Hospital recovery for me

I'm writing this out, because when I was pregnant, I had only a vague idea of how recovery would go, and that recovery would be from a normal vaginal birth. Obviously, I had no plans in getting a c-section, so I didn't even think about what would come after getting major surgery. So here are my memories of it... should have written this down a long time ago, while it was still fresh in my memory. But alas....

First thing we learned, was that when you're in the hospital after having a c-section, it was preferable to let the baby sleep in the nursery instead of in your room. The first night, DH slept at the hospital and the baby was in the room, too. We got pretty much no sleep at all. Matthew cried a lot, and as new parents, we had no idea what was going on. I was not allowed to get out of bed (not that I wanted to), so DH did the vast majority of the care at this point. So we decided it was in everyone's best interest to let the nurses take care of Matthew at night. That way we could get some rest, and if he needed to feed, they'd bring him in to me. The next few nights were a lot more restful with him in the nursery. And the hospital states that they encourage rooming-in, but the nurses kinda think that's a bunch of non-sense. They know that moms want/need their rest while they can get it, and having a newborn in the room will guarantee that they won't get it. They even told us, "that's what we're here for!" Okay, have at it!

I also learned pretty quickly that the instant I started feeling pain, I needed to call the nurse for more meds. If I waited too long and let the pain get too strong, it was harder to get it back under control. The percocet I got also made me tired, so I got lots of sleep with its help.

The compression socks they made me wear for almost the entire 3 day stay were a pain in the butt. I get the point of them, but after 2 days, your legs just want to be left alone. Due to the swelling I got towards the end of pregnancy, my lower legs looked pretty freaky whenever they'd take the socks off. My feet were still hugely puffy, while my ankles were making their reappearance. Then I'd have another area of puffiness and then another of normalcy. Picture is below.

Results of 3 days of compression socks

The surgeon wanted my to keep my catheter in almost the whole time, too, which was nice, but also a huge pain in the butt. It was nice because if I needed to go to the bathroom after drinking tons of water, I didn't even have to think about getting up. But it was a pain in the butt because once I started walking around, the tubing served as a convenient path for the blood that was pouring out of me (sorry). There were a few times I had to turn around and go back to my room to clean up because I was leaving paths in the halls.

Speaking of walking, they had me up on the second day. I just walked around my room a bit, and I was exhausted. But the worst part was the act of getting out of bed. That alone took a good 5 minutes the first few times since it was very painful as well as awkward with all the tubing to negotiate. I got the hang of it towards the end, but it wasn't any less painful. Walking sucked, but was necessary. They gave me a small pillow to hold against my incision and that helped, though it was awkward.

My nurses, for the most part, were awesome. Out of the half a dozen or so that I had, only 1 was questionable... she tried to give me "more" medicine for my Group B Strep. Only I wasn't Group B Strep positive. I managed to catch that in time, as she was just about ready to insert the meds into the IV. Her overall bedside manner was a little brusque, but not horrible. For the other nurses, my only complaint was when one of them came in in the middle of the night to inform me that my baby was "starving" and could they give him some formula. I wasn't intending for him to have formula, but since she worded it like that, it set off my new mom panic alarm. YES! GIVE MY POOR STARVING BABY FORMULA!!!! I was a little annoyed afterward, because one should never use the word "starve" on a brand new mom. They also gave him a paci, which I also didn't intend for him to have, but honestly, I saw that it was either using ME as a paci or an actual paci. I had no intentions of the former, so paci it was. That was a good decision.

The food was alright. Breakfasts were awesome, but lunch and dinner were subpar. I would have asked DH to bring me Taco Bell, but never really had the thought until my food had actually arrived. Oh well.

Nursing was interesting. They put him on a boob as soon as I was out of recovery, and since I couldn't sit up, the lactation consultant just laid him face down on my boob. Not my favorite position, but it's all I could do at that point. Later on, I was able to nurse in the normal position, as well as a modified football hold. He latched really well on one side, but had difficulties on the other. My milk came in on the 3rd day, and one boob produced more than the other. Yes, the one with more milk is the one he latches well on. To this day, I have the same "good" boob and "bad" boob.

I had plenty of distractions for when the baby was sleeping or in the nursery, but I didn't partake in many of them. DH & I watched a movie or two, watched a few episodes on HGTV, or played on the internet. But on the whole, I just wanted to sleep. And sleep I did. It was lovely.

The day of discharge was a bit rushed though... apparently 3 women had called in and were on their way in to have their babies, so the nurses were all busy getting ready for the rush (in my hospital, it's rare to have more than 2 in labor at the same time, so they staff accordingly). So we got signed out quickly and the LC came down with us to make sure our carseat was installed correctly. It was. Then we got in the van and drove home. Oh, and it was also hot as blazes out.

The swag we got from the hospital was: a basket of food stuffs from the cafeteria; the pillow I used to walk around with; the paci they gave him while in the nursery; a flannel burp cloth; a package of Pampers diapers; a package of wipes; a gift set of formula; rectal thermometer; nose sucker; baby wash; baby lotion; small wash bowl; gauze; anti-bacterial ointment; a silver spoon and a Halo swaddle sleep sack. Oh, and they let me take home a few gauze undies, ultra huge pads and some of those waterproof sheet things they put on the beds.

Sorry for the way I wrote this. I mainly wrote this late at night over many days, so it doesn't flow at all. Also not helped that I had a hard time remembering what actually happened. But whatever. I got it done, and that's all that matters. :)

Pregnancy: 39th week

Week 39
July 10 - 16

Progression. That's what I think I'm having. Lots of Braxton Hicks, some real contractions (though short and not very painful) and lots of cervix hits. It's still pretty surreal for me... I mean, I know I'm pregnant, as that fact would be hard to miss seeing as though I'm roughly the size of a small house. Cliche, I know. But it's true. Anyway, it's hard to grasp the fact that within a week, DH and I will be solely responsible for another human being. We've waited so long to get to this point, and now that it's here, it's scary as hell. Which is normal, I'm sure.

Physically, I'm doing as well as can be expected. My feet are pretty swollen, but not painful. It's kinda weird walking though. With every step, I can feel the water sloshing a bit. After a brief hiatus, my nose is back to being stuffy. Rash is still gone! ECP still here. And fingers now feel arthritic in the morning, and periodically throughout the day.

My 39 week appointment was another short one. I'm measuring good, blood pressure is good, baby's heart rate is good. She offered a cervical check, but I declined until next week, if I get that far. I just felt that I could go for weeks being 2cm dilated, and besides, there's nothing I can do about it. Baby will come when it wants to come.

But the next day, I was wishing that my appointment would be the next day, as the baby was trying its hardest to make an escape. And that included a lot of cervix hits. So I'm guessing I'm closer to 3cm now, although I can't back that up without her actually checking me.

Pregnancy: 38th week

Week 38
July 3 - 9

Well, things are starting to progress and I'm excited about it, in a terrified kind of way.

My 38 week appointment included another cervical check, and my doctor determined that I'm between 2-3 cm, but closer to 2. And it's apparently thinning out nicely, too. So yay! I know it can still be a few weeks before the big event, but every cm I get will just be less work for me when that time comes. And I'm Group B Strep negative! That's one less thing to worry about.

