Brontosaurus Lays an Egg

[starlooker]

NICE.

Also, I have recently learned that I am not fat. I have maternal tissue storage.

And the maternal tissue storage, along with the increase in baby size and changes in uterus position, are apparently starting to affect my center of gravity. I noticed it earlier this week, but it wasn't happening every time I walk, so I pretended it was a fluke. It's not. I am now officially walking like a pregnant woman. Feet further out to the sides, weight settled more firmly onto the back of my hips. (First person to call it "waddling" shall be made to feel very, very sorry.)

It's weird. It's completely involuntary. I never noticed how I walked before, at all. I didn't realize I knew my own walk so well that I'd really notice it changing. You don't know what you've got till it's gone, etc. (It's not bad, just very different. It's a physical change I didn't really think about before, and wouldn't have understood what it would feel like if I had.)

[Eaquae Legit]

Amen to that. It's so WEIRD.

Meanwhile, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the antenatal clinic for more BP testing I go...

[starlooker]

Got brave and weighed myself today. First time since my last prenatal visit. Sure I'd gained 10 lbs.

Was pleasantly surprised to find out that I've only gained about 3 or 4. Which means that my weight gain rate is now actually in line with what the stupid guidelines suggest. Not the total weight gain, but the second trimester rate. I am rather pleased about this. And relieved.

Also, yeah. My body has definitely changed more than 3 or 4 pounds worth. Seriously, the weight and shape of me is just shifting madly right now. Button-up shirts that used to hang on me like tents now cling to my boobs and belly. It's crazy.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Hi ho hi ho, home from the antenatal ward at last. Hate the world. Exhausted. Sleep now. (Am okay.)

[Gravity Defier]

*hugs* Sorry to hear that but the little part of the world that is me loves you. Feel better, missy.

[starlooker]

*squee!*

It's going faster, it's going faster, it's going SO MUCH FASTER!

Yes, I understand it will slow down again around the seventh month, but still. Happy.

Anyhow, folks, I was at 14 whole weeks yesterday, and have started Week 15. Which means that I am now to the point where I haven't read that much further ahead on all the week-to-week calendars out of sheer boredom with where I'm at! And, per Amalah, this week my baby is going to get up to Beefsteak Tomato size! And I'm very firmly ensconced in the second trimester!

I'd say I'm a bit moody, but there are lots of other things that could be causing that right now, so I'm holding off on blaming the pregnancy. (Other potential culprits: Accidental withdrawal from antidepressants, actual end of my job, death of my aunt, cats who think the world is their puke bowl, etc.)

Anyhow, not a whole lot to report, other than a lot of fun end-of-work conversations with mommies who are missing the days their children were babies now that they're talking back and questioning parents/moving to dangerous countries or living in the paths of hurricanes/dating/preteens. Pretty much everybody loves a first-time pregnant woman.

Still love being a first-time pregnant woman.

Oh! And in yesterday's mail we got official notification that our screen results came back normal! YAY!

*pats belly affectionately and says a quick thank-you prayer for not having to choose whether or not to do more invasive testing. Among other things she's thankful for.*

Tara loves laying on my belly, these days. I think she knows. I think they both might know, but Reece is more "Dude. Whatever." I hope sometime when he's laying on my belly, Little Bit gives him a good, strong kick. Silly cat.

(Whenever he sneaks into my bedroom, I like singing "He's a ninja, he's a kitty ninja!" to the tune of "Hoodie Ninja.")

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Alea, I already told you, but you aren't included in the world that I hate. Just FYI.

I went in for the extra blood pressure monitoring the doctor told me to, and it had spiked some, so they admitted me. I spent the day peeing into a jug, being bored and lonely because Rei had to work, and had a pretty awful dinner followed by a sleepless night (too hot, snoring, uncomfortable bed, lonely, sad, headache, clogged sinuses, etc. etc.). I got about an hour and a half sleep, and might have been able to go back to sleep except the ward wakes up around 6:30am. FUUUUUUCK. When the midwife asked how I was doing this morning, I growled "TERRIBLE."

