36 Weeks

I can't believe how close to the end we're getting! Back in July it seemed like March would never come... and actually, pretty much this entire pregnancy has seemed eternal, BUT suddenly we're almost done!

So much to do! I haven't even packed a bag yet!

Night before last I started having contractions. I didn't really notice how regular they were, but I ended up taking up a bath at around 10pm to get more comfortable. After that I did some dishes and they started to hurt. Karl and I sat down for a bit to watch the end of Minority Report (it was on TV and I'd had it on while I was cleaning) and we were noticing how funny and lopsided my tummy looks when I had each contraction. Then Karl pointed out that I'd been having them five minutes apart... And he told me I couldn't have the baby that night because he was too tired.

I'm so glad he thinks I have any kind of control over that ;)

They felt a lot like the contractions I had a few hours before labor really got going with Evie, buuuut after keeping me up til after 2:30 with pain, they must've stopped at some point because I did not have the baby, and they haven't been that painful/regular since. I have some hopes that this means we're going to be getting things going in a couple weeks here (we kinda did something similar for a couple weeks with Evie), though I am happy he's going to keep cooking for a bit longer :) Karl did decide that maybe it's time to pack a few things for the hospital and get some stuff ready, lol

Today we had our 36 week appointment (down to weekly visits now!), which meant I got to do the group b strep test (always fun!) and since we were doing that, I had my first "check". According to the student midwife (whom I'm not positive I trust), I am very soft, 70% effaced, but only 1 cm dilated and baby is still pretty high. I guess that means those contractions were doing something anyway, and not bad progress for only 36 weeks.

Things are looking pretty good, but I am still anemic so they're making me take a prescription iron supplement (I refused to pick the last one up...). Also, I'm measuring about 2 weeks behind, and if I'm any farther behind next week we have to go in for another ultrasound to check his growth and fluid levels (every time I think we're finally done!). I've also been told to make sure I do kick counts and if he seems slow at all I've got to get a non-stress test done (another thing I wanted to avoid needing this time around).

I'm sure he's fine, but it does make us a little nervous, since this was one of the things they were worried about originally with all the ultrasounds. I just wish I didn't have to wait 'til next week to find out how things are going!!

Chiropractor!

FINALLY got adjusted by a chiropractor yesterday, and I can't believe I didn't do it sooner!

I went in hoping to fix the sciatica that has been plaguing me for months now, and hopefully fix some of the hip/pelvic/back pain I'd been having.

The sciatica is still there, unfortunately, I'm still kind of waiting to see if my body will adjust, or if there's inflammation that will go away, or SOMETHING, but I'll probably go back in a week or two to try again, just to see what else can be done :)

That was sort of a let down, HOWEVER, while I thought the sciatica was my main problem, I had no idea how terrible my hips/pelvis were! I have been waddling like I was about to have a baby since the middle of my pregnancy, and it's just been getting worse and worse the further along I've gotten. It has just plain hurt to walk for so long! Grocery shopping has become like the most dreaded responsibility I have, just because it's torture to walk around the grocery store at a snail's pace, in horrendous pain.

It's also been horrible trying to get up and down off the ground (which I do a ton of, having a toddler and all); it seriously felt like my pelvis was going to crush itself or something every single time. I dreaded having to get up off the floor every time, and there was a lot of very unladylike like grunting and groaning with every effort!

Also, just lying down has been painful. Lying on my sides made my hips hurt, even with pillows between my legs, so I'd try lying on my back for a couple minutes to try to take the pressure off, but that hurt too! I've been spending a lot of time sleeping in the floor by Evie's bed for the last couple months and that made it so much worse!

I was so sure that's just how it was going to have to be for the rest of this pregnancy, and had my fingers crossed that having the baby would resolve the problem.

I am pleased to report that since being adjusted I can walk again!! I'm walking so much faster (though still probably half my normal speed, lol) and I don't waddle like a hip-replacement candidate anymore!!! I just went grocery shopping tonight and it was SO much more do-able. I can get up off the floor with no groaning, and lying down is so much more comfortable--no hip/pelvic pain!