On the 4th of July, DH persuaded me to go with him and some friends while they disc golfed, just to walk around. I was feeling a little crampy, probably from the cervical check the day before, so I told him I would walk the first 9, but then I was going home while they finished up the back 9 (he brought his bike so I wouldn't have to go back and get him). Pretty much as soon as we started walking, I started having some minor contractions. Most of them were Braxton Hicks, but a few of them were uncomfortable enough for me to stop walking. It didn't help that the park we were at is pretty hilly and the baby was pressing on my cervix. DH was teasing me that when I was in actual labor in the hospital that I'd just want to lay in bed since I didn't seem interested in walking any more to see if things progressed. But I replied that there are no hills in the hospital halls, and that was my biggest problem... I didn't want to tumble down a hill. That, and I was exhausted. 

After they got through the first 9, I went home and did something I rarely do... I took a nap. And it was glorious! I was originally planning on going with DH & some friends to the lake for a bit to swim after that, but figured I should stay home since I was exhausted (they went swimming while I was napping). Besides, every time I go to the lake, no matter how diligent I am about sun block, I always end up burned. And I didn't want to tempt fate by getting burned and then going into labor. I can't even imagine how much that would suck. I continued to have contractions throughout the day, but not nearly consistent enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. I was hoping that I'd continue having them the next day, but alas, they stopped. I've definitely dropped though, so that's something.

And I'm sad to report that my Evil Crotch Pain has reappeared after a brief hiatus. Not cool. But what IS cool, is that my rash has seemingly disappeared. Guess the threat of that monster tub of steroid cream scared it off. Either that, or the antibiotic I took to get rid of my bladder infection helped it go away. Who knows? All I know is that I don't care, just as long as it stays gone! But another annoying thing has cropped up at night: restless legs. It's not horrible, but prevalent enough to keep me from falling asleep in a timely manner. I've heard that putting a bar of soap at the foot of the bed works, so I'm going to try that if it keeps up.

I'm also finishing off buying all the little things we'll need right away, so that's a relief. I finally got the garbage can that will hold all the dirty cloth diapers, as well as baby nail clippers & files, brush & comb set and a pack of socks. I also rearranged some shelves in our kitchen in order to have space for the bottles we have. DH was especially impressed by this, as he has a weird thing about cupboard space. I intend to breastfeed, but just in case, we have a dozen or so bottles and 2 sample packs of formula. Hope we don't need them, but it's nice to be prepared so the baby won't starve if breastfeeding doesn't work. 

And finally, the most daunting part... I need to finish up the nursery/find home for stuff in the nursery. But that means I need to get on some sewing, as some of the mess is fabric/sewing stuff. I also need to make a painting for over the crib. That's not as important, but it'd be nice to have that done before the baby arrives. So maybe DH should get on making me a frame for my canvas, huh? I'm also waiting to find out what we're having before I do the curtains. I have a few fabrics I've been looking at, but a few of them are more girly, and although I originally aimed to keep the nursery gender neutral, I decided that fun curtains would be the exception. So now we wait. But for the most part, the nursery is done... just a little messy, but that comes to no surprise to those who know me. :) There'll be pictures at some point, but I can't guarantee a time-frame for them. Soon though. :)

Thoughts on maternity clothes

So I was thinking the other day what, if anything, I'd change about my maternity wardrobe if I got to build it all over again. And technically I could buy more mat clothes, but with only 2 or so weeks to go, it'd kinda be pointless unless I REALLY needed something, which I don't.

But anyway, here's my conclusion on maternity clothing, and what I recommend for a first time preggo who is wondering what they'll need. But note: I do not work outside the home, so you're on your own for figuring out work clothes. :) Oh, and my style is decidedly very casual... I am far from being fashionable, and am the first to admit it. So if you're a t-shirt & jeans type of girl, this is more up your alley.

Anyway....

1) You can never have too many tank tops!!! I wear them about 95% of the time, although part of that has to do with the fact that it's warm out. But I honestly think I'd wear them that much in the winter, too, only I'd layer stuff on top. I have 6 that I'm rotating between, and I feel as though I could use a couple more, even though 6 sounds more than sufficient. It's not. Next time I get pg, most of my maternity purchases will likely be tank tops.

2) They might look weird, but the stretchy panels on pants, shorts & skirts are the bomb! The bottoms I have that do not have this panel, I'm always having to pull back up because they slip down so easily. And it also offers a barrier between your skin and your shirt when your belly becomes big and itchy.

3) Maternity jeans suck. Now it could be the reason I think this is because my 2 pairs don't have the stretchy panel, but they are so uncomfortable that I only wear them when everything else is dirty... which is never because I do a lot of laundry. Instead, I'm wearing gray cargo pants that roll into capris (awesome purchase, by the way), khaki shorts, black leggings and skirts for my bottoms.

4) Casual dresses and skirts are your friends! I have 2 skirts and 1 maxi dress that I absolutely love. They lend an airiness factor that you can't really get with shorts or pants. It's hard to explain. But if you've been pregnant, you'll understand.

5) Empire waisted shirts & dresses: do it! I've found that the further along I get, if my clothes don't have this waist, it makes me feel huge and dumpy. Now all of my tank tops don't have this feature, and for those, I don't seem to mind. But all my other shirts, I do. Just a personal thing, I think.

6) Seasonal weather doesn't factor in very much, so think before you buy. When I found out I was pregnant, it was heading into winter. So of course my first purchases were long-sleeved t-shirts. How many times have I worn said shirts? Maybe 2-3 each. I was so warm even in the cold of a ND winter that I would just get too sweaty in them. So I'd end up wearing short-sleeved t-shirts and tank tops, and bringing a sweater just in case I did get cold. Yeah, I got a lot of weird looks, especially since at the time, I hadn't told anyone I was pregnant. But weird looks are infinitely better than huge sweaty pit stains.

7) Maternity clothing leaves a lot to be desired, so if you're able to, go to your favorite clothing stores and just buy the next size up. My favorites are t-shirts from Old Navy. They run a little big anyway, so my medium shirts lasted quite a while. If I tried any on right now, I'm thinking I could get away with wearing an XL. And I had one pair of pre-pregnancy jeans that worked a lot longer than I thought they would. I was able to get away with this up until my 7th month before I needed to have a 100% maternity wardrobe, although I realize that a lot of women won't get as far as that.

8) Unless you buy a lot of maternity clothes, you WILL get bored with your wardrobe. I purposely didn't buy a lot because I was only going to wear this stuff for a couple of months and didn't want to spend a lot of money. But now I wish I had bought a few more things, because I feel I'm constantly wearing the same thing over and over again. It also makes it hard to pack your hospital back with extra clothes when your wardrobe is so limited anyway. And I look at all my pre-pregnancy clothes just hanging there in all their wonderful colorfulness in my closet, and I wish I could wear them still. Just a few more weeks, and maybe I'll be able to fit back into some of the looser articles I have. And perhaps that pre-pregnancy pair of jeans that worked for such a long time will fit soon, too. We shall see.

Pregnancy: 37th week

Week 37
June 27 - July 2

Woot! I'm full term now! It's an awesome feeling to know that should I go into labor, my baby would be considered fully developed. So this baby can come any day now. Truly, it's okay.

Because I got the official PUPPP diagnosis from my doctor, although she said my rash isn't typical, so it could also be Papular Dermatitis of Pregnancy, which is very similar, but not as extreme-looking. And since it's now on my feet, ankles, whole upper legs, lower belly and parts of my arms, she re-ordered the steroid cream. To avoid having me ask her every week for a new container, she just went ahead and ordered a 1 pound container. The picture is blurry, but that doesn't matter. I just wanted to show you exactly how huge this container is! I don't know if I need quite THAT much, but I guess it's nice to know I've got enough to see me through until it goes away.