Rei had to work Saturday, so I was again alone and bored (and shaking from exhaustion) all day. He popped by at lunch and another friend visited for about an hour, but it was an awful day. And awful food. I flat-out refused the anti-DVT stockings after they made my feet sweat. I will need to be a lot more immobile before I'll put those suckers back on. By the time the doctor came by and made "hmmm" sounds at my chart, I was ready to be break. I think she saw the "glass half murder, glass half suicide" look on my face and told me I could go home if I promised to come back in for more BP testing today. I agreed.

For a day in which nothing actually bad happened, it was quite traumatic. Today, being well-rested and accompanied by Rei, it was only vaguely annoying.

So now I have to go back twice a week for tests, which is... irritating. I feel fine. But I know they just want to make sure I stay feeling fine, so whatever. I'll do it. I want a healthy baby and I am committed to doing what I need to to make that happen. And at least now I'm familiar with some of the midwives at the hospital, which is a good feeling. And we found a wee little courtyard garden in the mat ward which is open all day/night and is very pretty indeed. Oh, and now I know where the all-night tea and sammiches station is. Score!

Also, I am vaguely amused that amitriptyline is contraindicated by my new med. HA.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Still feeling pretty off. Side effects from new med, hangover from the awful weekend, or just one of those days?

I decided yesterday that if my fingers were too puffy to wear my wedding ring, that probably made them just the right size to wear my grandma's emerald ring!



I can also report that while the midwifing system here is pretty awesome, they take blood differently somehow. For one, it's called "Blood Taking", which just sounds so much more ominous than "phlebotomy" or "bloodwork lab". *shivers* Also, in Canada I have never had blood taken anywhere but from the inside middle of my elbow. They keep taking it here from veins further out or in, which is decidedly more painful! And yesterday they tried to take blood, and messed it up somehow, twice! I am not fond of needles, but neither am I phobic, but those times I really had to grit my teeth and look away and consciously hold very very still, because it HURT LIKE HECK. One of the things they want with my regular visits is blood, probably at least once a week! GAH.

[Luet]

Ooh, that "blood taking" sounds awful! Does it leave bruises?

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Ironically, hardly at all. Well, yesterday's. In the past it has bruised about the same amount as it always has before.

[VelvetElvis]

Please ask them to use a different vein, if you feel uncomfortable. I know that my patients sometimes have preferences, and I try to honor those if at all possible.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

I do try, every time. But they say it's not good enough and then take from the periphral veins anyway. They're very very nice but they are quite set on the outside veins for some reason. Until recently, it has only hurt a bit more than the normal, so I haven't fussed overmuch because if they're more confident it will probably go easier for me.

At least it wasn't arterial blood, though! The woman in the bed kitty-corner to me had to give an arterial sample, and she was actually yelling OW THAT HURTS! Given that she'd been poked a number of times already and had an IV in without complain, it wasn't just wimpiness. I felt really bad for her when they decided the sample wasn't good enough for some reason and came and took more. *cradles her wrists protectively*

[Dr. Mobius]

I'm guessing it's a difference in how British nurses are trained versus their North American counterparts and they're afraid to leave the comfort zone of their standard operating procedure. I've only ever had blood taken from my elbow. I guess try to be more forceful? Tell them if they want your blood they'll have to take it from your elbow or not at all.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Reassured by the people at the antenatal day unit that no, they probably don't want blood every week. Thank heavens! I got booked for another ultrasound next week. Wee Brontosaurus is going to be incredibly well-documented! I asked "What does all this mean, anyway?" and it seems as long as nothing changes, it means very little. If something does change, however, they'll know about it pronto and be able to respond. Am rather grumpy that the legendary good birthing genes my matrilineal family has have apparently skipped me (this time).

And on the lighter side: babies are delicious! Steph, you got any recipes?

[starlooker]

HAHAHAHA!

Apparently their ad writer had been reading too much Jonathan Swift before the deadline.

[steph]

Babies don't need much tinkering with to make them delicious. Toes are a favorite snack in our family (we decided they taste like bacon, because we call them piggies), as well as ears. If you sprinkle a little nibble on the tummy, you get the most delectable giggles. Yum, yum, yum. Too bad my baby is sleeping. I want to eat her.

