Visiting the doctor... again

Yesterday I went to the doctor. Now they don't think I'm going to need to induce, because they think I'm predisposition to high blood pressure because I was already heavy when I got pregnant. While I can't deny that, I did point out that prior to pregnancy my blood pressure was 110/70 according to the medical record they provided. "Well that was a year ago," yes... and I've been pregnant 9 months.

What's odd is that my bp spiked the minute I got pregnant. It went from being 110/70 to 127/85 which wasn't high enough for anyone to note in my first trimester, but looking back they can say "oh it was already high," now that my bp is 137/92. I don't know whether to hope they are right or wrong. On the one hand if my bp drops back to its 110/70 level after I have the baby it'll mean I don't have a health problem to worry about for now. I mean I'm overweight, but I'm healthy. My bp was good, my cholesterol is super low, my kidney and liver function are apparently "fantastic" when the doctors look at all those numbers they seem surprised at how good of shape I'm in... considering how bad of shape I'm in.

I think my body just likes to put on weight. I was a heavy kid, then 10th grade happened, and I randomly lost a lot of weight. I was the absolute lowest number for my weight range that I could be in a healthy way. Then I graduated, and the pounds slowly started to creep back on. My problem is I never change my habits. I went from being about 150 in the ninth grade, to 117 in the tenth, to nearly 200 a few years after high school. No change in diet, no change in exercise (mainly because I don't... diet or exercise) pregnancy made me drop weight (which means my blood pressure going up was double weird) and I've only just recently gotten past where I was when I started, and I'm not gaining anymore. I've gained about 18 pounds, but that's been consistent for my last several appointments.

I have this fantasy that when I have the baby my body will start doing whatever it did right in high school, since breast feeding is supposed to make you lose weight. I may never weigh what I did in High School again, but maybe I can get closer, and then actually start to diet and exercise. I mean I'll have a kid, I'm sure I'll be running around all day like crazy.

Anyhow, so now the doctor isn't as worried, and I don't know whether to be or not. On the one hand, if they are right my baby isn't in any danger, but my health is starting to decline, on the other, if they're wrong, I have good blood pressure on my own but my baby is in danger, and they aren't inducing.

To be fair, my doctors are awesome. Just because they aren't that concerned about my bp doesn't mean they aren't taking it seriously. I'm supposed to visit twice a week now to keep monitoring everything, and they keep taking my blood and checking my urine, and monitoring swelling and asking about any other potential symptoms. (No, I don't get headaches or blurry vision.) So I don't suppose it really matters what they think is causing the elevated bp, as long as they are being vigilant in checking.

So yesterday they checked my weight, bp, and temperature (same, high, it always runs a little low) then they checked my cervix (0 dilation, baby is head down, 35% effaced) then they did an ultrasound to check my amniotic fluid levels, which were great, (anything less than 5 is low, 5-9 is in range, I'm at a 13, and I guess being high isn't a bad thing since the doctor was happy about it) then they put the baby on the heart rate monitor, which the baby happily kicked the crap out of for 20 minutes (internal bruising is fun! actually it was pretty funny so I don't mind) then they did lots of blood work to test my liver function, kidney function, and do a CBC. I'm still anemic, but everything else looks great.

I also got the flue shot, regular, not swine, swine flue shot may not be available until after I have the baby :(. Sad face due to fact that it means I may not get it since pregnant women have priority. I'd like to get it because then I'd pass immunity on to the baby and have one less thing to worry about, but at least I'm safe from the regular flue. My husband got his flue shot to, which he was less than thrilled about. For a future pharmacist, he hates medicine. Seriously, getting him to take a Tylenol when he has a headache is a very difficult task, and he's always so surprised when twenty minutes later he feels better.

I've got so much to do today to prepare for tommorow. We have to be at court to tie up the last bit of business stuff before taxes at 9:30 am tommorow. Court is about 2 hours away, so we're going to Atlanta to stay with friends tonight. After court I have yet another doctors appointment, and then its on our way home. So today I need to double up on work so I don't fall behind tommorow, make sure the house is clean in case they do induce me and my MIL comes over, and we need to get our tires aligned and balanced. Apparently my husband is nesting because he's REALLY worried about us getting into a wreck and dying if we don't align and balance our tires TODAY. Before we drive to Atlanta. I will most likely not post tommorow, but Thursday I'll have a new doctors appointment update.

Catching Up

Writing back in time is weird for so many reasons. I wish I actually had started my blog back in February, but frankly I was afraid to. What if something happened? I didn’t want my words haunting me forever, you know? I’m a lot more confident at 36 weeks pregnant than I was at five weeks pregnant, and I’m not afraid to write about it now.
Maybe the back in time posts weren’t a good way to start this blog, but I figure since I don’t have any readers at this point, they won’t hurt. Let me go ahead and get caught up to present day.

