33 weeks: adventures in anterior (placenta) -- big babies, hypnobirthing and Ina May

So if you know me personally or have followed a bit of this blog you can probably surmise the following:

1. I'm excited about this baby, bigtime
2. I love 3D ultrasounds
3. I'm neurotic to a fault

That being said, of COURSE we got another 3D ultrasound done at exactly 32 weeks. Every time we've gone to the technician we have had someone new, this time it was the actual owner. She was very conversational and seemed to love what she was doing. She asked me how much I thought the baby weighed at 32 weeks...I gave the babycenter approved range of  around 3.75 lbs as my best guess.

babycenter view at 32 weeks..aka what I looked like at 17 weeks

She said, guess again...so I guessed 4? She kept pointing up towards the ceiling. 4 and a quarter? Nope. 4 and a half? 

just how big are you in there?!

TRY *****FIVE***** (worthy of 5 asterisks) POUNDS

I of course was happy he was growing like a champ, but having known 36 weeks babies who were born at that size I was a tad alarmed. I know the ovulation date and date we conceived so his due date/my gestational timeline should be right on track. She then used a tool to measure his head and it read at 35 weeks 1 days, and she said he was in the 89% percentile. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

That's my big headed baby! But oh, was he beautiful! Look at that sweet face and dare I say luscious lips? Unsure where he got those beauties from but I cannot wait to smooch them!


If babies grow a half pound each week in their important final trimester, that would put this kiddo at a comfy 8.5 to 9 lbs based on the tech's opinion. WHAT. That sound you hear is my pelvis creaking. 


She also was able to verify he was head down but face up (sunnyside/posterior) which is a recipe for some awful back labor per Dr. Google. 

But again, those lips! I die....

I've read that babies tend to snuggle up to their placentas, but homeboy is in there straight SMOOCHING that thing. I have a feeling he is quite comfy. All of this wouldn't bother me so much had I not been recently revolutionized by the idea of natural birth. If I just planned on having an epidural and being pumped full of pain medicines I could probably take it in stride. The problem is I have been struck by the holistic, "pain is mental, contractions are natural" guidance of "The Business of Being Born" (Damn you, Ricki) and started reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. 


Both really delve into the notion that our bodies are made for this (duh) and that society has ingrained us to believe that labor has to mean intense pain. Alot of it you can approach positively, (each contraction gets you that much closer to your baby) ... it's called labor for a reason because it is WORK, but it doesn't have to be laden with fear. 

Reading natural birthing stories has been very motivating for me, and because I have conditioned my body so much during this pregnancy I think physically I could handle the actual physical "labor process". My fear lies in the fact that I tend to be high-anxiety (I can get panic attacks having a dental exam), I've broken my tailbone in the past,  he is sunnyside up/back labor/potential to get stuck pushing for hours, AAAAAAAAND the idea that he may be a big boy strikes the notion from my head I could possibly do this medication free. 


I really don't want any pitocin because of it's relation to stalling natural labor, causing more interventions, causing potential likelihood of a c-section, either. 

Oh, but that face. He will be so worth whatever happens. I plan to discuss with my doctors what their thought process is in terms of his size/likelihood to flip....and then we will take it from there. I have also downloaded Hypnobabies, which is either going to totally calm me down, or will frustrate me because of my lack of patience. The thing is I am so neurotic and prepared that literally EVERYTHING is set up for this child to come....perhaps studying hypnosis anesthesia and guided meditation will give me a healthy reprieve from packing and re-packing our bags and re-folding cloth diapers. 


In any event, I've been trying to stay really positive and learn more about the process and what I can do to best reach my goals. I know right now that part of me would be disappointed if I can't make my "idealized" view of birth happen...but nothing goes to plan with labor. I can't beat myself up for trying, even if I do end up with an epidural. One day at a time, ginormo baby!

So in other news, we've been growing steady! At my last visit I told the Dr. I had been noticing some leg cramping at night, and she suggested "slowing down", which unfortunately isn't really in my life plan right now. I have doubled up on my potassium intake and upped my calcium as well, but I do have to admit that she could be somewhat right. On days I really work myself hard (aka the elliptical machine) I have noticed increased pain at night. Earlier this week I rode that thing for 45 minutes...and end up waking in 3 hour tangents to release the pressure in my calves, butt, and hips...and to of course pee. 


No amount of post-workout stretching seems to make a difference. The only thing that cures the pain is standing up. A friend who is also preggers attributes this to all the weight we are just chilling in the middle causing the rest of our muscles to not have as much blood flow/more pressure. All I know is that it took me until 4PM the next DAY to feel reduced pain. Up next: more walking, less elliptical. WOMP WOMP. 

How far along? 33 big bouncing baby boy weeks!

Total weight gain: Up 28 lbs still...unsure if that's related to the fact that out of nowhere like the bitch that she is, nausea showed up earlier this week. I had 6 straight days where I would get hit with the overwhelming urge to throw up all over my desk at work, or need to go lay my head down. After having zero nausea at any point during this pregnancy I was really surprised it happened at all. The only thing I can attribute it to is him growing so much and getting so big that he is taking the oomph right out of me. I still managed to workout a few times and I think that ended up being my salvation. Knock on wood I've had 2 days with no vomitis so hopefully it was a fluke thing. I also keep gatorade and honey nut cheerios by the bed in case little dude is just needing a snack. 

Maternity clothes? I wore a maternity dress (hand me down) this week and got a lot of compliments on it! So yeah, I can embrace them here and there. 


Stretch marks?  Still holding strong!


Sleep: Kinda not the best, but getting it in where I can. I just told Glenn as I was typing this that being on my side already is hurting and he reminded me that in a few weeks/month we will have a good reason to be up off our feet to have him to tend to ... I'll be missing sleep pacing the floors with a baby, not to rid myself of leg pain. Love that man!


Best moment this week: Hanging out with Alexis in Frederick, scoring some more cloth diapers, and starting and getting 80% of my cloth diaper stash washed and put away (would be 100% but 8 more diapers came in the mail today). 

Miss Anything? That 2nd trimester powerful feeling of working out and the idea that I could "OWN" this labor process and  get him out like a champ. I just need to realign my goals and keep staying positive!

Movement: I can now feel his little hands burrowed deep into my pelvis, above the bone. It's the weirdest sensation of him tapping around in there, and sometimes he puts pressure on my pelvis. Still feeling his feet up high!

these big feet like his Daddy!

Food cravings: Since nausea reared her ugly head, I've been downing cheerios and bananas. Nothing too exciting unfortunately. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Sometimes the smell of meat. The other day at work the water coming from the faucet smelled weird to me....so maybe my pregnancy nose is back, or never left and is heightened?

Gender: 3d confirmed he's got quite the sack on him


Labor Signs: Nope, unless the nausea and leg pain are compounding issues...still feeling pretty dandy other than that!


Symptoms: Forgot to add pelvic girdle pain....that is unfortunately a nightly affair as well

Belly Button in or out? awkward halfski

Wedding rings on or off? On! Still no major swelling (knock on wood)



Happy or Moody most of the time: I had an awkward crying jag at Trader Joe's this week with a coworker, being anxious about things out of my control yet again, ie; my work replacement, projects ongoing, people not RSVPing for shower number 2, etc....it does feel good to be emotional at times and just RELEASE. Guaranteed the next day I usually feel happy as a lark. Hooray, hormones. 


Looking forward to: Seeing family this weekend for Easter, and next week being Baby Lovelace's Big Baltimore Shower! After that we have a few classes to take and are basically in the clear and counting down days until we meet this sweet baby boy!