For Better, For Worse, In Sickness and In Pregnancy

I was in the bathtub yesterday, turning like a rotisserie chicken. Otherwise my belly gets really cold. Turning, turning, turning. Lah-de-dah. Then I decided to get out... and realized I was stuck. So I called for Dave to help me out of the bathtub, and he willingly obliged.

Then I was sitting on the couch, typing a paper, when the phone rang. The phone sat only inches away, but Dave had to answer it because I couldn't get there in time.

I have to remove my toenail polish by Tuesday morning, but I can no longer reach my toes, so I've already lined Dave up for that job, too.

When we got married, we made all those "for better, for worse, in sickness and health" promises - I just didn't realize that we'd have to make good on those promises so early in our marriage. This time last year, I didn't imagine that ten months later my husband would have to pull me out of the bathtub, or remove my nail polish, or anything else remotely associated with infirmary. But here we are.

I often read that having children affects your relationship with your partner- but I haven't once seen any acknowledgment that pregnancy affects your relationship, too. For better, I hope.

Showing Off My Eighth Month Belly

Two photos (click on each to enlarge) for your viewing pleasure, taken at 32 weeks. Only 8 more weeks to go! Now if I could only figure out where the baby is going to go as it grows. It's getting a little cramped in there.

The baby's movements have changed substantially in the past week and a half. Rather than kicks and random movements, baby has a schedule (10pm? Law and Order is on TV - time to wake up and move!) and reflexes. So when Dave puts his head against my belly to listen in on the noises of the womb, baby kicks him in the ear. If I push on baby's feet, baby kicks back. If I rub near baby's head, baby moves. Amazing!

FYI: black maternity dress from Gap Maternity Online. Pants are beginning to be uncomfortable and slide down the belly. (For relevant musical interlude, click here to listen to the Nields' song, Shoes: Farewell My Pants) Maybe I will wear this black maternity dress every day for the rest of pregnancy???

FYI part 2: Last night Dave and I went out to dinner, and I wore sweat pants and a sweatshirt (which for anyone who knows me knows that that is NOT acceptable). Before we left the house, I asked Dave if it was ok that I didn't change. He replied, "Considering how much effort you would expend just to change clothing, it's ok. But 8 months ago, it would not have been ok." Ah, true love.

Hello, Mr. Braxton-Hicks

I have met Mr. Braxton-Hicks. You know how one day you'll meet someone for the first time, and then suddenly you'll see the person everywhere - grocery store, public bathroom, sidewalk? Well, that's a good assessment of my newfound relationship with Mr. Braxton-Hicks.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are pre-labor contractions. They are the body's way of warming up for the big event. They do not mean you are going into labor, although many a person has freaked out and driven to the hospital just to be told that she has been visited by Mr. Braxton-Hicks. Not to worry.

Last week I started getting cramps in weird places, like around my belly button (still an innie - probably never destined to be an outie, much to Dave's disappointment). They didn't last long, but they were powerful little buggers. A couple of times I gasped. They don't hurt, but they are startling to experience. Involuntary cramping can do that. I'd compare them to menstrual cramps, but again, they occur in strange places.

But then I was leaving school yesterday afternoon, carefully maneuvering through the icy parking lot and sliding a little bit, when suddenly, BAM! Contraction. My body cramped so severely I stopped walking, grabbed the nearest vehicle's side-view mirror, and practiced my yoga breathing. Whoa. After about 45 seconds, I was able to slide over to my car and take a break behind the steering wheel. The whole episode made me nervous. Please, please, please, I thought, we cannot go into labor now. It is simply too early for this. And then... nothing else happened. I wasn't in labor at all. I had been visited by Mr. Braxton-Hicks.

Later that afternoon, we had our 32 week check-up, and the Nurse Practitioner confirmed that those mysterious cramps were Braxton-Hicks contractions. The big one and the little ones. And I've already had two today. So it seems that Mr. Braxton-Hicks and I are destined to be friends for the remainder of the pregnancy. I am welcoming him because I like to think that his presence shows that my body knows how to do this. We are getting ready.

Swollen Like a Balloon

I'm beginning to swell. Ankles, feet, wrists, fingers... no more wedding ring, no more bracelets. Even my watch is leaving marks. When I type for too long, I have trouble bending my knuckles. But none of this is as annoying as my swelling feet.