Anyway, my 37 week appointment went fine. It was a short one. But I forgot to ask about the results from my Group B Strep test, and she was pre-occupied with my rash so she forgot to mention it as well. I would call, but I'll see her again next week, so no biggie. There is one thing I noticed the past 2 weeks that has me a little alert though. Usually when she measures my belly, she'll say "looks good" or something along those lines. But there's been no comment at all the past 2 appointments. I'm sure it's nothing, and the baby has been active, so it isn't causing panic. But just the same, I'm curious about it. Has the baby's growth slowed? Is she just assuming that I know that I'm measuring fine? I don't know.

I am now at the point where I'm super uncomfortable. The hot weather has made my feet swell, and now it's working its way into my face. It's more painful to be up and moving, but by the same token, I'm not that much more comfortable just sitting around either. And lately, I've noticed my fingers feel arthritic, especially in the morning. At first, I thought it was just that I'd slept with my hands in weird positions, but they've hurt every day for a week now. And some of my July baby internet friends are reporting the same thing, so it's just one of those fun things you get late in pregnancy I guess.

And finally, I've been having moments of panic regarding money, especially since I've been looking into insurance stuff. Sometimes I'm convinced that we seriously cannot afford to have children, which then leads me into feeling guilty that I don't work outside the home, not bringing in any money. But then I have to remember that wise old saying of "if people waited until they could afford to do something, they'd never do it" and then I calm down and realize that we'll find ways to make it work. Heck, that's what got my DH to finally propose to me... he expressed to his mom that he couldn't afford to get married and she told him that saying. It worked, because not too much later, he asked me to marry him. And we've made it work. So this will, too, even if it means me getting a job and bubs being put into daycare. But that's a last resort option before more drastic measures, like selling our house, happen.

Yeah, another not fun & cheery post. But I'm not that perky normally, and I tend to worry a bit, so it's reflected in what I write about, which I consider keeping it real anyway.

Pregnancy: 36th week

Week 36
June 19 - 25

Ah, the infamous 36th week. The week where one typically gets tested for Group B Strep and also the joys of the first cervical check. To tell the truth, I was super nervous going in. No one likes to have exams where the doctor sticks their fingers or whatever up inside you (get your mind out of the gutter!). And I'd heard that cervical checks hurt massively. I also woke up feeling a little off, so that did not help matters at all.

Before all the fun started though, I brought up my rashy feet, which I updated in the previous post and bitched about in another, so I won't repeat that here. And then we got down to business. First was the GBS test. I knew essentially what would happen and that it'd be quick. I just wasn't excited to have a swab go places where no swab should go. Luckily it wasn't bad and was over before I knew it. And then the cervical check. Honestly, I'm thinking that if you go through any sort of infertility testing, it kind of desensitizes the area. I say that, because my cervical check, while a little uncomfortable, wasn't in the least bit painful. And my cervix was hiding a bit, so she had to search for it. Perhaps it'll be different when I'm actually in labor? I don't know. Anyway, I'm 1cm dilated. She didn't mention how effaced I am or how soft/firm my cervix was, but I imagine I'm still a ways away from going into labor. So while I'm glad to have at least a little progress, I'm not too excited over it, because I know that I can go for weeks and not have it change any.

Then right before I left, she got my urine sample results back: I have a bladder infection. It was news to me because I have no symptoms of one, which is one perk of being pregnant. I did mention to her that I had my full prescription of Macrobid, minus 1 pill, that I'd gotten when I was diagnosed with a bladder infection during my first ER visit in February (I was back the next day, where they determined I didn't actually have one, so that's why I still have the pills). I just wanted her to know so she didn't need to order anything unnecessarily. But she said that she doesn't recommend Macrobid at this point in the pregnancy. Apparently it has a tendency to cause the baby's bilirubin to go up, and we don't want that. Excess bilirubin causes jaundice.

The next day, I got the call telling me that the prescription for my bladder infection was ready to be picked up, so off I went to the pharmacy. As the clerk was looking at the slips, she looks up and asked me if I am allergic to penicillin. I replied that I am. Then she leaves the counter and comes back with a pharmacist. Apparently, with the medication I was prescribed, Cephalexin, there is a 3-5% chance that since I am allergic to penicillin, I'd be allergic to that as well. Great. I took the meds anyway because 3-5% is pretty low odds, but I made myself wait until DH was home from work before I took the first pill just in case I got a reaction. With all the bad going on right now, I'm happy to report that it appears as though I'm NOT allergic to Cephalexin. If I were, that would just be the crappy icing on top of a crappy cake.

Sorry... I don't like to complain about pregnancy, although from my posts, it doesn't seem like it since I complain a lot. I really AM grateful to be having this baby. I just hate that I'm experiencing all the bad things I never learned about until I got them... and I considered myself pretty educated about pregnancy for someone who'd never been pregnant. Silly me. I knew absolutely nothing. And should I be so fortunate to get pregnant again, life will probably throw more curve balls at me to prove it.

In more uplifting news, the baby seems to be thriving and is pretty active. Its new favorite activity is stretching its feet up into my stomach. As you can imagine, this isn't very comfortable for me as it causes more reflux and heartburn. But it seems to like the activity, so we'll just go with it. Like I can do anything about it anyway.

DH & I also had our initial name discussion, and it left me wanting to bang my head against the wall and regret even proposing that he be involved in naming the kid. Apparently it's very common for men to not take this seriously and suggest absolutely insane names that will cause a lot of hassle for them in the future. And then they complain that they didn't get any say in the matter. Well, they only have themselves to blame. Anyway, I gave him my requirements and told him to try again. We'll see if it pans out any better next time. If not, I'm going to have to inform him that his naming rights extend to the surname only. Otherwise, they've been permanently revoked until the next baby, when ideally he'd have learned his lesson.

If you're curious, my requirements are 1) must be traditional, but 2) not trendy, and 3) no kre8tive spellings. The way things are going, I might compromise on the trendy requirement, but the name has to be just right for that to happen. When I told my mom my requirements, she asked about the kre8tive spelling one, and she was shocked to learn that I wish she'd just named me Jamie, and that I hate having my name spelled Jaime. Not only is it super annoying to consistently have your name misspelled by everyone, even people you've known for decades, it's doubly more annoying to have people pronounce it the way they would if I were somewhere where Spanish was spoken. I realize that she just wanted my name to be slightly different, but when your personality is like mine, "different" is one of the last things you want to be. Yeah, she had no way of knowing this while I was a baby, so it just goes to show that you can't assume stuff like that. So I'll give a traditional name with traditional spelling just to play it safe. Boring? Perhaps. But at least I'll know that if my kid gets picked on, it won't be because I let DH have his way and name it Spicy Chicken Sandwich. And yes, I'm completely serious... it's the baby's in utero nickname, and DH likes it so much, he thinks it should become official.

Oh, what fresh hell is this?

Title says it all. I think I now officially have PUPPP, although I will have to wait until my next appointment for an official diagnosis.


Since my update, the rash has spread to about mid-shin on my legs, as well as right above the knees both front and back. Also, joining in on the fun is my lower belly and the most enjoyable of all, it's starting to spread to the soles of my feet. I know I said before that it generally stays off the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands and the face. But now I know that "generally" is the operative word in all of this.

I cannot even begin to explain the suckiness of this condition. All I can tell you is that my resolve to not be induced except for medical necessity is severely being put to the test. Not that my doctor would consent to that before 39 weeks, but that doesn't mean I haven't thought of begging on the off-chance that she'll let me.

Here's what's worked for me so far, and what hasn't... although what works one day sometimes doesn't work the next, so it's pretty much trial and error.

