Welcome to Week 28
Sunday, March 7, 2010
27 weeks pregnant!
Beginning Week 28
What’s up this week? Well, I have another visit with my OBGYN this week, the lovely Dr. L.
She always asks me if I have questions, and I never really do. This week, though, I’m going prepared! I’m going to ask three important questions …
- Can you recommend a pediatrician? I would like someone who specializes in babies and kids to care for Baby Boy, rather than my (or Darling Husband’s) GP.
- Who do we approach about getting Baby Boy circumcised? I know, I know — it goes in and out of style, and currently the “style” is to not circumcise boys. A lot of doctors won’t even do it, so we realize that it might not be Dr. L. who does it. But Darling Husband and I feel strongly that our boy should be done, because … well, like father, like son!
- When do my appointments become bi-weekly? Ever since my first preggo doctor visits, I have been going every four weeks like clockwork. I’ve heard that sometime in your third trimester, you switch to bi-weekly appointments. And then, at 36 weeks or so, you switch to weekly visits. So I want to know if I’m heading back in Week 30, or waiting four weeks as usual, until Week 32. Wow, that sounds so far long! Eek!
But enough about me! Here’s what happening with Baby Boy this week:
Baby’s size: He weighs approximately two pounds 4 ounces (a whole kilogram!), and measures about 15 inches long.
Development: He’s busy developing millions of neurons in his brain. What a smart cookie!
Appearance: His testes are descending this week (how weird is it that there are balls inside of me???), and he’s working on plumping up for his big arrival.
Weekly re-cap
(Feb. 28 to March 6)
Symptoms: Back pain, Braxton Hicks contractions, leg pain, swollen ankles (when I don’t lay with them up above my head). Yeah, this week’s been a real treat.
Body changes: My whole body feels really heavy, and it feels like a lot of work to heave it up the stairs/off the couch, etc.
Baby movement: Baby’s Boy’s movement ranges between hearty kicks and total stillness (at least as far as I can feel). I’d prefer if he kicked all the time, because I worry when he doesn’t move around.
What’s new? Felt him moving from the outside! He is definitely getting stronger.
Belly button: Still indented (even after my creepy dream).
Energy level: Moderate. Have trying to work on nursery projects I can do sitting down.
Baby preparations: Nursery is painted. Crib is put together. Curtains and cribskirt are sewed. Hand-painted accents on the walls are totally done. Large canvases for the walls are almost done. New artwork in progress.
Cravings: Whipped cream (although I didn’t get any yet), chocolate-chip cookies (perhaps Darling Husband will make some for me today), Arby’s (mmmm, had yesterday).
High point: Even though this was a painful (physically) week, I am so, so happy and relieved to be in the third trimester. Just thinking of it, all week, made me so excited!
Low point: Having to run errands for work, which involved a lot of walking around. My back was killing me way before I got back to the office, and I was not pleased! I think my errand-running days are over, professionally.
Paranoid moment of the week: Worrying that my Braxton Hicks contractions were actually something else (appendicitis, early labour, etc.) that was hurting Baby Boy.
Who the hell is Braxton Hicks?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
26 weeks, 6 days pregnant
So I got punched in the stomach yesterday. Nah, not really. But I did experience my first Braxton Hicks contractions — crazy, huh?
When I woke up yesterday morning, my stomach felt tight. Not good tight, like taut, but like stretched waaaay too tight, in an uncomfortable way. It continued off and on all day. It was only on the front of my stomach, and felt almost like my stomach was going to explode from being so tight.
I have felt that before, but just figured it was round ligament pain. Or indigestion. Or something. Because really, I have no idea of my anatomy anymore — is my stomach above my uterus? Behind it? No clue. Everything’s all mashed up in there now.
When I was still uncomfortable by the early afternoon, I decided that it could be Braxton Hicks contractions, and started madly Googling.
I learned that Braxton Hicks contractions …
- Feel like tightening in the front of your stomach
- Are “uncomfortable” for some women, “painful” for others
- Don’t get stronger, or closer together
- Can be caused by dehydration
- Can be eased by drinking water and putting your feet up
It made sense. I’m sure I was dehydrated. I hadn’t had much water on Thursday night, and was so busy on Friday morning that I didn’t have much more than a decaf tea and some OJ.
I started chugging water mid-afternoon, and they eased up, but didn’t go away. It wasn’t until about 6 or 7 p.m. that they went away, once I had my feet up (and was still chugging glass after glass of water).
Lesson learned! I have instructed Darling Husband to harass me about my water-drinking habits from now on. I don’t want to do anything to encourage more of those, for sure.
So far today, I have downed tons of water, peed approximately 94 times, and have not had any Braxton Hicks. Of course, I will probably run out of toilet paper very quickly at this rate.
Get your kicks
Friday, March 5, 2010
26 weeks, 5 days pregnant
Felt my first, honest-to-goodness baby kicks — from the outside — on Wednesday night!
I couldn’t feel an actual defined foot, but I could feel him moving around beneath my skin (ew, that sounds kind of creepy) when I pressed my hands against my stomach. I have heard other preggos describe movements as “turning” and “rolling,” but I haven’t been able to determine that yet — it’s all just “movement” and “kicks” to me.
He was being really active, and I flipped up my tank top and sweatshirt to see if I could see the movements, but I think the bright light of the lamp surprised him — remember, his eyes are open now! — because he stopped suddenly.
Last night, I was watching Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains — don’t judge — with my hands resting on my stomach. Out of nowhere, Baby Boy moved so suddenly that I dropped the remote in surprise. I think it spooked Little Dog, too.
Speaking of Little Dog, she seems to know something is up. Dogs always do. She still climbs all over me, as only a little nine-pounder can do, but she is very, very careful not to step on my stomach anymore. Sometimes I see her staring at it, and I start excitedly telling her “Baby Brother’s in there!” and “Baby Brother’s coming to live with us!”
She looks skeptical — and sometimes even worried — but I have promised her that she is the only one of our babies who will always get to sleep in our bed. So now I think she feels superior to Baby Boy, since he’ll (eventually) be stuck in his own room. Ah, sibling rivalry.
So glad today is Friday, and that Darling Husband has some time off this weekend — I can’t wait for him to feel his son moving around for the first time!
Dreams, buttons, and bumps
Thursday, March 4, 2010
26 weeks, 4 days pregnant
Last night, I dreamed my belly button popped overnight. Suddenly it was sticking out in a little point, and I was so shocked it happened so quickly.
When I woke up, it was still “in,” but ooooh is it getting closer to the surface.
In (semi-)related news, my stomach juts out like a laundry basket. Oh, and I am approximately ninety-million pounds. That is all.
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