Feeling like a hippo.
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Showing posts with label week 33. Show all posts
Showing posts with label week 33. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week 33 pregnancy
Waddle. Waddle. Waddle. Slower now. And the pelvic region still hurts, making me feel more like I’m in the process of falling apart than I am strong enough to get through labor.
The top of the bump is tight and sometimes painful, probably pressure against the lungs and ribs. It’s tough to get comfortable these days and breathing is sometimes a challenge.
I’m starting to focus on the end stretch, wrapping up what I can or at least winding down. However, I still haven’t addressed a lot of organizational issues – like registering for hospital admission or figuring out who is going to care for River when I go into labor.
It’s harder to situate River on my lap. I can no longer lean back in the glider, but have to force him to sit upright on my knee. So far he hasn’t complained. If anything, I feel like he is valuing cuddle time and my attention more. Yet I feel some guilt knowing this is probably the first of many little things that will change the form, but not the essence, of our relationship.
River’s attitude toward the baby and my pregnancy has been very solicitous. So far I’m not seeing any signs of jealousy or anxiety, besides perhaps a slight strengthening in his already strong preference for mom. He likes to ask what the baby is doing and shows concern for what it is eating. He’s interested in how the bottles work and the baby clothes I’ve been washing and folding.
My stomach is starting to seriously get in the way of things. I’m feeling like a hippo, or the conveyer of a big construction ball that bangs into anything that’s in the way.
I’m so longing to join River in his 2-4 p.m. naps.
My prenatal massage is still the best thing ever. Prenatal yoga is no longer so fun, especially when I’m the most pregnant person in the class and the teacher is still asking us to do things like roll back and forth on our backs.
I’m starting to have the “could this be labor?” thoughts.
I find it hard to be productive in the evenings. I set goals, but end up wasting my time watching TV, eating and surfing the internet.
I’m now waking up in the night even with a Tylenol p.m. I may up the dose to two.
I’m starting to feel some excitement to meet this baby, some wonder as I realize that she’ll soon recognize the places, landmarks and people that form River’s life as the constants of her own life, and some fear at how large she’ll be and how I’ll get her out.
I’ve just started to occasionally lay my hand on my stomach. Not because I’m particularly sentimental, but because my stomach is sticking so far out that it’s easier to rest my hand there than anywhere else.
The top of the bump is tight and sometimes painful, probably pressure against the lungs and ribs. It’s tough to get comfortable these days and breathing is sometimes a challenge.
I’m starting to focus on the end stretch, wrapping up what I can or at least winding down. However, I still haven’t addressed a lot of organizational issues – like registering for hospital admission or figuring out who is going to care for River when I go into labor.
It’s harder to situate River on my lap. I can no longer lean back in the glider, but have to force him to sit upright on my knee. So far he hasn’t complained. If anything, I feel like he is valuing cuddle time and my attention more. Yet I feel some guilt knowing this is probably the first of many little things that will change the form, but not the essence, of our relationship.
River’s attitude toward the baby and my pregnancy has been very solicitous. So far I’m not seeing any signs of jealousy or anxiety, besides perhaps a slight strengthening in his already strong preference for mom. He likes to ask what the baby is doing and shows concern for what it is eating. He’s interested in how the bottles work and the baby clothes I’ve been washing and folding.
My stomach is starting to seriously get in the way of things. I’m feeling like a hippo, or the conveyer of a big construction ball that bangs into anything that’s in the way.
I’m so longing to join River in his 2-4 p.m. naps.
My prenatal massage is still the best thing ever. Prenatal yoga is no longer so fun, especially when I’m the most pregnant person in the class and the teacher is still asking us to do things like roll back and forth on our backs.
I’m starting to have the “could this be labor?” thoughts.
I find it hard to be productive in the evenings. I set goals, but end up wasting my time watching TV, eating and surfing the internet.
I’m now waking up in the night even with a Tylenol p.m. I may up the dose to two.
I’m starting to feel some excitement to meet this baby, some wonder as I realize that she’ll soon recognize the places, landmarks and people that form River’s life as the constants of her own life, and some fear at how large she’ll be and how I’ll get her out.
I’ve just started to occasionally lay my hand on my stomach. Not because I’m particularly sentimental, but because my stomach is sticking so far out that it’s easier to rest my hand there than anywhere else.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Quiet time for mom
11/11/10 quiet time for mom
As a result of seeing spots and having blurry vision at work this morning, my doctor wanted to me to come in immediately to check me for pre-eclampsia (I don’t have it). I ended up going home after the doctor’s appointment and finally, was able to take a long-desired afternoon nap.
Even when I’ve had the chance lately, such as on weekends, I haven’t tried to nap, both because of the things I want to get done, and because I think it’s unlikely I’ll fall asleep and don’t want to take medication during the day.
However, after many afternoons longing for River’s schedule, with rest in the 2-5 p.m. range, I decided to give myself quiet time, the same way I would give it to River. If he doesn’t sleep, I still leave him in his crib for two hours or so in the afternoon. At the very least, he is quiet, restful and has time to decompress. I figured I could use the same thing and determined that 2-4 would be my quiet time.. If I slept, great. If not, I was going to remain in bed, either just lying there or reading.
I did sleep for just over an hour. Upon waking, I was tempted to get up and get back to work. But I made myself stay there until 4, lying in a state of restful half sleep for 30 minutes, then reading for a half hour. I got up feeling so much better than I’ve felt in a long time.
I’m recognizing that I can now use a nap time, or at a minimum, a quiet time, along the same schedule as River, at least through the end of the pregnancy. It’s not possible on most weekdays, but I’ll try to be better about it on weekends. And as soon as I start my maternity leave, mommy nap time is going into effect.
As a result of seeing spots and having blurry vision at work this morning, my doctor wanted to me to come in immediately to check me for pre-eclampsia (I don’t have it). I ended up going home after the doctor’s appointment and finally, was able to take a long-desired afternoon nap.
Even when I’ve had the chance lately, such as on weekends, I haven’t tried to nap, both because of the things I want to get done, and because I think it’s unlikely I’ll fall asleep and don’t want to take medication during the day.
However, after many afternoons longing for River’s schedule, with rest in the 2-5 p.m. range, I decided to give myself quiet time, the same way I would give it to River. If he doesn’t sleep, I still leave him in his crib for two hours or so in the afternoon. At the very least, he is quiet, restful and has time to decompress. I figured I could use the same thing and determined that 2-4 would be my quiet time.. If I slept, great. If not, I was going to remain in bed, either just lying there or reading.
I did sleep for just over an hour. Upon waking, I was tempted to get up and get back to work. But I made myself stay there until 4, lying in a state of restful half sleep for 30 minutes, then reading for a half hour. I got up feeling so much better than I’ve felt in a long time.
I’m recognizing that I can now use a nap time, or at a minimum, a quiet time, along the same schedule as River, at least through the end of the pregnancy. It’s not possible on most weekdays, but I’ll try to be better about it on weekends. And as soon as I start my maternity leave, mommy nap time is going into effect.
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