Dentist vs OBGYN

We started off the day early yesterday, with a trip to the dentist.

He had spotted some "inflammation" along the gum line of one tooth the last time I was there for a checkup, but it hadn't been bothering me none. So when it still didn't bother me any for the next 3 weeks, plus there wasn't any redness that I could see, I thought "oh well, he'll just check and see that there's nothing to be done, and that'll be that".

Yeah, right. He said that there was still some inflammation, and he wanted to use a local tetracycline antibiotic that would not get into my system ( i.e. Junior ), but I was reluctant to do that. I told him I would consult my OGBYN ( whom I would be seeing right after I leave his office ) about that first.

Long story short, the OGBYN was quite adamant that no tetracycline was to be used at all, and I don't blame her. Tetracycline does all kinds of stuff to the baby ( even tho the dentist said it was merely local and wasn't systemic )

From a drug safety site :

Problems attributable to the use of the tetracyclines during or around the gestational period can be classified into four areas:

• Adverse effects on fetal teeth and bones
• Maternal liver toxicity
• Congenital defects
• Miscellaneous effects

Gah, no thanks.

Yikes, I'm squishing you

I started getting on and off Braxton Hicks contractions several weeks ago, not on a daily basis, though. Just once in a few days and like that.

Today I had one that got my lower tummy into a pretty hard ball. It wasn't painful, just a little uncomfortable. It wasn't associated with any other "signs" and it was just a one off thing that lasted probably 10 seconds, so I know it was just a Braxton Hicks and nothing to worry about.

But still, I wonder when that happens, if you feel terribly squished.

Feels like I'm wearing an invisible corset

and someone keeps tightening the laces up.

With the baby growing bigger and taking up more and more space in my belly, my internal organs are being shifted around, and my stomach is getting more horizontal with time. It's only the 25th week, but already today I've had several episodes of reflux and generally feeling very bloated, as well as a little short of breath as the baby squishes my insides together, making less space for my lungs to expand.

And it's only going to get worse as babyness starts growing more and more in the next months, until the "dropping" back into the pelvis thingy.

Oh well.

Shake Rattle and Hum

The first time it happened, it really really surprised me, and when I told your daddy about it, he totally freaked out.

Letti : My belly's just VIBRATED!!!

The Hubs : WHAT??

Letti : The baby was doing this vibrating thing in my tummy!

The Hubs : OMG is he having a seizure???

Letti : I don't think so. It was only for a second. Like popcorn exploding in my tummy, like "gaboing gaboing gaboiiiiinnnnnggggggggg".

The Hubs : *erk*

Anyway, we've been to see the doctor since the first incident, and you've had several "vibrating" episodes since then, but we believe it's hiccups or something, and nothing to worry about. Apparently, a lot of mothers feel their babies vibrating in their tummies sometimes.

Eat Sleep and Grow

Seems like that's basically what I'm doing these days.

Eating, sleeping and GROWING bigger.

Coincidentally, that's what JUNIOR is doing too, so that kinda makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And speaking of sleeping, I wasn't quite the night owl before ( that's your daddy's department, Junior ), but I probably went to bed at around midnight or so. I've noticed, though, that in the last week, come 9 pm, and I would have a hard time keeping my eyes open. Totally khamazing. Usually, at that point in the night, I'm in bed with my feet propped up, laying on my side, playing some games on the laptop which would be on the nightstand next to the bed.

And I would close my eyes for a second and wake up 3 hours later or something, with the laptop having gone to sleep as well.

More Check Ups

Your daddy and I had to go to Brownwood ( where grand-daddy WLW grew up ) yesterday for a ( repeat ) medical checkup for immigration purposes. ( Bureaucracy, what can I say ) It all went smoothly, and the only thing I had to do, other than being examined by the doctor, was have a chest xray done. I had cleared it with our obstetrician, as well as maternal and fetal specialist, and got the green light to go ahead and have the xray done, with a lead apron/shield on.

Your dad was especially nervous, but I know you were well protected. Your mommy even hung around while the xray film was being processed and read her own chest xray film. LOL. Once a doctor... oh well, I knew there was nothing wrong with me, but this was immigration red tape stuff, and I wanted to be sure. You were pretty active at the doctor's office, though. I guess your parents' vibes as to how important this was to them got passed on to you... :)

If you can't beat em, join em

The hubs says he's getting a taste of what I'm used to having to deal with at night, because all of the sudden, in the past week or 2, he says I've started snoring. And not too subtly either.

