Ok, now I really feel pregnant

Yesterday I felt so big and couldn’t get comfortable in any position. I can no longer get out of bed or a chair without a routine and sleeping is so much more difficult. It was painful every time I moved or the baby kicked.

I have two weeks left until the babies ETA and I have been suffering from lots of other symptoms, but this is the first time the weight of the baby has really been an issue. I have gained around 25-30 pounds. (It is hard to tell exactly since I was on a mini-diet when I first found out I was pregnant). I am so glad that I am no longer working.

My belly does not feel as hard or extended today. I had always expected the growth of my belly to be linear, not up and down like it has been. I know a lot of the differences are due to gas and constipation, but it still is weird. Oh, that reminds me: time for my daily prune juice.

January 20, 2007 10:00 am. Third Trimester, abdominal pain, baby, birth, constipation, full-term, pregnancy, weight gain. 3 comments.

Not far now

Only 24 days to go until the baby’s ETA date. Although of course I realize that it is not likely to be on that actual day. I have started finishing up things at work and it feels weird that I won’t be around.

I went grocery shopping yesterday I bought milk which had a later expiry date than my due date. That struck me as very strange. Months ago, it felt like I would be pregnant forever, but now the date is approaching. I hear that the waiting after the due date is the longest wait of all, and first babies do tend to be late. But I still am counting down the days.

Another side of me doesn’t want the pregnancy to end. I like the looks I get and being treated special. Also, I think I am really going to miss the baby kicking (except the kicks to the bladder). Most nights I am up 2-7 times to go pee, which I guess is good training for when the baby is here. But it would be nice to not have to plan my errands around bathroom trips. The other day I was at Yonge/Finch and the bathrooms were locked since it was after 6:00, luckily there was a dentist office there and they let me use their bathroom instead (Thank you).

Other symptoms:

  • Occasional abdominal pain due to kicking or Brakston-Hicks
  • Carpal tunnel: I wake up with painful hands each morning and cannot close my right fist for a while.  Also, part of my left thumb is numb always.
  • Weird painful spot on the upper outside of my calf
  • Constipation – I must say that “Prune Nectar” rules.  When I actually remember to drink a glass each day, this really helps.
  • Swollen ankles – good thing I have boots that fit
  • Mood swings

January 12, 2007 8:28 pm. Third Trimester, abdominal pain, baby, constipation, kicking, pregnancy. 6 comments.

A seat on the subway

After not sleeping well for two nights, I guess it was not surprising I was late getting up this morning.  So I decided to walk to the closer subway station since the trains are not as full once rush hour is over.  Of course it was packed and the first train was squished-standing-room only so I let it pass.  I got on the second train but wasn’t able to get a seat.

So for the first time I asked aloud “Anyone willing to give up their seat for a pregnant lady?”.  And it worked!  Two people started to get up and I took the closer one, thanking the woman who got up for me.

My belly is big enough now (start of third trimester) that most people guess I am expecting, but there is still a question in their mind if I am really pregnant, or just fat.

Normally I walk an extra stop just so there are empty seats  (I also take off my coat and rub my belly while waiting for the subway), so I can’t really run an experiement to count how often I am offered seats.  But I will let you know how it goes if I ask again.

Hopefully I will get a good sleep tonight.  I just started taking iron supplements at my doctor’s recommendations, so hopefully that will help with my overall energy levels.

Should I give people a chance to offer me a seat before I ask?

November 16, 2006 2:39 pm. Subway Stories, Third Trimester, baby, pregnancy. Leave a comment.

Just started third trimester

I wasn’t sure which week marks the beginning of the third trimester, but then I used a couple “due date calculators” online to get the exact date (based on my due date).  Not that the actual trimester actually means anything, but it does feel good to know I am in the last stretch.

Last week I freaked out a bit.  My husband mentioned that he thinks I might have sleep apnea, and I looked up possible complications and found lots of things to worry about. http://www.dreamdoctor.com/saps1.shtml

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnancysleep/7547.html

I also sometimes gasp during the day, my husband and Mom think it is due to my posture, but I started to worry, especially since I was getting a tightness in my neck/chest (probably heartburn) and my hemoglobin was low last blood test (although iron level was ok) and I am so out of breath and my heart beats so loudly if I walk up a flight of stairs.  Anyway I called my ob-gyn, but she was away for 8 more days and so I tried my family doctor, but I couldn’t get an appointment anytime soon.  So I decided to leave it, and the next day I felt much better.  I think I was just stressed about something on Wednesday, even though I didn’t realize I was that stressed about it.  Thursday I felt much better.

It is so easy to get stressed over things, I know I should not look things up on the internet and try self-diagnosis, but it is so tempting.

We also realized that we have to start looking for a pediatrician.  Many are not taking new patients and you have to have one lined up since you are supposed to have a checkup within 48 hours of bringing the baby home.  So I am going to ask my ob-gyn next appointment if she recommends anyone on the subway line.

November 7, 2006 4:12 pm. Second Trimester, Third Trimester. Comments off.