Total weight gain: I weighed 158 this morning...started at 131 pounds. 27 pounds so far…
Baby’s size/development this week: Well, the internet is telling me that this baby weighs FIVE POUNDS - that would explain why my stomach looks and feels so huge!!
Maternity clothes: SO glad it’s spring-like weather this week. I've been wearing pretty much only dresses and long skirts, which are both comfortable AND cute.
Miss anything? Not being huge. Being able to exist without having a weird ache or trying in vain to get comfortable on the sofa.
Food cravings: Still really enjoying berries….blackberries, strawberries…mmmmm. Also, tuna salad sounds tasty (but I don’t think that has to do with being pregnant - I just love tuna salad.)
Anything making you queasy or sick? No.
Sleep: Sleeping pretty well. This past week marked the first time I've woken up more than once in the night to pee, so that’s exciting.
Best moment of the week: I have really been enjoying this warm weather!! All the best moments of this week are yet to come, I think! Also, I have completed washing ALL THE DIAPERS!! They are ALL clean!! (I still have to put them all away though.) After the baby is born, I will never be able to say ALL the diapers are clean again, so I will relish this brief moment in time J
Nursery: Nothing has changed since last week except the addition of a bunch of diapers...and a drying rack for all the diapers. I finally got a frame for our baby shower invitations and it looks really cute!
Weddings rings on or off? Wedding ring is definitely still on. No swelling here.
Movement? Lots of broad, sweeping movements.
Labor signs? Not to my knowledge!
Weird pregnancy thing of the week: I had a long list of stuff and am trying to remember what all it entailed…
- Pregnancy Achievement Unlocked: I got asked if I was having twins this week!!!! My stomach is measuring EXACTLY on target, so it’s not like I’m super huge or anything. Although the person who asked me proceeded to tell me about when her sister had twins, so I am pretty sure she just wanted to share her own experience. J
- Not Everyone's Birth Philosophy is the Same: In a casual conversation with an acquaintance this week I was informed that the childbirth education classes I took “weren't useful or educational.” The acquaintance proceeded to tell me that during labor I would forget everything I learned in the 2 hour class, that it was mostly for the benefit of the husband, and that the nurses guide you through everything anyways. First of all, I did NOT take a single 2 hour class, but rather a series of six 2.5 hour classes, which came with weekly homework and reading, and we BOTH learned a lot. Clearly the acquaintance and I are not on the same page, let alone in the same book, so after a few hours of indignant steaming, I let it go. It was an interesting reminder of the variety of perspectives that exist on the topic of childbirth (let alone anything else out there).
Daddy is feeling: Note from Mommy: Daddy is feeling overwhelmed this week, so I’m not even going to bother to ask him to write an update. The good thing is he has Saturday AND Sunday off for the first first time in over a month. I’m going to make him pancakes while he studies in his pajamas lazily on the sofa. JJ School ends in about two weeks, so I’m going to have him write a super long "Daddy is feeling" update then, with all of his thoughts, feelings, hopes, desires, and dreams J
Mommy is feeling: I’m feeling good!
- Physically: My pelvis feels like it’s going to relaxin apart and the right side of my back hurts from the baby pressing on it. However, I noticed when I sit up straight, it doesn't hurt so much. At yoga, they start each class by asking us to say how far along we are and any aches or pains we’re having, and I forgot to mention any this week. Then I realized when I was sitting in the upright position with my back elongated, I didn't have any pain. It’s mostly when I try to laze about on the sofa, sit in the car on the way to work, or forget about my posture while at my desk that my back starts to hurt. The good news is that this is completely fixable by good posture (sitting up super straight right now!). The bad news is that lounging about on the sofa is way less fun! Other random symptoms: minor leg cramps at night, ab muscles uncomfortable when I turn over or raise my torso in the night.
- Mentally: I've had some dreams about the baby, so I think I’m starting to anticipate its physical arrival. Also, each phase of pregnancy seems to come with its own innate fears or concerns, and I've realized that I've started to become hyper aware of my body and whether I can sense any signs of labor. I also find myself worrying that any stress will cause me to go into labor early – stupid loud bro-y neighbors!!! (By the way, I’m not saying I think I will necessarily, I’m just saying that these are the random thoughts that pop into my head.) I’m only about two weeks from being classified as full-term though, so every day I feel less concerned about the possibility of going into labor early.
Workouts this week:
Saturday: None (I spectated Chad’s awesome 5K performance though!!)
Sunday: 2.29 mile walk along the bike path with the husband
Monday: 2.22 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Tuesday: 2.72 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Wednesday: 3.4 miles/45 minutes on elliptical
Thursday: None!
Friday: Nothing yet!! What a slacker!!
Books I’m reading:
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman.
I started reading this book on Monday when I realized that I wasn't going to be taking a lactation class (thank god – I don’t have time for any more classes!!) I could take a 2.5 hour class through the hospital, but I already covered about 2.5 hours of the same material in my childbirth education class and wasn't going to be learning much of anything new. I’m still only about 50 pages into it and haven’t learned a lot of new information yet (probably a testament to just how much I have been researching, reading, and watching), but it has been interesting. The next chapter starts going into technique and life past the birth experience, so I think that's when I'll start delving into new material. I’m looking forward to trying to laid-back breastfeeding method, where the mother leans back and uses the natural recline and angle of her body to support the baby. It sounds like a good place for a beginner to start. Also, I’m still looking forward to watching OUR baby situate itself, take stock of its surroundings, and using its evolutionary instincts to crawl up from my stomach to breast. It’s so freaking cute in the videos, I can’t wait to experience it ourselves. Also, I did learn in the book that baby mammals naturally progress to the breast at their own rate and time, and humans are naturally no different. The other aspect I'm probably most interested in learning about is how to keep breastfeeding going after I go back to work, which is what I foresee to be the most challenging aspect of the whole feeding experience.
Looking forward to:
- Dinner with friends tonight! It’s been a while since we've socialized with other humans.
- Urban chicken coop tour on Saturday.
- Having TWO DAYS OFF with my husband!!!!
- Possibly visiting baby lambies at Slate Run Farm on Sunday if we have time.
- Warm weather!
- Grilling out at Chad’s mom’s on Sunday J
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