So I've had a cold for two weeks now. Pretty much ever since I got back from Hawaii, I've been sick. I had these coughing fits that almost caused me to throw up I was coughing so hard, but now it's mainly just congestion and a bad cough. I wake up each morning feeling like I must have smoked for 20 years, the coughing is so bad (of course I really have no reference point except those episodes of Mad Men when Don and Betty Draper wake up and can't stop coughing).
I had my 23 week appointment on Thursday. I guess I was supposed to go in at 24 weeks, but the medical assistant must have miscalculated when she set up the appointment. Anyway, everything is going great on the baby-front. I've gained 17 pounds so far, which is at least 5 to 7 pounds fewer than I had at a comparable time last pregnancy, so I think that's a good thing! It must be that I don't have as much time to just sit around, waiting for this baby. Instead, I've got a very active 2.5 year old to chase around.
Baby girl's heartbeat is strong. I'm definitely feeling her much more these days, but I think she's still breech (which is totally normal), because I think mostly she's just tap-dancing on my bladder. It's a really strange feeling, especially when I'm driving home from work. I asked the doctor about the cold. She checked my lungs, my ears, and throat and everything's clear except for the congestion. She told me to start taking some allergy medicine combined with an expectorant to try and get the congestion to go away. Otherwise, I'm just stuck coughing until this cold goes away.
I was looking through my blog to compare my pregnancy with Charlotte. Last time, I had bad back problems, my feet were already swelling from time to time, and I needed a pillow between my legs. This time? None of those! I really feel great, apart from some occasional heartburn. The only time I haven't physically felt great was after I played tennis when we were in Hawaii. I think I was moving around too much to chase after the tennis ball because the next day I could barely walk! I guess I forgot about how much lateral movement there is in tennis and how much loosening of joints occurs during pregnancy. If I play any more tennis before Baby Girl comes it will have to be me just standing there while someone else hits balls directly at me.
Chris also just set up my bike to make it stationary. I tried it yesterday, but I think the resistance was way too strong because I felt completely winded and exhausted after only about seven minutes. I also wasn't wearing my padded bike shorts, so it definitely wasn't a comfortable experience! I will have to try again over the weekend.
No belly shots right now, but suffice it to say, I think I've popped. At least that's what everyone else says!
Showing posts with label weight gain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight gain. Show all posts
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, March 20, 2009
Scale Shock
Hi Friends!
I had my 28 week appointment today, this time with my nurse practitioner (she was on maternity leave herself when I first got pregnant so this was the first time I've seen her in a long time). She is really nice and we chatted for quite a while about various pregnancy-related things.
The biggest shock is that I gained eleven pounds in less than four weeks. Eleven pounds!! I practically had a heart attack when I saw the number on the scale. I am now up to 35 pounds in weight gain. I asked Gina if she thought I was gaining too much, but she said she wasn't concerned because I don't have gestational diabetes. Also, apparently most women make a huge jump in weight gain at around 28 weeks. Plus, have I mentioned my hobbit feet lately? I have so much water retention in my ankles, I might as well have injected liquid straight into my feet given how squishy and puffy they are. That probably accounts for a good part of the weight gain.
Plus, Gina made a point of saying how great I looked, so this is encouraging. Plus, just about everyone who sees me says the same thing, so I guess most of it must be belly. Still, I can't help but feel enormous. I also have great blood pressure and the fundal height is right on track. I was secretly hoping she would tell me I was several weeks ahead, but alas, Little C. is going to have to be content to stay in there for another 12 weeks.
Speaking of our little girl, she is moving now like crazy! She's actually been waking me up in the morning due to her alien-like shifts. I guess I'm already on her schedule and not mine. :) And now I can even notice when she's back or butt-side up because one side of my stomach will be hard and smooth and the other will be soft. Too weird.
Gina, like the nurse midwife and the OB (yes I have 3 providers) remarked how active she was when trying to get her heartbeat. I believe the term Gina used was "Wild Child." If all three have mentioned the same thing, it must mean something! Does that mean she's going to be super active on the outside? If so, Chris and I are in trouble! 28 weeks is also when I start counting kicks each night with the kick count card. Given her activity, it shouldn't take very long to get her to 10 kicks.
On another note, I'm heading to Washington, DC for 7 days on Monday. It's my last flight before the baby arrives, and it's definitely going to be tiring. I have to find some "support hose" to wear during the 5 hour flight to help with circulation, and I need to find a coat or rain jacket I can wear because I have zero coats that button up now!
