Over a Month of Updates!
It has been quite some time since I have given any pregnancy updates- over a month in fact! My apologies for being so quiet since week 28- things have been quite busy! I am now 35 weeks pregnant- and I had an OB appointment today. Before I talk about that, let’s get caught up on what we’ve been up to!
Since my last bumpdate, many things have happened, both related to, and non-related to my pregnancy. I think one of the most important “events” is related to something I have not spoken of until now. Since while it hit close to home, it was not my own situation. I did not want to mention anything until the person it involved was more open to people being aware of it.
Life doesn’t stop because you’re pregnant…
The day after I found out I was pregnant, a person very dear to me was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I will not get into the specifics since it is not my personal information that I would be sharing. However, I will say that said person has been incredibly strong since receiving the life-altering news. She has recently finished her last chemo treatment!
There are many steps left in this “journey”, but to have this chapter of her recovery closed is a wonderful feeling. I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for the few friends and family who knew. The support that was received and that continues to be offered makes all the difference, so THANK YOU.
6th Doctor’s Appointment
I also had my 6th doctor’s appointment. This one was even more special since both my Mom and Dad were able to join me and could hear Liam’s heartbeat. When my Dr saw me she said: “Wow, I see you right before my vacation and you have a tiny bump and now I come back and BOOM you have a belly!” It was very cute. These appointments usually last a maximum of 20 minutes and that’s only if I have questions or if a test needs to be done. This appointment lasted an entire HOUR. I did not know before arriving, but a resident was working with my OB. She took care of me and went through the appointment and then she got my OB to double-check a few things afterwards.
My blood pressure was once again perfect and Liam is still head down. The fundal height measurement was 31 so it was on track and Liam’s heartbeat sounded great. Luckily, my Mom was able to videotape it for me (find a clip on my Instagram). My weight had been staying around the 131 lb mark but it varies depending on the day. When asked about Liam’s movements, as usual I replied “He’s moving ALL the time.” Since he is constantly moving, I have not been asked to do a kick count like many women are asked to do. If he ever stopped being the active baby he has been, I would be sure to contact my Doctor though.
It’s good to ask questions!
I had quite a few questions this time around since the third trimester has been the hardest one. I do not want to say I am miserable because that sounds horrible but I am definitely sore and my symptoms have affected me more than ever. Mostly, I can’t walk or even move in the middle of the night without being in a ton of pain because of my leg. My hip joint/pelvic area on my right side makes me cringe from how much it hurts. Yay for ligament pain!
Acid reflux has never been this bad before and for someone who never had a clue what heartburn even felt like before becoming pregnant- it is not enjoyable. I am also a bit stubborn, so while I know I can take a max of 5 TUMS a day, I rather not… however some days I really just have no choice. The burning sensation lingers in my throat, and makes me feel like I need to throw up but I can’t. Instead, my rib cage feels like it is on fire and ripping my chest in half.
Gaviscon vs. TUMS
My Doctor said Gaviscon really isn’t that much different from TUMS. It’s really up to you whether you “rather chew chalk or drink it in liquid form”. TUMS it is!
I am staying as elevated as possible at night but it does add about two hours to my “trying to get comfortable/falling asleep” routine. Also, I am trying my best to watch what I eat and to not eat close to bedtime to lessen how bad the acidity is. However, even drinking water, which I NEED to do, causes acid reflux, so nothing seems to be helping. Although, I have found that laying on my right side is worse than on my left. I am thankful that it is healthier in general during pregnancy to be laying on my left side, that’s for sure.
Night Sweats
One final symptom that has only begun to affect me during the past few weeks is night sweats. Oh my goodness. At first, I thought it was because it had been quite hot and humid in Montreal lately. We don’t have A/C in our apartment and are relying on fans. I thought sweating that much was normal and it would be better once the nights got cooler again. Nope. It’s because I have a mini furnace growing in my belly. I will wake up drenched in sweat and let’s just say, it’s not a pleasant feeling. At all. Oh well!
Travelling While Pregnant?
