Pregnant After IUI: Week 32

Eight weeks until my due date. Less than two calender months. How is that possible?

According to Everydayfamily.com, baby is about 16.5 inches long, and 4.5 lbs... that's quite a bit bigger than the 2.5-4 lbs that thebump.com claims. Both say baby is gaining quickly, though, and the skin is filling out with all that fat that's getting deposited. Also, Baby is sleeping around 90-95% of the day! Which explains why I don't feel movement quite as much. Also, Baby is now head down, huzzah! I REALLY didn't want a breech baby, because that's an automatic c-section at the hospital I'm delivering in. I mean, I suppose there's a lot of time left, and Baby COULD turn breech, but let's hope that doesn't happen.

Really the only new symptom I've had is cramping. So, Monday night I woke up in quite a bit of pain with menstrual-like cramps, which is supposedly what contractions feel like, only it seemed to last forever and wasn't so much of a wave as a bombardment. I tried rolling onto my other side, and discovered that I was incredibly dizzy. Eventually it went away (felt like 5-10 minutes after I woke up, but I didn't check my phone so it could have been very different, time-wise.) But then I started getting another shortly after. And I suppose, being awake for the start of the second, it did sort of build. Anyway, when the second one started, I thought maybe it would help if I peed, so I got up, and was still dizzy, but made it to the toilet and that didn't help at all. So I went to lie back down and that one went away after a while. I fell back to sleep, but when I got up the next morning, I was still dizzy, and had a few very mild cramps. My abs and uterus were sore, and if I stretched out during the day Tuesday my uterus would get really sore for a while. The dizziness and cramps were gone by mid-morning, though, so I didn't call anyone. I figured it's just that I'm so pregnant. If it were to happen again and not stop, then I'd call. But that was a fun experience, anyway. I got to practice my relaxation techniques! haha

As for other symptoms, the swelling in my hands is pretty steady, but that could be in part from the heat this week. My feet are even swelling a little, though not bad. Little to no indigestion to speak of. OH! Baby must have dropped a bit, because I can now walk up stairs and not sound like a winded rhino! Score!

On a different note, it's amazing how fast I can go from, "My uterus really hurts, and I haven't felt baby in the last 5 minutes, but I just felt baby move a few hours ago, so I know everything is fine," to "Oh my gosh, I haven't felt Baby for a few hours, and my uterus like, really hurts... what if my baby is in distress, or not getting enough oxygen, or the placenta has detached from the uterine wall and that's why it hurts and why Baby isn't moving... Please, God, let me feel Baby move just a little to know everything's okay!" And then invariable Baby twitches or wiggles or squirms just enough for me to feel it and know everything is all right again. It's really quite the roller coaster of emotions, lol. It's almost like I don't realize how in tune I am to Baby, and how much I worry about it, until I'm lying in bed and it's the middle of the night and I realize I haven't felt the baby since before I went upstairs. It's weird.

As for the nursery, we decided to NOT stain OR seal the dressers, and it was an awesome decision, because neither of us wanted to spend the time or money it would have required to do the thing properly. So that's been a HUGE weight off our shoulders. They are now put together and ready to be put where we want them, but without the crib up there yet, it's hard to say where that will be. The curtains are up, Jon got a changing table from Savers and put that together, and my shower is this weekend! It feels like things are coming together, but we'll see what we get. We still need several big items, and I doubt we'll get them all, so I may still be stressed next week. But it'll all work out.

That was my week. I will try to remember to have Jon help me with a belly pic this evening, and post it at least on facebook, if not add it to here as well.

Pregnant After IUI: Week 31

My baby will be full term in 6 short weeks... and there's still so much to do! The nursery is FINALLY painted; now we need to clean it and start moving stuff in... although we don't have a crib yet, and the dressers still need to get sealed. I would like to get the shower doors taken off an put a curtain up, which means I need to find my shower curtain. We have to finish unpacking (or at least relocating) all of the boxes in the dining room, rearrange the kitchen cupboards to make room for baby stuff, move the dining room table from the mud room into the dining room, get shelving up in the mud room, make a baby blanket, some burp cloths, and finish the wall art for the nursery... ugh. On the plus side, my baby shower is in a week and a half, yay! I can't wait...

So this week Baby is, according to everydayfamily.com, a whopping 16 inches long and close to 4 pounds, and is set to gain about half a pound a week for the next few weeks. That's incredible. Baby is moving a lot, and it's sometimes hard to breathe because of it. Every once in a while I'll take a great big breath and realize I wasn't getting enough air. It's kind of odd. Baby's eyes are working and can respond to light, and all five senses are functional. Baby's brain and nerves are continuing to mature. Lots of growth going on!