P.S. Kinley was sticking her toes in Brayden's mouth while we were driving the other day and saying "ah mahm, mahm!) It was adorable.

[starlooker]

Having snacked on them myself, I must say, Kinley does have absolutely delectable toes.

[starlooker]

Hey! Looking in the mirror today, I've discovered that my belly is now ever so slightly bigger than my boobs! That's never even come close to happening to me before! I'm fascinated.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Midwife appointment today. Another not-my-midwife. Augh. She was perfectly nice and tried to be helpful but I was just a mess. Managed not to cry. I miss my chemical comfort! The next time I can meet my own midwife is at 36 weeks, but that is very late! Well, it was suggested that I call and contact her directly and see if we can work out something sooner. And the appointment was totally pointless, since it wasn't even as thorough as the rigamarole I now go through twice a week at the hospital! Meanwhile, I am still rather desperate to sort out the birth plan.

To help with this frustration, I wanted to go and buy some of the clothes we were getting as a gift from Rei's family. Got thwarted there, too. Ended up ordering some cloth diapers online (suuuuper good deal), getting some newborn-sized disposable diapers, and found a couple adorable baby items at a charity shop - a wee 0-3mo sweater vest and a couple pairs of trousers.

Still active baby, now 32 weeks! Holy carp, where'd the time go?!

[Dr. Mobius]

Would someone mind explaining the whole midwife thing to me? I don't know of any women around here who have had one of those, or if they did they did they never mentioned it by that name. They all had regular doctor appointments for sure, but I would've never heard the term midwife if not for Pweb.

[Jayelle]

Would someone mind explaining the whole midwife thing to me? I don't know of any women around here who have had one of those, or if they did they did they never mentioned it by that name. They all had regular doctor appointments for sure, but I would've never heard the term midwife if not for Pweb.

A midwife is someone who specializes specifically in birth. They don't have the full on medical training of a doctor, but tend to have extensive training in birth.
It's an unregulated term, so it really depends on the country for how and what exactly they do and how they are trained. Depending on where you are, you can choose to have a midwife instead of an OB doctor, or as well as. In Canada, most (not mine, damnit!) provinces have midwives are covered under public heath insurance. In the US, they tend to cost less then a hospital birth, but have trouble being covered by private insurance.
Anyone who is having a home birth will very likely have a midwife, since doctors tend not to do home births.

Unlike an OB, she (there are very few male midwives) looks at birth from a non-medical perspective. OBs, while great, are taught to look at every birth from a "worst-case scenario " perspective, so they err on the side of interventions, whereas midwives tend to have seen more normal births and so know other ways of helping women without resorting to pitocin/epidural/c-section/etc.

TL:DR?
They are birth specialists.

[Dr. Mobius]

Ah. I'm guessing most of the mothers I know stuck with an OB then and I'm pretty sure they all had hospital births, though few of them had any sort of "intervention" and then only if a complication made it completely necessary.

[Eaquae Legit]

In the UK they are the normal pregnancy and birth practicioners. You can choose to have midwife-led care, or like me you can have care shared between your GP and your midwife (for me, because of my medications and blood pressure concerns). You see midwives almost exclusively - they run the antenatal ward(s), the labour and delivery wards, and the postnatal care. They have a lot more autonomy and are a formal and significant part of the health care system.

It's kind of cool, really.

[Jayelle]

In the UK they are the normal pregnancy and birth practicioners. You can choose to have midwife-led care, or like me you can have care shared between your GP and your midwife (for me, because of my medications and blood pressure concerns). You see midwives almost exclusively - they run the antenatal ward(s), the labour and delivery wards, and the postnatal care. They have a lot more autonomy and are a formal and significant part of the health care system.

It's kind of cool, really.

That's awesome. Europe is so much better for midwives and birth stuff. The Canadian (and even more so American) system is seriously broken in some respects.

[Eaquae Legit]

I've met a few who practiced briefly in North America before getting fed up and returning to the UK. But they're definitely more medicalised here, so it's a bit of a mix of the two approaches.

