Friday, January 11, 2013

Third Trimester so far...

In the time that I've spent away from blogging, I've probably gone through another 7 weeks of pregnancy. That being said, I'm now one month into the last trimester- woohoo!!

I have learned quite a bit from books, mainly lots and lots of articles, and apps on my phone, what I'm supposed to expect or experience during pregnancy, and what constitutes "normal." 

Truth is, almost anything goes with pregnancy. So much of what we experience just varies from woman to woman, and most of it is unavoidable stuff that just... happens. 

For instance, I have mainly battled fatigue, sciatica discomfort, and Braxton Hicks contractions. The fatigue happens mostly on days when I don't have something planned, so I really think it's just an extreme version of boredom. If I wake up with a purpose, excitement, or a cup of coffee (2 cups/day is fine, not to worry), then I'm usually a happy camper. It helps much more if I shower right away in the morning and not try to go about my day with "day-old makeup" or yesterday's clothes, because just freshening up is rejuvenating enough. Thankfully, Justin has been really encouraging me to take this time while he's away to rest and enjoy the pregnancy as much as I can, without worrying about working. He liked to ask, "so when are you going to stop working?" as if I just wanted to. But now, I'm realizing that cutting back and really taking this time to be at home, with family, and friends, is helping me tremendously. 

My sciatica discomfort seems to be short-lived. I thought it was the beginning of something that could be chronic, but apparently I had either lifted something too heavy (totally believable) or sat on my booty too long and needed a good workout! Either way, I learned to stop trying to do so much at home, and to workout more, and the sciatica pains are gone. 

The Braxton Hicks contractions are simply an annoyance. They are mostly annoying because I've heard (and seen this happen to someone) that, if prolonged, they can actually put a woman into legitimate stages of labor. I know of a girl who went into labor at 32 weeks from having Braxton Hicks contractions for an extended period of time. Mine usually pop up if I eat too much and then move around, instead of sitting down and letting my food settle. It sounds silly, but that's the only time I notice my stomach feeling like a big rope has been tied around it and it's just tightening and tightening. My cheeks usually get flushed and I have to recline and breathe through them. They do not hurt at all, but they sure are annoying. 

As far as feeling my daughter move- she moves a ton! I feel fortunate enough that I haven't had to really shake my stomach or press on it to encourage her to move. After 28 weeks, doctors told me to count them twice a day, hoping for 10 movements felt within an hour. I usually feel 10 movements in about 2 minutes and I'm woken up by them in the mornings, and I feel her going crazy right as I lie down for bed. I hear that as she gets bigger, she'll just have less room and may seem less mobile, but then I can just poke and prod and hopefully agitate her to get moving and let me know all is okay in there :) 

I happen to have an anterior placenta, so for a long time, her movements weren't very strong for me, and I didn't quite feel her kicking as early as some moms. But, thankfully she's forceful enough these days that there's no question what she's doing in there! 

Other than that, I get a little heartburn when I eat the typical acidic, spicy foods, but TUMS are all I need to get through the discomfort. I feel a little heavy in the front, and I'm feeling more and more like there's a person in there, rather than just a bloated belly that's rounding out and just... cute. It's weight-gaining time for Anneliese, and I'm sure it'll be noticeable with every passing week. 

And finally, I have had the fortune of passing my glucose test and staying within the weight gain requirements for this pregnancy (according to the docs). I scored a 123 on the glucose test (my doc office sets the cutoff at >140) and I have gained a total of 16 pounds. I don't eat a ton, but that doesn't mean I don't get insane sugar cravings. I still love my salads, microwave steamed veggies, and chicken... but I love me some monkey bread, cinnamon toast, french toast, and basically anything with syrup. I feel like I overdo it so many days, but when I crave the other healthy items, I guess it creates a bit of balance. I've also started going back to the gym. Since I'm not working as often (almost not at all in the past few weeks), I figured I'm desperately needing to walk and stretch. I know that it's always recommended to walk it off and stretch, and throw in some yoga, but I was getting so much walking done at work, that I had been able to keep the weight down. But I have to say, nothing compares to getting a solid, purposeful workout at the gym- pregnant or not. 

Honestly, that sums up the last 7 weeks, and actually the whole second trimester, as well! I really cannot complain about my experiences, and if the delivery/birth goes well, I could be alright with being pregnant all the time (no barefoot-and-pregnant-with-a-kid-in-each-arm days in my future, though!). 

Soon, I'll have a post about my 3-D ultrasound experience, and other home projects- as they are never ending.




2 comments:

  1. Hi Brittany! I love your crib!! I'm thinking of doing the same thing mine for our first baby. I've been reading/researching online about the Annie Sloan paint, and it sounds amazing! Would you mind giving me some tips/advice on how you painted your crib? Did you paint it assembled or did you paint it in pieces? Did you use the wax after painting? How did you achieve the distressed look? Any info greatly appreciated! Thank you!!!

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  2. Hi Melissa!
    Thank you! I haven't posted in SO long, but I'll update a post with pictures and tips as well. The first thing I did was google her paints and watch her online tutorials on her official website. The second thing I did was go to YouTube to see how other people got creative with the paint.
    I found a page called Blue Egg Brown Nest on YouTube of a lady who literally sells furniture from her garage. She had some great tips.
    I chose the distressed look because the crib was used and had teeth marks on the sides. I painted two coats of "Old White" and then sanded it with 100 grit sand paper to distress it. I brushed off any residue from sanding and then I waxed over it with clear wax. Because the wood underneath was dark, I didn't need to use dark wax at all, but I could have. I've used dark wax on other pieces and it looks really nice, however it's more tricky than clear wax and I still need to work on technique.

    I hope that helps you!

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