1) Steroid cream Triamcinolone. My doctor prescribed this, and I'm to put it on my feet 3x a day. It kind of works. It usually stops the itching for a short period of time, but not nearly long enough for my liking. At the time of her ordering it, the rash was only on my feet, so the tub is quite small. Now with the rash spreading, I don't know how long it'll last. So I will probably end up requesting more next week at my appointment.

2) Hydrocortisone cream. This works so long as the itching isn't too bad and only in the beginning stages. Once a full attack is on, I don't even bother looking at the tube since I know it'll just go to waste. And like the steroid cream, it only helps the itching for a short while.

3) Aveeno lotion. The only place this works is on my belly, and again, only for a short time (see a pattern here?).

4) A&D ointment. This works wonderfully well on my feet at night, as long as there is no itching when I apply it. I just slather it on, and since it's greasy, I put on knee-highs to keep it from getting on the sheets. The knee-highs also serve as a barrier between my skin and the sheets. If the sheets moved ever so slightly, it would set off another round of torture. Anyway, this combo usually gets me through the night.

5) Cold water soaks. I've only tried this on my feet when nothing else will work, and it surprisingly works very quickly. Haven't gotten the courage to try this on my whole body yet.

6) Scrubbing myself raw with my loofah during a shower. This works awesomely, but is likely something I can't do very often unless I want no skin at all.

And next time nothing else works, I'm planning on breaking out my box of baking soda, making a paste, and then slathering it on, letting it dry and then rinsing it off.

This sucks.

Foot rash update

I had my appointment today, and the first thing on the agenda before getting the GBS and cervical check, was to ask about my rashy feet.

My doctor doesn't exactly know what it is. Because it hasn't spread to other body parts, she doesn't think it's necessarily PUPPP. But she had no other ideas to offer either. So she prescribed me some steroid cream to use 3x a week, and instructions to keep an eye on it. If it starts spreading, it's PUPPP. And unfortunately, the only sure way to get rid of it is to have the baby. Unfortunate because I'm 36 weeks, and unless it gets about 10x worse, I will refuse to be induced just because of it. So it's looking like I'll just have to live with it for the time being.

Pregnancy: 35th week

Week 35
June 12 - 18

****WARNING****

The following post includes photos of my rashy feet. Although I would consider them very mild in comparison to other photos I've seen, if you are squicked out by skin condition photos of any sort, don't read any further.

Okay, something possibly really sucky is happening with my feet (and hopefully it only stays on my feet). Of course, I'll have to wait until next week for my appointment to get my doctor's opinion, but I think I have PUPPP... Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. Sounds horrible, and although it is bad in an annoying way, it's nothing major. Basically PUPPP is a rash one gets in their first pregnancy, usually in the 3rd trimester, and it's itchy as hell. About 1 in 200 women get it, it can spread over your entire body, though thankfully it generally stays off the face, hands and soles of the feet (ugh, can you even imagine that?). Right now, my rash is just on the tops and sides of my feet, including some on the tops of my toes, and some even perilously close to in-between some toes, though I think it's starting to creep up my legs. But then again, I just shaved, so that might be unrelated. Have to wait and see.

At first, I thought I just got some bug bites on my right foot, right below the ankle bone, but then it started to spread to my left foot, so I started researching. The bumps are pretty small and don't react the same way as a mosquito bite would on me (I get huge welts). So I ruled out mosquitoes, although with the amount of bumps I have, I doubted them anyway. I looked up bed bug bites, and my bumps don't look anything close to that. So that's good at least... I don't want to deal with bed bugs. It doesn't look like a typical shingles outbreak. I didn't walk through a nest of spiders, nor fire ants, although the day before the first bumps appeared, I was outside walking in some grass for an hour or two, but I very much doubt I walked through anything poisonous at Relay for Life. But I don't know what else could cause this reaction.

In the meantime, I've been putting hydrocortisone cream on it, and as long as I don't touch it or let clothing rub up on it, it's not bad. But all that is easier said than done because usually when something itches just a little, you unconsciously scratch it. And in this case, just a little itch turns into torture, so I've had to literally sit on my hands sometimes so I couldn't scratch. I'm just curious what my doctor will think about it. I have hopes it'll be gone by next week, but I'm not counting on it.

And as an interesting aside, women with PUPPP have boys about 70% of the time for some reason. So if I do have it, and I end up with a boy, it would appear that I'm allergic to boys. :)

Onward...

This weekend, I decided to get all wild and stuff and go walk around Walmart (don't judge, Walmart is about as awesome as you get in the town I live in). I'd been cooped up pretty much all week, and I'd been just itching to buy some of the last-minute hospital bag items. So I finally got to go, and while I did satisfy my urge to buy stuff, I also painfully realized that my baby is starting to engage. Ouch, I just love the feeling of sharp stabs to my cervix! So walking around Walmart wasn't as fun and fulfilling as I wanted it to be, and it also took longer because I had to slow my roll. And it's just going to get worse. When it's happening, I really wanna physically move the baby up and away from that area, but I don't because as much as it hurts, I know that things are progressing and it's ultimately a good thing.

I can now officially say I have hit that point in my pregnancy where I wouldn't mind if the baby came early. But in my heart of hearts, I know that I NEED to have the baby stay put for at least another 2 weeks. And in all reality, if I have this baby before 40 weeks, I will be shocked.

We are getting ready just in case though. The baby bag is ready to go, and I'm working on mine. Mine's a little more difficult because most of the things that will go in there are things I wear/use on a daily basis. And I'm not going to go out and buy a second set of everything... I've got other, more important stuff to buy, like the diaper pail (commonly known as a garbage can) the dirty cloth diapers will go into. I also informed DH that we (he) will be installing the car seat base next week. I thought I'd get some eye rolls with that, but apparently he's been told stories of babies coming early by various people, so he understands my slight urgency and is rolling with it. Works for me... it's easier to get ready when you don't have to stop and explain why I'm already doing such-and-such when the baby isn't even due until the middle of July.

Men.

Insurance headaches

This week, I've been looking into our upcoming insurance conundrum. Here's how things stand at this very moment: DH is on a single BCBS plan through his employer; I am on a single high-deductible individual plan through Medica. We have separate plans because for DH to go to a family plan at work, it would basically take about 3 quarters of one paycheck a month away. Just for the 2 of us. We cannot afford that, and likely can't even consider it unless we have more than 4 children. So the question arises of whose plan the baby goes on when it arrives?

1. Although BCBS does offer single + dependent plans, DH's employer hasn't included that option to their employees. So that's out, unless DH wants to drop his work plan and do it privately through BCBS (I'll explain later why he would have to be the one doing it).

2. The baby can go on mine, automatically making it a family plan, which will increase both the deductible and the premiums (to be expected), but will also be the least headache-inducing option since all you have to do is let Medica know within 30 days and they'll adjust stuff without having to re-apply. DH would stay on his current plan. And I did call them and ask about the deductible, since my $2,000 limit has already been met. It would transfer over to the family plan deductible of $4,050, so that was a huge weight lifted off. I'd feared that we'd have to start all over again on it, which would completely BLOW.

3. Likewise, DH can come onto my plan as well with only the premiums rising. The only thing about that is that he'll have to apply to be included. And while I have no fear that he'll be denied, it is kind of a hassle. The good thing is that his employer would reimburse him a few hundred dollars a month to be on mine. They currently pay $400 a month for him on their plan, and should he decide to drop their coverage, they'll still pay... not $400, but I think about half that. So that would cover most, if not all, the rise in the premiums should he be included on mine.