GAAAAHHHHHHHHH

I can't help it if I'm getting pregnancy congestion...

I can't help it if my face and neck are now swallowed up in mounds of fat....

*sigh* This is highly unladylike and very disturbing. I wake up in the night feeling thirsty, and the back of my throat is a little sore and full of yucky mucousy stuff.

But what can you do about something that is part and parcel of almost reaching your third trimester? I guess some breathe right strips and propping up with more pillows and more sleeping on the side.

And to think there is a whole 'nother trimester to go .

Palpitations @ week 24

Having between 45 - 50 % more blood coursing through your veins does weird things to you, like making your heart beat up to 20 beats/minute more than usual... . As well has having your insides and different organs shifted around to make space for an expanding uterus as well as changing size and shape .!!!..

Position and Size of Heart

As the uterus enlarges and the diaphragm becomes elevated, the heart is displaced upward and somewhat to the left with rotation on its long axis, so that the apex beat is moved laterally. Cardiac capacity increases by 70-80mL; this may be due to increased volume or hyperthophy of cardiac muscle.The size of the heart appears to increase by about 12%

Cardiac Output

Cardiac output increases approximately 40% during pregnancy, reaching its maximum at 20-24 week’s gestation and continuing at this level until term. The increase in output can be as much as1,5L/min over the non pregnant level. Cardiac output is very sensitive to changes in body position. This sensitivity increases with lengthening gestation, presumably because the uterus impinges upon the inferior vena cava, thereby decreasing blood return to the heart. The increase in plasma volume (40-50%) is relatively greater than that of red cell mass (20-30%) resulting in hemodilution and a decrease in hemoglobin concentration

And that's just the part that has to do with the heart. I haven't even begun to think about the widening of my rib cage, and pushing up of the diaphragm etc etc.

I've been getting these ( not really episodes, but ) brief moments in the day when I feel like my heart's beating too fast, and it makes me uncomfortable for a little while. But it doesn't make me feel faint or anything like that. It just makes me feel like I've run up a flight of stairs. And then it goes away after a couple of minutes.

It's also strange, but I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world :)

Did you finally grow some butt?

I must have had the flattest rear end on earth. Seriously. It was like there was a straight line from my back down to my thighs..

And then, I got pregnant.


Overheard in our bathroom last week

Letti : *leaning over sink, brushing teeth*

The Hubs : *passes through, and suddenly stops in his tracks*

Letti : "What?"

The Hubs : "Wow, did you suddenly grow some butt?"

Letti : "It's this whole shift in the center of gravity thing, causing me to have a whole different posture that makes my buttocks stick out. And it's gonna get worse. Bleh"

The Hubs : "............"

New "Complaint"

We were at a Christmas concert yesterday, where I was sitting ( and trying to stretch my feet ) for about 2 hours or more, I guess... and when it was time to get up and go home, I was a little stiff, but what struck me was that the bottom of my right foot was hurting with every step. It almost felt as if there was a broken blood vessel on the sole of my foot where the arch was, but when we got home and I took my shoes off, I couldn't see any bruising underneath the skin.

I figured it might be like the foot's equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome from swelling or something, because I didn't stretch as much as I should have during the concert, nor could i put my feet up during the show, although the hubs did offer his lap for that very reason. So off I marched into the bedroom & lay down, legs raised on a couple of pillows, and surfed the net a little, searching for "foot pain in pregnancy". I was quite surprised that after a couple of hours, I got up to go to the bathroom, and the pain was all gone.

Phew.

Pregnancy Dreams

I took a relatively long nap after church and lunch today, and had 2 pregnancy dreams that I can remember.

In the first one, you were a newborn.. in fact, so newly born, that I can remember that it was 4 in the afternoon in my dream, and you had been born 4 hours before, at noon. And we were somehow at some pool, and we were already starting you on baby swimming lessons. The only thing that concerned me in the dream was that I hadn't brought any swim diapers with us.

The second dream was about water retention during pregnancy, and my legs were the size of chunky logs. Quite distressing.

I think I gotta go put up my feet before they DO become that way.

Latest pregnancy "grouses"/developments

Getting tired during the day
Some shortness of breath with "exertion"
Mild constipation
Mild cramping in certain positions in bed at night.

