Week 28

At my last appointment, earlier this week, everything looked great. My blood pressure was good, which is something that I get really nervous about every since my dear friend's nightmare started with high blood pressure at a routine appointment. I'm still measuring right on for where I am in the pregnancy, and the baby's heartbeat was strong (152bpm). And bonus, I was still only up six pounds since pre-pregnancy!

I now have to track the baby's movements three times a day. I've been doing it after lunch, after dinner, and when I get in bed. And if the total movements in those three 15-minute periods does not equal at least ten, I'm to call the doctor. I was a little worried because I hadn't paid any attention to the baby's rhythms and I worried I'd end up tracking during rest periods and I'd freak out. Fortunately, during my first 15-minutes, I got 21 movements. Turns out the baby was more active than I even realized, and continued to be so for several days. But then yesterday and today, the movements were way down. Still above ten total, but 21 had become the standard against which I measured. And when, for instance, at bedtime last night I didn't feel it at all, and then at lunch today, I only got 6, I panicked. Luckily after dinner it decided to reassure me with, conveniently, another 21 movements.

Seriously though, I have to do this every day for the rest of the pregnancy. As if I wasn't paranoid enough!

Anyway, here I am at (a few days past) 28 weeks:

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WEEK 28: Size of a Chinese Cabbage

And just to keep things real, here is how I actually wear those pajama pants:

Best pregnancy pants ever. They're not actually maternity pants, and they're meant to be folded over, but eff that. I wear those suckers up to my boobs.

This past week my back has decided to act out. It hurts in one specific area all the time, and there's no good way to massage it, so I often sit on the couch with a tennis ball pressing into the sweet spot. Prenatal massage anyone? (I wish.)

I also have a foot in my rib. Or some other baby part. It's jabbing right into my lower right rib, and is quite uncomfortable when I sit down and my torso slightly collapses. Foot in rib - such an odd sensation. So are fetal hiccups. At first I didn't know that was what I was feeling, I thought they were really small, subtle movements. But then I noticed there was a rhythm to them, so I googled it, and yep, pretty sure those are hiccups! Plus, they're always down at my lower left side, which is the opposite of where I think I'm feeling the foot, so I'm guessing the baby's head is down there most of the time.

What else? I failed my glucose tolerance test a couple weeks ago. I was three points above the 70-130 normal range, so this week I have to go in for an extended test. I have to eat a high-starch diet for three days, then fast for 12 hours, then drink a bunch of the sugary glucola they use. Then I have to wait at the lab for three hours with a blood draw every hour. Should be a really fun time!

Also, my cat is starting to notice the baby. Or so it seems. He's not exactly a lap cat, but every once in awhile he'll demand a little attention. A few days this week, he's forced his way onto my lap, despite a laptop in his way, and curled up around my belly, burying his head in my chest.

And finally, how about a few "real life" pics from this week?

I took the above in the bathroom at my yoga place. I had gotten a lot of compliments on that shirt and thought I should get a picture before changing for yoga.

And that one is from the orchard today. I totally smuggled a pumpkin out under my shirt. Ha! Bet nobody's ever used that joke before...

Comments

[Steph]

You look great! I wish I could say that I've only gained 6 pounds. I've put on around 18 so far. I'm not a fan :( I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow.

[A.]

You are a darling pregnant woman! I love your outfits.

And with that heartbeat, I'm pretty sure I know what you're having! :)