Third Trimester

My 2nd trimester came and went without me really feeling very pregnant. Now that I'm in my 33rd week with just 6 or 7 weeks to go, I finally feel like she's there ... and love it, side-effects and all. Just like that quote Don't complain about growing older, it is a privilege denied to many, I am way too grateful to even be pregnant to complain. I know many women have been unsuccessful in their fertility treatments, or given up the hopes of carrying a baby to term. They would give anything to only be able to sleep on their left side or to not fit into any of their shoes.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, here's a list of symptoms I swear I'm not complaining about. 

• I have carpel tunnel syndrome at night. All of the joints in my fingers and wrists hurt so bad that it is hard for me to adjust blankets or the pillow, let alone use them to push myself out of bed. 
• Since I can't use my hands to push myself out of bed and I can't really sit up anymore, I often wake up in the middle of the night, trapped in my human-sized Snoogle pillow. Staying there and going back to sleep isn't an option, so I half roll, half fall, out of bed.
• Going back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night isn't an option because I have to use the restroom a lot. And by a lot I mean at least 5 times during the night. My record is eight.
• I have to use the restroom a lot because I have borderline gestational diabetes. Now testing my blood 4 times a day, I am always under the target number, unless I have a bowl of ice cream or yogurt before bed.
• Because of the gestational diabetes and the habit of having a bowl of ice cream before bed, I've gained a lot of weight already: 50 pounds!
• The extra weight, coupled with fluid retention, is causing pain in my hips and knees when I walk sometimes. The effect is a well-pronounced penguin waddle if I have been sitting for awhile. Even co-workers have begun to notice and comment on this, which one day caused me to laugh harder than I had in months. That's when I noticed that my belly jiggles when I laugh.
• My right hand randomly goes numb while at my desk, driving and especially during the night. Sometimes, it remains numb even when I change position.
• My shoes - none of them fit me! Even my "comfortable" heels, or flats, will not fit on my feet. I have been relegated to wearing running shoes to work, even when I'm dressed nice or wearing a skirt.
• Running shoes! How I miss using those! Whenever I see someone running now, I'm a bit envious and can't wait to get out there. Even though I have never really liked running, I sure did do a lot of it.
• I get out of breath so easily, and wistfully recall when I used to be able to go on a long run, and carry on a conversation. Now, I'm easily out of breath from simple tasks like walking up stairs.
• Lastly, heartburn. I keep a container of Tums by the bed just in case.

One symptom I don't have just yet that I'm very thankful for: stretch marks. There's still time for them to make their appearance, but I'm hopeful that they won't.

So what am I enjoying? I love how obviously pregnant I now am, and comments and questions from strangers; when are you due? Is it a boy or a girl? Is this your first? I love how much more real her arrival feels. Resting my hands on my tummy in meetings is one of my favorite things to do. It's so convenient! I love feeling and now even seeing her move. I love looking at, and documenting, my bump and seeing it grow every week. I love that the nursery is coming along, and that we finished painting it this past Sunday. Her dresser has been moved in, and Nathan is working on installing the closet organizer. I go in there every day, look around, and imagine her in it. 

Everything is progressing well! A few weeks ago when my doctor asked about kick counts, I told him that sometimes she doesn't move for 4-5 hours. He told me that he was placing me on twice a week fetal monitoring which made me nervous. Luckily, I called them and they were able to get me in right away. My husband and I walked across the street to Hoag and were reassured within the hour that everything was fine. They had to startle her with a buzzer to wake her up and get movement. When they did, her heart rate jumped from 155 to 195. Now, I look forward to going and feel like I get to visit her when I do.

I had an appointment yesterday and as of now, we are undecided on csection or natural birth. My doctor was a bit frank with me and said that if she's over 8 pounds, things don't really go back to normal. I have a feeling she will be close, if not over, the 10 pound mark. I was 9.7, my brother was 9.8 and my husband's siblings were all over 10. My husband was only 6, but has a twin who was 4. Knowing this, I am definitely leaning more toward having a cesarean, but it will only be covered by my insurance if medically necessary. We will see how big she gets in the coming weeks, because if she is over 9 it may be deemed medically necessary. She could gain as much as 1/2 pound per week. At this last appointment I lost a pound - for the first time since being pregnant - but gained 1cm. My next appointment is in two weeks, and then we start going weekly. 

I'm really looking forward to my shower in two days. It's almost time for Autumn, and I could not be more excited!