Moving Right Along

I had my 36 week check up this past Wednesday, and it was a long one.  There is a lot to cover now that the due date is so close.  I think I'm still partially in denial about it, though. Because there is a part of me that isn't ready to prepare for the birth.  I have packed my hospital bag, but I still don't feel ready.

Anyway, at the visit, I found out some very good things about the baby! First of all, his heartbeat was in the 130 range.  That was very good! Secondly, I did tell my doctor that I was unsure of his position.  So, she got out the ultrasound machine in order to figure out exactly how he was lying in there.  My anterior placenta makes it hard to figure out the baby's position by just feeling my abdomen.

Well, the ultrasound revealed that he is head down! He is actually in a position called the left occiput anterior.  This means his head is down, and his body is going up along my left side with his bottom on top and his feet on my right side.  It looks like this.

This is a great position for birth.  So, I hope he stays this way or close to it.  I think he's big enough now that it would be pretty difficult for him to move in a drastically different position.  He is so big now that it is hard to tell what is what anymore on the ultrasound. But there are a few things that you can see clearly such as his feet and hands.  From what I could see on the ultrasound, his head is actually facing my back.  No features such as ears, eyes, a nose, or mouth were visible at all.  His head just looked like a melon.

Speaking of melons, he is now the size of a honeydew melon! He has been a honeydew for 3 weeks now, I think.  But I figured I'd bring it up now as there is only 1 more fruit to go after this one!

I did compare melons in the produce section.  So, technically a honeydew is about the same size as a cantaloupe or a baby watermelon.  So, take your pick between the other two in case you don't like the honeydew melon.

I've been experiencing some intense braxton hicks contractions recently.  My doctor said that this could be a sign that labor actually isn't so far away.  My braxton hicks have had me actually feeling like I can't even talk sometimes.  She said that even though these aren't real labor contractions, the uterus is still a muscle and the contractions do happen for a reason.  So, sometimes, at this stage, they can actually push the baby downwards; thus, they are preparing me for labor.  However, this could still go on until my due date or later.   There is really no way of knowing until the day arrives! 

After seeing him in there on the ultrasound, I can't imagine it is comfortable to be that cramped in there! I'm not a baby and do not remember being in the womb ;), so it could be extremely comfortable for him! 

Aside from going to the bathroom about 4 times in 1 hour, I actually feel okay.  As excited as I am that my due date is so close, it's hard to believe that I could actually have my own baby in my arms in just 1 month from now! 

More Things I Didn't Know

I wrote a post a couple of months ago about things that nobody had told me to expect in pregnancy.  However, there are a few more things that I have learned just from being pregnant.  These things refer more to the baby in particular.  So, I wanted to share them! 


1.) Due Date & Full Term
Today, I am 35 weeks (going by my original due date).  So, that means I have 5 weeks to go.
BUT! I have only 2 weeks until he is considered full term meaning that if he's born in two weeks, they won't consider him premature.  However, if my ultrasound due date is correct, I have 3 more weeks until he is full term.


2.) So why cook so long?
I think other people surely have wondered this when they learned what I did.  It seems odd that a baby is full term at 37 weeks, but due at 40 weeks.  One of my pregnancy books says, "Because pregnancy is not fair" HAHA! But not really.  It is because even though they are technically developed at 37 weeks, their immune system needs to develop further (as well as the lungs in some cases).


3.) White Baby Boy Syndrome
Speaking of lungs, one of my coworkers had told me that one reason I really want to carry the baby to 40 weeks is due to what she refers to as "White Baby Boy Syndrome." I had never heard of this. Ever. Anywhere.
I looked it up and, although it has a name, it's more of a generalized term that people have coined than a fact.
HOWEVER, there is statistical data that shows baby boys tend to take longer to develop than baby girls.  They use this based on babies they see in the NICU.  Girls are more often more developed at earlier stages.  My coworker said the "White Baby Boy Syndrome" had to do with the fact that baby boys' lungs are usually not as developed as baby girls.
I don't consider this really a syndrome or even something to go preaching, but I will use caution now.  This is why, if my baby comes early, I want them to check his lungs.


4.) Comfortable Inside
Gordon Lee is positioned inside me like this

I know this because of where I am feeling movements.  Plus, I can actually feel his head very distinctly now.  It feels like a small ball, so I know where it is.  

Well, I didn't know what to call this position.  So, when I last saw my doctor, I told her I was 99% sure he was in there "sideways." She looked at me and said, "That means he is transverse." So I learned a new term! This position is called transverse.  Some people referred to it as breech, but breech is only when the baby's head is up and feet are down vertically.  

