Week 33

I forgot to mention last week that I started twice weekly non-stress-tests (NST).  These started at 32 weeks and will continue for as long as my pregnancy goes.  Since I have not 1, but 2 complications (the pre-pregnancy hypertension and gestational diabetes) these were advised by doctors to monitor the baby as we get down to the last weeks here.  Even if I'd just had 1 complication it would have been advised.  I head to Labor & Delivery twice a week, hang out on a bed while they monitor the baby for 30-60 minutes (depending on what is or isn't going on) and then go home.  When I first heard that I'd need to do this it was a little bit of a disappointment.  I mean...OMG so many doctor appointments (since I'm seeing my OB once a week now also, so that she can measure my amniotic fluid levels).  But now that these NST appointments have started, I find that really there are only positive things here!  1) I get to know the nurses in L&D which will be great when I'm there to deliver 2) I get to know the hospital and the birthing center quite well 3) for the most part I don't need to worry if everything's okay with the baby since I have proof every 3-4 days and 4) it's super relaxing!

Baby kicks!

If you don't feel like clicking on the link up there, I'll try to quickly tell you (who am I kidding? I don't tell anything quickly...)  Non stress tests mean there is no stress put on the baby - no meds or manipulation in any way.  I show up at L&D, empty my bladder and give them a sample to test (for the same reasons my OB needs the sample: checking for protein, sugar, blood/bacteria, ketones which could all mean different things).  Then I go into this little room where I lie on a bed, they use a belly band to hold 2 different monitors which listen for Baby's heartbeat and movement/contractions.  They want to see Baby's heartbeat increase when he/she moves and then want to see their heart-rate come back down when they're resting.  They also put a blood pressure cuff on me which takes my BP about every 10 minutes.  Then I just lie there sipping water, reading magazines and texting with friends.  I like hearing Baby's heartbeat and also hearing the movements.  They make little "booming" sounds on the monitor.  I don't always feel each movement (again, perhaps because of the anterior placenta) so it's interesting to hear the monitor and realize that I might or might not have even felt it.

So this is totally an ultrasound and not NST
- but it's so cute I still wanted to use it!

In the 4 different visits I've made so far, I've had 4 very different experiences.
First NST: Baby fell asleep.  A nurse had to come in and use a buzzer to wake the kid up!  It kinda cracked me up to think how perfectly human this was of the baby.  The nurse was so cute saying "I really hate to do this...but if I don't, you'll be here forever."  Appointment probably lasted an hour cuz we had to get that baby moving!
Second NST: Baby started out with hiccups which kinda messes up their readings (sometimes the heart-rate monitor mistakes the hiccups for heartbeat so they had to basically wait for them to stop before they could really monitor.)  I also ate a granola bar right away in the hopes Baby didn't fall asleep again.  I guess this really overdid it because Little One was moving and grooving like CRAZY!  I had to stay extra long to wait for the heart-rate to drop back to the baseline area.
Third NST: Everything was great with Baby, but they noticed that I was having some contractions.  It turns out I was just a little dehydrated from running around all morning, but they wouldn't let me leave until they talked to my OB.  They gave me some water and noticed that the contractions reduced so everyone felt I was okay to go.  But this was a long appointment waiting for all of this stuff to happen.  Probably over an hour.
Fourth NST, this morning: Finally totally uneventful!  Baby moved just enough.  Heart-rate went up and down just like the nurses wanted to see.  I was hydrated and no concerning contractions.  I was out of there in less than half an hour with an "everything looks perfect today!"  Wonderful!

How far along: 33 weeks, 2 days
What did baby do this week:  Baby is between 4.25-4.75 pounds and between 17-18 inches from head to foot.  Roughly the size of a (stinky) durian fruit.  They are continuing to gain weight and bones are continuing to harden.  The lungs are almost completely ready for breathing on their own and if Baby was born now, they would only need a little medical support - WHEW!  Baby's eyes are usually open when they are awake and they are starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
Total weight gain: 26.4 pounds - been gaining weight the last 3 weeks!!  It was lingering around 23 pounds for so many weeks in a row that I don't like seeing it go up and am not used to it!
Symptoms: OMG peeing SO MUCH.  I'm starting to think that the reason pregnant women "slow down" later in pregnancy is really describing how they don't want to go out in public as much because they're probably ALWAYS searching for a public restroom.  Since I need to stay hydrated to keep the contractions away, I need to pee about every 45 minutes.  Sometimes I have to find a restroom at every store I stop at when I'm running errands (or use the same store restroom twice.)  The baby is sitting very low and not changing positions.  When I use the bathroom and sometimes when I'm going for walks I can feel some pressure in my "lady area", almost like a soreness.  It's not a great feeling, but heck - I'd rather baby's head be low than their feet!  I mentioned before that I have some odd numbness in my heels...it's still there and maybe getting slightly worse.  Before it was JUST the ring of my heels and now it's more like my whole heel.  No doctor seems concerned about it - I'm chalking it up to pressure on nerves.  Maybe sciatica too.  The tops of my feet, and insides of my ankles have been getting a little bit swollen - more my left than my right.  It seems to be worse in the mornings (when I'm mostly at the computer with feet below my body) and not as bad at night (when I can raise my feet while we watch TV or after I've exercised and hydrated all day long.)
Queasy or Sick: Maybe 1-2 times a week I'll feel the slightest bit queasy in the morning, but it passes very quickly.  Sorta like in the 1st trimester how if I just eat something, I can nip it in the bud.  And it's usually something I only notice for a minute or two anyway.  It's not significant.
Sleep:  Fortunately I can fall asleep pretty easily but I'm getting up 3-4 times at night to pee again.  Oh yes I remember this from the 1st trimester too.  I've been sleeping mostly on my sides - for maybe a month or more, now.  Usually falling asleep on my right side, but switching to my left after a bathroom break (or two).  I don't too often wake up on my back, so it seems like I might be able to get away with all of this without a body pillow filling up the bed!
Best moment this week:  My family baby shower was this past Sunday!  It was AMAZING.  I'm so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity.  The decor, the food, the thoughtfulness.  I think I cried 2-3 times...just such an emotional pile of hormones.  But really everything was so touching.  And then on top of that, I was thrown a small baby shower at work on Wednesday.  A cake, some nice words and ANOTHER generous card and gift from a handful of coworkers.  What a wonderfully special time.
Hardest part of the week: I really can't think of anything.  I'm feeling very good about everything right now!
Looking forward to:  At this point I want to get past 35 weeks.  If I go into labor before that point, then I'll have to deliver at a bigger hospital about 13 miles away instead of our super easy, local hospital 1.2 miles away.  The bigger hospital can handle extremely-preterm to late-preterm babies in their NICU, whereas our local hospital is really only ready for a couple weeks prematurity.  Just another couple weeks!

