Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Belly shot: 37 weeks pregnant

Now that I have those gorgeous photos that my friend Julie took last week, this picture from yesterday (37.2 weeks from LMP) seems anti-climactic...and the lighting was poor so it's a bit grainy.
Anyway I feel good. Fatigue is my biggest complaint; I often wake up at night and can't fall back asleep, sometimes for several hours. And of course I'm up 5-6 times a night to pee. I've been feeling a lot of pelvic crampiness too, as if I'm having my period--a constant low, dull ache in the cervix and pelvic bones. Nothing sharp or rhythmic like labor, but something is definitely going on down there.

I've also had to slow down physically this pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Zari, I was taking brisk walks with my dog up until I gave birth. But this time, anything more than a slow amble sets off contractions, and my belly feels like it's going to explode if I try to speed up. I've started swimming once or twice a week, and I love it; it's the only physical activity I can do without triggering contractions.

The baby has been ROT for the past few weeks, but yesterday it moved around a lot and now it's anywhere from OP to LOT to who knows where? Heart tones are in the 120s (occasionally, when the baby is sleeping) to more typical 140s-150s. Fundal height is spot on at 37 cms. So basically, nothing out of the ordinary to report.

And just for kicks, a recent photo of Eric and Zari:

6 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photos. Gorgeous belly. xoxo

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  2. Time sure flies, it seems like just a couple of weeks ago you announced your pregnancy...

    As for not being able to go back to sleep, I have to say that the only thing that helped me sleep at night during my last 2 pregnancies was listening to Rainbow Relaxation script from HypnoBirthing on my iPod, otherwise I could turn and toss in bed for hours, no matter how tired I was. I don't know if you can borrow the script alone from someone you know, or if you want to look into the whole course, or maybe find a different progressive relaxation script, but it sure sounds like you could use one :)

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  3. I was wondering where *my* Wednesday belly shot was! : )

    Another thing, without any doubt, about the 2nd and subsequent pregnancies was this, number one, without a doubt: I could not do hardly anything beyond a slow slow shamble without INTENSE "braxton hicks" contractions. Like a knife in the bladder, and a turn-key tightness from the low belly around to my entire back.

    With pregnancy number one? Not a single solitary twinge until they pumped up the pit AND broke my water. Not one cramp or contraction. Same with my sister. Miss jogging girl, JOGGING---with baby number one...baby two, kind of swam and went to the gym, baby three, wore modified pj's to work and came home and slept and could hardly walk without a medicval abdominal binder lifter thing.

    Crazy!

    Anyhow, you look great and I am getting excited for you! Heehee

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  4. that sounds like my second pregnancy. starting at around 32 weeks we though i was in preterm labor.
    we went to the hospital (since home birth at 32 weeks probably wouldn't be smart..) and while i was having birthing waves fairly close together, nothing came of it.
    after that...anything would set it off again. sneezing, bending over to put pants on. lifting my son. using the restroom. literally anything.

    of course, then baby wasn't born until after my due date. ;)

    I also found it interesting that my prodromal labor "pains" actually were very crampy, yet my birthing time was completely comfortable using the hypnobabies.

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  5. Gosh, I almost feel like you've transported me back to 10 months ago. At the end of my last pregnancy, I did a lot of walking with my boys to the library or the store or just around. We did it for exercise and to get out of the tiny apartment. The problem was there was this fairly steep hill back into the apartment complex, and I always had to slow WAY down to get up it. (I'm not sure why I kept insisting on checking out every book in the library every week since I was walking to and from and carrying all that. *scratching my head on that one*) The most prevalent feeling was a general tightening of my belly and a tightening around my pubic bone whenever I tried to go faster than an amble. In later months after the baby was born, I was always amazed at how easy it was to get up that hill. Imagine that! :)

    You look beautiful, Rixa, even if the photo isn't as good as the gorgeous ones you had taken last week.

    By the way, that pendant of yours is GORGEOUS! I'm still trying to figure out a way to attach it, but I've got some ideas. :)

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  6. So cute! I can't believe baby 2 is almost here.

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