vixplusone's profile

vixplusone
	Age: 37 Country: Province/region: City: Partner: Roberto Children: Yes, 1 Pregnant: Not anymore Occupation: Event Planner, Tutor, Writer
	Online: 28 days ago. Last updated: 114 days ago. Member since: 241 days
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I've been with my husband Roberto for almost 15 years. We recently relocated from New Mexico to New York city, where we were both born and raised.

I was pregnant a few years ago, but miscarried in Week 11. We tried to conceive again, but with no success. I had even started infertility treatments (Clomid because I had one blocked Fallopian tube) when I met an acupuncturist/herbalist who helped me to recognize how badly I was stressing myself out with the whole process. The single-mindedness of our efforts was contributing to our inability to conceive; therefore I needed to take care of my self before I could think about carrying & nurturing a baby. I halted the treatments and committed to getting healthier and reconnecting to my former sources of inspiration.

About a year later my husband got the opportunity to do research in Costa Rica. Since we were planning to leave NM anyway, I quit my job and went with him. I helped him manage the project and took time to work on my creative writing and basically unwind. We held off on our plans to start a family--whether naturally, scientifically, or legally--until after we were reestablished in NY. During our time away, I managed to publish a short story and finally conceive. We're expecting a son.

In my 20th week we learned that our son's umbilical cord has only one artery, when there should be 2. This occurs in 1% of all pregnancies and could lead to cardiac problems. Fortunately a Level II ultrasound and echocardiogram confirmed that his heart is growing normally and that he and I are exchanging blood the way we should.

From weeks 26-30 my baby was estimated to be a week behind in growth. I was told that this is normal in babies with a single umbilical artery and that they would just have to watch him more carefully. But he caught up!

I enjoy the support this forum provides and hope to give as much as I'm receiving.

January 4, 2008
Week 28/29
I've been getting gradually bigger, but just this week it seems like overnight, my belly popped. I've gained 18 lbs. overall as of yesterday, but with the exception of a little extra backfat I think all the extra weight is baby. He is measuring at 27 weeks, a little small, but still within normal parameters. I think he's gonna pop as well over the next few weeks, though, as he is kicking and flipping more often as time goes by, esp. after I eat. My 3-hour glucose test went really well--my sugar levels were all lower than that of my initial test, which makes me wonder whether I would have passed the first test had I not had pasta for dinner the night before!. And--thankfully--my dr./midwife prescribed Colace for my constipation, and I had my first normal BM in weeks (not delayed or hard and straining). However, my other symptoms include:

--Pubic pain, as if I collided with a hard post while sliding down a banister on my pooty!
--Wakeful nights. I've finally gotten used to the whole sleeping-on-my-side thing, but geez! I constantly need to switch sides because my hip and shoulder fall asleep or ACHE. And with the stiffness, it takes me a couple of minutes to turn over. Sometimes I need a little push from my husband. And sometimes I can't get back to sleep until I've gotten out of bed to pee or eat a little snack.
--Heartburn. I was swigging Maalox and popping Tums for a while but stopped when I suspected they were contributing to my constipation. Luckily it only comes and goes now. I've learned to sleep with my head propped up and to not bend forward. If I have to reach low for anything, I'll either bend at the knees in an exaggerated, overly formal curtsy or I'll squat with my knees wide apart. Lovely!
--I wouldn't say that I'm especially moody (my moods had always been directly linked to how comfortable my shoes are), but I am more easily irritated by my husband and mother these days. And I burst into tears when watching shows like "A Baby Story."
--HUNGER! I was so good about choosing healthy snacks at first, but now with the holidays and the cold weather, I'm really craving the sweet stuff like hot chocolate, pastries, and ice cream.
--Happiness over all. I am really thankful that my symptoms are not worse. I don't have the ideal situation for welcoming our baby (my husband and I are still in transition from relocating, so we're staying with family in a small space instead of in our own home, and living on a tight budget, etc.), but my present circumstances have allowed me to rest and really enjoy this flourishing new life in my body, and being near our families and close friends again in our home turf eases my mind about how we're going to raise this child.