Even though doing all those things still hurts because of the sciatica, I cannot believe how incredibly much my life has improved by reducing my pain as much as I have! I'm still hoping there's some way to get rid of the sciatica all together, but I will take what I can get! I'm so much more comfortable now.

Next pregnancy I think I'd like to be adjusted monthly from the beginning. I can't believe how many months I have suffered when I didn't need to. I have seriously had break downs over this! I guess next time I'll know better :)


 

34-35 Weeks... Big belly, ultrasound, baby shower, and more!

35 week belly! I don't think the picture really does my enormousness justice ;)

 Today I am 35 weeks pregnant, and it also happens to be my birthday!
26 years ago I was born four days after my mommy's February birthday, even though I was supposed to have been a March baby too ;) I have been celebrating all day with tons of contractions and cramping... Annnd I'm starting to get pretty nervous about the state of my preparedness for this child!

About a week ago we had our VERY LAST ultrasound (#5!) which went really well, as far as baby is concerned... Karl had to work and so my mom and Amaia (who just turned 6!) came with us. Evie was pretty good for most of it, but as we were trying to leave she threw an epic tantrum all the way out of the hospital and into the car and part of the way home... She's been doing that fairly regularly these days--I think it's because she's been skipping her naps :/

As for baby, he was measuring only about 2 days ahead this time around, but all his little body parts are looking perfect and he's not behind on his growth. The estimate is that he was weighing in at about 5 lbs 3 oz as of a week ago! He's currently head down (like he has been this whole pregnancy, good boy!), which is fantastic news.

We couldn't get a very good picture of his face this visit, however; silly monkey had one foot and a hand in front of his face! This is the best pic we could get :)

 

Saturday I had my first baby shower, thrown for me by my loverly visiting teachers, Carmen Cole & Amy Bingham :) Only about half the people I invited ended up being able to come (it was a little bit short notice, and for some reason lots of people were gone doing fun things that day!), but I actually thought it was the perfect amount of guests for my comfort level. It was a lot less awkward when I could kind of talk to everyone instead of worrying about all the people I couldn't get to or was leaving out.

Carmen did, however, have everyone play a baby shower "game" where everyone went around the circle and gave me a compliment and some parenting advice. I will admit, I was not super comfortable with sitting there making person after person say something nice about me while everyone listened... Just not sure what to do with myself! But, I did really appreciate all the kind things that people said. I'd been having a rough week, and an especially rough morning, so once I moved beyond the slightly awkward feeling, it really was a blessing to hear those things :)

And here are some beautiful pictures of that event, which I stole from Carmen:

And now for some symptom complaints ;) In the last couple weeks I've started to itch terribly... And I'm so scared it's going to turn into the nightmarish PUPPP I had with Evie! With her it started earlier, but it felt so similar to this! I'm just hoping I can have this baby before it gets to the same point it did with Evie (I was basically clawing the skin off of my entire body).

Also, ever since I started itching, I've gotten some new stretch marks! I was doing perfectly well just reusing the old ones, but they just started popping up where ever I scratched :( It's not too bad, I just have them on the top half of my belly now (the old ones were mostly below my belly button), rather than new ones all over my body, so I guess I should be thankful. I'm just irritated that, if not for the itching, I might not have had to get ANY new ones. Buuuuut, that's just the joy of having a momma's body :)

I have had quite a bit of cramping and contractions starting the past few days. I always have lots of contractions, but it's definitely gotten a lot more intense the past little while! With Evie I did this for about two weeks before she finally decided to be born... So we'll see what happens. I'm worried it's just going to get worse and worse over the next 5 weeks, but I'll still go all the way to my due date and just be miserable, lol! I DO want to keep this baby in as long as he needs to be in, but I would really appreciate it if my body would cut me a break, at least for a couple more weeks!!

Like I said, I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens... Luckily we're getting close ;)

Starting after my appointment next Tuesday I get to be seen weekly from now on!! Only 5 weeks to go; we're getting there slowly but surely!