Tenth OB Appointment

Well, this whole “you will not see any significant weight gain” is a bunch of bull! I got weighed yesterday at my weekly OB appointment and gained another three pounds! In one week! What. The. Heck! Gad, if I keep going like this for the next couple of weeks, I’ll weigh as much as the hub! Although all the new moms recently have reassured me that I will lose at least 20 pounds from the initial labor because much of it is water weight and the rest follows once I start breastfeeding, it’s still rather disheartening to know that when I walk, the rumbling is not some other fat person, but ME!

Earlier this week, the office manager at work asked me if my chair needed to be oiled because she heard it squeaking while I sat down. I’m pretty sure it’s my fat ass causing the squeaking! Poor chair is probably gonna crumble under my weight.

Anyway, the swelling is even more horrendous this week. I barely even fit into my ugly imitation Crocs. The ankles have turned into this fleshy mass and my feet look like swollen sausages. It’s so uncomfortable because the ankles feel tight and I can barely move. As the hub aptly put it: “You kinda just want to stick a needle and pop them.” I showed them to the OB and she said, “Oh, that’s not bad — I’ve seen worse.” Then she commented on what I thought was a bruise on my left leg. She said it was broken blood vessel. She asked me if I had been putting my legs up and I said only when I get home from work and after a few hours, they really go back to normal. But I can’t do this at work. She suggested I start working a limited schedule or take time off from work before the baby comes. I said I’d ask my boss… I just don’t want to use up too much time that I’ll need for maternity leave.

She measured the fundus (38 weeks) and took the baby’s heart beat (138 bpm). She checked the cervix and said, “No changes in dilation, but you’re 50% effaced, so that’s good. But looks like he’s still not ready to come out yet.” I told her I hope he comes soon and she agreed (looking at my belly), “I’m worried he’s going to run out of space.”

Yesterday and Today

That’s all.

Thirty-Seven Weeks

My weekly American Pregnancy Association email says: “If you have been measuring your uterus throughout your pregnancy, you may notice that there is little to no difference at this point. Most likely you will not notice any significant weight gain from this point on.” Guess we’ll see again later this week at my weekly OB appointment.

Not much difference from last week other than I feel soreness from my knees — most likely from the weight. I felt it in particular after my fitness class last week after we did a lot of squats. The swelling hasn’t been much better — I think because I’ve been on my feet a lot lately — but I noticed that now my right leg is much worse off whereas before it was always my left.

Yesterday was a really warm day and we spent it outside at a birthday party. You wouldn’t believe the amount of sweat that expelled from my body. Am I ever glad that I’m not going to be pregnant much longer! I can’t imagine being pregnant in the hot DC summer, especially the third trimester. I already sweat just sitting down (like right now at my work desk). The problem that I have now is I don’t have many short-sleeves to wear. Some of them are too tight now because the belly is so big and I refuse to buy anything new until I deliver.

This past weekend, we bumped into an acquaintance who saw me from behind and then laughed when I turned around to face her. You don’t know how bad I wanted to say, “Well, my belly’s temporary — what’s your excuse?” She weighs at least 200 lbs, so I don’ t know what she’s laughing about. I still weigh less than her! Again, I’m amazed at fat people’s comments/reactions when a thin person is pregnant. I don’t judge you when you’re permanently fat! Also, I don’t understand why people insist on saying something to someone who’s 8-9 months pregnant. For christ’s sake, I’m 8-9 months pregnant! Of course I’m big! I’m carrying a human being! And at this stage, a pregnant woman gets sick of a lot things that she’s had to bear for the past 9 months, like comments, being heavy, swelling, fatigue… so it takes a toll. Don’t mess with a woman at this stage because I seriously have violent thoughts about everyone as the days progress. (Which is probably not good for the baby.) I sincerely think I’d feel much better if I got to punch someone. But I digress…

No-No’s

I went to see my acupuncturist today and told him about what the dr said (possible inducement due to large baby). My acupuncturist said that I would have the same ratio for a C-section if I get induced or if I wait. He said that my body’s not in “labor mode” when induced and it could be painful for me — then I’d have to get a C-section if I didn’t progress. I have to say, I was a little nervous about the possibility of being induced because I have heard some women say it was a bad experience. Then again, others were fine, but I think they were already dilated when induced. My acupuncturist thinks Pitocin is fine to use when I’m already in labor and it’s not progressing because my body is in labor mode.