Anyway, wish me luck on my trip. I have a feeling it's going to be very exhausting traipsing through the Capitol buildings!
I had my 28 week appointment today, this time with my nurse practitioner (she was on maternity leave herself when I first got pregnant so this was the first time I've seen her in a long time). She is really nice and we chatted for quite a while about various pregnancy-related things.
The biggest shock is that I gained eleven pounds in less than four weeks. Eleven pounds!! I practically had a heart attack when I saw the number on the scale. I am now up to 35 pounds in weight gain. I asked Gina if she thought I was gaining too much, but she said she wasn't concerned because I don't have gestational diabetes. Also, apparently most women make a huge jump in weight gain at around 28 weeks. Plus, have I mentioned my hobbit feet lately? I have so much water retention in my ankles, I might as well have injected liquid straight into my feet given how squishy and puffy they are. That probably accounts for a good part of the weight gain.
Plus, Gina made a point of saying how great I looked, so this is encouraging. Plus, just about everyone who sees me says the same thing, so I guess most of it must be belly. Still, I can't help but feel enormous. I also have great blood pressure and the fundal height is right on track. I was secretly hoping she would tell me I was several weeks ahead, but alas, Little C. is going to have to be content to stay in there for another 12 weeks.
Speaking of our little girl, she is moving now like crazy! She's actually been waking me up in the morning due to her alien-like shifts. I guess I'm already on her schedule and not mine. :) And now I can even notice when she's back or butt-side up because one side of my stomach will be hard and smooth and the other will be soft. Too weird.
Gina, like the nurse midwife and the OB (yes I have 3 providers) remarked how active she was when trying to get her heartbeat. I believe the term Gina used was "Wild Child." If all three have mentioned the same thing, it must mean something! Does that mean she's going to be super active on the outside? If so, Chris and I are in trouble! 28 weeks is also when I start counting kicks each night with the kick count card. Given her activity, it shouldn't take very long to get her to 10 kicks.
On another note, I'm heading to Washington, DC for 7 days on Monday. It's my last flight before the baby arrives, and it's definitely going to be tiring. I have to find some "support hose" to wear during the 5 hour flight to help with circulation, and I need to find a coat or rain jacket I can wear because I have zero coats that button up now!
Anyway, wish me luck on my trip. I have a feeling it's going to be very exhausting traipsing through the Capitol buildings!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Your Life Will Totally Change!
I know I'm missing my bi-monthly belly shot, but I just got back from a work trip to Los Angeles, so it will have to wait until tomorrow (when I'm 25 weeks).
24 Week Appointment
First things first. I had my 24 week appointment on Monday, right before I left for the airport. The baby, based on my fundal height (26 cms) is measuring about a week ahead. The fundal height (how long the uterus is) amazingly corresponds to how far along you are. Last time at just 20 weeks, I was measuring 21 cms. This time, just past 24 weeks and I'm at 26. I doubt this means that my due date will be moved up any. Baby's heartbeat is great, although she was kicking and moving all over the place so it took some time to get an accurate reading.
I love my midwife. She's really nice and takes the time to answer all my questions, and I had a lot this time around. 1) I asked if the new Labor & Delivery site where I'll be delivering has a midwife on staff 24/7? Yes -- and as long as the baby is okay, you don't even have to be hooked up to an IV, you're free to walk around, take a shower, etc. 2) What about my hobbit feet? A: Eat more protein. Also see if you can keep your feet up at work. (I'm not sure how the last one would work out considering it's kind of hard to do that in front of a computer). 3) How's my weight gain? (I'm at 25 lbs, still blazing ahead at 1 lb a week) A: It's not totally over the top, otherwise I'd be scolding you right now. You're probably just the type of woman who's going to gain 35 or 40 lbs.
Random Strangers
This was the first plane trip I've been on since I went to Orlando for a conference back in October (I was only 7 weeks back then and obviously not showing). It's only an hour-long flight to L.A. from Sacramento, but it seemed longer and definitely more tiring. It's also kind of amazing the comments I'm getting now from complete strangers. The security guard asked if I wanted to skip the metal detector and do the wand instead -- I declined. I went through it in about a second, so I didn't see the point in being wanded when it would take 50 times longer.