4. We could also shop around for a completely new plan for all of us, though it's very unlikely that that will happen. The biggest hurdle is the fact that I still want maternity coverage, and not many insurance companies in the state of North Dakota offer that in individual plans. Just BCBS, Medica and Sanford Elite1. BCBS has already denied me coverage due to my infertility problems (when I worked, BCBS was my insurance, so they know my history), so I doubt that'd change, even with the addition of a baby. Sanford's is a plan I'll look into more, but from my quick glance at it, it'd be more expensive all-around.

So without knowing all the numbers and such, #3 is probably what we'll go with since DH still has to pay towards insurance each paycheck, even with the $400 his employer kicks in... and whenever he goes in to the doctor, we still get bills for it. The nice thing about my plan, is that even though the deductible is high, once that's met, the plan pays 100%, and there's no co-pay at any point unless you go to the ER. And even then it's only $50. Right now, since my deductible has been met, we pay for nothing save the monthly premium. I go to the chiropractor: no charge. I get my Metformin refill: no charge. I go to my bi-weekly soon to become weekly doctor visits: no charge. Any testing I get done: no charge. Anything else that comes up, like a potential ultrasound to check baby's position: no charge. So it's nice not to have to worry about that until the baby is born.

All this makes me wanna move to Canada though.

Pregnancy: 34th week

Week 34
June 5 - 11

Warning: this will be a whinging post. Yes, whinging. It's a British word I picked up on the internet. It means I'm going to complain. A lot. :)

Ugh... I'm hitting that point in the 3rd trimester where I just do not want to do much of anything. Also not helping is the fact that it's getting warmer & more humid out, which zaps whatever energy I have left. Which brings me to another non-helper... going to the Y to swim laps in order to get 12 visits in per month. I do not want to go at all, but I have to in order to get the $20 insurance refund. I'll be cancelling our membership in a few days, but I really should have done it last month. I just wasn't thinking ahead (a common occurrence). And the sucky part is that you have to give 30 days notice, and we are billed on the 15th. Why I chose the 15th instead of the 1st, I don't know, but that means that we'll be billed for the first 15 days of July and I obviously will not go 12 times in 15 days when I'm due to give birth any day. DH says not to even worry about getting my 12 for July, so that makes me feel better, although he didn't let me off the hook for June. Luckily, DH's karate group practices at the Y 3 times a week, and I can go watch and have it count. So I think I'll be doing more of that, considering that they'll be closing & draining the pool on the 15th of June for 2 weeks, for their annual cleaning & maintenance.

My feet are really starting to bother me. I thought it was just because I am walking around in flip-flops all the time, but then I look down and see that my normally-bony feet are looking more sausage-like. Great. Swelling. So far, I've been able to escape that, but now that it's warmer out, I'm sure that doesn't help matters. Going downstairs and walking on the tile bathroom floor (which is frigid, even when it's super hot out) feels blissful. I think my hands are going to be next, as they are feeling a little achy, too.

And the best... I'm getting stretch marks on the underside of my belly, as well as the areas right above my hips. I figured it would happen, but as it took so long to get them, I'd began to hope that I'd be able to finish the pregnancy unscathed. Nope. Oh well.

I think the baby has dropped a bit, and it makes me fearful about what is to come. See, the baby has decided that my bladder is still the awesomest toy around, even though it's now head down. So it's like a new toy, only it doesn't know it's not new since its feet were having all the fun previously. On Wednesday night, all throughout the night, the baby was awake and constantly head-butting or punching it. Which, of course, is super uncomfortable for me considering there's always something in there. So I found myself getting up so many times I lost count in order to make sure it wasn't so full that I'd have an accident the next time it got poked. Not fun, and the next morning sucked. Doesn't it know that it's night time, and night time means you should be sleeping? Yeah, I know it doesn't work like that with babies. But I can dream.

Um... oh, I had my 34 week appointment this week. Like all the rest, it was pretty quick. I did ask her about delayed cord cutting and how she felt about it. She wasn't too encouraging. The overall answer was "we can do it if we remember to, and only if the baby is tolerating it. But I don't like it." Oh, you better believe you will be reminded! Even if I'm too out of it to remember, DH is going to be all over it like white on rice. Hopefully. If he isn't too enthralled with the squirmy little thing they just put on my belly. Or not passed out from all the gore he'll likely see even if he tries to avoid seeing it. *sigh* Yeah, I might have to let this one go if even we don't remember. But strangely, I'm not upset about the thought that the cord might be clamped right away. I mean, I'd still like it done, but there are other things that are of higher importance to make sure that get done, that this one kinda takes a back seat.

The next appointment is going to be the fun one. And by fun, I mean "not fun". It's when I get tested for Group B Strep, and I also get my first cervical check. I am curious to see if there's any progress, but to be honest, I'm not excited to take off my pants. It has to be done though, so I'll just soldier on.

On a happier note, we went to another garage sale this past weekend, and hopefully rounded out our clothes collection. They had both boys and girls clothing, but by the time we got there, the boys section was pretty well picked over, so we didn't get much there. We picked up some smaller girls clothing as well, and just by chance, I came across an orange 12m dress from Garnet Hill that is fabulous and was only $1. Garnet Hill is one of those posh websites that offer boutique clothing for boutique prices. The particular dress I found isn't available anymore, but going off the prices of their baby/toddler dresses, I'd estimate that the dress I found was easily $50. It makes me all warm & fuzzy inside to think about that. So I'm thinking that this dress will be what the baby will wear during her 1 year pictures. And she'll still wear it even if she's a ginger. If we have a girl, that is. Hey, I'm just being prepared!

Pregnancy: 33rd week

Week 33
May 29 - June 4

I forgot to talk about our last baby class last week! Guess I'll do it here. :)

This was the class that talked about what happens after you give birth... for both you and the baby. It was actually kind of a blur for me, and I only remember the nurse talking about circumcision, and the process behind that. I had previously asked DH his opinion on it, and whether he would want to make that call should we have a boy. And DH said that if we have a boy, he would be circumcised. Fine by me, because as I said in a previous post, I have no strong feelings on it one way or another. But I think he's having second thoughts now that he knows kinda how they do it. Not the cutting part, but the restraining part. Since the baby is awake when it happens, they have to restrain the baby to make sure they don't move during the process. It bothered him. I haven't asked if he changed his mind yet, but we've got time.

We also got to take a tour of the maternity wing, which was cool. We were shown how to get there should we go in in the middle of the night (through the ER doors). And we were shown 3 different kinds of rooms... an exam room, a birthing room, and a recovery room. The exam room is the room they bring you to first, to actually make sure you're in labor. It's a tiny little room with basically just a gurney with stirrups and a sink. And it was a little distressing for me to learn that the 2 exam rooms were the overflow delivery rooms. Distressing because I know that July is going to be a busy time for them, so it very well could be me in there, giving birth. I'm sure if it happens, I won't care when I'm in the moment, but right now it kinda freaks me out.

The birthing room was the biggest we saw out of the 3, since they were designed to be the only room a mom would be in the whole time. It has a nice couch that can be pulled out into a twin size bed, as well as a recliner. It also has a full bathroom with whirlpool tub. I hope I'm in one of these rooms! There are 3 of them. The last room we saw was a recovery room, usually used for those who got a c-section. It was smaller than a birthing room, but it still had the same couch and recliner from the birthing room. It also has a bathroom, but no tub. Just a shower. These rooms weren't designed to handle a birth, so the beds don't have stirrups. There are 2 in the actual maternity wing, and 2 more that were described as "overflow", and are shared by the surgical ward next door. We were told that with the anticipated baby boom, those rooms would likely be filled with new moms. There is also a mini kitchen to be used by dads. DH told me he'd be spending most of his time in there, since I won't allow him to eat in front of me as long as I'm not allowed food. Butthead.