Upon examination, my doctor agreed that he is transverse.  But she said not to worry about it as this is apparently not too difficult of a position for a baby to go from to head down.

I've also been practicing a few exercises that are recommended to help turn a transverse baby head down.  One of them is getting on all fours and stretching your arms out in front of you like a cat.  This baby is stubborn, though.  He has turned toward the head down position only to move back to transverse when I get up.

5.) Braxton Hicks Contractions aren't Necessarily Painless

On Tuesday, I woke up with my abdomen cramping on and off.  It was so uncomfortable.  I actually became kind of concerned that I was having contractions.  Not wanting to call the hospital in case they were braxton hicks, I decided to try things like drinking more water to see if that would help.  Unlike real contractions, braxton hicks contractions are supposed to go away if you change activities or do something like drinking water.  The water did make it go away, so I realized they weren't real contractions.

But I'm going to be honest.  It was not painless.  

6.) And Finally One Thing That has Been Different for me Than What People Have Told me

A lot of people have said to me that when you get into late pregnancy, you won't be as excited when the baby moves because it hurts so much.  Last night, he was positioned with some body part poking into my ribs and his head jutting out of my right side like he wanted to come out that way.  It hurt so much! I couldn't sleep on my right side.  

But, I still don't even care if it hurts, I like it when my baby moves.  It is reassurance that he is alive in there! So, even if I have to get a jab in the ribs or pee every hour because he is on my bladder, I am just happy to know he is moving and doing well.

My belly jumps around now when he moves.  And it does hurt, but it's still a miracle to me and it makes me happy. :)

A Little Birdie

Almost anybody who knows me knows that I love songbirds.  There are a few here and there that I don't enjoy.  But I absolutely love watching the friendly songbirds who make life pleasant.  I don't even care if the only other people who also enjoy this are older women.  I enjoy what I enjoy no matter what my age is.  I think what I love most about watching the birds is that you can see rare species not seen very often if you put out the right things and watch at the right times of the year.
Two vibrantly colored species I saw several times in Virginia were the Indigo Bunting and the Scarlet Tanager. It's the males that are covered in beautiful bold colors as females are brown to blend in with a nest.  However, they are still a glorious sight to see!

When I catch a glimpse of one of these birds I just sit and stare at the beauty of God's creation.  They are only these wonderful colors during the Spring and Summer time when the male must stand out to keep predators away from the nest.  They are also only in the United States for that period of time as they abide in Mexico and further south the rest of the year.

One bird that I am on the lookout for here now that I am in Georgia is the Painted Bunting.

This bird would be a fantastic one to see and its range does include Georgia.  I still have yet to see one though.

Anyway, now that I have laid the background information out as to why I am so intrigued by birds, I have to say how interesting it is to see TWO big comparisons between myself and a bird being pregnant.

1.) From a frontal view, the pregnant belly really can appear to be shaped like an egg!

        I was commenting to my husband the other day on what it might be like if I actually had to lay an egg instead of carry the baby around at all times.  

• I certainly would have had to quit working right away.  I'm sure there would be no sitting on eggs and teaching.  Plus a bird must rotate the eggs every so often and add moisture.
• BUT I wouldn't have any personal weight gain as the child would be able to grow in the egg...unless of course I put on weight by sitting too much.

Although it would be nice to have the extra weight off, I also don't know what I'd think about sitting on an egg all day.

2.) At the end of pregnancy, there is a behavior that they call "nesting." Many people know that this is when a pregnant woman has an insatiable desire to clean house and organize.  

I have found that I have had nesting spurts! One day I will wake up and need to clean everything in sight! The next day I'll feel like I don't have the energy to do a thing! Today is one of my nesting days as I just keep thinking "The house can't be like this when the baby gets here."

I think that I will probably do it increasingly as I get closer to my due date!

On that topic, my due date is now roughly 5-6 weeks away! I am going by my original due date of July 14th for now.  That's the due date that my doctor is using, so it makes it easier for me to just go by that one also.  Otherwise, I'd start getting confused about which appointments to make when.  The other due date, if I go by the ultrasound, is 8 days after the 14th. 

I'm still hanging onto that second date for a couple of reasons.  If the baby is born earlier than the due date, he still may be a week younger than they think.  So, I want his lungs to be checked to make sure they are developed enough.  Also, if I go past my due date, I am still going to hold out that extra week in the event that he really wasn't due on the 14th after all and that I do not need to be induced on July 21st as my true due date would be right around then.  

Anyway, that's all for now! There are a lot of babies being born and due right around now it's hard to believe!

