25 and 26 Weeks Pregnant!

Yeah, unless I start feeling like an over-achiever, these pregnancy blogs are gonna be every 2 weeks.  The weeks are just going by so quickly, and I'm so busy at school that writing one every week is proving to be difficult!  I try to make mental notes during the week so I can remember what I want to talk about though.  I will be 27 weeks tomorrow, so here is my 25/26 week update!

So, here I am at 25 weeks pregnant.  Another school picture!  I am always in a rush now, so I have to snap one when I get a chance!

I got a haircut, and it makes getting ready A LOT faster!  I like it a lot better than what I had.

During this week, I continued to get heartburn, which was not fun.  It's really painful.  I've taken Tums, and they haven't done anything.  I have heard from several people I should try Maalox.  I may do that.  I'm not a big medicine person.  I never take anything for a headache; I just drink water.  I just don't like taking medicine. I would rather treat the problem than the symptoms, but this heartburn has just gotten the best of me.  It's not from eating spicy food either.  Just regular food in my daily diet.  It's strange.  My doctor suggested that I take 1 Zantac every day to prevent the heartburn.  I'm not sure if I'll do that or not, but if this heartburn keeps up, I'm definitely not above it.

This week I also noticed how difficult it is for me to get in and out of bed, off the couch, out of the car, etc.  I really have to get so momentum going to move myself.  It's crazy.  Adam usually helps me up if he's around.  I'm pitiful.  Haha.

The sweet cravings have been intense.  All I want are chocolate milkshakes 24/7.  Sigh.  I have been trying to discourage myself from getting them, but it's so hard.  They are so delicious and really hit the spot.  I think my body is making up for not wanting sweets for 20 weeks.

Here's what Baby Center has to say about me at 25 weeks:

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.  You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.  When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Here's what baby was up to at 25 weeks:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

During 26 weeks pregnant, I had my gestational diabetes test and my 4 week check up.  I passed my diabetes test, and that was such a relief, especially given my constant sweet craving.....and indulgence into that craving.....  Here I am at 26 weeks!

I got to hear the hearbeat which was in the 130 beat/minute range.  The doctor also told me that the baby is head down!  I kind of wondered that since I feel all of his kicks really high on my right side now.  I also have a funny bulge on the left side next to my belly button, which I think we have determined is his bottom. :)  How cute. :)  She measured my belly since I have been feeling like I am really big and look like I could go at any second.  I'm measuring right at 27 inches (as of 26 weeks 4 days), so I'm right on track.  I guess since I'm so short waisted, it just makes my belly look super big.  Maybe he'll run out of space and come early.  That would be awesome!  But not too early of course. 

I asked the doctor about a few symptoms I have been experiencing that are definitely uncomfortable and feel "not normal" to me.  Whenever I sneeze, I get a SUPER sharp pain under my stomach.  It is excrutiating to where I have to yell or make some kind of noise.  She told me that is round ligament pain, and that it is normal.  If that is anything like what contractions will feel like, I might die.  It is SO painful.  The pain doesn't last long, but it's such a stabbing pain, it just kills me.  Glad to know it's normal though, but hate to know what real pain is going to feel like.  

Also, as you may remember from my 22 week pregnancy blog found HERE,  I had a little fainting episode (almost fainting) at the doctor's office.  Well since then, it has happened 2-3 more times.  The doctor said that my blood pressure is on the very low side, so any dip in blood pressure, my body reacts negatively to.  She said probably what is happening is that I'm going too long in between meals.  I usually stay so busy that I don't snack, but when it comes meal time, I stuff myself.  This causes me to have sugar spikes when I eat meals, and sugar dips when I go without.  She told me I need to eat smaller meals throughout the day and to make sure I am constantly doing some healthy snacking to keep blood pressure dips away.  I'm going to do my best.  It's really hard to snack while you're teaching.  Especially when you know that the kids are hungry and ready for lunch, it makes you feel guilty. 

I also talked to her a little bit about the birth.  So far, she hasn't offered me any info on birth, so I have no idea what to expect.  I really don't know what I should be asking.  She said fetal monitering (which is a concern of mine since I'm hoping I will be able to walk around at the hospital) will be dependent upon how the labor is going.  I really don't wanna be stuck in the bed the whole time.  I would like to stay up and moving so hopefully it will help progress the labor and possibly provide some distraction/relief from the contractions.  I also asked if Adam and I should be taking birth classes, and she said that depends on us and if that is something that we would feel would better prepare us.  I really don't know.  I mean, I already know that labor will probably be nothing like what I thought it would be (it will probably be worse), so I don't know if you can ever really prepare.  But she said that if we are going to sign up for classes, it needs to be soon.  Leave me a comment and let me know if you took birth classes and if it was helpful or not.  Keep in mind, I'm gonna give it my best effort to do things naturally.  So I don't know if that makes a difference or not.  I plan to labor at home for as long as possible before going to the hospital.  I just think I will be more comfortable here.  So let me know what you did and how it did/didn't prepare you. 

Here is what my body was up during 26 weeks pregnant according to Baby Center:

Are you rushing around trying to get to childbirth classes and prepare your baby's room while still taking care of all your other daily tasks? Make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest. Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it's probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. (Typically, blood pressure falls toward the end of the first trimester, and it tends to reach a low at about 22 to 24 weeks.)  Preeclampsia — a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and protein in your urine — most often shows up after 37 weeks, but it can happen earlier so it's important to be aware of the warning signs of this condition. Call your caregiver if you have swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, or rapid weight gain (more than 4 pounds in a week). With more severe preeclampsia, you may experience other symptoms. Let your caregiver know immediately if you have a severe or persistent headache, vision changes (including double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision), intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen, or vomiting.  If your lower back seems a little achy lately, you can thank both your growing uterus — which shifts your center of gravity, stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, and may be pressing on a nerve — as well as hormonal changes that loosen your joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, as well as bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath or hot compress might bring relief. (Some women, though, find cool compresses more comforting.) Try to maintain good posture during the day, avoid activities that require bending and twisting at the same time, take frequent breaks when sitting or standing, and sleep on your side with one or both knees bent with a pillow between your legs, using another pillow (or wedge) to support your abdomen.

Here is what was going on with baby during 26 weeks:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Woo hoo!  Lots of interesting stuff going on, haha.  Adam and I played the flashlight game with him the other night.  We put the flashlight up to my stomach, and he kicked wherever the light was.  It was fun.  He has also started moving in response to Adam's voice, which is really cool!  He continues to move like crazy.  I now have to get up every 1-2 hours at night to go to the bathroom.  I think with him being head down, it has created a lot of pressure.  Then, once I have gotten up and lay back down, he starts moving A LOT!  I guess he is getting me ready for some sleepless nights! 

A lot of people have been asking me when my due date is.  His official due date is April 30.  At our last ultrasound at 20 weeks, he was already measuring about a pound, and they said it was looking like he may come by April 24.  I feel like he is really big, so I am hoping he comes a little bit early so that I don't have to push out a 10-11 pound baby. :)  But as long as he's healthy and everything is developed, I'm good.  It's all in God's timing.  I'm sorry this update was so long, but I just want to be able to look back and remember everything. :)  Remember to let me know what your experience was with birth classes and whether or not you think it was necessary.  You can also let me know if you took the Bradley method classes, Lamaze, etc.  Thanks!  Have a restful Sunday afternoon. :)