In fact last Sunday I got a little worried that Poppy wanted to be out a little early. I had experienced some fluid loss and also had some reasonably severe lower back pain (regular waves of pain). So we headed off to the hospital just in case. It wasn't early labour (thank goodness) or appendicitis (quadruple thank goodness)... but the jury was out as to whether it was kidney stones or an infection. I've heard kidney stones are worse than actual labour so I know what diagnosis I was voting for.So the following day I had a renal ultrasound (yay- got to see little, well not so little anymore, Poppy again) and the good news was that it was just an infection. So 7 days of antibiotics for me.
Unfortunately, I also caught a cold somewhere along the line, one with a hacking chesty cough that keeps me awake at night. So the cold, the infection and the low iron (diagnosed a couple of weeks ago) had me feeling less than best for the last week. I had three days off work, and really should have taken the full week off work and I am still feeling a little off.
Although the last week has been less than ideal, the last few weeks taken together have been great. I really hope that I don't jinx myself by saying this but I actually feel a lot more comfortable in my pregnant body than I did in the 20 - 29 week stages (despite everyone saying that from 30 weeks on it gets really uncomfortable). I powerwalk to work still (recently doing a best ever time) passing lots of people, my back rib pain (which was really troubling me for a while) has subsided, my feet are swelling less (this could be to do with the slight drop in temperatures from +35 degrees everyday to just +30 degrees everyday) and I generally sleep a whole lot better now than previously. I am still really mobile and can do pretty much everything that I want/need to pretty easily i.e. doing up shoes, shaving legs etc. I put this down to my pregnancy pilates classes and my walking regime. So apart from the recent illness I actually feel pretty fit and strong right now.
Now it may be a little early for this as I am sure lots can change in 6 weeks and 5 days but I thought I would jot down a few things that I like about being pregnant, and a few things that I definitely won't miss about being pregnant.
Things I like about being pregnant
- Afternoon naps - I always wanted to live in a siesta friendly culture, now I just need to find somewhere comfortable to nap at work.
- Heart beat - hearing the glorious galloping heartbeat of the little one inside of me that Jason and I made together.
- Baby movements - feeling little Poppy move about, tring to guess what limb I am feeling, playing with little Poppy (i.e. pushing back on his/her little hands/feet and getting a response), Jason being able to connect with Poppy through the wriggling and kicking and knowing that little Poppy is safe and well everytime I feel something.
- Anticipation - knowing that soon there will be a little one to cuddle and nurse. Poppy's been hanging out with me for nearly 8 months, and we have no idea what sex he/she will be, what Poppy will look like and what his/her personality will be like. I will be really happy to find out, but I'll miss that excitement that comes before getting to meet our precious baby.
- People being really nice - recently I was doing the groceries and I was waiting in a long queue. I was leaning over the trolley in a little bit of discomfort and a lady at the front of an opposite queue let me go to the front.
- Knowing exactly where our baby is - Right now, I have a decent amount of control over our baby's safety. I know where he/she is at all times, Poppy can’t run out into traffic, and I can step into the other room without worrying as he/she has to come with me.
- Having a belly that makes people smile - walking down the street I now find that I get lots of smiles from older women... its nice to know that my belly can make someone happy in the moment that they see it.
- Being told I am a superhero for doing (what I think) are basic things - A lot of people at my work are in awe that I can regularly walk up to 10km. It seems pretty easy to me as I have run 59.8km before, but to some even walking 200m is hard, let alone while pregnant.
- Peeing in a cup - so every doctors appointment I have to pee in a cup. It was ok when the doctors appointment were every 4 weeks, but now its way more regular. On top of that, I actually can't see the cup any longer... so its now blindly peeing into a cup (I won't go into anymore detail).
- Restricted sleeping positions - I was a tummy sleeper... that went out the window at about 19 weeks along, then I slept on my back.... that was gone not long after due to the extra belly weight causing light headedness and heartburn. So now I wedge around 5 pillows around my body and find a position that I can fall asleep in.
- Baby feet wedged in my rib cage - baby feet are cute...but not so when wedged in my rib cage. It's like someone stuck a lever under the right side of my ribs and is slowly trying to pry the bones out of my chest.
- Food restrictions -I already think about food too much. Am I getting enough of each vitamin and mineral? Am I getting too much of something? While pregnant, that responsibility to do what’s right for our bodies now becomes a responsibility for another human who can’t make those decisions. Considering all of the conflicting information out there and the potential of life-threatening diseases, it’s too much pressure! I don't really miss many foods other than sushi and rare meat. I REALLY want sushi right now. On a side note, I do like my pregnancy food cravings- all I want is fresh fruit.
- Strangers thinking that as you are pregnant, they have a right to tell you all about their experiences with pregnancy (even things you just don't want to hear) - enough said.
- People not being nice - there have been numerous times that people have avoided eye contact with me on the bus home while I am standing and they are sitting in the seats reserved for those who need it (i.e. older people, pregnant women etc...).
- Swollen ankles - I am looking forward to seeing my ankle bones again.
