Insomnia
I expected to have trouble sleeping towards the end of pregnancy when I got big and uncomfortable, but never expected to not be able to sleep for no reason through my entire pregnancy! I wake up to pee about three times a night and each time have more trouble going back to sleep-sometimes it takes me a couple hours, sometimes I wake up at 4:30 and don't fall back to sleep. It's not because I'm uncomfortable in any way (although some nights my hips hurt), I just plain can't sleep.
Lack of Reach
Simple tasks are getting harder! Maybe it's because I'm so short, but with my belly in the way I can't reach high shelves-really just the second shelf in my kitchen cupboards feels high these days-even on my tip toes. I also have to stand on my toes to reach the wand to open and close the kitchen blinds because my belly makes me have to stand further back from the counter. Doing dishes is a challenge too because I have to lean forward a little to reach which makes my back hurt. Don't even get me started on shaving my legs or putting on my shoes...
Fat Feet
Speaking of Shoes...my shoes are all too small. Okay, not all...I have TWO pairs of shoes that still fit without hurting my feet, the rest feel too tight. My hands are swollen too, so my wedding ring has not fit in months and I wake up with stiff sore fingers every morning.
Weigh Ins
It's hard to watch the numbers on the scale rise. Watching my belly grow as the baby grows inside me is kinda fun...seeing my weight go up FIVE pounds of more for every ONE pound of baby, not so much. I keep telling myself that fifteen pounds will be baby, placenta and amniotic fluid, but it still makes seeing my weight getting closer to 200 than 100 really hard. I look back at picture from the first few months of my pregnancy when I was bloated and my pants were getting tight--I thought I was chubby back then! Now I look at those pictures and think "Wow! Look how skinny I was!"
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| 12 Weeks (when I thought I was getting fat) and 31 Weeks (can you tell I'm sick?) |
The Longest 9 Months
The time passes S O S L O W L Y! I've heard that the last month feels SO LONG...so far it has all felt so long so I imagine the last month is going to be torture! You'd think after waiting over a decade to become a mom nine (10 really) months would seem like nothing, but it seems like forever! I've had other people tell me my pregnancy is flying by...maybe for them. But really, is it April yet?
Painful Kicks
I expected rib kicks towards the end of my pregnancy to hurt (which they really don't yet, but he does jam his little feet up under my ribs making it hard to bend or move). It's the low down kicks that really get me! This little guy likes to pound on my bladder and cervix! If you see me jump or cry out (in pain)...that's why! It surprises me every time! I'm not sure what it feels like to get kicked in the balls, but I imagine a swift kick to the cervix feels similar. It's especially rough when I'm driving and can't change positions to take the pressure off when he stretches out and puts pressure down there. Maybe it's his way of getting even with me for always waking him up by poking him and pushing on his little protruding limbs to make him move around for my enjoyment!
Aches and Tired Muscles
Even sitting gets uncomfortable. I figured being on my feet a lot would be hard, but I never thought just sitting on the couch would make my back tired. By about eight or nine every night I'm ready to go to bed. After being vertical all day my lower abdomen and my back feel so tired from carrying the extra weight in front that no matter how I sit (or stand) I can't get comfortable. Eventually I just feel like I need to be horizontal (with all my extra pillows) to take the pressure off tired muscles. I didn't realize how achy I would get. Again I expected this in the last few weeks, but not for part of the 2nd and the entirety 3rd trimester.
Leaking
I have talked about this one before, but seriously, I had no idea that my boobs would start leaking so soon! By week 20 I was wearing breast pads daily. Sometimes I leak so much I soak through them. I thought leaky boobs was one of those symptoms that showed up right at the end, but for me that's not the case. Even Ryan has gotten used to seeing wet spots appear on my pajama top at night (I tried sleeping in a sports bra with pads, but it's just too hot).
Antisocial Behavior
I love hosting parties, cooking big family dinners and going out with friends...or I loved doing those things until I got pregnant. Now I don't have the energy to prepare food for gatherings, after a couple hours of having people over I'm ready for everyone to leave and when I do feel like going out I'd rather just sit in one place and talk to one or two people. I've turned into an antisocial person. Hopefully once the baby comes I will feel like my old social self again (although probably even more sleep deprived). I've never in my life been so content to just sit home on my couch on a Sunday afternoon or watch tv in bed after dinner...just me and Ryan. I never get sick of being with him!
Lack of Appetite
I thought I'd be craving all this crazy food and want to eat all the time! I do get hungry, but sometimes I have to remind myself to eat because it's been a few hours. Figuring out what I feel like eating is a daily challenge--more so now that I have to watch my carbs and sugar. I literally have days where nothing sounds good, but I have to eat, so I always manage to figure out something.
Weakened Immune System
I knew it was important for pregnant women to stay well but thought it was just because they couldn't take medicine. I'd also heard they were to avoid certain foods because of potential illness, but thought if it didn't make me sick before I was pregnant why would it be so unsafe pregnant? Now that I'm pregnant, I get it. The nurse at my first appointment scared me straight with all her talk of my weakened immune system and a little something called lysteria (bacteria pregnant women are especially vulnerable to that causes food poisoning).
I'm more susceptible to illness and bacteria because my body is busy growing a human which means it is harder for my body to fight off illness. I'm currently sick for the 3rd time in six months. I never get sick that often! I had the stomach flu in January and had a minor cold last fall. I currently have a horrible cold! I am so careful too: I wash my hands all the time, I don't share food or drinks (and haven't at all since I got pregnant) and I didn't even kiss Ryan on the lips for 2 whole weeks (so hard!) because he had a cold, but I still managed to get sick. Ryan had a sore throat for a week then severe sinus congestion kicked in...I had a scratchy throat for two days then woke up feeling like I might die. My body decided to throw in severe chest congestion and a cough as well. I can't wait to have my old immune system back!
A Little Update...
Despite being sick it has been a pretty good week. I've said it before and I will say it again: I have fantastic neighbors! On Tuesday, within hours of finding out I was sick, my next-door-neighbor brought me some yummy homemade soup with lots of veggies (and hardly any carbs). Then yesterday, right after I got home from babysitting my niece and nephew (did I forget to mention I'm my sister's back-up babysitter and on duty 3 days this week?) my across the street neighbor brought me almond milk and some low carb snacks along with a list of recommendations for low carb sweet snacks and healthy meal ideas from her sister-in-law who had gestational diabetes during FOUR pregnancies! I feel very spoiled. I just wish I felt better so I could have enjoyed my days with my sister's cute kids a little more (since I am sick, Dylan's hour and a half nap yesterday was pretty great). I really hope they don't get my cold!
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| I seriously cannot get enough of these cuties! |
I used the little energy I had today putting the stroller together and figuring out how it folds and opens, reclines, brakes, etc. and how the carseat snaps in and out of it. I can't wait to try it all out with our baby!
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| Our new car seat and stroller! |
Did I mention we hit the single digits this week? Only NINE more weeks until our little guy is due to arrive! It's so close, yet still so far...
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