The week after, we had the Happiest Baby on the Block class. It was pretty informative, and DH enjoyed the fact that they were passing on information that he could actually use, as opposed to the regular baby classes where much of the info is geared towards the mom. We "learned" how to swaddle. I put quotes around that because we both fail using a swaddling blanket. So we will be taking lessons from a friend, who just happens to be an awesome swaddler. He doesn't know this yet, though I'm sure his wife will pass it on when she reads this ;). But we also have borrowed some cheater swaddlers from a friend, as well as bought a Halo swaddle/sleep sack at a garage sale. Apparently we'll also be getting one to take home from the hospital. So the baby won't be lacking there. But using an actual blanket to swaddle is a skill we should probably have regardless. You never know when it'll come in handy.

Pregnancy-wise, my allergies/whatever the hell is going on with my nose have escalated. I am not impressed. But otherwise, baby is growing, I'm growing, and I'm now doing lots of laundry in preparation. Most of it is diaper related, but some loads are baby clothes. I've been getting pretty bad about OUR clothes though. Many times DH will ask me if I have washed any of his white socks/t-shirts/work pants/etc. and I have to hang my head in shame and say no most of the time. But now that I'm nearing the end of diaper prepping, hopefully I won't suck so much. :) I can only hope.

Ruminations

So I was thinking about my pregnancy, and what I would consider the best part, as well as the worst part. Now, at the time of writing this, I have about 6 weeks left, so my opinions could change. But honestly, I don't think they will too much. So here they are...

The worst part:
Honestly, the worst part for me is not being able to breathe through my nose starting from about week 12 on... and this coming from someone who's suffered from ECP early on, as well as someone who had to go to the ER twice with the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Not only is it uncomfortable and inefficient to breathe through my mouth all the time (brushing teeth is especially hard when you can't use your nose to breathe), I cannot sleep if I cannot breath through my nose. I will literally wake up the instant I start mouth breathing. So often times I'm up half the night blowing my nose until I suck it up and take some Benedryl (which sometimes doesn't even work if it's bad enough). And then I'm exhausted in the morning, when the cycle starts over. I've heard that often times, the instant you give birth, the congestion clears up. Hope that happens to me... it'll give me a few days of reprieve, since my fall allergies will ultimately make their appearance, which always seems to happen exactly on July 30th.

The best part:
Although I think the best overall part will be when I finally get to hold my baby, right now, the best part for me is feeling the baby move around. It makes it so much more real. The baby has recently been sticking its butt out, and I love giving it a little pat. I also love how I can now tell how the baby is laying, in general anyway. Before, you knew that there was a baby in there, and that you'd occasionally feel little kicks, but you had no idea which way it was facing, or if it was a kick or a punch. And they move around so much, they were probably doing somersaults and cartwheels. But now I know that space is at a premium, so flipping around won't happen as much anymore, and that the baby is head down... which in and of itself is a relief. I don't wanna have to worry about trying to turn the baby so close to delivery or else get a c-section. Hope it stays that way!

Pregnancy: 32nd week

Week 32
May 22 - 28

I am sooooo relieved!  I had my 32 week checkup on Monday (technically in the 31st week), and I got up the nerve to ask my doctor about my concerns. I was originally just going to ask about the pushing positions at this one, but it ended up with me asking about the induction cut-off as well.

For pushing, she told me that as long as I didn't have an epidural or spinal block, I could push in any position I wanted, just as long as the baby was tolerating it. She did tell me though, that when it comes time for delivery, she would feel better about me being in the bed since it'd be more difficult to catch the baby if I were out of it. Okay, I can work with that.

The I asked about the 41-week induction limit and the fact that I'm actually about a week behind what EDD she gave me. She seems really receptive about allowing me to go over so that I can get to the 41 week mark going by my ovulation date. She said we'd talk about it more once she starts doing the cervical checks and determines my progress. But that overall, she prefers to let nature take its course, doesn't induce very often, and that an extra few days beyond her EDD shouldn't be a big deal. She also said her c-section rate is also pretty low for that reason. So those are a few big things I'm glad I asked about.

Oh, and when she was checking the heartbeat, I asked if she could guesstimate the baby's position within the womb at that moment. She thinks the baby is head down, although she did warn that at this point, the baby could still flip flop around. That's okay... I just wanted to know if what I felt yesterday was the butt like I thought. And it was!

Physically, I'm starting to feel huge now. And I'm kinda sad because while I can still fit into one pair of pre-pregnancy jeans, it's now getting harder and harder to button them up. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy that they've fit me going into my 7th month. But it's just that my 2 pairs of maternity jeans are uncomfortable, so I'll probably be wearing every other bottom I can before I wear the maternity jeans again. For 2 months. It'll be weird not to wear jeans at all for that long. For me anyway.

But now on to a more stressing topic: insurance. When I was laid off in 2010, I lost my health insurance. To add me to DH's insurance at work would be exorbitant, and would continue to be so unless you had a family of over 5, so I looked around at individual plans, hoping to find some that offered maternity benefits. I found a whole 2 plans. So I took the one that had a high $2,000 deductible, and then after that, they'd cover 100%. And now that I'm knocked up, I've been looking into the cost of upgrading into a family plan once the baby's here, and I *think* the plan is that DH will drop his work insurance and come over onto mine, and that his employer will reimburse him up to a certain dollar amount. But the thing is, the deductible on a family plan goes up to $3,500. So now it's looking like we'll be paying that extra $1,500 once the baby's added, instead of thinking that the hospital charges would be free since I've already reached the $2,000 single deductible limit (thanks to my ER visits in March). And it's completely my fault for not thinking it through past having the baby. If I had thought of this back when I was getting the insurance, we would have moved DH over to mine a lot sooner, and since he's had health issues of his own this year, there'd be a pretty good chance that the $3,500 deductible would have already been met, or if not, pretty darn close.

But the one possible bright spot is that for the past few years, DH bought a supplemental insurance plan that covers hospital stays, and it covers what the main insurance doesn't for the entire family. He bought it a few years ago on the advice of a co-worker, and it's pretty cheap per month. So hopefully we'll get some payout off of that.

Insurance sucks. We should just move to Canada.

Names

Amongst the many question I get asked, the topic of names comes up pretty often. And I get it... I love hearing baby names and trying to imagine how a certain combo works with the last name just as much as the next person.

But going off experience, I (executive decision, of course) have decided not to let anyone know what the potential names are until after the birth certificate is signed. It hasn't happened to me, but I have seen the reactions of other people when told the name of a yet-to-be-born baby when the name choice is either odd or something not to the liking of the person being told. You all know the look: a scrunched up nose like they're saying "ew" and then followed by "however did you come up with that name?" or "you don't want to name them that!" I haven't personally seen it, but apparently some people are forward enough to blatantly say "I don't like it." It is incredibly rude since they didn't ask the opinion of the other person anyway.

And I know my personality. If I tell people what the names are, and they don't like them, it will bother me and make me second-guess my decision. I don't need that, especially since I happen to love all the names I've picked out. Though I still fully expect to be bombarded with suggestions from family and friends. I'll probably just smile, nod and say "that's pretty."

Yes, I do have a handful of names for each sex, and have for quite a while. As we get closer to meeting this new little one, the list might be whittled down, but it ultimately may be that we wait until the baby is actually here before deciding.

