Pregnancy Recap.

So I'm labouring more regularly now - but you wont know that ahead of time because I don't intend to post this blog entry until after this peanut is born. But I am contracting every 5-7minutes and hanging out at home. I tried to get some sleep - but haven't had much luck. I'll probably try to lay down again. I've been contracting lots the last two days and some were more uncomfortable than others - but it has definitely gotten more intense over the last few hours. They're still quite spaced out but aren't lasting very long (maybe 30-40 seconds.) Like I said, just hanging out at home until my contractions are closer together or more intense. So far so good though.

I decided because I have all of this adrenaline rushing through my veins I would take this opportunity to recap on my pregnancy:

First Trimester:
Found out I was pregnant: November 12th
First sign of morning sickness: really shortly after November 12th.
Calculated due date as per LMP: July 16th, 2010. As per dating ultrasound: July 17th, 2010.
Cravings: none - however, I could handle soda crackers and ginger ale (but even ginger ale could spark my gag reflex)
Pros: I was pregnant!
Cons: morning sickness (and having a very smelly job some days.. BGS augh); feeling like I couldn't do much - yoga, physical activity; being constantly drained.
Weight gain: none, actually I lost weight...

Second Trimester:
Cravings: just like my husband's cousin POTATOES. Pretty much in every shape and form. I could eat potatoes anytime, anyday, anywhere, any style. RIBS - yes, like the meat kind, like the, I-haven't-eaten-ribs-or-any-pig-or-cow-in-over-8-years-but-please-give-me-some-ribs-asap. I was told to go to Baton Rouge in Ottawa for the best ribs ever - but I never made it down (probably for the best.) Then there was the random cravings: poutine (probably falls under fries), popsicles and freezies, cupcakes, pizza, nothing really all that crazy. It sounds like I ate super unhealthily but really I promise I didn't.
Pros: TONS more energy and thus felt human again and could DO THINGS, everyone knew so I was able to explain my crazy behaviour of my first trimester, no real stressors, felt baby move early - all in all a great trimester.
Cons: I needed to do that STUPID STUPID STUPID GTT testing twice - but it was for a good reason so I should try not to complain. (It came back fine. I didn't have gestational diabetes.)

Weight gain: I was 136lbs by the end of the second trimester.

Third Trimester
Pros: Almost there, getting the nursery set up (saving 600$ on the nursery furniture!), felt lots more movement, a decent amount of energy, TONS of walking, and just overall happy. Also I only started needing to get up in the middle of the night to pee after 34 weeks AND it was only occasional, probably happened 7 times in total.

Cons: Working night shifts from 32weeks - 35weeks. Don't get me wrong I still did my happy dance while there, but the 12 hour shifts and the craziness that became the birthing unit at the end was a little much. It's pretty hard to go from 9pm-530am without eating when you're pregnant and running around like crazy. The elbows or knees (who knows...) that baby would use to push against the bed which made sleeping at the end very difficult.

Overall Pregnancy:
Total number of maternity clothing bought: 10 pieces (not including new panties or bras). 2 pairs of maternity jeans (I was lucky and fit into most of mine up until 26 weeks and than after that had my lululemon pants), 6 maternity tops (again pretty lucky in that my looser fitting tops lasted awhile), 1 sweater, and a bella band. All in all I was pretty lucky.. which brings us to the next point:
Total weight gain: Okay, so this is harder to calculate as if you were to start with my beginning weight I only gained 22lbs; however, I was in the negative during my first trimester which would put me at around 28lbs after gaining back the weight I lost. Either way - not too bad - my doctor was pretty pleased.
Best moments: when baby would dance for Eric - my all time favourite was probably when I laid in bed and we put Eric's iPhone on my belly and played some music and you could see the baby moving the iPhone. I also loved when my linea nigra came in (even though above my belly button it's crooked.)
Worst moments: Please see "cons" of the first trimester.

What I would do differently: I would have started practicing yoga earlier on in the pregnancy (second trimester.) I was missing a decent amount of my balance by the end. Also, I only swam a few times while pregnant and when I did it I LOVED it. I should have done that more. AND I should have taken more pictures. Next time right?

Well that's all I'm going to post on that matter because really I'm finishing off this blog entry 3 and half months into my postpartum period and really want to do a post about the actual labour and delivery next...

Thanks for reading!

Take care,

Beth

False Alarm - sort of (38+5)

Hello again blogging world.

I just wanted to give a quick little update - My uterus is still contracting - however, very mildly and irregularly. I'm not anticipating a July 8th baby - actually I'm not even anticipating a baby this weekend (although I am still hoping!) Who knows, maybe something exciting will happen. But I'll keep you in the know!

Take care,
Beth

Nearing an end.. I hope (38weeks and 4 days)

Hello Blogworld.

Augh - ooooh - eeeeeeik - breathe. So I'm contracting - irregularly and they go away sometimes and then they come back - and then leave again. And then are more intense - then less intense. Then it's just crampy and then it's my whole stomach (uterus) is hard as a rock. Ahh - early labour. Could last another week - god forbid - contractions could stop altogether- could have a baby tomorrow?? While my ob/gyn is on call... Please??

I'll keep you in the know.
Beth

Happy Canada Day - No June baby for me. (37+5weeks)

Happy Canada Day Blogging world.