Summer Pregnancy Must-Haves

Since this is my first and only pregnancy so far, I don't know what it's like to not be pregnant in the summer.  Technically, I've been pregnant through all 4 seasons.  Although the summer has not officially started, it is hot enough for me to consider it summer here.  Plus, school is out now which constitutes as summer vacation.


Anyway, many people have said that being pregnant during the summer is not desirable. And I think they meant being in your third trimester.  Because this is the time that I've found pregnancy really starts getting to you. :) But seeing as how I have no other experiences to compare this pregnancy to, I have to say it isn't intolerable.....as long as you are prepared with the right things!


What are those things? You ask.  Well, in my personal experience, these are the things that a woman who is pregnant during the summer must have for optimum comfort.


1.) Flip Flops or Sandals

For a number of reasons, regular shoes have become nothing more than an aggravation to me.  My feet really aren't even swollen.  They are slightly puffier than usual, but they aren't bad at all.  Still, a full-coverage shoe feels restricting. Plus, not to be gross, but your body heat is higher when you are pregnant.  Therefore, I've found myself sweating VERY easily in the summer including my feet.  Imagine having that stuffed into a shoe.  GROSS! So, I feel that flip flops let my feet breathe.  I haven't worn anything except flip flops since the beginning of May.

2.) Water!

Pregnant women are supposed to up their water intake as it is to 2 liters of water a day.  It's actually very hard to do when you aren't thirsty.  I have found that pregnancy often leaves you feeling thirsty, which makes the water intake easier.  Yet, I have found that with this summer heat I am craving even more water.  I never leave the house without my water bottle now.  I carry around a 1 liter bottle of water that I refill when necessary.  And I actually think I remember to grab my water before my keys or my purse now!

3.) Lightweight Maternity Dresses!

The pictured dress is actually one that I own.  I did not feel like modeling my maternity dress just for a blog (besides, in my Weeble Blog, you can see two of my dresses).  So, I went to the Motherhood website and found a dress that I own.  A lightweight summer dress is essential.  I couldn't imagine wearing anything else! I have a couple of dresses that I wear and that's pretty much it.  I do have 2 skirts with tank tops, but I actually prefer my dresses to anything else.  

4.) A Pony Tail, Bun, or ANY way to get my hair UP

Granted, most women don't like having their hair in the way when they are hot.  But, as I said before, you are even HOTTER when you are pregnant. ;) And I can hardly go a day without getting my hair up.  It's just another way to stay cool.

So, for anyone who is also pregnant during the summer, or might be, I hope these little things could be helpful.  I imagine those who are also pregnant right now have probably found their own ways of getting comfortable anyway. :)

Sunlight

I don't know what it is about sunlight, but its capacity to rejuvenate is undeniable.  I know there are people who prefer overcast weather, and that is part of the world's diversity.  However, most people thrive on sunlight more than on cloudy days.  It has actually been proven that people who live in areas where it rains a lot tend to get depressed more than people who live in places with adequate sunshine.

Anyway, that is beside my point.  I am now on day #4 of official summer vacation for me.  So, I have plenty of time on my hands to do almost anything I want to do.  I was planning on getting a lot of cleaning done this week.  And, although I have made good progress, I thought I would have more done by now than I do.  But I have to say that the sunshine and my willingness to let it in has a lot to do with that.

Yesterday, we had thunderstorms at 4 o'clock.  So, there wasn't much I could do it about it then.  But I have found that if I do the simplest thing as opening the blinds, I can't help but get things done! I first noticed this correlation back at our other house.  It would be a Saturday and I would initially feel happy just to sit on the couch watching television...until...my husband opened the door.  When he opened the door and let the sun in, I couldn't just sit there and watch TV.  I felt the need to get up and get things done.

Today, I was sitting down finishing my breakfast and not at all feeling like cleaning things.  At which point, I made the decision to go around the house and open all of the blinds.  Instantly, I was motivated to clean up and organize.  We had several boxes sitting around in our kitchen that I had been wanting to clean up and get out of the way. But I knew I would have to go through them and I didn't want to.  Yet, with the energizing sunlight pouring in through the windows, it felt like it was no problem at all.  And now I'm happy to say our kitchen is free of clutter and boxes! YES! Again, I wish I could take a picture but I don't have a camera.  So, you'll have to take my word for it.

I've done laundry, given my filthy dogs a bath, and spent most of the morning just getting things done! It's amazing what a little sunlight can do! :)

I Feel Like a Weeble

Or Humpty Dumpty or some other rotund character that probably could not walk a straight line if they tried...

Every time I get up to walk, I now waddle.  I had plenty of people point that out to me on Monday. "Hey, you're waddling!" Why, yes I am, and I wish I wasn't! It is hard to walk without waddling when you are toting around a 4-5 pound baby plus fluids.  Let's just hope I stay in keeping with the weeble and only wabble but not fall down! My entire movements are now controlled by my baby bump.