As for me, as I said, I'm out of breath a lot, and I'm apparently still dealing with the irrational irritation sometimes, although that DOES seem to be better. I'm craving fruit, which is fine with me. I have had a couple of times where my gums bleed after brushing or flossing, and that's new, but it's not a lot... maybe 3-4 times in the last 2 weeks or so. I had some indigestion like yesterday and the day before or something, but the ACV in water fixed it right up and I've had no issues since. I'm pretty much always a little swollen now, and... was it last night? it was hard to get my wedding ring off. But over all it's been super manageable. Trying to think if there is anything else... I have a prenatal appointment this afternoon, and I get to hear Baby's heart "beep," which I am really looking forward to.

I feel like babies born now have such a good chance for survival... yes, it's still early, and Baby can stay in there for a while yet, but it's comforting to know that my baby would likely be okay--with lots of time in the NICU, I'm sure--if I were to go into labor now. We aren't READY for a baby now, but knowing that Baby would probably live is a huge comfort. I remember early in my pregnancy thinking, "What's the point of calling the doc if something is wrong? There is so little they can do at this point." But now, it's like, real. I don't really know how to describe it. Anyway, I'm happy to be this far along, and I'm excited to meet this little person.

Oh, and today I was thinking about how weird it will be to not be able to FEEL every single one of Baby's kicks and wiggles, but to see them instead, and the facial expressions, and all of that... so cool. August is so close!

Pregnant After IUI: Week 30

THIRTY. WEEKS. Technically, that is 1/4, one quarter, 75% done with this pregnancy... YIKES. Although, my dad likes to remind me that you're not to the halfway point until you reach that last month... He's probably right!

So thebump.com and everydayfamily.com both seem to agree that baby is about 15.5 inches long and close to 3 pounds this week... no wonder my stomach feels so heavy! I realize this will only get worse... Baby's eyes can open and close, and when they're open, Baby can follow a light! I hope my baby's eyes are developing on target, and that s/he won't have as many issues with eyes as I have. Baby is gaining fat and filling out, and will start replacing some of the amniotic fluid with all that increased growth.

My symptoms include: shortness of breath, feeling like a fat house, peeing every 10 minutes, low energy, easily overheated, and lots and lots of movements from Baby. The swelling has not gotten any worse, I don't feel like I have "pregnancy brain" (although maybe that means my case is so advanced that I can't even remember when I forget things?), haven't had much heartburn/indigestion, or even too much difficulty sleeping (although I wake up every 2 hours or so to pee and re-situate...). I feel like I'm having such an easy pregnancy.

The nursery is painted!! Well, Jon has a little bit of touching up to do on the trip, but otherwise it's DONE!! FINALLY. Now we need to clean it (it is absolutely filthy up there from drywall dust, and other crap) and then we can start moving in furniture! We do need to stain the dressers still, but once those are done I'll be able to start moving things in and putting them where I want them to live... I can't wait.

I've also made leaps and bounds cleaning out our dining room (the "Room of Requirement" for the last 8 months), although that's been put on hold for a week or so since my SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY. So that's fun! But super busy.

I've been stressing a little bit about how much we have left to do and how little time we have to do it all.. but my shower is in a couple of weeks, and then we can really get down to business on what we need to get and get it set up. Looking forward to getting everything ready.

We worked on our birth plan this week! There are just a few more things we need to add to it. And I haven't even thought about my hospital bag, yet, and I'll need to get on that soon. Oh my gosh, I have so much to do! The baby COULD come at any time, now, although we WOULD like to wait, oh, say, 2 more months, but really, that's not that long at all!

Okay... breathe... just get through this week with the wedding, and THEN I can nest...

Pregnant After IUI: Week 29

*Sigh* I'm sorry these get posted so late... I just... time gets away from me! On Tuesday I'm all like, "Okay, tomorrow is Wednesday, gonna have to do my blog post... I'm gonna try to get to it early..." Nope. Never happens. And right now I'm watching the Chicago Blackhawks lose their 4th consecutive hockey game, so I'm going to be distracted... sorry in advance is something doesn't make sense.

So, the general-ish consensus is that baby is about 15 inches long, and around or just over 2 1/2 pounds. That's like, wow. Fat is accumulating under baby's skin, finally, so it's getting cuter and cuter, and Baby's brain can even control body temperature. Eyes are continuing to develop, and red blood cells are forming. Busy week!