He personally doesn’t think the baby is big. He said he just had a patient who’s smaller than me and gained more weight, and they told her the same thing. She went into labor in her 38th week and had a 7 lbs baby. He said my measuring two weeks ahead could just mean I have more amniotic fluid. Well, I won’t worry about it for now. I think I might avoid the inducement and get the acupuncturist to do it naturally in weeks 38-39. I told him I needed the extra time anyway to get stuff done.

I got an email from my friend who had her baby last week and she gave me details of the complications that she had (which she’s still recovering from). I don’t want to talk about it too much here — because it was very traumatic — but my heart was aching when I read her email. I was so sad that she had to go through this terrible ordeal and is still recovering, and feels like a failure as a mother because she can’t breastfeed due to the complications. I can understand how she’s feeling and I feel terrible that she had to go through this. (Good news is the baby is healthy.) But it goes to show that giving birth is still a tricky business.

Ninth OB Appointment

Saw one of the doctors today who was much more laid back about my situation. I had my usual weigh-in and gained four pounds in the past two weeks. Which means that one pound is the baby and the rest is me! Aaaagh! Then the nurse took my blood pressure and said to me, “You’re all baby.” I said, “I hope so!” Well, maybe not since he might be big.

The dr measured the fundus and I’m measuring 37 weeks now, so just one week ahead, which is better. We heard his heartbeat and it was 151 bpm, so the little guy is still doing well. I asked her about the tingly/jolting sensation near my pelvis and she said it’s probably his head pressing down against my pubic bone, especially when he moves, which can be painful. Great.

Then she checked my cervix and said that I’m still a fingertip dilated, which is normal. She also said, “Yup, he’s definitely head down.” So I’m not sure if she felt his head? I asked about the contractions that I had and she said that wasn’t unusual in the third trimester either unless they were happening frequently. The hub asked if she thought I would go to 40 weeks and she said probably, maybe even 41.

Then I asked about his size and told her that the sonogram measured the baby at 6 lbs 9 oz. “Oooh,” she said, “We might have to induce you at 38-39 weeks. Otherwise, you’ll have a C-section. It’s hard to get the baby out if he’s too big.” 38 weeks! That’s just two weeks away! Good thing Monday’s a holiday, so I can get my crap together. The dr said we’ll know more at my appointment next week.

Good news though is that she gave me the green light to return to my prenatal fitness class. Yay!

Thirty-Six Weeks

According to my weekly American Pregnancy Association email, I will not be gaining anymore weight — it’ll all be baby (1 oz a day). I have my OB/GYN appointment on Thursday; we shall see if I have gotten heavier. I haven’t worked out in two weeks and it depresses me. I keep wondering how weak I’ve become and how much weight I must be gaining since I have an ice cream cone almost every day. The other day, the hub put the car seat together and I placed a 10-pound weight in it. I may have to do curls with the seat and weight a few times a week to get used to it!

Speaking of weight, yesterday I went to get my last decent pre-baby haircut. I’ve been going to my hairdresser for probably 7 years or so, and it’s a monthly ritual. This time, I asked him to cut it so that it would at least grow out decently because who knows when I’ll be back. When I got home and admired my haircut in the mirror, I noticed that I had developed “back neck fat.” I have NEVER been more appalled. Then I noticed my droopy jowl. *Sigh* (This may explain why the 16″ necklace that the hub got me is tight like a choker.)

The swelling hasn’t been as bad as I try to drink as much water as I can and put my feet up right away when I get home from work. I’m still tired from having to wake up every hour in the middle of the night to pee. I haven’t had any problems with my equilibrium, which I read happens as I get bigger.

I sometimes have a hard time believing how big I’ve gotten, especially the past week or so. I really notice a difference in how I’m carrying now. I’m all front and I can tell it’s the baby getting bigger. Since last week, I’ve been preoccupied with how big the baby is at this stage and I do find some solace that boys tend to be bigger than girls. (My mom said I was 8 lbs, so maybe the son is taking after Mommy. Then again, maybe he’s got Daddy’s big head and calves. That would not bode well for when Mommy has to push!)

Thirty-Five Weeks

I’m pretty certain that the baby is engaged. No, I haven’t brokered an arranged marriage for him; he’s merely moved down a bit and I can definitely feel it.

