32 Weeks!

Once again, I have let a couple weeks go by between updates. I feel like a horrible blogger lately. It’s just been such a crazy time with getting over the worst cold I’ve had in a very, very long time, family still visiting, trying to keep up with client work and finally making some real headway in the nursery.

First and foremost, thank you everyone for your words of support and encouragement through my little freak out. I feel so silly for getting so worried. Even this far in pregnancy, I still worry. I’m coming to realize that that feeling of impending doom never fully goes away.

As for my cold, I’m happy to say I’m finally feeling much better! Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I can honestly say that was one of the worst colds I’ve had in a long, long time. It didn’t help that it was the first cold I’ve had in about a year and a half so I was a big baby about it πŸ™‚ Fortunately, my mom and mother in-law were both here to take care of me which was amazing. I’m so thankful to have two amazing moms who have been able to come down here for the shower and be able to stay on and help us get the house and the nursery ready for little man’s arrival. Our house is spotless and the baby room is almost ready. There are still a few things we need to do before I post pics, but it’s such a good feeling knowing we won’t have to scramble to get it all done in the weeks before little man’s arrival and we can just relax and enjoy getting ready for the Holidays. My mom left last week and my MIL leaves on Friday. We’re so sad to see them go, but it will be nice to have a little time on our own before baby comes, and then both moms will be coming back just before Christmas to spend Christmas with us and be here for little man’s arrival.

In other news, we had another doctor appointment on Monday and all was good with little man. He’s now measuring a whopping 5lbs 2 oz plus or minus 14 oz putting him in the 90th percentile! That plus or minus means that he might not be quite as big as he seems, but either way, Dr. S seemed completely unconcerned with this. She said, with my history of HELLP and the how severe Holdon’s growth restriction was, she is thrilled with how things are going this time around. And my vitals were all perfect so we’re still a go for Dec 30 as our c-section date as of now. So in 7 weeks or less, he will finally be here! It’s so surreal. I still can’t believe it sometimes. Our next appointment is on the 27th, then we will start going every week after that.

We have also started some of our prenatal classes. We opted out of the labor and delivery class because I have to have a c-section and Dr. S said it would be a waste of time. I asked her if I should go just in case I go into labor early and need to know what to do and she basically said, if I feel any weird cramps at all or feel off in any way, we’re to go to the hospital right away, so hopefully it will be okay. We also decided to not take the postpartum recovery class because it’s mostly to help dad know how to support mom post delivery. I’ve already had a c-section before so we know what to expect postpartum and my hubby was amazingly supportive through the whole recovery process last time and I’m certain he will be again. We’ll also have both our moms here for help. So, we have decided the only really useful classes we need to take are the breast feeding class and baby care class.

Last night was the breast feeding class. It was great. I was mostly concerned about skin to skin contact and wanting to put baby to breast immediately after delivery. This has been the hardest part for me to accept with knowing I have to have another c-section. We had to wait 2 months before we were able to hold Holdon because he was too sensitive and the breathing tube made it very tricky. In his short life, I only held him 5 times and I was never able to feed him. I pumped every three hours for three months, but his short gut syndrome prevented him from taking feeds so he only tried my milk once and didn’t tolerate it and had to be put on TPN.Β  So this time around, I want to be able to hold little man as soon as possible and breast feeding successfully is really important to me. I know having him on my chest right away won’t be possible with the c-section, but I was so happy to find out that the hospital supports skin to skin contact and the instructor told me they will give the baby to me so I can see him and then he will be given to Arun to do skin to skin until they’re done stitching me up. Then I will be able to take over and try breastfeeding right away once I’m in recovery. So this is the best compromise I could hope for. Also with Kaiser Permanente, all the postpartum rooms are private rooms and they encourage baby staying with you in your room the entire time of your stay for the additional bonding and to be able to breast feed whenever baby is hungry. I am beyond thrilled with this. Overall, we really enjoyed the class. Not only was it informative, but it gave me reassurance that the hospital staff will support our desire to exclusively breastfeed as long as there isn’t a medical reason why we can’t. As an added bonus, it was also very entertaining watching Arun play with the lifelike doll when he was supposed to be practicing the different ways to burp baby. I wish I had taken a picture of him. It was hilarious! We also went over the best way to hold baby while nursing. Arun had fun demonstrating the proper football position for me (of course), and it happens to be the best way to hold and nurse your baby if you’re recovering from a c-section.