This was the baby bump at about 27 weeks.

THIS is the baby bump somewhere between 30-31 weeks! I am now almost 33 weeks according to my original due date and I certainly feel it!

The nursery is coming together and I would LOVE to take pictures of it.  But my husband has the camera at work now and has forgotten to bring it home despite reminders.  Oh well! Pictures of the nursery can wait.  Besides, I have a few more things I need to add to it anyway before it is completely finished.  

I am now on summer vacation for good! Yesterday was my first full day off and I spent most of it sleeping.  I am not ashamed of that at all! I was tired and I needed rest.  Friday was the last day with the students, and Monday was a very short teacher work day. I was home by about 1.  But it is hot here and I was sapped of my energy.  It got up to 95 degrees yesterday! 

On Monday, they had a little baby shower for me at work and I got some nice little things for Gordon Lee.  I got a headrest, which is something I was really wanting and nobody had gotten for me yet! I am SO glad to have it! I also got some bath supplies such as baby shampoo, bath toys, lotions, etc.  Very nice! Plus, a few people went in together and got me a Target gift card! Wonderful! I plan to go to Target soon (probably today) and pick up a few things I still need! 

Now, for a few things that I would like to put out there as I have been experiencing them recently.  Most people I know who read this blog wouldn't do this, but maybe a random stranger will find it who could benefit from it. 

Just because somebody is pregnant does NOT mean you can say whatever you please to them.  I am shocked at the things people say to me because I always thought people were more considerate of pregnant women (which many are), but the further along I am the more random people say things to me.

What NOT to say to a pregnant woman (based on my personal experiences):

1.) (this only applies to those pregnant in the summer) You are going to be miserable in this heat! 

Ummm...thank you? I wish you well too!

2.) When are you due? Wow, that long? You still have a ways to go!

Thank you for reminding me that pregnancy lasts a long time!

3.) Are you sure you aren't having twins? It must be a big baby then.

What are you trying to insinuate? Would you like to go ahead and just call me fat? Last time I was measured, I was measuring the right size for my due date...thank YOU! 

4.) I don't know how you're going to make it to your due date. (This one is often said in reference to me having to go through the summer pregnant)

So, what are you saying? I am going to die before the baby gets here?

Now, there are plenty of nice things people have said to me as well! I am very appreciative of the considerate comments people make. I am just shocked at some of the things people will say to you. 

And I have found that the further along I am the more likely people are to come up and say whatever they please to me.

Anyway, at this point in time, I am now less than 2 months from my due date no matter which due date I go by! Come on July!

Staying Home with the Baby

I made the final decision and the announcement this past week that I will not return to work next year.  As strange as it is, this wasn't an easy decision to make.  I had thought that I would have no problem stopping work for children until I came across an unplanned pregnancy! :) It caught me in the middle of everything I was doing and all I kept thinking was "I don't know what to do."


I know I wrote a blog on this earlier about breaking the news to people at work.  Then, later, I actually didn't want to leave my job! I went back and forth for a little while there.  I think I would have more easily been able to make the decision to stay home if the people I work with hadn't just expected me to come back.  That was what started me on thinking I should stay.  Then, I actually felt like I'd miss going to work.  


I talked with the principal who didn't want me to leave.  One of my reasons I gave him for not returning was that there is a possibility we will be moving in December.  I have 6 weeks of maternity leave starting at the beginning of the next school year.  So, I'd basically work 12 weeks and then leave.  To me, that didn't make much sense.  He suggested that I sign my contract. He said he'd get a long-term sub who would cover while I was gone.  Then, I could come back while he gave the sub other positions to fill and the sub would have my position in January.  At first, that sounded reasonable.  But then I got to thinking about it and I really felt it would be selfish of me to do that.  I couldn't imagine what that sub would go through being tossed around like that.  I thought it would be better for the students, the substitute, and the school (and of course my child) for me to just take the time to be a stay-at-home mom.  I told the principal I would take time to think about it, and that was the decision I came to.


Ultimately, I just felt like I was supposed to take the time to be with my child.  This was the decision that brought me the most peace.  I started writing this blog a couple of days ago and I just didn't feel like finishing it right then.  I'm not sure which date will post with the blog.


But anyway, it's kind of funny that I waited because I went to school this week.  And, after I had spoken with my principal, I received the nicest card in my box.  Plus, he also told me that if I ever do want a job, I could have one again.  That was very nice! 

Here is the card he gave me

No matter how silly it may sound, this card was the final reassurance to me that this is the best decision to make. :)