...hopefully not as stinky.

Movement: Baby is still in the same position - I guess it's comfy for them.  I still feel a lot of movement though I think it *is* limited by the anterior placenta (which usually buffers the movement feelings a little.)  Yesterday I was marginally worried that I wasn't feeling Baby move as much but I knew I had a NST this morning, so I was hopeful everything would be fine.  And yes, everything was fine today.  Lots of movement (many that I couldn't even feel!) and great heart rate.  The movement I feel is a little more "rolling" and less "jabby" than before.  Of course this is because Baby is getting bigger so there's less room for big movements.
Food cravings: I have to be honest that with all these baby showers I've been splurging a little more than when I first started the GD diet.  My numbers have still been okay which makes me very happy.  But it also means that I'm not craving QUITE as many things since I've given into a handful of cravings.  Granted, I can't really do this until the afternoon or evening.  Insulin resistance is frequently highest in the mornings and I am very representative of that.
Happy or moody:  Happy - actually feeling very contented, peaceful and not worried.  How is this possible?  I'm going to be pushing a human out of my currently perfectly intact lady parts in the next 5-7 weeks!!
Labor signs:  I'm a little confused if the feelings I sometimes have in my lower pelvic area are Baby moving its head around (we know that they're head down and quite low) or if it's a contraction.  It's a slightly uncomfortable feeling but not very frequent.  I learned recently that contractions are usually felt high in the uterus, like closer to the ribs.  But I've also heard that menstrual-like cramping can be a sign of early labor.  It doesn't become consistent and I usually notice it when I'm out walking/exerting energy.  So far it's not concerning - I just try to stay hydrated and don't push myself.
Belly button in or out: In, still
Wedding rings on or off: On
Stretch marks:  OK so... I think I found a couple stretch on the under-side of my belly.  One on each side.  They've not bad, but I have no idea how long they've been there.  I kept thinking I'd see stretch marks around my belly button so I was convinced that I was smooth sailing through without!  But pretty sure those dark red marks are stretch marks.  Let's just hope there aren't a ton more about to pop up in these last weeks!
Learnings from the week:  This past Saturday, we went to a childbirth class offered by the hospital I plan to deliver at.  It was an all day class, but I preferred that over other ones I've seen (not at our hospital) that are shorter classes for multiple weeks.  Those might offer more opportunities to meet and get to know other couples, but for Hubby and I it's better to just knock it out in 1 long day.  The class was 9am-4:30pm with a 45 minute lunch break and a tour of the Birthing Center afterwards.  Even though I'd started the NSTs at the Birthing Center - I'd certainly never had a tour, so it was still a good thing for us to experience.  For first time mommies (and daddies) I'd certainly recommend a childbirth class.  Even if it all seems straightforward and you know you'll be guided by the nurses once you arrive at the hospital - it's good to at least spend a day thinking about childbirth and about what concerns you may have or certain things you may want/need.  We saw a couple of videos (very short, like no more than 2-3 minutes), talked about epidurals, talked about C-sections, went over the 3 stages of labor, learned when you should head to the hospital (if your water breaks OR follow the 511 rule: contractions are 5 minutes apart from the start of one to the start of the next, 1 minute long and happening like this for 1 hour), discussed postpartum depression, learned/practiced some breathing exercises.  You get the gist.  It was very worthwhile and has made me start thinking about what my ideal childbirth experience would look like if I could have my way.  Of course what is most important to me is that my baby and I come home from the hospital safely and NOT that they're playing Enya (did I just date myself?) in a dimly lit room while I meditate through my entire labor/delivery...or something super specific like that.

Om.

Final Thoughts: This might be really lame or dumb of me but I’ve found myself making little goals through my pregnancy.  And not like I can even really control reaching them - but I’m very relieved when I pass them.  Like I read a blog about a poor woman losing her TWINS at 17 weeks.  That was my first goal (I just want to get past 17 weeks!)  Then I wanted to get past 24 weeks, when I’d heard of a friend’s cousin delivering her baby due to pre-eclampsia (baby is 6 now, with some vision problems but otherwise fine.)  Then I wanted to get past 28 weeks when I knew of an acquaintance who had her now perfectly thriving 6 year old.  Now I’m feeling awesome that I’ve gotten to 33 weeks ‘cuz I have a super good friend who had her baby exactly upon finishing 33 weeks (he is now a perfectly healthy 2 year old).  I suppose my next goal is to match my other friend who delivered at 34 weeks - her son is thriving at 7 months.  I wonder if I’ll stop all of this if I get to 40 weeks!