There was only one uncomfortable moment at the start of the class when the instructor asked us all if this was our first pregnancy and everyone in the room immediately said yes. Arun and I paused for a moment and finally said yes too. I had to hold back the tears because it didn’t feel right to say yes, when the real answer is no, but it just didn’t seem like the right environment to get into everything. I mention it now because I feel the need to acknowledge Holdon and our other angels tonight and honor them. As we get closer to little man’s arrival, honoring my children in Heaven has been weighing heavily on my mind. I know little man’s arrival will never replace Holdon or our other angels in our hearts but rather our hearts have grown bigger with this newest love, but it’s still hard to know that there will always be situations where it’s just not the right environment to talk about our angels and that makes me sad. On a happier note, next week is the baby care class and it should be most of the same people so hopefully this question won’t come up again and if it does, I’ll be prepared for it and at least I know watching Arun change the doll’s diaper will be a sure way to cheer my up if I get down again πŸ™‚

32 Week Progress Report

31WeeksBelly
31 Week Belly Pic

How far along?
Since my doctor scheduled my c-section based on my LMP and is going with the due date of Jan 6th instead of Jan 3rd, I am now 32 Weeks 1 Day today.

Total weight gain? 21 lbs. Not bad. I read in my week by week pregnancy book that weight gain slows down at this point to about 1/2 lb per week, so I’m on pace to only gain about 25lbs total which is right on track for the recommended weight gain, and with baby measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule, I think I’m doing okay on the weight gain front.

Maternity clothes? Yep. I’m even wearing the full belly pants now rather then just the ones that go underneath the belly because I need the extra support. They’re a little weird. I feel like I’m pulling on nylons way too high, but it’s actually pretty comfy once they’re in place. And with my belly being so low now, the other style doesn’t work anymore. I felt like my pants were falling down because my belly was pushing on them so much.

Stretch marks? Nothing so far. Again, I really believe this has more to do with skin elasticity than any amount of cream you slather on, but I’m still using my homemade belly/body butter every day and really loving it. I have written a guest post about it with the recipe to go on my friend Judith’s green mom blog, but she has been super busy and hasn’t had a chance to post it yet. I will share a link here once she does for anyone who is interested in the recipe. I think she said she would post it next week.

Sleep: Still not great, but definitely better now that my cold is gone!

Best moment this week: Seeing baby at my doctor appointment and watching Arun play with the doll at the breastfeeding class. Such a priceless moment!

Miss anything? Sleeping on my back.

Movement: Yes! Lots of movement all the time! Little man’s movements are really strong now. It’s kind of painful but still amazing.

Food cravings/Aversions: Nothing new. I’m pretty much okay with everything now and I now that the weird nausea I had a couple weeks ago went away, I’m back to wanting to eat all the time again.

Anything making you feel queasy or sick: Everything is great now. The constipation issue is finally resolved and I’m so happy about it!

Showing? Yes! I feel so huge now!

Gender: A boy!

Labor signs:Β No! and still not welcome! Hoping little man makes it to our c-section day on December 30th or a couple weeks before at the earliest!

Symptoms: The only notable new symptom is some mild swelling of my feet and ankles. My left leg is worst than my right which Dr. S said is because of the way my uterus is growing and it’s putting more pressure on my left leg. All in all, Dr. S isn’t worried about it. She said swelling is a pretty normal symptom in the last couple months and since my BP is great, she isn’t worried.

Belly button in or out? Out!

Wedding ring on or off? Still 50/50.

Happy or moody most of the time: I’m so happy! I still have the odd emotional moment, but for the most part, I just feel so blessed and happy all the time.

Looking forward to: Next weeks baby care class and our next OB appointment on November 27th

What’s Going on with Baby:

  • According to the Bump app, baby should be almost 4 pounds and is about the size of a squash. Our little squash is ahead of schedule at over 5lbs!
  • He’s getting ready for delivery and should be head down. Monday’s ultrasound confirmed that little man’s head is indeed down πŸ™‚

That’s it for now. I apologize for the really, really long post once again and if you’re still reading this, thank you! Sending everyone lots of love. <3

44 thoughts on “32 Weeks!

  1. I am so happy to hear that little man is doing great, and you are finally getting over your cold!
    I love that you have been able to spend time with your mom and mil – it is just so helpful to have a great support system and it sounds like you guys do πŸ™‚
    Holdon and you angle babies will never be replaced by the new little man that would be unfair to them and to him. Instead I hope you honour and love them all!

    1. Thanks hon. I know! I’m a little shocked how big this baby is! How are you holding up momma? Hope you’re recovering okay. Can’t wait for the kids next update. Been praying constantly for you guys.