Personal Stuff:

At the beginning of my third trimester, I was still living with my in-laws, and would be for about two more weeks. I love my in-laws dearly, but I was ready to be in my own place. My MIL was sweet enough to throw me a baby shower before I moved to College Town USA with my husband. My friends came, and it was a lot of fun. I was sort of nervous about the whole baby shower games thing, but my friends and I are dorks, so we had a blast.
Our car was stolen… that was fun, thankfully insurance worked everything out, and we now don’t have a car payment, and had a little left over to buy a used car. Much to my husbands delight his grandfather sold him his mustang for our very very very very very low budget. I’m not very thrilled about our new car, cause um… car seat… mustang… it doesn’t work very well, oh and the minor fact that I can’t drive a stick shift, but I was unable to find a car in our price range that was an automatic at all, so my sweet husband decided to teach me the fine art of driving a stick shift.
Ten minutes later as I was sobbing in frustration because I couldn’t get the darn car to move forward in the parking lot we were practicing in, we decided attempting to teach me stick shift was not possible while I’m pregnant…. That’s the excuse I using anyhow, he still thinks he can teach me after the baby’s born… I’ve started putting away for a second car. I’m not a good driver; I’m not a confident driver, I have a difficult time in an automatic. It’s just not going to happen.
Then it was time to move! We packed everything up, collected our storage, and moved away to college town. Our new apartment isn’t anywhere as nice as our old one, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be either. My husband did all the heavy lifting, and I made everything organized and pretty. We’re home. J It’s such a nice feeling to be in your own place. My husband started his new year of pharmacy school, and everything’s going really well.

Pregnancy Stuff:

Alright… the third trimester isn’t as much fun as the second trimester. In fact it gets less fun every week. My seventh month, I was thrilled because I stupidly thought, hey, this isn’t that big of a deal, then came my eighth month. It’s still not terrible. Other mom’s have had way worse.

Weight

So far I’ve gained about eight pounds. I’m trying to tell myself this is a good thing, but I kind of liked how earlier in the pregnancy I didn’t gain weight. My arms got smaller and my tummy got bigger. Actually I was thrilled. Now I look like a marshmallow. I was never thin while pregnant, I’m chubby. I’m used to being chubby, but it’s amazing how terrible eight extra pounds makes you look, and I’m only going to gain more.

Food

Eating got tricky. The baby is pressed against my stomach most of the time. When it moves I’m starving and have to eat, and then I do, and then the baby moves back, and then I feel so full I’m sick. I’m also back to that point where I’m really particular about what I eat. I pretty much just want bread, and very bland things.

Breathing

Breathing was really hard up until last week. The baby presses against your lungs, and they don’t get full, I knew to expect this, what I didn’t know to expect was that my exponentially growing breasts would be pressing on my lungs from the other side, making it not possible to breath. I was a DD before I got pregnant, I don’t know what the hell I am now, but I don’t like it. I’ve never been proud of having large breasts, in fact its always sort of sucked. I’d take a pair of cute perky c’s anytime. Big boobs= middle school hell, high school drama, and now inability to breath. Thanks boobs.
Luckily breathing got a lot easier a few days ago. I’m not sure why since the baby hasn’t dropped all the way yet, but I’m not going to question it.

Headaches and nose bleeds

I’ve never had a nose bleed before, my husband gets them, and he says the tiny bits of blood that dot my tissues every day now don’t count. I agree they are not as bad as his, but they suck. I’ve already gotten used to looking like I have Ebola when I brush and floss in the morning, but nose bleeds? I’ve never had an aversion to blood before, but now it makes me queasy.
The headaches aren’t bad; they go away with Tylenol and half a glass of soda. I know, I’m a terrible and selfish mommy for drinking soda, but I only drink it for medicinal purposes… the doctor said the amount of drinking is negligible, so I’m ok. They don’t want me to be stressed and they really want to make sure my headaches are treatable cause of my next fun symptom.

High Blood Pressure

Prior to pregnancy my blood pressure was 110/70. It slowly crawled up throughout the pregnancy and is now about 137/89. Big scary words were thrown around, but for the most part they just advised me to take it easy, keep an eye on headaches, and come in any time I feel off. No bed rest (yet) and I’m now far enough along in the pregnancy that they could induce safely if the numbers get to high. In the meantime I have to report my bp to them every day, and come in once a week for visits.

Insomnia

I can’t sleep for long periods of a time. Don’t know why, but I’m not fighting it. If my body wants to get used to sleeping an hour or two, waking up, moving around, and then napping for an hour or two, awesome. I’ll be better prepared for a newborn.

Sweat

I’ve been very sweaty and very hot all the time, which has translated into a really high power bill. That’s ok though, I can deal with sweat.

This is kind of scary. The baby is facing down and towards my back now, so its movements are harder to feel, also its running out of room. Consequently it doesn’t move as much. I worry all week, and then go to the doctor, and then hear her heartbeat and get reassured that as long as she’s moving ten times every two hours she’s fine. I know this on an intellectual level, but it’s hard to grasp why my baby went from moving ten times in ten seconds to ten times every two hours.

Yay! I’m caught up. As of tomorrow I’ll be posting daily entries, at least for the week days, talking about different pregnancy things, and my new life up here in college town. I won’t be posting on weekends, and I’m not sure what will happen to my every day posting once the baby gets here, but I’ll do the best I can :).