. NICE! I ended up paying for the option size return fee of $3.50 and shipping plus the difference of the upgrade which includes the coordinating diaper pod and baby legwarmers. I got all three in black.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a little stressed about buying nursing bras. It's hard enough to find a regular bra in my current size but I'm growing and if I have to go up one size and find it in a nursing bra, this is bound to be a challenge. I have requirements in my bras. The bra MUST be underwire for day-to-day wear. I simply am not naive and KNOW that a softcup does not hold up a 38I rack. No matter how you spin it, it's just not realistic. A sleep bra is a different story. That story will come later when I buy one. I also do not want a thin cup with multiple sections. Three-section bras, for example, tend to shape you into a sort of wide cone or pointy shape. I don't naturally look like this so it's quite uncomfortable to be "forced" into an unnatural shape like that. I want a solid, seamless cup or something that is thicker or lined so the nice round shape is not lost in the fabric. I think I found what I'm looking for. Oh, and did I mention it comes in my size?
Another coupon code presented itself after ordering the sling and that was for a Boppy-type nursing pillow from nursingpillow.com. I got this one with total cost (shipping) of $12.90. Not bad, huh? I already have a Boppy brand nursing pillow but it can never hurt to have a spare for when one is in the wash.
All in all I feel like I scored a bunch of necessities today for super cheap. I also FINALLY bought the Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad. We will be buying a gray and white chevron cover for it from Etsy.com.
I have realized over and over for the past 4 or 5 days that I should maybe blog. The problem is that a LOT has happened and I've been physically exhausted beyond belief. I've tried things to get myself up and out of bed but I'm just SO TIRED. So tired so that I have actually taken my daughter to school and come home and gone back to sleep from 8:30am to around noon or even a little later. I can barely function when I'm awake, even though I'm getting like, a THOUSAND hours of sleep.
Since my last blog, I got the result of my 1 hour glucose tolerance test back and it was a big fat fail. My blood sugar was 153. It shouldn't have been over 140. I had to take a 3 hour glucose tolerance test which I did on Monday. I also had to get new thyroid labs done and those came back normal which means that my current dose of 75mcg is correct. I will need new labs in August and that will be after baby girl is born.
We also got some big but not necessarily good news at my appointment with the midwife last Friday. It seems as though at my 19 week ultrasound, the tech found that I have a marginal placenta previa. What that means is that the placenta is down near the cervix instead of up closer to the top of the uterus where it SHOULD be. The midwife scheduled me for an ultrasound which I had this Monday. At the ultrasound appointment we found out that what we thought was marginal placenta previa was actually closer to complete. That means that the placenta is close to completely covering the cervix. That is worse. With placenta previa, at any stage, the Dr. will schedule a c-section around 37 weeks if there is little risk to the baby or mom. If there IS a risk of some kind, a c-section can be performed even sooner.
The fact that there has been some improvement since 19 weeks is good but the fact that it's still marginal is not so good. We can only hope it improves significantly in the upcoming weeks and I'll take it easy in the meantime. Baby girl is head-down and facing my spine so she is in position already (although she doesn't need to be yet).
In all other ways, baby girl is growing exactly along with my dates. She is perfect in size and everything with her shows she is doing great. That's really great to know considering all the crap I am going through. I told Joe "I'm great at growing babies, I'm just bad at being pregnant". And it's sorta true.
In other news, I FINALLY got my approval for my disability and my check is on it's way. Since my claim was opened in early February, I am getting a check from the 12th of February through March 31st and then payments will come weekly. This will help us greatly in the upcoming months.
In April I'm going to go to Disneyland with family if my midwife approves. Then in May, my daughter will be turning 13 and we'll have her annual pool birthday party. I've considered having this party AFTER the baby is born if they end up doing a c-section. We'll see how it goes. I will be 37 weeks on June 6th. That is also mine and Joe's 5 year anniversary. Since my daughter's birthday is at the end of May, it may make more sense to have the party later. I don't want to have a party in 100 degree weather when I'm basically 9 months pregnant. That sounds horrible, right?
As of today, I only have 100 more days of pregnancy. To celebrate, I used my Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card that I had leftover from Christmas to buy some essentials for our hospital bag.
I got a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar (so yummy!), two travel toothbrushes-one for me and one for Joe, toothpaste, Dove Men deodorant for Joe, Secret deo for me, Clean & Clear Morning Burst body wash, Pantene shampoo and conditioner, Baby Lips lip balm in coral, Tony Ties hair ties (LOVE this style of hair ties right now), Neutrogena face cleansing wipes and a Revlon wide-tooth comb.
I am sure there are a few other things that will end up in the toiletries bag but for now, I think we have the basic necessities.
As for the complete hospital bag, we have PLENTY of time left. Also, I don't intend to pack much more than the above. I am not bringing diapers, outfits for days other than her one going home outfit, baby blankets, clothes to wear any other days than what I'm wearing when I get there and what I intend to wear when I go home. The hospital provides diapers and clothes and a blanket for baby for the duration of the stay. The hospital will also provide a gown for me that I can ruin and hand back. They will give me rad pads and mesh panties. If you have never had to use them, they are not for everyone, but MOST people swear they are one of the best perks of the hospital stay. I think they're rad.
A lot of people bring full makeup, flat irons, blow dryers, fancy clothes that will likely end up ruined. Let me get real here. You will NOT care. If you care more about getting your hair blow dried and flat ironed then you are gonna have a hard time with that baby. I am not saying you can't do these things again but in the hospital? Spending every moment with your newborn that you took so much care to grow and birth is what is going to be important. You can do your hair later. Shoot some dry shampoo in there and use BB cream for the face. Some hydration and a hint of color and MAYBE a coat of mascara will do. Then used a tinted chapstick and call it a day. Seriously though, spend time with your newborn. You'll have your whole life to do hair and makeup but only 24 hours to enjoy your first day with your baby.
Honestly though, to each their own but I'm sure most new moms would rather watch their new baby's every move than anything else.
OK so this is what will surely be waiting for us when we arrive home from the hospital with our new baby girl.
Here is Parker.
Here is Otis.
My 13 year old (now 12...) will be with us most of the time too and will likely be with us on the ride home with baby girl.
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