Later, as I was riding the elevator at the hotel, the bell hop offered me his congratulations. I'm still a bit taken aback from the attention, and I like to ride the elevator in peace, so I don't really know how to respond except a mumbled "thanks." And as I was at a conference with members, I definitely got the full gamut of questions: when are you due? is this your first baby? boy or girl?
But I think what really threw me for a loop was waiting in line to board the plane. I somehow scored the first available seat on So.uth.west despite checking in this morning. The following conversation with the guy behind me ensued when we were positioning ourselves in line to board:
Guy: What number are you?
Me: A 16
Guy: Hmm. I'm A 17. I don't know how that happened. I checked in last night at exactly 6:30PM.
Me: Well, you're really going to hate me when I tell you that I didn't remember to check in until this morning.
Guy: I do hate you. Guffaw guffaw. They must have known you were pregnant. When are you due?
Me: June.
Guy: Oh. Wow. You've still got a long ways to go. That's great. Your first?
Me: Yep.
Guy: Well your life will totally change.
Me: Mmm hmmm. I guess you could say it's already changing.
Guy: Well, it's really going to change. But it's fun. But your life's going to change.
Me: Mmmm. Umm, we're boarding now.
He and I hand the lady our boarding passes and walk to the plane, and he's still talking the entire time. This is at the Bur.bank airport, which requires you to go outside and you can board the plane from the front and from the back. I start walking up the stairs at the front while weird guy tells me: "you know you can board the back, don't you?" Yeah, but with my prime boarding number, don't you think I'd rather deplane first in Sacramento??? Thank goodness, he went to the back. I didn't see him again. A nice man helped get my luggage in the overhead compartment.
Anyway, I'm not sure why I was so bothered by this guy telling me that having a baby will change my life because friends and colleagues have told me the same. And isn't it pretty obvious that things will never be the same? I guess it's probably because it's some random man, who thinks that he has all of this advice despite the fact that he's never been pregnant before. Blerg.
On another, somewhat-related note, the CEO of my organization came up to me yesterday morning at the conference and said. "Stephanie! Wow, you're really starting to show!" I just had to laugh, because umm yeah, hasn't it already been kind of obvious???
24 Week Appointment
First things first. I had my 24 week appointment on Monday, right before I left for the airport. The baby, based on my fundal height (26 cms) is measuring about a week ahead. The fundal height (how long the uterus is) amazingly corresponds to how far along you are. Last time at just 20 weeks, I was measuring 21 cms. This time, just past 24 weeks and I'm at 26. I doubt this means that my due date will be moved up any. Baby's heartbeat is great, although she was kicking and moving all over the place so it took some time to get an accurate reading.
I love my midwife. She's really nice and takes the time to answer all my questions, and I had a lot this time around. 1) I asked if the new Labor & Delivery site where I'll be delivering has a midwife on staff 24/7? Yes -- and as long as the baby is okay, you don't even have to be hooked up to an IV, you're free to walk around, take a shower, etc. 2) What about my hobbit feet? A: Eat more protein. Also see if you can keep your feet up at work. (I'm not sure how the last one would work out considering it's kind of hard to do that in front of a computer). 3) How's my weight gain? (I'm at 25 lbs, still blazing ahead at 1 lb a week) A: It's not totally over the top, otherwise I'd be scolding you right now. You're probably just the type of woman who's going to gain 35 or 40 lbs.
Random Strangers
This was the first plane trip I've been on since I went to Orlando for a conference back in October (I was only 7 weeks back then and obviously not showing). It's only an hour-long flight to L.A. from Sacramento, but it seemed longer and definitely more tiring. It's also kind of amazing the comments I'm getting now from complete strangers. The security guard asked if I wanted to skip the metal detector and do the wand instead -- I declined. I went through it in about a second, so I didn't see the point in being wanded when it would take 50 times longer.
Later, as I was riding the elevator at the hotel, the bell hop offered me his congratulations. I'm still a bit taken aback from the attention, and I like to ride the elevator in peace, so I don't really know how to respond except a mumbled "thanks." And as I was at a conference with members, I definitely got the full gamut of questions: when are you due? is this your first baby? boy or girl?
But I think what really threw me for a loop was waiting in line to board the plane. I somehow scored the first available seat on So.uth.west despite checking in this morning. The following conversation with the guy behind me ensued when we were positioning ourselves in line to board:
Guy: What number are you?
Me: A 16
Guy: Hmm. I'm A 17. I don't know how that happened. I checked in last night at exactly 6:30PM.
