Cankles and Weight Gain

This week we had our 38 week appointment.  Not much has changed.  I'm still 1 cm dilated, but now I am 80% effaced.  I was also informed that I do not have Group B Strep.  I was so happy that the doctor didn't mention induction!  I've been trying to walk a lot so that Karis will move down and come all by herself before the due date.  If we go passed the due date, I'm sure her doctor will want to induce (and I will have to put up a fight).
After the appointment, the nurse gave me a copy of my records to take with me to the hospital (in case I go into labor before the next appointment).  When I got to the car, I immediately pulled out the record and scanned the "weight" column.  When I realized that I've gained 40 pounds since our first appointment tears streamed down my face.  This is not what I expected.  How did that happen?  How hard will it be to return to my "pre-baby" weight?  So discouraging. :(
I've also been really down about my "cankles."  This is a term from the TV show "Friends" defined as: The point at which one is so obese that there is no thinning of the leg between the calf and the ankle, which creates a sense of fusion between the two. Consequently "Cankle" comes from the fusion of CAlf and aNKLE. Fortunately, my feet, ankles and calves only started swelling about 2 weeks ago. I've been successful at getting them to shrink by elevating them and applying ice.  However, this last week has been hopeless.  No matter what I do, I still have putty legs (when I press on my leg, it makes a dent like silly putty).  With the weight gain and cankles I feel like I have lost control of my body.  It will be nice to have control over my body again after delivery.

Pictured: My bump at 38 weeks.  Not Pictured: Cankles

At the Doc... Again

At our appointment Tuesday, Doc said she wanted to do an ultrasound.  I questioned the reasoning.  Everything was good right?  No reason for concern?  She agreed, but still wanted to do an ultrasound, because she does one on all of her patients at this point in their pregnancies.  Ok...
I still feel guilty about the ultrasound I requested at 18 weeks to find out the gender.  It wasn't medically necessary, and I should have just waited.  I just want to keep Karis as safe as possible, not exposing her to anything harmful.  I wanted to keep the peace with our doctor, so we agreed to schedule an ultrasound.
This afternoon, Michael arrived just as the nurse, Peaches called me into her room.  I was so glad Karis's daddy could make it!  It was hard to see very much on the monitor during the ultrasound.  Karis is so squished inside my belly!  Peaches informed us that Karis is about 7.5 pounds, give or take half a pound.  I was shocked!  I didn't think she'd be that big already, but Peaches said that's about 50th percentile for this stage in my pregnancy.  So, Karis is normal.  I just hope she doesn't weigh much more for the delivery (I shouldn't keep my hopes up though).  As expected, all other measurements were perfect.  We'll meet her soon... any day.

Here is Karis's 37 week ultrasound picture.  It was hard for the nurse to capture much in one picture, since our daughter is short on space.  If you can make out the image, here is Karis's perfect little head.

37 Week Checkup and Fears

We had our 37 week appointment yesterday.  This was the first time Doc checked my cervix.  The report: 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced.  I wasn't expecting to hear that I started dilating, but I wasn't very alarmed by this either.  I've heard that a woman can be at 1 or 2 cm for a week or two.  The shock came when I asked, "When do you think I might deliver." The doctor confidently said, "I'm thinking maybe next week."  My jaw dropped.  That would be 2 weeks early!  I still have to keep in mind that everyone's different, and Karis could come in one week or four weeks.  Who knows?  However, this was my to-do list.
The exam itself caused a lot of very uncomfortable pressure.  I don't look forward to doing this every week.  (I'm sure the discomfort of the exam is nothing compared to labor and delivery.)  I continued to feel a little pressure for about 24 hours.  The doctor did not warn me that I'd experience this, so I'm guessing it's an IC related thing.  Plus, the baby's head has moved down a little, causing additional pressure.
The thought that I could go into labor next week really freaks me out.  We have been well trained and educated on the whole process, but... still freaked out.  My thoughts change from, "I need more time, maybe I'll feel ready in a month." to "I just want it to be over with." to "I don't want to deliver!  Can't the doctor just put me to sleep, and when I wake up Karis will be there?"

IC doing well... until lately

I haven't said much on the blog about IC, because it has been quite normal.  I've had flairs, caused by God only knows what, sometimes lasting up to a week.  I had those random flairs before becoming pregnant.  As our baby grows, the only abnormal IC related discomfort I've experienced is when she kicks or moves near my bladder.  It's an alarming, stabbing feeling that only lasts a second.
As I write this, I am 35 weeks pregnant and aware of my IC every day.  Before, I only experienced urgency during flairs.  Now, the urgency is consistent.  With this 5+ pound baby sitting on my bladder, I always feel like I have to go to the restroom.  I could go every 5 minutes and spend the whole day in the restroom.  That's no way to live.  So, I try to ignore the urge the best I can until I can't stand it anymore.  I go about every hour during the day and every 2 hours at night.  Car rides have been the most painful.  A road that seemed smooth before all of the sudden is like a mountain range.

