Last week I had a dr visit and my mom got to come! Chad had a class to attend in Atl so he couldn't make it. It was supposed to be just a simple check up but since I have been having constant lower abdominal pains my midwife wanted to check and make sure my cervix was ok. SO mom got to see Little Man!!! It was great! I had called the day before to see if they would do one since she was coming and they said "Oh no we don't just do an ultrasound for no reason...." Um I was planning on paying for it but whatever. I still don't understand why.... But nonetheless we got lucky! Everything turned out fine and I had the ultrasound tech double check that it truly was a boy! AND YES this view was definitely 100% boy parts, no doubt! I forgot to scan in the pic so I will put it up next time! I wanted a good profile picture since all my pics of him look like a demonic flaming skull, but he has turned backward so she couldn't get one :( She did find one from our last visit but it wasn't very good either, but she printed it for me :)
So my appointment went good, my midwife ordered a veinous ultrasound on my legs to make sure I didn't have any clots forming and that my blood was flowing normal. She was concerned about how my feet are swelling and how my left foot is more swollen than my right, and it has also been painful.... AND, of course, I had another UTI... so back on antibiotics.... UGH!
That afternoon I was laying on the couch (yes, with my feet up!) and I actually got to SEE him kick! That was so exciting! I think more exciting than feeling him for the first time! He was very active last Wednesday!
Since then I have not felt him as strong. I guess that's because he is turned around and I guess kicking my back? I don't know how that works but I am feeling him regularly, still more at bedtime than any other time of the day!
24 weeks!!!
This week my feet are still swollen but actually not as bad as they were, and the pain has pretty much disappeared! I had my veinous ultrasound on Wednesday (yesterday) and everything checked out. The cardiovascular Dr has to approve it but so far no problems! Just stupid swollen feet... ugh!
Last night we had our first childbirth class! Babies R Us offers free classes so we are going to take advantage of as many as we can! Though the setting was aweful - in the middle of the nursery furniture and bedding department with a speaker blaring music the entire time- we could barely hear the lady talking but got most of it.
It was put on my a doula out of Atlanta and pretty much confirmed what I had already decided. I am DETERMINED to have a natural birth, as long as all goes well!
WHY would I choose this!?!? Well, believe it or not epidural slows labor and Pitocin makes it much much much more painful! So basically your body is put into an unnatural state of "labor" but doesn't really know how to react. So your chances of something going wrong are much higher, and chance of C-section is much much higher because your body isn't acting naturally! Sometimes the epidural doesn't work like it is "supposed" to so the Pitocin they are pumping into you makes the contractions unbearable....
So, I just don't want it. I want my body to tell me what to do and when to do it. Its much less stress on baby and I really don't want to be bedridden for hours and hours on end. Plus, I am a WOMAN! This is what my body was designed for! I know it will be painful and I may regret my decision but I will do everything I can to make it through. I am determined to prove everyone wrong who thinks I cannot. So there! :)
A far as baby, he is still turned, I think. He's still active at night and last night Chad was able to feel him kick a few times as we were laying in bed :) I love that he is able to feel him, especially when I don't think he's really kicking hard! I wish wish he was more active during the day but they are supposed to be sleeping more and more now.. Today he was craving a chocolate cupcake so I HAD to go to the store and get him some chocolate cupcakes... rotten kid! ;)
Last week my midwife said I needed to start wearing compression hose for the swelling in my feet.... Well I bought some yesterday after my appointment.... She wants me to wear the maternity ones that come up over the belly. Well, today I tried them...... OMG I don't think I will be able to continue them. They are horrible and whoever designed them was a complete idiot! The lady at the store told me to get the Plus size, since I will be going through this in the summer and it will be super uncomfortable! So, I did... And tried them on this morning,...... 20 minutes later I was sweating and furious! I broke a nail, got a run in the hose and was completely exhausted. I cannot imagine a true plus sized woman squeezing into those things! They cut into my toes and there is a lacy band on the thigh that totally cut into my legs! I could not WAIT to get out of them! I was so uncomfortable today, wouldn't walk right and was constantly trying to adjust them... I would rather deal with the swelling and foot pain than deal with that all day. UGH!!!!
I have also been having sciatica in my right leg and the hose seemed to make it worse!
SO, that's all I have to update on this time, I think!
