Bed Rest: Day 12

If I have one more person tell me how they'd give anything to be forced to watch tv, read books, and nap all day, I'm going to scream. Really, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Sure, those things might sound fun. For a couple days. Think about not being able to get up and make food for yourself whenever you're hungry, having to rush each shower, realizing you need something from upstairs or downstairs (about 50 times a day) and not being able to go get it, and your dog giving you sad eyes and batting you with her paw to get you to play with her or go for a walk- neither of which you can do.

All that is bad enough, but when you're a Type A, anal retentive, perfectionist, control freak the list of what makes you crazy on bed rest goes on and on and on. I can get over the dishwasher not being loaded the "right way", but when the dishes are going somewhere other than their designated spots in the cabinets, I get panicky. Someone else has to do my laundry (I can't remember the last time I allowed this), which actually terrifies me. Is the garden getting enough water? Will the groceries I want (as indicated in my detailed, aisle by aisle shopping list) end up at my house? When they do get here, how will they be put in the fridge? I can tell you one thing, it's not going to be in the proper spot and with the labels all face forward. I like my yogurt containers to all look like little soldiers in there...perfectly lined up, facing forward, arranged by expiration date from front to back. No one is going to know to do this. Toilet paper needs to roll over the top, Lucy likes her food mixed with REALLY hot water (hotter than her dad makes it), the bed has to be made everyday with the top sheet folded over the duvet....

Maybe this is all a good lesson for me in letting go of the things that just don't matter at all, and focusing on a single important task- letting Baby S grow. The alternative is driving the hubster even more insane as I micromanage every one of tasks he's kind enough to take on while I'm laid up. The man is a saint. I can hardly stand myself as I hear the words coming out of my mouth, but, of course, he has been wonderful. My mom has been a tremendous help, too- keeping my company, keeping us fed, and allowing for some of my insanity.... she's had 35 yrs of this, he's had 5. Ok, they're both saints.

Weekly Status: 30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks, 4 days
How big is baby? 3 lbs, 9 oz.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I forgot my new policy and looked at the scale. Somehow, since my weigh in two weeks ago and sitting on my butt for a full week with a growing baby, I'm down 3 lbs. I guess not being able to get up to get snacks has helped!
Next Appointment: My 30 wk appt was this afternoon, including a 3D ultrasound. I go back again next Wednesday and am now on weekly appts.
Maternity Clothes: I've been pretty much in hospital robes or comfies for the past week. It was nice to actually get dressed for my appt today.
Sleep: I'm finally starting to catch up the last few nights, but the vivid dreams are wigging me out.
Best Moment This Week: Seeing my little boy's face today. Even though it was kinda smooshed, and only his profile, I could see him blink and move his lips, check out his chubby cheeks, and see all of his fingers and toes- which were all right by his face! He's quite the little contortionist, so we'll have to get him on the right track early....no son of mine will be in the circus.
Movement: He likes to put his feet under the right side of my ribcage, which is more uncomfortable than I think you can imagine. Most babies his age have 3 active periods a day of 6 or so noticeable movements in 30 min. I've counted 6-7 active periods a day for a few days now and pretty much constant motion for a good 20 minutes each time. He has his daddy's energy.
Planning/Preparation: Things have come to a screeching halt since being put on bed rest. I'm trying not to freak out, so I'm making a list of what I can do from the couch- write thank you cards, create closet hangers to divide clothes, finally finish our wedding album (seriously, this needs to get done before we bring him home).
Belly Button In/Out: Kinda flat now.
Gender: BIG Baby Boy
What I Miss: Life before bed rest.
What I'm Looking Forward To: For now, it's just getting from day to day. Each day we can keep him in there is an accomplishment - I will keep praying that we can get to 32 weeks, and when we get there, I'll start praying for 34.
Contractions: None since last Friday...phew.
Milestones? Hitting the f75% mark at 30 weeks!

29.5

I stopped my weekly post at 29.5 since until that point all was well and things had been pretty uneventful. All that changed midweek, and I had the chance to experience a handful of "firsts":

• taking myself into the ER
• trip to labor and delivery
• use of a bedpan
• ride in an ambulance
• overnight stay in hospital

I suppose all these things were bound to happen eventually, but they were pretty unexpected! Looooong story short: sudden bleeding, walk into ER, moved to L&D, exam shows a large cervical polyp, a few ultrasounds confirm size and seriousness, contractions going on the whole time, but things seem to be getting better. Suddenly, they are worse. Massive bleeding, more contractions, blood pressure drop, talk of delivery, decision to give me steroid shots to ramp up Baby S's lung development as it looks like he could be coming early. Ambulance transfer to another hospital with a level 3 NICU, more contractions (oh, I should mention I can't really feel these much), more exams and ultrasounds which show Baby S is huge and ...new issue: low lying placenta. Really low.

3 nights in the hospital, lots of monitoring. Finally, since all seems stable, they are ready to let me go home but on a rather restricted bed rest. I'm allowed to get up to use the restroom and to take a 5 min shower. Other than that, nada. No walking (I have a stylin wheelchair now), no working, no lifting, no driving, you get the idea.