After a long day today (and a long day yesterday), my feet were actually bruised from my shoes. I am currently writing this entry with my feet, ankles and calves submerged in our beverage cooler. Dave filled it with hot water and lavender milk. I feel better.

My Temporary Handicapped Parking Permit

During college my parents lived in Germany, and I was fortunate to visit two summer in a row. One cultural difference that was very new to me, and to most Americans, is the Third Trimester Parking Spaces all over the place. They weren't just in front of doctor's offices; they were in metropolitan parking garages in Cologne, in front of the H&M in Bonn, at the airport in Frankfurt... everywhere.

Fast forward 8 years to Syracuse, New York, the land of winter and ice and everything nice. I love winter, but I am having a bit of a problem with it this year. My balance just isn't what it used to be, seeing as I'm carrying 20 extra pounds right out front, and skating down the icy driveway is no longer fun - now it's terrifying.

I also park in no man's land on the SU campus, and even though it is supposedly "handicap accessible" - the whole thing is uphill on ice.

And there is no such thing as Third Trimester Parking in the States, unless you count my doctor's office and the Babies R Us parking lot.

So I asked my ob if the office could help me acquire a temporary handicap parking permit- and they said certainly. It took a couple of days to figure out HOW to actually apply for a permit in the city, but now I have one. And it has already contributed to my peace of mind substantially. I only use it when the weather is nasty, and since we have a large winter storm rolling in tonight, I am fortunate to have this little red sign in my possession.

Leg Cramps and Fish Tea

I have leg cramps in my right leg. And they are painful and all-consuming and last days and days and days. I tried foot baths and elevating my feet and drinking lots of water, all without any alleviation.

So Chris the Doula suggested I try some nettle tea, as it helps leg cramps. So...yesterday I went to the health food store and bought some stinging nettles to make into tea, and today after school I steeped the nettles. While I was waiting for the tea to be ready, I busied myself putting away dishes, and as I did, I could smell a strong fishy smell near the sink. I sniffed around, thinking Dave had made a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, or something was rotting in the garbage, or... no. It was the nettle tea. It smells like fish. And anyone who knows me knows that fish is not my friend.

I added honey to the tea, and it doesn't taste that bad (although I do detect some fishiness). The smell, though, is almost over-powering.

Leg cramps or fish tea? Right now the leg cramps are so bad that I'm holding my nose and drinking the steaming, smelly liquid. But really... is there any better way to torture me than fish tea?

Look What Three Weeks Can Do!

Well. I thought that I wasn't really growing that much, and then I decided to take a picture this evening to post on the blog... and WOW! The top picture is at week 25, and the bottom picture (taken today) is week 28. I can't believe how much we've grown!!!

ps - do you like my pregnancy pants? Hallelujah for spandex! Mom bought these for me at Pea in the Pod, in case anyone's interested.

pps - click on the photos to enlarge them, if necessary

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

Here we are! The third trimester! Hooray!

This information means the following:
1. We attend ob appointments every two weeks until the end of March, and then our appointments occur every week until delivery
2. We only have 12 weeks to go (give or take)
3. I'll probably gain about 1 lb a week from now on
4. The baby has a very good chance of surviving if born at this point
5. We have a lot to do from now until then

Today we had an ob appointment, and I've gained twenty pounds since August. That explains why my back is so sore -- all that weight is right out front. I feel bad for men with big beer bellies. But not as bad as I feel for pregnant women!

We also learned that my stomach is measuring at 30 weeks rather than 28 weeks. No one has really explained what that means, nor is this the first time we've been told as much. At our 20 week sonogram the baby was measuring at 21.5 weeks, but they decided not to change our due date. Today I again asked if they would change our due date, to which we were told no. So what's the point of being told we're measuring two weeks farther along??? I don't really know. The problem with today's medical technology is definitely TMI -- too much information. I'm glad they tell us so much, but then I wonder what I'm supposed to get out of the information, besides concern and curiosity. I'm not worried about this new info, but I am a little tired of being told medical info to which there is no point. If the info could help me plan my school schedule a little better and be better prepared in the event I went into labor two weeks early, then I would welcome the news. But to receive this info and then be told, "It's just something to be aware of," strikes me as false. Why should I be aware of it if I'm not supposed to DO anything with the info? Besides write grumpy rumblings on our baby blog???