At this point right now, I am 34 weeks. I don't look as pregnant as most people would expect I do... The photos below are from when I was 12 weeks and 34 weeks, respectively.
I am obviously pregnant lol I just get told a lot that I do not look as big as most people when they are as far along as I am.
So far, my tests have gone well and I have had no crazy symptoms. I passed my glucose test! It is something I was super nervous about and prayed very hard for me to pass. I was afraid I wouldn't because of my PCOS and my family history of diabetes but I passed it! I did have to do the 3-hour test (which I will write about in another post) because I screwed up the 1 hour test like a silly person! I still have had no nausea or vomiting. The only symptoms I have had are some major groin pains on my left side. It only hurts and makes it difficult to get up out of bed or sitting down if I have been sitting or laying for a while. I do notice the pain is more severe (nothing I can't just "walk off") when I have been super active during the day and just have a seat to relax/kick my feet up or lay down to go to sleep. It does make it hard to turn over in bed at night... There is a lot of grunting and breathing deep when I have to wake up to pee every 3 hours haha! I have had some heartburn but nothing too severe. I just take tums when it happens and consume a lot of water. I have noticed I get it when I don't eat for extended periods of time... Sometimes I am just not hungry. I have not had any crazy swelling, except when I get super hot and the swelling stays to my ankles and calves. It is usually remedied by propping my feet up and occasionally an ice pack to speed the process up. I have also noticed that I have lightheaded and super hot (even inside an air conditioned environment) if I am walking around a lot or am active and have not eaten in a few hours. My doctor said my blood sugar is most likely dropping and I need to always keep a snack with me so that I can eat something. If that doesn't work, I need to sit down and rest for a few minutes while drinking some water or Gatorade to cool myself off. Summer pregnancies are tricky with the heat and humidity outside and the increased blood and heat flowing through our pregnant bodies. I am staying well hydrated!!
As far as weight gain goes, I am right on target, which is something I was also worried about! Having PCOS only means gaining weight is super easy to do, its the getting it off that is hard! I have gotten lucky that I have been craving healthy stuff and not unhealthy stuff. The most unhealthy thing I have wanted to eat while pregnant is apples with caramel! Everything else has been huge portions of salad or grapes or crackers (regular or graham) with PB or carrots with dip. I have loved it! I wanted to make sure I kept my weight gain down to a minimum so that it isn't so hard to get off after I have the baby.
The baby's growth is right on target as well. Although, the ultrasound technician said he is in the 75th percentile for weight, weighing in at an estimated 5 to 5.5 pounds at just 33 weeks along. At 34 weeks, most babies weigh about 4.75 pounds so he was a wee bit big for his gestational age but those measurements could be off. Based on the fact that I am showing on the smaller side and that my measurements at the doctor are right where they should be, I bet he'll just be an average sized baby, nothing too big.
I have had a significant increase in testosterone during this pregnancy because of my PCOS, already high testosterone and my baby being a boy. My hair has grown a little faster and darker in places that the hair was blonde. I have resisted my usual "shave it off" mindset and instead either left the new stuff alone, plucked it out or waxed it off if needed. So far, it has worked and only made the hair better. I just really want to lower my testosterone back to normal after this baby. I will feel MUCH better about myself!!
We have finished all of our classes for birth, breastfeeding and infant care. We kind of miss going to our classes and having our "couple's time" but I'm glad that they are over and we can focus on practicing what we learned before he arrives. If I haven't said it already, my plan is to have a natural, unmedicated birth. I feel that I have a pretty high pain tolerance level and want to see if my body can complete something that is so natural and that women have been doing for years! I know, I know, just about everyone in our family has told me that I am crazy and if I don't have to experience pain, why should I? But I know my body can do it and I know with the Lord by my side and the help of my hubby, I can do it!
I have been enjoying being pregnant. As I said before, there as not been anything that I have experienced that has been overly unpleasant (except the yeast infection) and the baby isn't causing me pain or discomfort (except when he rests his butt on my ribs... my mom says it is payback because that is exactly what I did when she was pregnant with me lol). He can stay cooking in here as long as he needs to be in here!! I am however getting extremely excited about meeting him, he will be the greatest!!
My brother's girlfriend had their baby a couple weeks ago. She had a very complicated pregnancy and their daughter was born 3 or so weeks early. I am just glad the baby is ok! Her name is Sydney Elaine and she is cute as can be! My mom said that she looks like me when I was born... I looked back at pictures and it is true! She looks nothing like my brother when he was born but looks a ton like me! My brother was born with blonde hair and was smaller. I was born with jet black hair that spiked straight up, puffy cheeks and was about 8.5 pounds. Sydney looks just like that. Even at being born 3 weeks early, she weighed 8lbs, 10 oz! I can only imagine how big she would be if she cooked for another 3 weeks. My brother's girlfriend had high blood pressure and TONS of swelling for weeks so when her BP didn't decrease for weeks, they decided to induce her. Apparently, she had a rough birth. The epidural didn't work so well and she wasn't prepared for any pain at all, the doctor stopped counting stiches when she reached over 100, there was drama with her family and mine, there was drama with her family and my brother... Seemed like a whole mess that I am glad that I was not present for because I don't do drama. I want my birthing experience to be as drama free as possible!!
Well I am off for now, I will try to write something next week about the nursery and current projects :-)