Christmas came early

Lucky you! You received a couple of early christmas presents from your daddy's good friend, Clay and his wife Chrissy in the mail yesterday and today! Clay was best man at your mummy and daddy's wedding, so it was really very sweet of them. We don't get to see them as much as we should, but for sure we'll be sending them a thank you note for you! :)

Check out the booty on mummy's other blog, over HERE.

Oh Baby

Mummy had a dental appointment this morning, followed by a visit to the maternal-fetal specialist for a followup ultrasound. My teeth are doing good, except for this one in the upper left molar region where the gums are a little inflamed. If it doesn't settle down in a couple of weeks, I may have to get a topical antibiotic thingy for it. I am hoping that the inflammation will settle down by itself and nothing further needs to be done.

At the ultrasound appointment today, we were told you were doing really good. In fact, you were still measuring about a week and a half ahead, in the 60 somethingth percentile. From your measurements, the doctor estimated you to be about 1lb and 6 oz right now, and he also mentioned that you had long arms and legs. I'm glad you're growing well, but I pray you don't get too ginormous for me to deliver! I mean, your daddy is 6' 2 1/2" and your mommy is a tall asian woman at 5' 6" but I pray everything will go well and there won't be any problems.

Double Whammy

Both mummy and daddy have caught a bug

Daddy's coughing coughing with a stuffy nose, poor baby... Mummy is feeling flaky and tired with post nasal dripping out the tuchus.

So we're both taking it slower than usual today. Daddy's stretched out under a blankie on the recliner in the living room, all konked out, and mummy's in bed with her be-stockinged feet raised, and the Vicks Vaporub near at hand, surfing the net., wondering what to make for dinner.

Bah.

Are we there yet?

I know it's only been 22 weeks, and we are more than halfway there, but boy, it sure takes a long time to prepare a baby for this world.

David : "Just be glad you're human and not an elephant or you'd be pregnant for like 2 years"

Letti : "Gasp!"

A good night's sleep

We had gotten a couple of bolster pillows a number of years ago when we first moved into our house and didn't really have much furniture ( or even a bed yet ). Then after we got situated, they were stored in the spare room .... till last night, when I asked the hubs if he could go retrieve one of them and whack the dust off of it ( we didn't have a rug beater, so we used a badminton racquet we had laying around.. LOL ) so I could see if it could help me with the backaches I would get from sleeping on my side and like that.

The hubs was super sweet about doing all of that for me and even said he would get me a PROPER pregnancy body pillow thingy, but I said that would be a waste of money as well as the resource we already had - the much underutilized bolster pillow we had.

Anyway, once it was adequately cleaned and like that, I slept with it last night, and man, we should have gotten it out earlier.

It was totally heavenly. For some reason, it helped "align" my body in such a way that less stress was put on my back and I was able to sleep, literally, like a baby :)

I used to have very skinny feet

as well as ankles.. the kind that have bony protrusions everywhere.

Now I have cankles.

*sigh*

Other than that, we had a visit with the doctor today, and everything was good. No protein or sugar in the urine, my blood pressure was really good at 108/68 mmHg, even after I had told the nurse my blood pressure was probably going to be sky high from having seen my weight just seconds before.

You, my babyness, is doing tremendously well, growing as you should, and having a strong healthy heart beat of 164 beats per minute. Next week when we go see the maternal-fetal specialist again, we get to see you on the ultrasound again. That's always neat.

Oh, and your daddy's too funny. He's been complimenting me on what a good job I've been doing, as your incubator :P

Sleep Wake Cycle

Not yours, baby, but mine.

Our OBGYN told us that from 20 weeks onwards, I shouldn't lay on my back much anymore, especially when I sleep at night. Now sleeping on my tummy is definitely not an option either. So I have to sleep on either side ( left being better ), but then it's not a very "natural" position to me, and so I tend to wake up several times a night to switch sides, partly because my arm that's underneath has gone NUMB

I am going through such accelerated fatness, I get distressed whenever I step on the scales. I can literally put on several pounds overnight, it is ridiculous. It would be hard for someone who had never had a weight problem to understand, but I'd been constantly teased as "the fat girl" or "fatso" and "clumsy clod" when I was younger, and still carry that baggage around with me into adulthood even though I'm supposed to know better...

My dearest Junior, I promise to do my very best not to "inflict" any of these kinds of "psychological trauma" onto you, EVER.