Monday, January 21
Week 31
I `ve been sleeping much better since we bought the new mattress--fewer aches and pains, though I still encounter some numbness from sleeping on my side. Am still struggling to drink enough water--besides knowing that it `s good for baby I can now see how my hydration level directly affects my potential for constipation, but it `s just so hard to remember to reach for my water bottle. I `m getting tired much more easily--even the daily ritual of showering and lotioning sends me back to bed for a little rest! Although it was a cause of some anxiety earlier, I am SO glad I `m not working now. I `m spending today moving stuff around and into storage to prepare for life with baby. We `re staying with my family and don `t plan to move into our own place until after the baby is born. Most of our life is still packed away from last year, when we moved from NM, so it `s been especially challenging to imagine the changes--and amount of new stuff--that this extra person is going to bring. We `re practicing some serious space-saving techniques, which is actually fun. Baby is moving around pretty regularly. I `m carrying him really low, so I `m still not so big--Roberto says I look like I `m wearing a prosthetic belly, you can actually see an outline of where it `s been `added on. `

Friday, 8 Feb

WEEK 33
HOLY CRAP! I haven `t really been on for about a week and just learned of the 2 births from our little group. I am SO happy for them and at the same time SO shocked by the realization that the baby actually could arrive at any time now. My only discomforts at this point are mild but regular heartburn and intense pelvic stiffness and pain when I get up from sitting or lying down. I `m getting up to pee about twice a night, but it doesn `t bother me because I figure it `s practice for waking to feed the baby. I `m still carrying tight and low, and I `ve gained a total of 20 lbs. Feeling great, though I get tired pretty quickly from walking, and have to lie down and recuperate from routine errands. A maternity support girdle has helped me walk more comfortably. I haven `t been exercising as much I had always imagined I would, but I stretch every day and do some yoga poses, especially on days when I `m not walking anywhere. If I had easier access to a gym and pool I would definitely be doing more, but I feel fine with the little bit that I am doing. I do experience some lower back pain, but it goes away after some heavy-handed massage by my loving husband, who has promised to treat me with this attention continuously throughout the labor process in keeping with the Bradley (partner-assisted) method that we `ve decided to try. My hope is for a natural delivery, but I `m preparing myself for all the potential scenarios. My shower is in a week, and I don `t have much yet in the way of a nursery. But I `m not worried--if I need to wrap the baby in a towel for a few days it would certainly not be the end of the world! As long as he `s born healthy, I `ll be satisfied. We `ll figure the rest out as we go along.

Saturday, 23 Feb

WEEK 36
I `ve been sick with a cold for the last 2 weeks and am feeling pretty miserable. Actually, I had recovered from the cold enough to enjoy my baby shower, but the party exhausted me and I was in bed all the next day. And then my DH and I had to drive up to Albany for my SIL `s graduation from Police Academy and it was snowing. I got sick all over again! The baby shower was amazing though, better than I could have expected. Now I get to organize all the clothes and goodies we received. I get all teary when I imagine little arms and legs filling out the teeny onesies. The little one is moving around a LOT, but I don `t think I `ve been having any BH contractions. Pelvic pain and backaches are at an all-time high, but the hip exercises do relieve them temporarily. Am not sleeping through the night, but am better able to deal with it knowing how common this problem is among the rest of the ladies on the forum. I `m just accepting that the more discomfort I experience, the more ready I am getting to have this baby in the world! I `m a little worried about the recent flu outbreak (which has killed 12 children in the NY area so far), but all I can do is hope that my little boy will stay inside `til it passes and I `m well enough too not to pose a threat. Roberto is being wonderful, massaging my back and just generally being a sugar mouth, which I need. Ah well, back to bed, cough cough, snffle sniffle.

March 5, 2008
WEEK 37
I have not lost my mucus plug. My discharge is still like a tiny bit of pee, annoying but not disturbing. I'm pooping more than usual. My lower back aches but is relieved by massage or just pressure on the worst spot. Pubic bones hurt like crazy and actually feel like they're separating, which they are. Baby sleeps, kicks, and squirms pretty regularly. I do get BH contractions and occasionally menstrual-like cramps at the bottom of my uterus. I haven't been told about whether I'm dilated or effaced, and I don't really care.

Feeling calm and happy but I get easily irritated and do tend to snap at people. I'm looking forward to getting my body back, but I'm determined to enjoy these last few days of pregnancy, since I've wanted this for so long.

MY BIRTH PLAN
I'm to deliver in a hospital birthing center in Manhattan. Unfortunately, my hospital doesn't offer a tub; otherwise, I would have probably chosen a water birth.

--I hope to have a natural delivery without medication. My husband and I are practicing meditation & breathing techniques to manage the pain, most closely subscribing to the Bradley Method of partner-coaching delivery. However, I would not rule out an epidural if it gets to be too much for me.

--I'd like to avoid an episiotomy, but understand its necessity if the baby is having difficulty. In the meantime, I try to massage my perineum in the shower so it'll be more likely to stretch enough.

--I don't think I would accept an offer of a mirror to see what's going on down there.

--I plan to breastfeed, and hope to do so immediately, or at least hold my baby to my bare skin immediately.

--I will NOT circumcise my baby.

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