21-24 Weeks Bumpdate: Viability!

21-24 Weeks Bumpdate: Viability!

6 Months Pregnant Already- Oh My Gosh.  Since I last updated, we had our fourth Doctor’s appointment and it all went very smoothly.

My Doctor looked at all of the measurements from the Ultrasound and everything was perfect;  all of his organs are forming as they should be!  The femur length was right on target. I wondered what the importance of that measurement was so I found this article which explains it well.

My placenta is posterior which she was happy about and all around, everything looked great.  We then continued on with my regular check-up.  My blood pressure was great, I weighed around 124 pounds and when she used the doppler to listen to Liam’s heart, she said “Oh that’s a very happy baby in there!”

Usually, when my OB asks if I have any questions, I say “No, I don’t think so… things are going smoothly.” This time however, I did have some questions which was a nice change.

My glucose test is coming up soon, so I asked her about the “Light Meal” I am supposedly allowed to eat beforehand.  She shook her head and said

“I honestly don’t know what to tell people about this anymore.  Even coworkers [at the hospital] who are pregnant don’t know what to say.  I don’t agree with how some hospitals do the test. There is such a large grey zone for the results that most women have to do the test for a second time; they should just do it the way that do the test the second time initially to save everyone time.  Drink water, don’t worry about that. Eat if you want to eat, or don’t- it’s really up to you. They haven’t updated the Diabetes portion of our “Medical Bible” since 2002.  They really don’t know enough about it for me to offer you information that won’t be refuted elsewhere depending on where you look.”

While I enjoy my sweet treats (chocolate and sour candy cravings like crazy lately!), I am usually not a big fan of candy or chocolates.  I have a feeling the glucose test may be a bit of a shock to my system.  I will definitely be drinking water like I have been and trying to eat well leading up to it.  We’ll see how I react to the test and I will definitely update you to let you know how it went.

I also asked her about leg pain.  I noticed that while I haven’t gained much weight yet, if I am on my feet for too long, my legs start to hurt like crazy.  The only way I can describe it, is the feeling of having a bruised bone.  It always starts on my left leg and if I continue to stand, it goes to the right leg.  I had looked it up and all I could find was to mention it to my doctor, to get off my feet and to keep my legs elevated.

My OB explained that it is not because of the added “belly weight” but it is probably because of the position the baby is in.  If he leans backward, he may be leaning on what helps the blood flow and circulate through my legs and it can cause leg pain.  She said it is normal, not to worry and there really is nothing more I can do than elevate my legs.

I quickly mentioned to her that I have been producing colostrum like crazy ever since Week 17.  I swear, she almost yelled “THAT’S GREAT!!! WOW!”  She was so loud about it, she even looked toward her office door to make sure it was closed.  She seemed so thrilled and her reaction made my day;  I know I say it in every update post, but really– have I mentioned how much I love my Doctor?

She then proceeded to print out a Birth Plan.  I admitted to her that I thought focusing on a Birth Plan was ridiculous.  Don’t get me wrong. I understand it helps women prepare for the whole experience. If having a list helps them do so, then of course- do what you can.  However, for my own experience, I know there is no way for me to predict what may or may not happen and no birth plan will set anything in stone. I wasn’t going to spend any time considering having one.

My Doctor agreed but said that it was mandatory for the hospital to provide one now.  Previously, several women showed up with their own birth plans that they had printed off the internet.   These plans were so outdated that they no longer applied to current situations. One woman brought in a birth plan with procedures used in the 70’s!  With that being said, I completely understand the need for them to provide us with a birth plan and I am glad that they did.

She told me that the boxes that were already filled in are routines the hospital will automatically do.  Things like, skin to skin right away, Vitamin K injection etc.  The rest of the plan gave me my options. Epidural/gas for pain relief, my preferences for who is in the room with me, etc.  I was told to fill out what I can and if I have any questions, to write them down and we will go over it.  She said it was still early for me to start thinking about it but this way it gives me time to really go over my options and see if I have questions, which I really appreciate.  It was an overall great appointment and it is always a pleasure to see her.

Today, I am 24 Weeks pregnant aka the Week of Viability.  This means, that if the baby is born this week *knock on wood*, he would have a reasonable rate of survival.  As the weeks go by, the chances of survival will increase but this week is another one of those “milestone moments” so HOORAY to Baby Liam!