We go to the Dr. tomorrow for another checkup, but right now the plan is to just try to keep the little guy in there for a few more weeks. They are really pushing for me to make it to 34, but everyday he can keep growing it HUGE at this point. Best case scenario- my placenta moves up on its own with the bedrest, and we make it to 37 weeks with an induction and plan for delivery. Next best- 37 weeks, placenta still low, scheduled c-section. Worst- I start bleeding again and go into labor tomorrow. Or now. Gah! NOT. READY. So, fingers crossed for the better scenarios, right?

Our family and closest friends have been amazing this past week (not that I expected anything less- I've known that I'm quite lucky in this department for a long, long time). I had a lot of visitors in the hospital, many phone calls and emails offering all kinds of support and help, and this is still the case after days of being home. My hubby is amazing and doing everything around the house, all the little things I ask, waiting on me hand and foot while he can be here, and cheering me up. My parents and inlaws have been wonderful, too- meals, and company, and errands... you name it. It's amazing how overwhelming it can be to not be able to do anything on your own, and while hubster tries to do everything he can, he's only one person and has a lot of responsibilities outside this house. I'm so grateful for all that our friends and family have done to support us, and this is one lucky baby who will grow up with all of them.

Hoping for good news tomorrow! Oh, and we get to see his little face on 3D ultrasound...I can't wait!

Weekly Survey: 28 -29.5 Weeks

Photo at 29 weeks, 1 day.

A lot has been happening, so I need to backtrack to the post I planned to put up on Wednesday night for weeks 28 & 29, but then post again with the second half of week 29. Crazy days.


How far along? 29 weeks, 4 days
How big is baby? 3 lbs, 10 oz.- 75th percentile for height, weight.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've stopped weighing myself and have told me Dr. to just let me know if she has concerns. It's getting to scary to watch the scale go up and up and up.
Next Appointment: My 28 wk appt went really well! We started with a blood draw for my Rhogam test, the headed up to drink that nasty glucose stuff. If you have a mega-sweet tooth, or if you're 5 years old, then I'd imagine you might like the drink. Try to imagine what an orange flavor ice tastes like when it's melted. Then stir in about 3 cups of granulated sugar. And let it sit at room temperature. Ahhh. Refeshing. The good news is that I passed the test! No gestational diabetes for this girl. Since the hubs and I have conflicting blood types, I went back for the Rhogam shot, too. When I can say that a needle in the butt cheek was better than an orange drink, you know the drink was bad, right?
Time to peek in on the little bambino: he looks great and is in a breech position for now. We got to see his adorable face and eyes (opened and closed), watched him kick around a bit, and got a few more pics for the scrapbook.
More vitals/bloodwork showed that I have low blood pressure, a small amount of protein in my urine, and anemia- so I have a new prescription.
Maternity Clothes: Quickly reaching the "no longer cute" stage.
Sleep: I guess I'll catch up on sleep when he goes to college, right?
Best Moment This Week: I need to start keeping track of these moments. I know that I've made several mental notes of these to add to my blog, but I can never quite remember when I sit down to write. I'm certain that the best moment was my shower, but I'm going to do a separate shower post after my shower this weekend.
Movement: Baby's new "thing" is pushing back against my desk. Of course, I can't sit right up to the edge of my desk anymore, so I have to stretch a bit to reach the keyboard, and the edge of my belly presses up against the desk. He'll almost immediately push back and then roll around. I kinda feel bad....but not so bad that I don't do it repeatedly. It's cute!
Planning/Preparation: I picked up a few things to organize the closet, started an inventory of the various items we've borrowed from friends so that I can return everything when we're done, and I have no less than 10 "to do" lists that are baby related- suddenly it seems there's no time.
Belly Button In/Out: I'm now willing to put money on keeping my innie.
Gender: BIG Baby Boy
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, walking up stairs without getting winded, hot dogs & beer (can't help it...start of baseball season).
What I'm Looking Forward To: We're having a 3D ultrasound at 30 weeks, so I can't wait to get a closer look at his sweet face. We also start our Prenatal classes in the next couple weeks, and we certainly have a lot to learn.
Contractions: Nope
Milestones? My first baby shower! Two nights of only getting up to use the bathroom one time- sadly, this is a milestone.

Pregnancy Guides: Book Reviews

Not all pregnancy guides are the same (probably why there are approximately a million of them), and most people will tell you to pick up one of these two: Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy or What to Expect When You're Expecting. Overachieving, anal retentive, Type A information monger that I am, I read them both (as well as a few more of the million offered).

I spend entirely too much time reading books on pregnancy and babies, and not nearly enough combing through my InStyle magazines- look at the sacrifices I'm already making for my son, right? So, if you notice that I'm starting to dress like a complete tool, shove my stockpile of InStyles in my face and tell me to get back at it.

If these are the unofficial textbooks for pregnancy, then I'd classify WTEWYE as the middle school version (hey, those girls get knocked up, too) and MCGTAHP as the appropriate choice for a high school honors class (possibly geekier and less likely to need the book, but at least it's there). They both have good things to offer and will appeal to different people, but I prefer Mayo overall.

