Hey, I'm all caught up. I'm at 33 weeks and a few days right now so next week I'll post about this week and we're back to being caught up on the baby posts. Yes!
Week 32 #1.
Week 32 #2.
And week 31 for comparison.
How I'm feeling?
AWESOME because HE FLIPPED!!! WHOOOO! And it didn't even take THAT much work. Both the chiropractor and acupuncturist expected it to take at least 3 weeks and this was 1.5. Now, we don't really know if he will STAY flipped but fingers crossed. I really don't enjoy standing on my head... or the bills I get from going to the chiropractor and acupuncturist.
Other than that (major) little detail, I'm feeling kind of like an idiot this week. I'm not sure why but I can't seem to get this whole eating for two thing down. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM? Some people LIVE for this aspect of pregnancy and I'm just not getting it. I swear, I feel like I'm eating enough, I feel like I'm CONSTANTLY putting stuff in my mouth but it's not enough. The baby is growing like crazy (clearly) and I'm not keeping pace with the calories that both of our bodies need. It's pretty much that simple. And the stupidest thing about this? I KNOW THIS. I have enough brains to know that it's not enough because when I realize it, I FEEL AWFUL. And that's my clue. And it's awful not just in the regard of, "whoops, Jenn, you're really kind of sucking at taking care of yourself and the baby" but in the regard of "holy hell, WHY am I so tired and do I feel like I am going to pass out right now right in the middle of whole foods?" (true story, and then I saw black...NO BUENO). I am eating more than I ever have in my life but I guess my body just needs more right now. It's bad too, because I never have had a "hunger" feeling. I never have been one to really 'feel' hungry so I don't have that cue. I eat when I think about it but right now I have to learn to just put stuff in every couple of hours, at a minimum, and between the hustle and bustle and well, life, it's been hard to remember to do that. I KNOW. Don't hate.
So, my goal this week has been to always have a bar on hand, always fuel up every couple of hours and to never get that tired/almost going to black out feeling...which happened, oh, twice this week (one of which was not my fault!) It is way worse after I work out or exert myself. The baby moves and burns/needs calories to grow and then I move hard and burn calories and it's just a calorie burning massacre.So yeah, feeling kind of dumb that I can't just GET IT and keep feeding myself constantly. It really shouldn't be that hard.
In my defense, I actually think part of the problem this week has been that I have been anemic. I haven't been eating as much meat (or eggs/tofu-other high iron content foods) because it hasn't sounded good, and I think a lot of the light headedness has to do with that. I started taking my iron pills again and feel better so I think I am on to something here.
I also had a MAJOR acupuncture fail this week. You know how last week I almost died from heartburn? This week I'm pretty sure I almost died from acupuncture. Seriously. I went in and had an intense treatment (apparently). Everything was going great, the guy was so happy that the baby had flipped and I was happy he wouldn't be burning my toes that day (no more moxibustion if the baby has flipped). Instead, it was just a "run of the mill" treatment... points that help to get the blood flowing and energy all in balance... designed to help with the whole preparing my body for labor thing. So, he puts the points in and really nothing feels weird. I had walked three miles to his office but felt great (other than the fact that on the way traffic stopped for me... "pregnant woman crossing..."). Once the points were in, they make it all dark and cozy and zen-like and leave you for a bit. Usually I can get a quick nap in and feel amazing when he comes back to the room. Not this time. Pretty much about 3-5 minutes after he left, I started to feel really dizzy. (And yes, I had eaten a great breakfast an hour earlier so it was not hunger related). I thought maybe I was just being weird... sometimes I do that. Then I started to feel like, huh, I actually might throw up. And for those of you that know me, you know I do not ever make this realization easily.
So I'm lying there trying to breathe and be zen and get myself to calm down (IE: not pass out or puke or both) which involved me actually being quite fidgety as anyone knows who has ever been on the verge of passing out or puking. And THEN then I start sweating. Like COLD, DRIPPING SWEATS. At this point, I'm like OH SHIT. THIS IS NOT GOOD. My ears were ringing, the room was spinning and pretty much I was looking for the nearest trash can, assuming I could make it there without passing out first.
Luckily, the acupuncturist gives you a button in case something happens. Right before the world started to fade in and out, I pushed the button. I was very pleased to know these buttons are not false security when he came back in about 30 seconds later and asked if it was me that rang the bell. I was all, "Um, I think I might pass out and puke." The second he looks at me he says "you're sweating [no SHIT, I'm basically creating a pond in this room] and sit up [YES PLEASE...not sure why but sitting up sounded like the best possible option, though as soon as I did, the world continued to fade and my hearing started to fade which mean BLACK OUT SOON TO COMMENCE]." He starts to pull the points out and massage my feet to get the blood flowing (I guess) and brings me water as I'm sitting there thinking "please god don't let me barf on him or pass out right here and THEN barf on him" (sidenote: this would have been humiliating!)
He tells me that sometimes patients can have needle shock because the treatment is too strong. And then asks if I ate breakfast. At this point I was starting to feel somewhat better so I laughed and said, "Sure did, you almost saw it again up close and personal!" He put some less intense points back in, much to my dismay as I wanted to run like the dickens out of there, but fortunately, those went well and I was able to get my zen-nap period. I walked out of there feeling a little like WHAT the hell was that?! And then held up traffic again on my walk home when a lady stopped dead in the middle of a busy intersection to talk to me about how far along I was. I'm going to just chalk up that whole day as a funny experience.
So I'm lying there trying to breathe and be zen and get myself to calm down (IE: not pass out or puke or both) which involved me actually being quite fidgety as anyone knows who has ever been on the verge of passing out or puking. And THEN then I start sweating. Like COLD, DRIPPING SWEATS. At this point, I'm like OH SHIT. THIS IS NOT GOOD. My ears were ringing, the room was spinning and pretty much I was looking for the nearest trash can, assuming I could make it there without passing out first.