I do feel a little bad though, because it seems as though I am the one naming the baby, with no input from DH. But then I just have to remember the "names" he's suggested so far, and then I don't feel so badly. His "names" aren't really names, but instead food items that I happen to crave. As much as he insists on it, Spicy Chicken Sandwich will not be in ANY part of the name. If he doesn't like the names I pick out, well, that's his own fault for not taking it seriously and suggesting real names. Okay, I take that back. He has suggested an actual name for a girl. I haven't vetoed it yet just because it's been his only contribution and I don't want to discourage him, but I don't really like it as it's kinda trendy. And the first thing I think of when I hear it is a US President from the 1800's. But it's progress, and I'll ask again soon to see if he has any new suggestions for me.

Pregnancy: 31st week

Week 31
May 15 - 21

I'm kinda confused! We had our 2nd baby class on Monday, with a different nurse (every session has a different nurse/lecturer), and when talking about pushing positions, some of the things she talked about were contradictory to what the previous nurse said. Apparently we can push in different positions like squatting, side-laying or hands and knees. But the most common position is on the back with knees drawn up... usually because most women get an epidural so that's the only position they can labor in. So while it mostly clarified it for me, I'm definitely going to be checking with my doctor about it. I mean, it's not like I wanna get all crazy and deliver on the toilet (which was mentioned), but I would just like it if I had options, ya know?

We also did a couple of simple breathing exercises, which constitutes our Lamaze training, which they don't teach anymore. One of the exercises, the support person had to count the number of breaths the preggo normally took in 60 seconds. My result? Seven. Then we were instructed to do the same thing, but to focus on controlling the breathing. My new result was 5. Both were on the lower end of everyone in the room, which means nothing now, but that apparently I'll be better at using breathing as a pain management tool, and she did say that swimmers tend to have better breath control. So I guess I rock at breathing? Go me! It motivates me to not slack off during swimming now and breathe every 2 strokes like I want to. I'll try to keep doing every 4 strokes, with maybe a few every 6 strokes thrown in. Anyway..... Then everyone practiced a few different breathing patterns, which felt weird considering no one was having contractions. I figure I'll just go with the flow when the time comes.

She also went over pain medications they administer, as well as interventions. Although I still want a drug-free birth, I still have all pain meds options on the table... mostly because I want the option to change my mind (I like having options, can you tell?). As for interventions, I'm not as uptight about those as some are, so whatever helps.

Onward, I also consciously experienced Braxton-Hicks for the first time Monday as well. But I think that has more to do with the fact that I was super active and productive all day. The baby has been super super active lately, too. At my appointment next week, I'm going to ask the doctor if she can determine which position the baby is in, because at no point can I tell. I realize that it might still flip-flop, but at that moment, it'd be nice to know and if I get any movements around that time, it might help me decipher whether that poke was a headbutt, a kick, a wave or whatnot. All I know is that I'm now getting some jabs on the left side, and if it's on the lower left side, it HURTS! I have no idea what's down there, but man, it's not fun.

*a few days later*
Okay, definitely having more Braxton-Hicks even without being super active. It doesn't hurt, but sometimes I'll get a really good one going where it's hard to draw a breath. It's just weird.

In nursery news, the dresser got built this week. DH wanted to do it, and so I let him. But he wasn't being very careful when "tapping" in the wooden pegs to the top of the dresser... he tapped a little too hard and one of the pegs slightly cracked the top surface. It's not bad, but I definitely notice it, only because I told him not to use a hammer in the first place (I think I may have said something along the lines of "I told you so", but I can't be sure). We *could* return that part as defective, but we'd have to take it back to Ikea. And as I had to move heaven and earth to get there in the first place, I doubt we'd make a special trip just for that. So we will live with it. But as I said, it's not bad. And the dresser is a lot bigger than I had originally thought! It's nice though... to get something that cheap, you usually don't get very big drawers, and the quality usually isn't too good. This has 6 big drawers, was less than $200, and is surprisingly sturdy. Steal! The best part, I think it has DH a little more on-board with Ikea, which will come in handy next time I get evil plans to outfit our home with Ikea. :)

Pregnancy: 30th week

Week 30
May 8 - 14

This week has been full of baby-related events.

The first thing is that we had our first baby class. This technically happened on 29w6d, but it was close enough, so I'm counting it for 30w0d. Anyway, every other month, the hospital holds 4 2-hour classes on Mondays, and they go over basic pregnancy stuff, stages of labor, labor options, etc. In the last class, they give a tour, which I'm really looking forward to, since the hospital is brand new.

So we get there, and we find out that due to Memorial Day, they're going to combine the 3rd & 4th classes, so we'll only have 3 weeks of classes. Works for me, I guess. We have the Happiest Baby on the Block class the Tuesday after Memorial Day, so it pretty much works out the same for us anyway. Anyway for the first class, it was pretty much everything I already knew, although I did find out that they don't do water births at the hospital. Not because they aren't equipped to, but because no doctor here will do one. But they'll let me labor in water, so it's not too disappointing. What is disappointing though, is that if a woman is going to deliver vaginally, she will be on her back in bed when pushing. No kneeling, squatting, etc. I hope that at least they'll raise the back up so I'm not flat flat. It just seems that it would be easier for everyone involved if they'd let gravity help a bit.

And then they started talking about induction times. The standard here for every doctor is 41 weeks. So basically, going back to my concern that I'm actually a week behind what my doctor says, if I don't have my baby by my actual EDD, I will be induced. No going over a week like all the other moms get to do. It is something I plan on bringing up with my doctor at one of my appointments down the line, because I cannot stress how much I DON'T want an induction if I can avoid it. So maybe my baby will be nice to me and come on time. Please?

Other than that, it was pretty boring. I figured as much though, and figured it'd be more for DH than anything. But with the way his memory works, I'll be happy if all he remembers is how to get me to the hospital. Okay, I should give him more credit... just as long as he remembers to give me massages on demand. And Taco Bell after I give birth :) One last thing: I was surprised at the number of people there. There were at least 14 pregnant women there, not including myself. And they're all first time moms, which tells you that the amount of babies being born in July is going to be staggering, taking into account the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time moms who don't take the classes. The nurse running the class said that they've been warned by many doctors that July is going to be super busy for the maternity ward. So it might be interesting come delivery time to see if they have to overflow the preggos to "normal" hospital rooms, since our hospital only has 3 delivery rooms, and 2 post-partum rooms for those who've had c-sections. I'll be sad if I'm not in one of those 5 rooms, because they're the only ones with tubs. The rest only have showers.

Then the next day, I had my 30 week checkup. Up 4 pounds in 2 weeks. If I keep up this weight gain trend, I going to get a talking to. And I still don't see where the weight is going if it's not to my belly. All I know is that I hope this kid isn't massive. I didn't bring up the induction thing yet, but probably the next appointment. I don't want to sound like a broken record and insist on a later due date, so I hope my doctor at least is open to letting me go later than 41 weeks. If not, I don't know what I'll do, other than finding a new doctor (which I don't think will fly anyway, since apparently the 41 week mark is widely accepted here). Anyway, she told me I have a pretty belly since I don't have any stretch marks. I'm like "thanks", although all I see are slight red splotches whenever I look at it. The baby's still chillaxin' on the right side, and its heartbeat is about 150 still. Not much else went on, and was a quick appointment. My next one is in 2 weeks.