[steph]

My midwives were what colorado has labeled "Certified Nurse-Midwives." They did all my medical care for my pregnancy, including being able to write prescriptions for anything I needed. They did try natural approaches first, though. When my blood pressure was getting a bit high (though not dangerous), they put me on a gallon of water with the juice of a lemon a day and 2 mandatory rest periods during the day. It worked for me! But if it hadn't, they would have been able to give me the meds I needed. They were not able to perform my needed c-section, so the OB on call did the surgery, although the midwife assisted. With new insurance for baby #2, my midwives were not covered, so now I see the OB who delivered Tyler.

My friend used a midwife who was not certified and she was sent to a chiropractor when she had a kidney infection. *cringe*

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

STOP MOVING AROUND, SMALL HUMAN CHILD.

No, seriously, keep moving and growing and developing muscles and reassuring me you're still alive in there. But geez, do you HAVE to do it right under my ribcage? Between this and the havoc you wreak with my sinuses and nasal passages, it's an amazement that my O2 sats are decent. I feel like I can't breathe ever!

Had further blood-taking hilarity this week. *facepalm* And they want more on Wednesday! NOOOOOoooooooooo! The marks from last Sunday still aren't faded, and I have fresh ones from Friday.

But I'm seeing a "consultant" on Wednesday, since the proteinuria is still a thing. I'm glad to maybe be getting some answers?

I can't believe how close all of this is now. So short a time left! It feels like forever but when I think of it in terms of "days left to sleep in", it's scary short. On Thursday I was on my bike, and an old gent commented at me that in all his life he'd never seen that before, a pregnant woman riding a bike! Heehee! Since I have gotten some dubious looks and worried sentiments from friends and family about my continuing to cycle, I quickly discovered from the internets that cycling while pregnant (even 7 months or more!) is totally okay as long as you listen to your body and are careful about hazards. I found these two posts especially inspiring!

[Jayelle]

Had further blood-taking hilarity this week. *facepalm* And they want more on Wednesday! NOOOOOoooooooooo!

Those crazy vampire doctors.

I can't believe how close all of this is now. So short a time left! It feels like forever but when I think of it in terms of "days left to sleep in", it's scary short.

Oh man, you're getting close to the cruel-month of pregnancy. 38-41+ weeks. They're all "Hey, you're full term, you could go into labour at any time" and then you have to be on edge for SO LONG.

[Mommy Brontosaurus]

Heck, I feel like that now, even, with the potential pre-e signs! It feels like any given day they could just decide that I need admitting and induction-scheduling! I know it's unlikely yet, but it's in the back of my mind. And since my family has a tendency to early births anyway, I have to expect "it could be any day now" from 36 weeks!

[starlooker]

I'm so sorry about the vampire treatment you're getting. And I'm amazed that you're so far along! (I'm going to miss being pregnant with you.)

Anyhow, 15 weeks today. This week has flown, in part because all the days seem the same right now. I need a routine.

I need new clothes.

Otherwise, not much to report. I wouldn't even know I was pregnant if it weren't for the evidence of the last couple of months, plus the tummy. And the appetite at mealtimes.

I slept through the night without having to get up to pee! Actually, THAT's incredibly exciting to me. They said it would happen eventually! Yay!

[VelvetElvis]

I got you ladies a present.

[starlooker]

HEEE! Love it. Especially the porno ones. Because WHO thought that was a good idea? Particularly for a Christmas card?

[Gravity Defier]

Whereas I'm wondering if that second to last one was set up that way because they felt like recreating the position that resulted in the baby bump in the first place.

[starlooker]

Bought maternity jeans today, because the Bella Band wasn't quite cutting it anymore, at least with the jeans. Also got a tank top and a couple of shirts. Have bought some things on sale, too, that I'm waiting on.

Man, maternity jeans are COOL. Seriously. Why do people wear regular jeans? They make my butt look good, plus they are some serious turkey-eating pants.

Shirts are harder to find.

Also, my skin is scaly and peely and itchy all over, particularly my back. Any advice?

[VelvetElvis]

Coconut oil. I could probably write poems to the stuff.