Baby’s First Vacation

We’ve been planning to travel to Norway for quite some time, but getting pregnant put a little kink in the plans.  Our baby is due in July, so we definitely had to make our plans early.  The summer would be too difficult.  We decided that it would be okay to plan the vacation for my second trimester, and the doctor approved.

Being pregnant actually didn’t change things that much.  I still had travel anxiety and complained about packing… nothing unusual for me.  During the flight, I wore loose fitting clothing, drank plenty of water, got up often, and sat close to the restroom… again, nothing unusual for me. 

When our flight arrived in Norway, our friends, Britt Eva, Kjartan, and their baby, Ingval picked us up at the airport.  It was about 25 degrees.  Brr!  We all took a stroll in the park that had about 200 naked statues.  That was strange to me, and our friends laughed at my discomfort.

The next few days, we did a lot of walking in Oslo.  We went to the local grocery store, toured all over down town, and saw several museums.  I became tired a lot more quickly than the rest of the gang.  I tried not to complain.  Each night I’d realize how much walking we’d done, because I woke up with “charlie-horses” and back pain.  Fortunately, I was able to fit in little naps here-and-there, and whenever I saw a bench I sat down.

Half way through the trip, we took an eight-hour train ride to Stavanger.  This is the way to travel!  The seats and aisles were much roomier than those on an airplane.  Plus, we traveled with baby Ingvill, and she had room to crawl and play. 

This baby mama was well taken care of during the trip, but the worst part was the 10 hour flight home.  I know, I’m such a brat, but never again will I sit in economy for a flight over 5 hours long.  Unfortunately, the airline screwed up on giving me the aisle seat that Michael had reserved.  The guy sitting next to me slept most of the flight, and I felt rude bothering him.  I really should have gotten up every hour, but I was only able to get up 3 times.  It was awful!  Plus, the seats were uncomfortable, and my lower back was killing me.  By the end of the flight, I was sitting on a blanket, pillow, and two coats. 

Lesson learned… I shouldn’t go on trips this lengthy while pregnant.  Also, I don’t recommend it to others with interstitial cystitis.  Enough complaining…. I do not regret the trip.  It was wonderful catching up with my dear friend Britt Eva, who I have not seen in years. 

Breasts

That title got your attention, didn’t it!?  Yeah, getting attention… my breasts know the feeling, and I don’t like it!

Last week I had lunch with some friends.  One friend, who I had not seen in a while said, “April! You have breasts!”  I was shocked by her comment, and so embarrassed when the whole group turned to look.  I had to go to the bathroom to regain my composure. 

People have told me that I’m going to have to ignore all the crazy comments during pregnancy.  Looking back on this situation, it is quite comical.  I’m glad this friend was at least a little creative.  It’s better than saying, “April! You’re huge!”

I little while later, someone at the lunch table asked if I was planning to nurse.  Once I told her yes, everyone began giving me advice (which I love and need).  However, at one point, I wanted to scream, “Can we please stop talking about my nipples!”  Why does this continue to be the topic of conversation?

First Trimester

The first 6 weeks of pregnancy ignorance was great!  The doctor confirmed my pregnancy at 8 weeks.  I went 10 weeks without any symptoms, and just as I thought, “This is too good to be true,” the morning sickness began. 

I felt nauseous pretty much every day, and I threw up about 2 mornings per week.  It was hard to drag myself to work!  I did have to call in sick twice.  I hated doing that.  The best relief for my morning nausea was saltines.  My mom suggested keeping saltines on my night stand.  Every morning, I’d eat a few crackers and sit in bed for about 5 minutes before rushing out of bed.  Tums were great too!  During this time, I had zero appetite, and I lost 6 pounds (that took a long time to regain).   At week 14, I felt like this would never end.  Was I going to be unlucky and have morning sickness throughout my pregnancy?  I was encouraged by a friend who said her morning sickness lasted until week 16, and luckily my story was the same.

In addition to nausea, my Interstitial Cystitis flared up a little bit during the first trimester, sometimes for a week or two without ceasing.  I didn’t feel pressure on my bladder, because the baby was still tiny.  The urgency, burning, and frequency increased.  I believe this was due to hormonal changes, because I did not change my meds or eating habits.

The last significant pregnancy symptom during my first trimester was tender breasts.  Tender may not be the right word.  They HURT LIKE CRAZY!  At first, I thought, “This is no big deal.  It feels like the usual soreness I get at the beginning of my cycle.”  But it just kept getting worse, and worse, and worse.  I used ice packs or cold bottles of water for relief.  The reward for the pain was extra attention from my husband due to my changing body.  See, it’s not so bad. *wink*