Me: Well, you're really going to hate me when I tell you that I didn't remember to check in until this morning.
Guy: I do hate you. Guffaw guffaw. They must have known you were pregnant. When are you due?
Me: June.
Guy: Oh. Wow. You've still got a long ways to go. That's great. Your first?
Me: Yep.
Guy: Well your life will totally change.
Me: Mmm hmmm. I guess you could say it's already changing.
Guy: Well, it's really going to change. But it's fun. But your life's going to change.
Me: Mmmm. Umm, we're boarding now.
He and I hand the lady our boarding passes and walk to the plane, and he's still talking the entire time. This is at the Bur.bank airport, which requires you to go outside and you can board the plane from the front and from the back. I start walking up the stairs at the front while weird guy tells me: "you know you can board the back, don't you?" Yeah, but with my prime boarding number, don't you think I'd rather deplane first in Sacramento??? Thank goodness, he went to the back. I didn't see him again. A nice man helped get my luggage in the overhead compartment.
Anyway, I'm not sure why I was so bothered by this guy telling me that having a baby will change my life because friends and colleagues have told me the same. And isn't it pretty obvious that things will never be the same? I guess it's probably because it's some random man, who thinks that he has all of this advice despite the fact that he's never been pregnant before. Blerg.
On another, somewhat-related note, the CEO of my organization came up to me yesterday morning at the conference and said. "Stephanie! Wow, you're really starting to show!" I just had to laugh, because umm yeah, hasn't it already been kind of obvious???
Monday, January 26, 2009
Beware the Kicker and the Waddler
Chris and I went to my 20 week appointment with my ob, and everything looks great with Baby Berry. She's growing just as she should be. Apparently, the ultrasound technician gives the doctor all the measurements, but does not write down the gender because they don't want to be wrong. My doctor said that there hasn't been a single time in her experience that the u/s technician gave the wrong gender, and as we've seen from the photos, our little girl is not shy.
Then the doctor measured my belly and took the baby's heartbeat. The baby's heartbeat was hard to find because every time she tried to get a reading, the baby would kick! And of course that started me laughing, which also disrupted the reading. Afterwards, my doctor said: "Wow, that baby is lively. I know it's always reassuring to have a lively baby, but you might be uncomfortable after a while if she's moving all the time."
Which of course brings me to the latest development -- feeling the baby kick! For a few weeks now, I thought I was maybe feeling the baby move, but it really hasn't been until last week that I knew for sure. I guess the best way to describe it is little gas bubbles, but coming from a different place than normal. It's definitely a trip! She's not kicking hard enough that you can feel it from the outside, but I'm sure that will change soon.
And if Baby Berry is growing just as she should be, so am I. At 20 weeks, I'm halfway done with this pregnancy, and I've gained, I'm embarrassed to admit, 20 lbs! And I don't quite understand it, considering I've been walking about an hour at a time, and yesterday, I walked so much while we were out at in Fol.som looking at houses and going to a certain baby super store that I literally started waddling my feet hurt so much. I'm also not eating a ton more than I usually do. But the doctor doesn't seem to be concerned and thinks I might gain most of my weight in the second trimester. Oh well. I'd write more, but it's time for dinner. =)
Then the doctor measured my belly and took the baby's heartbeat. The baby's heartbeat was hard to find because every time she tried to get a reading, the baby would kick! And of course that started me laughing, which also disrupted the reading. Afterwards, my doctor said: "Wow, that baby is lively. I know it's always reassuring to have a lively baby, but you might be uncomfortable after a while if she's moving all the time."
Which of course brings me to the latest development -- feeling the baby kick! For a few weeks now, I thought I was maybe feeling the baby move, but it really hasn't been until last week that I knew for sure. I guess the best way to describe it is little gas bubbles, but coming from a different place than normal. It's definitely a trip! She's not kicking hard enough that you can feel it from the outside, but I'm sure that will change soon.
And if Baby Berry is growing just as she should be, so am I. At 20 weeks, I'm halfway done with this pregnancy, and I've gained, I'm embarrassed to admit, 20 lbs! And I don't quite understand it, considering I've been walking about an hour at a time, and yesterday, I walked so much while we were out at in Fol.som looking at houses and going to a certain baby super store that I literally started waddling my feet hurt so much. I'm also not eating a ton more than I usually do. But the doctor doesn't seem to be concerned and thinks I might gain most of my weight in the second trimester. Oh well. I'd write more, but it's time for dinner. =)
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