As for me, I've felt hiccups a couple times this last week. Those are fun =]. Movement is more frequent and stronger in the morning and early afternoon; by evening HAWKS SCORE. THE GAME IS TIED. IT'S THE THIRD PERIOD. I MAY HAVE A HEART ATTACK they typically are less frequent, but still very strong. Not painful. I hope they don't get painful.

I figured out the random, mild indigestion I've been having... it's when I take my prenatal right before bed. So, now I just don't do that, and it's not an issue. The problem is remembering to take my meds... ah ha ha aha. No but really, I need to do better with that.

My sciatic pain was REALLY bad... was it Monday? Yes, Monday. I could barely walk... I iced the heck out of my back that night, and it helped, but I still am getting flairs of pain now and then. I've heard that can be because of the position of Baby? So maybe I need to try to reposition the baby... I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow, I should ask the midwife.

I am really getting ansy to get the nursery painted and put together, because despite our best efforts, we STILL are not done with it... there is so much to do. Ugh. And I can't wait for my shower, because I really want a crib and a car seat and clothes for baby...

OH. I read online that now is a good time to start getting my and Baby's hospital bag(s) ready... WHAT? I mean, yes, I've been thinking about doing that for a while, but actually have someone say it is crazy... although, my dad would insist that you're not to the halfway point in your pregnancy until the 8th month... so I'm thinking this summer might feel long.

I have been getting diarrhea ("the" diarrhea) every couple days, and been constipated in between... which is new. But I haven't been taking my diatomaceous earth every day, so that could be why... or it could be from this parasite that I've been growing. Hard to say.

Last Friday I had this deal where my uterus felt like it was going to detach from my body and just fall off. Not "out," but OFF. It was the weirdest feeling. Mom said it was just ligaments and the stretching and growing I'm experiencing. It was sort of painful, but I haven't had an issue before or since.

I think that's it. Now I'm going to go get some ice cream and watch the game... GO BLACKHAWKS.

Pregnant After IUI: Week 28

I am now officially in the THIRD TRIMESTER. How did this happen? Like, last week I was lying on the couch with nausea and only 8 weeks pregnant... where has the time gone?

I'm almost sad that I'm in the third trimester, already. I waited for so long to get pregnant, and I want to cherish every minute of it... but it's going too quickly! I mean, when I think ahead to it, 9 (basically 10) months is a really long time... but when you look BACK on those 9 months, it feels like a week...

According to everydayfamily.com again, Baby is measuring around 15 inches long and is weighing about 2 1/4 pounds. I definitely believe the 15 inches thing. I often feel movement on opposite sides of my stomach simultaneously. (Thebump.com says Baby is slightly smaller than everydayfamily.com.) I guess Baby is an old hat now at recognizing my voice, which is cool. Baby is working on gaining fat and developing neurons and muscle tone. Also, Baby's lungs are developed enough that were s/he to be born now, s/he would be able to breathe air! While that's awesome and all, I think Baby should stay inside for a LITTLE bit longer, don't you? Thankfully, I've had no symptoms of preterm labor.

My symptoms have been pretty much the same. Mild indigestion, hip pain at night, stiff/sore back, and lots and lots of kicks from Baby. There have been a few changes, though, too. I have been feeling really weak and tired. Not like alarmingly so, but like it's hard to hold my arms up while I'm washing my hair or I'll have to sit down for a minute after going up the stairs. Some days are worse than others. Also, my *ahem* discharge *ahem* has lessened. I still have some, but not nearly as much as I did a couple weeks ago. I mentioned last week that I haven't had too many crazy dreams... yeah, well, I shouldn't have said anything, because lately my dreams have been more vivid and slightly disturbing. Still not many pregnancy dreams, though.

I REALLY want to get a belly pic today, since I'm now in the third tri, so hopefully Jon can help me with that tonight.

So yeah. We still have a LOT to do before Baby comes...texturing and painting the nursery, sealing the dressers, taking out the shower door, cleaning out the dining room and mud room... the list goes on. Here's to hoping it all gets done!

Pregnant After IUI: Week 27

This is it... the last week of my second trimester. I can't believe it. I remember hearing people say all the time that the second trimester is the easiest and best. Most people don't have the symptoms of the first, while they don't feel ginormous or tired all the time, but Baby is moving a lot. Which I guess I found true, but I am still exhausted all the time. Functional, but tired.