  2. Everything is perfect, πŸ™‚ id really recommend you buy the MyBrestfriend nursing pillow esp after c-section. I didnt c-section but my friend did and we both recommend the pillow. And one more good news once the baby crosses 6 pounds the baby comes home. No nyrsery time at all. Biig milestone πŸ™‚

    1. Thanks hon! And thanks for the tip! I already got the boppy nursing pillow at my baby shower, but will add this one to my list. Do you think I should have both or just return the boppy? Thank you for saying that about reaching 6lbs.

      It’s such a huge reassurance! Hope you are doing okay and your little guy’s teeth aren’t hurting him (or you) too much. Also, I just realized I missed a couple of your protected posts. My email is johanne@getinthejar.com. I’d love the password so I can see your pics!

      1. I think my previous comment didnt get posted, so here it is again. Keep the boppy, its useful propping up the baby and helping him sit when he is older and learning to sit. For nursing the boppy , I personally found useless. Its too much, I am big boobed so had to hold the boob, hold the baby’s head and then balance the pillow. Too much to do when both the baby and you are struggling with learning to nurse. No class prepares you for the sweet joy and pain of breast feeding!!

        Ya, 6 pds is thr cut off, so you can assume baby is never in nursery for you, always by your side which is excellent for skin to skin as you wanted.

        Sent the pwd via email πŸ™‚

        1. Okay! Thank you so much for the tip! I will keep the boppy and also get the best friend nursing pillow! Thanks for the pwd. I’m going to check it out now πŸ™‚

  3. Can’t believe little dude is 5lbs already!! You’re getting so close! I would have done the same thing at the class, it probably was not a good time and really if you don’t want to share in certain settings then it’s ok to keep little Holden all to yourself! Thinking about him and all your sweet little ones xo

  4. So happy to read this healthy update πŸ™‚ I’m getting really excited for you and can’t wait to meet your little guy (via your blog, of course!)

  5. You look so adorable and the baby is growing so well! So happy for you that your hospital is supportive of what’s important to you so that you can have the skin-to-skin contact with your little one once he’s born. It’s so tough to answer that question if this is your first baby. πŸ™ And I am so glad your cold is gone!

  6. I’m so happy your feeling better and that your pregnancy is still so positive and healthy. You look beautiful as ever with your growing bump. 7 weeks!!! Even I’m excited! Glad the hospital also encourages positive post delivery baby time.

  7. Great update!!! You’re looking so good!
    I totally get that impending doom feeling. I still have it hoovering over me. It’s hard to shake. Being worried is normal. My step daughter was in the 90% and she was born nearly at 10lbs!
    It’s not unheard of. Hang in there. On the upside, his weight is amazing and should he arrive a little early, his weight is in your favor!

    1. Yikes 10 lbs! Yes, I’m so happy he’s a good size and as long as he’s healthy, that’s all that matters πŸ™‚ Thinking about you! Hope you’re not going too stir crazy on bed rest!

  8. Yeah! I love this update. He is getting so big and you look fantastic – what a bump shot! All of these classes sound so helpful – I finally signed up for one today. I dread the “is this your first” question, but I think you handled it extremely well. Thinking of you… just a few more weeks!

    1. Aw thanks hon! Glad you’ve signed up for some classes. Hope you enjoy them and they don’t ask that dreaded question. Seriously, why do they have to ask it? Thinking about you too! I know! It’s so hard to believe. We’re so close now!

  9. I am so delighted to read about how well things are going with little man, all fo the family support you’ve had and that you are finally feeling better. This is getting so exciting, I can hardly wait for December 30th to be here!

      1. That’s so sweet of you, thank you. I really cannot believe you have less than 7 weeks to go. I have this funny feeling it may happen sooner and while I would not wish the worry of an emergency surgery on anyone I don’t have a sense of it going badly or being a terrible panic. I could see little man showing up on Christmas so he doesn’t miss any presents, though. πŸ˜‰

        1. I actually had a dream just last night that he decided to arrive on Christmas day in the middle of dinner! Too funny! I’m more than fine with him arriving early as long as he’s okay and that we have enough time to make it to the hospital and be prepped for surgery without too much of a panic πŸ™‚

  10. Such great news!! πŸ™‚ I was just thinking about you, your little one and your little angels the other day. I saw an ornament at Kohl’s and I had remembered how we bought ornaments last year and it made me smile. Sending so much love as always to you and your little boy. <3

  11. Yay for 32 weeks! And happy that the cold is over and you are feeling better. I cannot believe it is getting so close, January is almost here!

    1. I know I just can’t believe how fast the time is flying now. 6 more weeks on Tuesday and this baby will be here!

      Praying all is going well with you and baby too!

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