Luckily, the acupuncturist gives you a button in case something happens. Right before the world started to fade in and out, I pushed the button. I was very pleased to know these buttons are not false security when he came back in about 30 seconds later and asked if it was me that rang the bell. I was all, "Um, I think I might pass out and puke." The second he looks at me he says "you're sweating [no SHIT, I'm basically creating a pond in this room] and sit up [YES PLEASE...not sure why but sitting up sounded like the best possible option, though as soon as I did, the world continued to fade and my hearing started to fade which mean BLACK OUT SOON TO COMMENCE]." He starts to pull the points out and massage my feet to get the blood flowing (I guess) and brings me water as I'm sitting there thinking "please god don't let me barf on him or pass out right here and THEN barf on him" (sidenote: this would have been humiliating!)
He tells me that sometimes patients can have needle shock because the treatment is too strong. And then asks if I ate breakfast. At this point I was starting to feel somewhat better so I laughed and said, "Sure did, you almost saw it again up close and personal!" He put some less intense points back in, much to my dismay as I wanted to run like the dickens out of there, but fortunately, those went well and I was able to get my zen-nap period. I walked out of there feeling a little like WHAT the hell was that?! And then held up traffic again on my walk home when a lady stopped dead in the middle of a busy intersection to talk to me about how far along I was. I'm going to just chalk up that whole day as a funny experience.
In addition to this (I know, how can there be an addition, I pretty much just wrote a novel...), I am feeling huge and my pelvis hurts despite stretching it 1000000 times a day. I am getting to the OVER IT point in this pregnancy.
How I'm changing?
This week in addition to growing bigger, I also started nesting somewhat. I guess the completion of the nursery is sort of a nesting type of thing but this week on the 4th of July I decided I wanted to bake and cook and clean. I cleaned the house, made a pasta salad, and baked banana bread. And by cleaned the house, I mean I SCOURED the floors. I was very disturbed by how dirty the floors were given that we have no pets and clean them pretty regularly (really, they were probably not that bad but this is a prime example of a crazy preggo lady nesting). And then after all that, I cooked and baked. Very bizarre behavior. Justin was out golfing so typically I would have just settled down with a good book. Apparently not at 8 months preggo. THERE ARE THINGS TO CLEAN AND TO COOK...ALL DAY! (Who am I??)
What I'm eating?
Not enough... see above. I'm TRYING. My new "thing" this week was greek yogurt and almond butter on toast. And not just any toast but gluten free black rice bread specifically. Not sure why but it sounded SO good. I also have been eating cherries like mad. I'd like to say it's a weird pregnancy craving but it's not. It's just cherry season in Washington and they are pretty much amazing.
I was also talking to my chiropractor girlfriend about babies and labor and we got on to talking about tea pre-labor. She recommended a tea that had certain herbs that help the body prepare for labor and is great to drink in the third trimester. I was about to order some and then I went to make some tea one day. It was a "nourish" tea that my naturopath had given me months ago (pre-pregnancy) to drink to help with my hormone levels. Once I looked at the ingredients, I realized that I already HAD the tea I needed and have been drinking it all along. Awesome!
Weight I'm gaining?
I was 144.2 this week... last week was 144.7. Water weight? I don't know but I'm stagnant at the 144 mark it seems. Possibly more proof that I should be eating more, although the midwives assure me I'm right where I'm supposed to be.
How I'm sleeping?
Crappy. All of a sudden now I am getting up at least every 1-2 hours to pee. Seriously annoying. Could have something to do with the baby's new position so I really can't complain a whole lot.
What's the baby doing?
-The baby is 16.7 inches or the size of a large jicama (Again, WHERE do they come up with this stuff? And what in the world is a large jicama?) The baby weighs 3.75 pounds. WOAH.
-Basically the baby is just gaining weight and putting on fat. If I gain a pound a week, pretty much half of that goes to him. Holy cow.
What we are doing to prepare for the baby?
A lot of people have asked about what the moxibustion stuff looks like that I was doing at home to get the baby to flip. It isn't very exciting but here it is:
A black moxa stick that you burn and shed the ashes kind of like a cigarette, after putting the points on your pinky toe (see black strip with dots in the middle of the picture). You hold up the burning stick (it burns like a cig too, not like a giant flame) to the points on your toe and VOILA, you end up with a red pinky (exhibit on the right of the photo)... a red pinky that also desperately needs a pedicure (ignore that part).
Other than that, we did see the midwives this week to find out that the baby flipped and that was pretty much the highlight. Everything else looks good- weight is good, heart beat is good, all is good. We need to meet with the doula again sometime soon but have not done that quite yet.
Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)
So after the baby flipped this week? (And at what point he actually did, I have no idea... I could have sworn he was still head up!) Anyway, after he flipped, I started to feel hiccups down low (makes sense, right, as his head would be down now). I actually feel really bad for the poor little guy. I HATE getting hiccups. It's pretty common for babies as they swallow or try to "breathe" the amniotic fluid. Some babies get hiccups 3-4 times a day. I haven't felt ours have hiccups yet but for some reason, possibly due to positioning, I started to feel him have hiccups quite frequently. In one day he had them once for 15 minutes and once for 40 minutes (and once in the middle of the night which woke me up, see crappy sleep, above). It is the strangest thing in the world and I feel sort of bad that there's nothing I can do to help him. It's also sort of funny too because he will start hiccuping and then he'll start kicking- almost like he's pissed off by these annoying things that WON'T STOP. Poor kid is in for a rude awakening when he gets to this outside world to realize there are quite a few annoying things that don't stop.