As you might expect, this guide has a far more clinical/scientific approach. It's informative and detailed, perhaps to the point of being dry, but an excellent reference tool for pregnancy and beyond. You'll find week by week details on what's happening with baby, your body, what symptoms warrant a call to your OB, things to discuss at upcoming appointments and a wealth of information on labor and delivery. I also happen to trust an actual medical guide more than a book with a cartoon drawing of some chick in boot cut jeans and ugly boots on the cover (send my InStyle stack her way first, please).
Rating: 3 Stars


Just because I'm pregnant, I'm not suddenly stupid and incapable of understanding three syllable words- at least that's how this book made me feel at times. Strangely, the thing people most often complain about with this book is what I actually DID like: it gives you the worst case scenario of every symptom and side effect you'd never otherwise consider. My inner alarmist was overjoyed! I guess I just don't scare that easily and would rather know what I might be in for? The illustrations are terrible, the organization weak, and it was lacking the more scientific content on a developing baby that I was hoping to find.
Rating: 1 star

Weekly Survey: 27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks, 4 days
How big is baby? Big enough to make all my pants roll down
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Um, lots. I think I've got a couple pounds of vacation weight tacked onto the total, too.
Next Appointment: Just a few more days until my 28 week when I'll have my glucose test, a rhogam shot, and check up- big day!
Maternity Clothes: I think it's time to size up. I can't believe I'm still going to get bigger than this.
Sleep: I'm giving in and buying a Snoogle. Actually, I will spend as much as I have to in order to find a product that will help me sleep. The Boppy thing isn't working anymore. I've tried 5 other pillows, I've tried my 1/2 Unisom. No luck. Of course, on vacation, I slept great. So, I have to assume the sleep issues are also stress related.
Best Moment This Week: Lucy snuggled her face into my belly when I was laying on the floor next to her, petting her. It was so cute, even if it was totally unintentional.
Movement: He's getting more active at night now and gives me a little wakeup call consistently at 3am.
Planning/Preparation: This weekend our plan is to finish clearing out the baby's room so we can start loading it up with furniture and other goodies!
Belly Button In/Out: Still in, just barely (see pic from last post- eek)
Gender: Bouncing Baby Boy
What I Miss: Being able to eat a meal without heartburn
What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting back on a regular yoga schedule
Contractions: Nope
Milestones? The official start of my last trimester!

Ahhhhhhhh-ruba

Babymoon in Aruba? Best.Idea.Ever.

We've only been home a few days, and I miss it already. For sure the best part was spending an uninterrupted week alone with the hubster, but that fact that it was spent in powdery sand, in crystal clear blue waters, in a lounge chair where people were bringing me virgin mango dacquiris? Yeah, that was the best part.

Some amazing things happened on this trip, too: the deafening sound of my heart beating in my ear stopped while we were there! Cohmpletely. I actually didn't notice it at first, since I'd grown so accustomed to tuning it out. I also managed to go a full week without a single nosebleed after having one on a nightly basis for over a month. Of course, now that I'm home, both have started again. Booo. Perhaps they are more stress related than I realized?

A not-so-amazing new thing: heartburn. I now consume Mixed Berry Tums with a fervor once reserved for Peanut M & Ms (which, coincidentally also give me heartburn now).

One of the most fun things about the trip was how nice everyone is to a pregnant lady on vacation! Holding elevators for me, letting go in front of them in line in the bathroomm, strangers telling me "congratulations", a man who said "I think it's a boy" when I walked past him, a lady on the beach who said "I love your baby bump" when we walked past her, and even the woman in the pool who was at her wit's end with kids around her turning to me and saying "are you sure this is what you want?!"....all brought a smile to my face.

Baby S got a little tan, too (and about doubled in size):

Weekly Survey: 25 - 26 Weeks

How far along? I'm covering two weeks due to vacation, so now I have to think back a bit..
How big is baby? They say about 3 lbs at this point!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've refused to weigh myself until my next Dr. appt
Next Appointment: May 12th
Maternity Clothes: I'm already growing out of things I bought early on- booo! They lie to you at the boutiques. Nothing you buy will fit the entire pregnancy unless you buy a tent.
Sleep: Terrible in the hotel in Florida, but then wonderful in Aruba (maybe we need a King size bed when there are three of us in there?)
Best Moment This Week: I was really proud of myself for sticking it out all night at the wedding reception. 8 hours in 3 inch heels, no drinking, still dancing a bit through the night and taking the group shuttle home- not bad for a pregnant chick who was ready to go to bed at 9pm.
Movement: All the time now
Planning/Preparation: I received invitations to my first two showers before leaving for vacation- very cute!
Belly Button In/Out: Still in
Gender: All man.
What I Miss: Sitting comfortably on a plane
What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting his room set up
Contractions: Nope
Milestones? While on vacation we reached our viability date (the date at which if the baby is born early they are confident they can medically sustain life- end of 24 weeks)

The Incredible Expanding Woman: Weeks 24 and 26

24 weeks, 4 days


Just as we were leaving for Palm Beach, Florida.








26 weeks, 2 days

Taken during our trip to Aruba. Don't mind my being in PJs :)