I went to everydayfamily.com this week, because basically thebump.com says the same as last week and that gets boring. So, according to everydayfamily.com  Baby is 14.5 inches long, and weighs about 2 lbs... whew! I've heard of babies being born (and living) that were smaller than that! Baby can open its eyes, and the retinas are forming. I really hope Baby gets a better deal on eyesight than I did... but little kids in glasses are just so doggone cute!

I have been doing well this week again. Tired, but part of that could be staying up to late to watch the Blackhawks play hockey...

So, last week I posted about the apple cider vinegar (ACV) trick I found online... and while that works, TUMS wins out in the middle of the night when you don't want to go all the way downstairs and drink something super sour. But I only did that once. And I've only had to take the ACV a few times, too, because although I have had some indigestion recently, it really isn't bad at all.

The swelling seems to come and go; some days my hands are more swollen than others. But over all it's not bad. And eating protein does seem to help, because if I notice swelling one day and try to eat more protein, it's usually better the next day. So that's good.

Heat. I do not handle heat well. I never have, because I don't sweat very much; I overheat pretty quickly. I think it's going to be a lot worse this summer. We were sitting in church Sunday morning and I almost had to go outside to cool off. It was not fun. Hopefully our window a/c unit will be enough this summer.

I get the hip pain at night again, pee every 2 hours or so all night (don't worry, I wake up and do it in the bathroom, in case you were worried...) and my back gets pretty stiff and sore at night. So those aren't so fun, and could be contributing to the tiredness, too. Even so, I tend to sleep hard. I haven't had too many crazy pregnancy dreams, which is surprising to me, because I usually have really vivid, crazy, disturbing dreams. So it's actually been kind of nice.

Baby is moving just as much as ever. I love feeling all the little jabs and kicks. I have no idea, however, if Baby's head down yet or not. Sometimes I think maybe so, but other times I doubt it. So I have no idea, and am not experienced enough to tell by feeling my belly. But I have a doc appt on Friday, so hopefully they'll be able to give me some idea. I know it's still pretty early, though, so I'm not concerned about it.

We still haven't been able to paint the nursery; Jon's been too busy with other stuff lately to work on it. Hopefully we'll get it painted soon, though, because I really want to get stuff moved in. The dressers need to be sealed, too... Hm... anyone love painting/sealing things for free? Ha... hahaha. Didn't think so.

Anyway, I think that was my week. Can't think of anything else, anyway.

Pregnant After IUI: Week 26

Week 26 already... dang.

Baby is still between 13.5 and 14.5 inches, give or take, and weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. Baby's eyelashes are growing in, and the eyes are forming behind closed lids. Soon, Baby will be able to open them and see! Well, see darkness, I suppose, but still cool. The immune system is developing and Baby is also practicing "breathing" in the amniotic fluid in preparation for life outside the womb.

Symptoms for me are still really mild. The swelling is minor and not getting worse, and I am still feeling lots of movement. Irritability and grumpiness seem to be staying about the same. I get irrationally livid at something minor and then have a hard time calming down. Hopefully that will even out soon.

The hip pain I complained about last week has been gone since Thursday morning. My back, though, is still stiff and sore when I wake up or if I do too much.

I have gotten a couple minor headaches, but I think it's dehydration because they typically go away if I chug a bottle of water.

Yesterday I did have some indigestion. It was mild, and I didn't want to take TUMS or anything. I had heard online that indigestion was caused, not by too much stomach acid, but from too little acid. The sphincter between the stomach and esophagus doesn't close tightly if the acid in the stomach is too low. So the solution is to actually increase the stomach's acidity. I saw online that apple cider vinegar mixed with water would help increase the acidity and cause the sphincter to close all the way. So I tried it, and wow, it's strong, but it worked! I had to take it 3 times over the course of the evening, but now today I have not had any issues. So that's nice.

I got to see my belly move Sunday and that was about the coolest thing ever.

On Saturday I was having some discomfort in my cervix, but since I had no other issues (bleeding, cramping, contractions, etc.) I wasn't too worried. I talked with my doula on Monday night and she said it could have just been Baby's position. It hasn't been bothering me at all the last few days, so I'm not at all concerned about it.

I think that's pretty much it. I'm easily out of breath, tired, and feel like I have no clothes that fit and/or are flattering... so that's great fun. Hoping I can find some shirts soon. 'Cause I'm not even in my third trimester and I already feel like a fat whale. Not really pregnant big but fat big. It's annoying. I guess it comes with the territory.