And the most exciting one, DH & I went to the nearest Ikea (400-some miles away) to get the nursery furniture! We got the crib and dresser, as well as a lamp, which we weren't looking for, but will go well with everything. And as soon as I rested up, I put that crib together by myself. I just didn't want to wait for DH, and it actually wasn't hard at all. I feel all accomplished and stuff.

I loved Ikea, and am a little sad that we live so far away from one. But on the plus side, while we were walking through the display floor, DH found a setup he likes for our bathroom. And surprisingly, I liked it, too, which hardly every happens when it comes to stuff like that. So it looks like another trip to Ikea will happen in the future. It will be a few years down the road (to save up), but it gives me something to look forward to.

Pregnancy: 29th week

Week 29
May 1 - 7

Not much has been going on pregnancy-wise. Baby's going through periods of activity, and it's kinda fun to put my hands on my belly and try to decipher which body part I'm feeling. Still haven't a clue. Perhaps when it's bigger and more out of room. But I like to tell myself that it's mostly head down now, because I don't get kicks to the bladder much anymore, and I've been getting more movement at the top. So I'm guessing that's where the feet & butt are.

A few times this week though, I've woken up with a slight ache in that troublesome kidney area again. It's usually when I'm sleeping on my right side, which I'm doing more now that my hips cramp up if I'm on one side too long. Anyway, I just switch back to my left side and hope for the best, and so far, that's done the trick. Hope that trend keeps up if it happens more, which I think it will.

Um... still waking up most nights a minimum of 3 times to use the bathroom. Although around the full moon nights, there were 2 nights in a row where I only had to get up once per night. AND I slept later than I have been. So that was nice. But now it's gone back to "normal".

And finally, just a little laugh. I was talking to my mom, and she was telling me that she had no idea what kind of baby stuff to get me... you know, because it's really killing her that we're not finding out the gender. Anyway, I just told her that that's why I created a registry... so people could look at it and get an idea of the stuff that I need/want. She's all, "oh, ya!". Mothers *shakes head*.

Pregnancy: 28th week

Week 28
April 24 - 30

The 1-hour glucose test: one of the things I most dreaded as soon as I found out what week I needed to do it. Obviously since I mentioned it for the past few weeks, it happened this week. All along, I feared failing it, even though I'm still on a full dosage of metformin, and then having to take the 3-hour and failing that, too. Then I'd be forced to restrict my diet. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, but not something I wanted to do nonetheless.

I really meant to be good the week prior to being tested, but the way it turned out, I wasn't all that good leading up to it. Not good at all, since the baby's been having major growth spurts and all I want to eat is sugar. That, and I kinda forgot when my appointment was until the day of, so I would have forgotten to be good anyway.

So I get there, and the lab tech hands me a cup of the orange flavored drink. And I'm glad, because I know there are a few different flavors available, and had heard that the orange one is the best. One of my friends said it tasted like the orange drink from McDonald's, which I happen to love. Anyway, I didn't get a choice in flavors, so I'm happy it was the orange one. It does taste like the orange drink from McDonald's, although slightly waterier. So it wasn't bad. I had problems chugging it though, because as all my friends know, I do not drink things quickly. But I managed. Then I went back into the lab waiting room, grabbed my book, and read. They called me back in in an hour, took my blood, then I left. No side effects from the drink at all, so that is good. I got the call the next day that I passed! All that worry for nothing. I have no idea what my numbers were, and honestly, I don't care. They probably weren't that close to the limit, because borderliners usually have to take the 3-hour anyway (which is stupid IMHO... if you're under the limit, even if only by one point, you passed and shouldn't have to do the 3-hour). One less thing to worry about.

And now I'm going to complain about something I've suspected for a while, but now I'm pretty sure is true: I have developed spring allergies. The itchy mouth and going through half a box of Kleenex (a big box, too) a day proves it. I thought I was lucky and escaped it, even though I do get fall allergies. But the thing is, I don't know if it happened just because I am pregnant, or if I would have developed them eventually anyway. Guess I'll find out next year. All I know is that I hate not being able to breathe through my nose and not being able to take anything cool to help it. Most of the things I can take, like regular Claritin, don't work. I can take Benadryl, and it does work, but it also makes me extremely drowsy, so I only take it at night. It's the big suck during the day though.

Baby-wise, it's been super super active of late. One night, I kept on being woken up from all the partying going on in there. And here I thought I was going to be getting calm baby. Who knows though... perhaps it will be, but interspersed with periods of craziness. Just like my DH. :)

Nesting-wise, I've started prepping my newborn prefolds. Since they're a natural fiber, in this case, cotton, they need to be washed in hot water and dried... at least 5 times. The oils in natural fibers make the fabric repel liquid, so they need to be washed out completely so that they can absorb. Because, you know, that's the whole point of a diaper. It's a pain in the butt, but it needs to be done. I'm just thankful that the rest of my diapers are made with synthetic fabrics and only need to be washed and dried once. Anyway, I've done 2 full cycles so far. I'll finish up the other 3 once the month rolls over... don't wanna have huge water & gas bills from April. :) I *could* boil them for 30 minutes and then just wash & dry them once, but something tells me that I shouldn't carry a pot full of boiling water & diapers down the stairs to dump in the wash machine. I have enough kitchen accidents as it is, so maybe that's part of it. In the meantime, I'll keep trucking along with my cloth wipes. I aim to have 30-36 when all is said and done, and so far, I only have a dozen completely done. Another 10 are halfway done, and the rest need to be put together. It's just a matter of sitting down and doing more than just a few at a time.

Pregnancy: 27th week

Week 27
April 17 - 23

This week has been mostly uneventful. I think the baby did have a growth spurt at one point, because it seemed like I couldn't shove enough food in my mouth fast enough. And it's on days like that that make me realize just how much junk food is in our house. I definitely need to eat healthier. But instead of healthy stuff, we have Twinkies, Zingers, Easter candy, a myriad of baked goods, juice, jams and ice cream. I need to pick up some nuts, cheese, Triscuits and baby carrots. And then hide the rest.

I'm starting to develop some lovely heartburn and/or reflux. So that's fun. The reflux hits me the most, and it's usually at night right when I lay down. I've only had heartburn twice, and only after I had spicy food.

And the baby's been either moving around, or is growing and taking up more space. I've been feeling a LOT of movement in the upper parts of my tummy now, and sometimes even on the left side. About 98% of the movement I've felt up until recently has been exclusively on the right side. So it's kinda weird to feel movement in a new place. And when there's a dance party going on inside, it's really interesting just to lift up my shirt to see my belly jump.

I had my 28 week appointment this week. It's the last of the monthly appointments, and from here on in, I go every 2 weeks, which makes it feel a little more real. At 36 weeks, I start going every week. The start of my real 28th week (tomorrow, Tuesday the 24th), I will go in for my glucose test. That'll be mentioned in the next weekly post. Anyway, it was another short appointment. My weight is 144.2, which I was a little shocked at, considering just a month ago, I was at 135.6. NINE POUNDS! Now I definitely know the baby had a growth spurt (or two). And it must be mostly baby, because other than my tummy growing a bit and my boobs expanding as well, I haven't visibly gained weight elsewhere. Unless I gained it in my butt. I haven't looked back there yet, but I'm going to assume it hasn't grown much either. The nurse was joking that I have a big baby in there, and I was not amused. Either way, I now definitely feel the need to eat better and keep my weight gain under control. I started the pregnancy at 126.4. Yes, I asked. :)

Lastly, the heartbeat has slowed a bit, but still pretty fast for this point in the pregnancy. It was 156. So still firmly in the "girl" range, if one believes in that (I kinda do, but I still think it's a boy).