He is the size of a large zucchini this week and boy, am I feeling him move around.  This is no longer a “new” feeling but it will never get old either.  The feelings are not always the same and I can feel him reaching new places and trying new positions in there- it’s pretty surreal.  I have a few videos on Instagram (@athomewithjoanna) but it is hard for them to do justice to how much he’s moving around.  It really feels like he’s dancing or playing the drums.  Since it’s impossible to see what he’s doing or how he looks (wouldn’t it be neat if 24/7 ultrasounds were available?), I always take great comfort in feeling him moving around.

I talk to him often and I am looking into which music I want him to start listening to.  One major thing from this past week, is once again acid reflux.  It has been worse than ever before but always more so right when I try to go to sleep. I constantly have to make sure my head and upper body are elevated. Getting comfortable in bed is also difficult. Thanks to my parents, I was able to take a body pillow and it makes all the difference sometimes. Round ligament pain has been pretty bad at some points. I am glad my doctor told me it was normal to have it knock the wind out of me at times.  That has definitely happened more than once.

Other than that, since the bathroom at my current location of residence was getting renovated, I stayed with my Mom and Dad for the week and it was lovely.  It was full of delicious and healthy food, walks, great conversations and priceless time spent together.  I won’t get into details but there is a lot going on for everyone at the moment.  Spending time with them is always important.  By the end of the week when I knew I had to go home, I cried; it was that hard to leave.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Preparations for moving day had a small break of looking like it was all going to go smoothly.  That only lasted a couple of days before all of the plans got destroyed all over again.  It’s a long story but we can’t move when we thought we could (a week early).  We will now be moving on the day the majority of the population will be moving- July 1st.

Overall, my stress levels have been a bit elevated when it comes to life in general right now. My Doctor knows about several situations and she said that for me to be going through everything, and to still have such a good Blood Pressure, I am doing a good job of keeping things in check.

It really does not feel that way sometimes.  I will be completely honest; there are days when I just don’t want to get out of bed.  Yes, I’m extremely tired. Also, my SO had a highly contagious stomach virus this past week, so my body was working even harder to fight that off. But, a lot of it is because of stress, I believe.  I am sure I will feel better once we are done moving and have that checked off of the list of things to do but it all just feels like a lot at once.  Such is life!

I do not want to seem like I am complaining.  Things are so much worse for so many other people so then I almost feel guilty for feeling this overwhelmed.  I am lucky to have people to talk to and they make it so clear that they are there for me. It’s just hard for me to allow myself to talk about stuff sometimes.  Once I start, I cry and then I can’t stop crying and I hate that feeling.

I know it is healthier to let it all out but crying makes it feel worse sometimes.  It’s all so hard to explain. I just start thinking “It’s almost moving day which means it’s almost July.  August will go by so quickly because of family events, then September will be here and it will be my last birthday before becoming a Mom and then October will be here and so will Liam”.

Time is honestly flying- and while it is extremely exciting, it’s a lot.  I begin to feel anxious about becoming a Mom.  I wonder how I will be with Liam and if being a Step Mom will ever get easier.  There is still a wedding to plan (even if it’s small). I get anxious about all the years to come of being a Mom and Wife in general.  It’s all the things I have ever wanted but it feels like SO MUCH all at once.  I feel incredibly lucky but I can’t help getting a tiny, sick, “sinking” feeling in my stomach either.  I used to get these feelings often when I was younger. It’s like the feelings I got on the morning of a big test at school. Can I just blame all of these feelings on pregnancy hormones?

Which reminds me, while I was with my Mom, we watched an episode of Sister Wives on TLC.  I don’t have television at home so I enjoy watching a few guilty pleasures while at my parents’ place.  In this episode, one of the wives gave birth.  There I was, crying my eyes out and of course, as soon as I heard the baby cry- not only were my eyes leaking but so was my chest.  What a sight I must have been, honestly.  It makes me laugh just thinking about it.  So, no matter how stressful things may be or how hormonal I am- there is always SOMETHING to laugh about to help you deal with the rest.

More updates to come!  As always, I love hearing from you so please comment, share how your pregnancy is going (or how it went) or just say hi!