On Saturday night, I had this really strange pressure in my pelvis and had to go pee every few minutes even though I hardly had anything. Then I felt this really strange tingly/jolting sensation — sometimes painful, sometimes like the baby was poking his fingers down there. This went on/off throughout the night and while I slept. Same thing happened on Sunday. For a minute, I thought maybe I had a UTI, but it really wasn’t the same feeling. Then I got nervous that he had dropped and I kept muttering, “I’m not ready for you yet!” Given all the recent happenings — from contractions to dilation — I was deathly afraid that I was going to go into labor soon. But I knew he hadn’t dropped because I still couldn’t breathe.

On Monday, I looked up this weird sensation and it sounds like engagement, which can happen between 33-34 weeks. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go into labor soon but it definitely puts a damper on things because it’s so uncomfortable with the constant peeing and strange poking/tingly sensations.

Eighth OB Appointment

My OB/GYN has a new office now with new equipment. They used to have one of those old scales and in my recent appointments, I would avoid looking while the nurse adjusted the scale. But now they have an electronic one and my most recent weight flashed at me. My eyes definitely widened at the horrendous number.

I saw the nurse practitioner again (and, supposedly, for the last time). I had particularly bad swelling yesterday and with the contractions that I had last week, she was concerned. (My ankles are non-existent and I feel like I have elephant legs.) She asked me what activities I had been doing and I told her I had dropped the cardio kickboxing, but was still taking prenatal fitness and yoga classes. She thought those were okay, but suggested I keep off my feet once I got home and told me to get some support hose to wear at work since I can’t put my legs up there.

Then she measured my belly and said I was measuring two weeks ahead again and seemed concerned again. “I think it’s a good idea to get a sonogram done so we know how big the baby is. Your weight hasn’t changed since the last appointment though. I’m just concerned because we don’t want the baby to run out of room and you’ve consistently measured two weeks ahead, and we want to make sure your due date is accurate. The sonogram will measure his size in comparison to the due date,” she said. This revelation kinda freaked me out because I have been thinking this whole time that I have six weeks left and to think I have less is a little frightening.

Thirty-Four Weeks

The allergies have derailed me somewhat… I get so tired sometimes, I can sleep for hours on end even though I have probably already slept 12 hours. The dr said I can take Claritin, but I’m still hesitant because I think it dries you up and I have been trying to prevent dehydration.

Since the weather’s gotten warmer and I have gotten bigger, I decided to forage into my sister’s hand-me-down tops, which you might remember were enormous some months back when I first tried them. Well, they’re still enormous. They hang off of me like dresses (very muumuu-esque), which I still fail to understand considering that my sister is about two inches shorter than me. She definitely gained more weight than I have in my pregnancy, but that’s width not length. Very bizarre.

Although it pains me to display my chunky arms, I have been suffering from really bad sweating episodes as my body temperature has increased. (A prelude to hot flashes, I presume?) In yoga class, I couldn’t stop sweating. It wasn’t the room or the poses… it was just me. Sweat poured down my face! I had to walk out at one point, go to the restroom, and pat my face with a tissue. The hair surrounding my face was also wet! Also, every spring/summer, the office cranks up the A/C and everyone comes into work wearing sweaters. Last year, I had to carry around a big blanket with me to all my meetings. But now, I have found the office quite comfortable, even just wearing a short sleeve.

Cravings

One of the first questions a pregnant woman gets is: “Have you had any strange cravings?”

I definitely haven’t experienced any of this since becoming pregnant, but I’ve noticed a change of what I crave. In the beginning, I always wanted my mom’s cooking or more traditional foods, like soup noodles and dumplings. I had the rare junk craving for popcorn, but all in all, was more interested in eating veggies and fruits. This continued for much of the second trimester with occasional cravings for burgers or plain chips, but they weren’t frequent. My cravings for certain types of veggies were more prominent, like avocado (this one went on for awhile) and celery.

But recently, I’ve noticed that my cravings have turned to real junk food. Not McDonald’s or Taco Bell, but junkie snacks. Within the past two weeks, I’ve craved:

• Ice cream
• Cheese curls
• Swedish fish
• Twizzlers
• Ice cream
• Chocolate
• Ice cream

Ice cream is an almost daily craving. I could eat it several times a day. I also have occasional cravings for ice coffee, but have resisted. I have also noticed that I like dark chocolate again. In my second trimester, I tried dark chocolate and it just tasted terrible. In a state of desperation recently, I ransacked my desk for chocolate and only had dark, so I tried it. I ate the whole bar!

Considering that at my last prenatal appointment I was told my weight growth was a concern, this isn’t good.