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Pregnancy Symptoms
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It turned out fine. Our appointment on Saturday went for well over an hour; it was about an hour and a half, I think. It was great talking with her. Ellen had fun--she was really looking forward to seeing the "midwise," as she calls her. I think John enjoyed it, too. It's wonderful being able to ask all sorts of questions.
She told me about the Gestational Diabetes Test that I can have done at our next appointment if I want to. It sounds much better than the ones I've heard about that the doctors usually give. For her text you don't fast beforehand, and you don't drink any orangey sugary syrup or eat jelly beans. Instead you eat a reasonable meal two hours before the appointment, and then she takes a tiny bit of blood and tests it with her machine, and you know how things are doing right away. It sounds reasonable, but I still don't know if I will have it done. I didn't take that test with Ellen, and with Ellen I had a doctor. He didn't even offer it to me, so it seems almost silly for me to take the test with a midwife. But I'm still thinking about it.
The midwife listened to the the baby's heartbeat with her fetoscope, and it was 144 beats a minute. She listened to Ellen's "baby," too, and she told Ellen that she had very good bowel tones.
My uterus is just the height it should be, and according to the scale in my midwife's office, I've gained about 13 pounds since my first appointment when I was about 12 weeks. . . so those who think I look extra big, well, that's their problem. ;)
The baby is still transverse--lying side to side... head on my right side and feet and bottom on my left, but I have a long time yet before I need to get concerned. Apparently, as the head gets heavier, the baby will probably turn head down sometime in the next six weeks.
I asked the hospital where I had Ellen to send my midwife my medical records. I learned a few interesting things about my labor and childbirth with Ellen. Apparently I was three centimeters when the doctor broke my water. I do not know why he broke it. He never explained why. Of course I don't know for sure, but I really think it was because he had to pick up someone at the airport that evening. I sure surprised him when I had Ellen less than three hours later. The records said that I only pushed for 13 minutes! Wow, I hope it's that short this time!!! I remember that Ellen shot out really quickly, and I knew that I tore, but I didn't realize that on her way out she gave me a 2nd degree tear. We figure that is probably why I bled more than normal; I bled an extra cup. The tear really healed up quickly, though, with no problems. I am writing this from memory. Hopefully next time I can remember to ask my midwife if she will make me a copy of the records, so I can bring one home.
Ellen nurses about 2-3 times a day now. She can go the whole day without asking. The other day she did that... she didn't nurse until nighttime, and then nursed twice before she went to bed. I'm starting to be able to accept it. I don't feel quite so distressed about it as I did, but I am still hoping that she might hang on and keep nursing enough so she will remember how to nurse if she wants to after the baby is born and my milk comes in.
Baby is wiggling as I type. It sure is a neat feeling, and it makes me smile and even laugh sometimes.
I feel pretty good. Quite often I get a burning sensation in my throat and am eating lots of papaya enzyme to help with it. At least they taste yummy. It was hard for me to get comfortable in church this morning. I have to be careful not to sit on my tailbone for very long, or it feels really sore when I stand up. I usually try to sit forward so I'm not on my tailbone. I need more sleep than I normally do. I get crabby too often, but I am a lot more patient when I get enough sleep. Also, I get emotional easily. I'm an emotional person anyway, and these hormones seem to intensify it. Tonight the Campbell Soup commercial made me cry. But, all in all, I really do feel good.
Ellen nursed three times today. The two days before that she hardly seemed interested at all and barely even nursed one time. I was afraid that she was really going to wean. It made me feel a bit happier since she asked to nurse today. I'm glad she's being gradual about this. It's so interesting that I really have no idea what she's going to do. She could continue nursing for a long time, or she could stop soon and then start again after the baby comes, or she could stop soon and not need to nurse again. I've got to follow her cues. . .
A couple days ago I tried to express some milk to see if anything was in there, and a teeny tiny pale, almost clear, drop slowly beaded up on my right side. I wonder if it's colostrum, and, if so, when will I be getting more of it?
Even though I don't seem to have much milk or colostrum in my breasts right now, they do look bigger than they did before I became pregnant. Since I am normally small-chested, this is one part of pregnancy and lactation that I really appreciate and happily welcome.
My favorite thing about being pregnant is feeling baby move. Baby is still moving pretty often. I don't think baby has changed postion yet and seems to me to still be lying sideways.
Here are some more of my pregnancy symptoms... I have to go to the bathroom often. My nipples are tender, and, by the way, Ellen nurses one to two times a day. I was feeling quite a few braxton hicks about a week ago, but they have slowed down. The other day we took my parents to the airport, and when I was standing while we were waiting for their turn to board the airplane, I got kind of lightheaded, but felt better after I sat down. I feel more tired than usual. I still try to avoid sitting on my tailbone so it doesn't get sore. I suppose my pelvic area might be loosening up or something, because it feels sore these days. There is a spot on my back that is sore; the same spot was sore when I was pregnant with Ellen. My legs get stiff when I sit for too long, and a lot of the time I feel most comfortable lying on the couch and resting.
 Taken Sept. 28th |
I know I don't drink as much as I should, or exercize as much as I should, or get as much sleep as I should, or . . . and the list goes on. I just can't believe this pregnancy is going by so quickly. I mean to start doing eveything I should be doing soon, but another day goes by, and another, and I'm still doing the same old things. Sigh. I need to get more prepared to have this baby. I need to get organized, clean my house, make a bunch of meals and freeze them so I'll have them after baby is born. I need to practice relaxing. I need to figure out what to get Ellen and John for their birthdays and Christmas so I don't have to worry about it when baby is due.
A lot of the time I just don't feel like doing much. I talked with my friend who is due right after I am and mentioned how I hadn't been exercizing, and that I didn't really feel like doing anything. She said that she didn't want to take the time to exercize and went on to talk about how busy she was with canning, and she works outside the home and has a toddler. She sounds so busy. I felt really lazy. I don't have much of an excuse not to get things done! I'd just better do them...
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