The one last question I had for my Dr was about travelling. I was fortunate to have one of my first vacations in over 7 years with my parents coming up. We would be travelling to the States and since I am getting closer to my due date, I wanted to be sure it was safe for me to do. We were driving to New Hampshire, not flying, and my pregnancy has been smooth sailing. I was not worried but it was important to get the go-ahead from my Doctor.
Since I would be travelling during my 34th week, she was not worried at all. She did say to look into travel insurance that protected pregnant women. When my Dad looked into it, no insurance company offered it to women who were 8/9 weeks away from giving birth. Or, to those who were 8/9 weeks postpartum. Which, didn’t help us. I was not worried whatsoever though. I really just needed to get out of the city and breathe in the air you get only by being close to nature. Separate posts about the trip (and all of the food we ate of course) will be up soon! For now, I will wrap up everything pregnancy-related.
One month until the due date…
Today, I had another appointment. Now that I am a month away from my due date, I will be having appointments on a weekly basis (HOW is there just a month left?!). The appointment went very well. The fundal height is 35cm so right on track with my number of weeks. His heartbeat sounded great and both my weight gain and my blood pressure were in a healthy range (I now weigh approx 136.2 lbs).
We spoke about things to do when labour starts AT HOME and when a good time to head to the hospital will be. The swabs for Group B Strep were also done, so I am glad that is over with. That will tell us if I will need medication or not once I go into labour so it is not passed on to Liam. We will only know in a week or two what the results are.
I had been expecting swab “inspections” during most of the appointments ever since I found out I was pregnant. This was the first time any of that was necessary other than when I did a swab myself. It was good timing too because (warning- TMI ahead) I had been feeling a bit uncomfortable down there for a couple of days. Since the swabs were being done anyway, I asked if they saw anything else. Ta-da, my first ever haemorrhoid.
The Dreaded “H” Word
Haemorrhoids are simply a part of pregnancy; I know this. Being this close to his birth, I thought maybe I wouldn’t have to deal with those until after labour. Nope, not so lucky. My doctor said she is constantly surprised by how little books talk about them. She said 100% of her patients have had them. Alas, what can you do, right?
If you stuck through reading that novel, TMI parts included, 1) Wow and 2) Thank you! I will be writing a post about what I have packed for our hospital bags.
Well, that’s all for now. As always, thank you for reading! I do have one last thing to say…
I must also say a huge congratulations to a fellow blogger, Annie from Grown Up Glamour and her husband Dave for the birth of their beautiful baby boy, Jack. We met through this wonderful world of blogging, and her post on breastfeeding started a lifelong friendship. Who woulda thunk?
While I plan on breastfeeding exclusively, I am also preparing myself that it may not work out for me. It is so nice to meet such lovely people through this blogging/pregnancy journey; I feel very fortunate to have her be one of them.
More updates soon!
Also, enjoy these last few weeks, because you’ll quickly forget this phase and be totally captivated with little Liam. 🙂
You’re getting so close now! My little one is 4 weeks old tomorrow, the time flies SO quickly. 🙂
I love reading your updates– so sorry to hear about the hemorrhoid, luckily I did not and have not experienced that at all..only a few more weeks of sleeping discomfort! Of course, then it will switch to seeking sleep whenever and however and you won’t notice what position you’re in at all. Ella and I are both getting a decent amount of sleep now and breastfeeding is still going wonderfully. Good luck and like Annie said, if you have any questions or want to chat, I’m here! Also, I don’t know if you’ve read my birth story, but I have it posted along with a few post delivery blogs.
<3
Aw 4 weeks old already!! Time certainly does fly. Thank you so much for writing and I will definitely check out your birth story and post delivery blogs- I can’t get enough of reading them lately! <3 Much love to you and your little one!
Thank you for the congrats and shout out! It’s so exciting reading about this stage in your pregnancy – you’re almost there mama. The weeks may seem long, but he will be here before you know it. If you have any questions about labour, or anything when Liam comes along, I’m only a message away 🙂