How are you planning on spending Canada Day today? Ottawa is funny in that the whole city literally shuts down - it's so weird. Driving on the outskirts is like driving on a Sunday morning at 7am - the roads are deserted; however, as you start heading downtown the festivities really pick up. And I mean REALLY pick up. The government posts and map on their website which lets you know which roads are closed downtown and really the best way to get anywhere is the bus or the O-Train. So this is actually only my second Canada Day in Ottawa (besides a couple when I was younger - which I'm not sure even happened.) Last year we spent it with my cousin and it was a little bit crazy. We left from her house with literally 7 minutes to get to the fireworks (we are at least 13 minutes away) and I was nominated driver (for a few reasons) and we made it there with 2 minutes to spare - and it wasn't because traffic was light. Anyway we parked and were running through the downtown streets of Ottawa watching the fireworks off the reflections of the glass windows. It was pretty neat. We made it for the "grand finale" which wasn't that grand (probably had something to do with the recession.) Anyway, it was a good Canada Day. This year my cousin and her boyfriend have gone off to the cottage for the weekend and I have a feeling this year's Canada Day will be significantly more low key than last years. We're going to head down to Parliament during the day and watch some live music and see the Snowbirds and CF-18s. I think we'll just spend some of the day downtown - I'm not sure if we're going to go back for the fireworks - and I can tell you right now I am NOT spending from noon until 10pm downtown. Hecks no. Also Eric picked himself up a steak last night and I grabbed some halibut so that we can have a nice "Canada Day Dinner" using the BBQ - which we have used almost every day since purchasing (great buy - so far!)

Alright, so I managed to keep the first half of this blog baby free, but since the blog is really about baby (or at least that's why I started writing the blog) I feel as though I should fill you in on the last few days. So as you know I am term now (woot woot) actually I'm 37 + 5 weeks today - if some of you choose to take the time to do that math you will realize that I've lost (or baby has lost) 2 days in gestation. You would be right. My due date based on dates was July 16th and my due date based on the first ultrasound was July 17th - and they go with the first ultrasound - which is fine. But I for whatever reason kept calculating things with the girls at work who are all pregnant and there "switch day" is Thursday (today) so they are all either 32 weeks, 37 weeks or 33 weeks today, so it was easy to just say I was 38 weeks. BUT I'm not really - I'm a poser. Not the point of the story. Anyway - in my last post there was all this hope and desire to be in labour by now (which I'm severely not - I have a very severe case of "Not being in labour") which is fine - as I cry myself to sleep. Anyway, I was really set that I was going to have this baby in June. Which is now absolutely impossible (regardless of what place in the world you are) and that's okay - now I'm aiming for July. Dad suggested I aimed for August, but I don't think he fully understood that the desire of June was that it was SOONER than July. I still love him - even if he doesn't quite get it. One of the nurses who I worked with figured I would have the baby come Friday. I think she's wrong now. You need SOME form of contractions and my uterus just really isn't committing. So to say the least I was a little upset the day before yesterday when nothing was going on - especially because I was doing everything you're supposed to do to induce labour (and more) and nothing happened. Which could be because it's not actually my due date yet. Still not the point. I was walking, biking, climbing stairs, eating pineapple, hot bath taking, yoga-ing, dancing, hula hooping, jumping, breast pumping (owww...), raspberry leaf tea drinking, and several more things that just didn't seem to cut it. So this baby is comfortable and as my dad has said "this baby will come on it's birthday" AUGH. Eric used that line this morning and I almost hit him (love you babe). So due to my disappointment that there is no baby yet I have made a list of reasons why it's better to still have the baby on the inside:

Reasons why it's better to have the baby inside instead of outside:

Leaving the house:

1) You only need to make sure one of you has peed/pooped before leaving

2) You only need to make sure one of you is fed before leaving

3) You only have 1 seatbelt to do up - and temperature in the vehicle is dependent on how you like it, not what keeps baby from crying - also you get to choose the tunes and don't need to play them so loud they drown out the cries of baby (just kidding)

4) Walking 2 dogs is easier when you don't need to push a stroller.

5) Running to the grocery store (okay waddling to the grocery store) is a 10 minute activity before baby, after baby - do you really need to eat?

Sleep:

1) You can at least ATTEMPT to sleep when you like where you like.

2) If you're on mat leave that can be any time at all.

3) When you do finally fall asleep you don't need to worry about that being EXACTLY when baby starts crying.

Showering:

1) You can do it with door the closed.

2) You can take as long as you want.

3) This points go for all bathroom activities actually.

Eating:

1) You can eat almost anything you want (obviously there are the issues if you have heartburn and stuff like that BUT the point is more or less you can have anything) after baby is born be prepared to cut out the foods that make him/her not enjoy your breastmilk or make the baby colicky (which was chocolate for my friend Jess's baby Adair - that sucks.)

2) You still have time to sit down and eat.

3) You can go out to eat and you generally get extra good service - actually that's another point service - while you're pregnant people hold doors open for you and are super friendly - after pregnancy - well I'm sure they would still hold the door open for you BUT you're probably out and about less.

Eric's contributions to my list:

1) Harder to break when it's on the inside.

2) Don't need to worry about losing it.

3) It doesn't poo (that he needs to clean)

Alright, that's my list so far. Pretty much for every day this baby stays in from this point forward I'll find something to add to my list. I don't want people to be confused and start whispering that I don't really want to have my baby - this is just my way of being less frustrated that I don't have the baby yet - I've spent the last 4 days trying to bring on labour - I'm just going to take a break from it for the weekend (as Eric has a nice long weekend) and resume activities and attempts come Monday (and I have a whole list of other possible tricks.)

On that note! Have a spectacular long weekend (for those of you who have one) enjoy Canada Day! If you don't have a long weekend - especially enjoy your normal length weekend!

As always,

Thanks for reading!!