Pregnancy Update: 27 Weeks

Baby's size: She's as big as a cucumber (according to What to Expect), a rutabaga (according to The Bump), or a fennec fox minus the tail (according to the "weird-but-cute animals" theme on OviaPregnancy).  At somewhere around 14 or 15 inches, she's really long now!  And she should be weighing between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds (I know she must be at least 2 because she was already around that much at my last ultrasound a couple weeks ago).

 

Okay, fennec foxes may be my new favorite animal now.  I need one.

(images from Wikipedia and Pinterest respectively)

What I'm wearing: The high was 80 degrees here today!  That's just silly.  So obviously I'm still not wearing what I'd prefer to be (sweaters and scarves and such).  I still haven't really transitioned into maternity clothes completely.  I have one trusty pair of maternity jeans, a couple maternity t-shirts, and an extra long cami that's made to stretch over my belly.  But other than those staples I'm able to make due with some of my more stretchy or loose "normal" clothes.  I do also have one pair of maternity leggings that my in-laws gave me for my birthday that I really love to wear around the house.

Weight gained:  I gained one pound this week, so I'm up to 25 pounds now.  My weight gain seems to have slowed back down to a healthy pace, and I'm thankful for that.  Fingers crossed it progresses this way for the rest of the pregnancy!

Working out: I'm still walking at least 40 minutes a day (most days) and doing a barre or prenatal yoga DVD on the days I'm up to it/have time.  Even though I'm officially done working now, this week has been a little crazy because I had an appointment with my practitioner, painters at my house, childbirth classes in the evenings, and a haircut out of town in Burlington today (I drive to my hometown hairstylist because I'm picky about my hair).

New Symptoms:  For the first part of this week, I had a stomach bug and was in a good bit of pain.  I'm not sure how much of that was due to pregnancy, but I imagine how squished everything is inside of me didn't help.  I hate being couch-ridden, so that was a tad frustrating.  I'm glad I took the time to rest, though, and I'm feeling much better now!

I'm sure I'm forgetting some new symptoms I've had flair up this week, but I'm happy to report two of them are easing up!  My mom and my friend Tracey who cuts my hair BOTH said my skin looked good today.  I had thought my complexion had been looking a little better these last couple days, but when other people tell you it makes you feel a thousand times better!  My skin has a smooth shine to it (I guess the pregnancy glow? - I've read it's caused by excess oil being produced) and it is breaking out much less.  I've been using melaleuca and lavender essential oil on my trouble spots, so that may be helping as well.  And I'm finding some relief for my intense round ligament pain!  At our first childbirth class on Tuesday, they told us that I could be fit for a "belly brace" in the OB clinic, and I made sure to ask for one at my appointment on Wednesday.  The contraption is pretty darn funny looking, and I definitely won't be wearing it over my clothes out in public, but it really does support my belly and help with the pain.  I'm especially excited about being able to wear it on my morning walks when I tend to be the most uncomfortable.

Days until my next appointment: My next appointment is December 1st.  We're at the point now where my practitioner is going to start seeing me more regularly to make sure baby is doing okay and there are no signs of impending preterm labor.  I was a little nervous about my appointment this week because it was the first time the Mister wasn't able to leave work and join me, but everything went great.  My uterus is measuring as it should be and baby's heart is ticking right along.  And I was able to get all my questions answered about my flu shot, who needs to get the whooping cough vaccine (I'm definitely going to ask our parents and siblings to get it), and my abdominal discomfort (she said anything that isn't accompanied by bleeding or a decrease in baby's movement can be considered 'normal,' so that was reassuring).

Food aversions: There are very few things that completely turn me off right now.  I still can't do plain water.  I like salads and fresh veggies, but I can't eat them because I burp the taste for the rest of the day and it makes me queasy - even the blandest iceberg lettuce salads have bad repercussions.  Like many pregnant women report, plain grilled chicken seems pretty yucky to me right now.

Food cravings: Even though I'm not totally disliking much this week, I'm not really loving anything either, probably due at least in part to the stomach bug I've been fighting off.  Dairy products are the most palatable right now - Greek yogurt, plain mozzarella and cheddar cheese, creamy soups, cereal with milk, chocolate milk, and ice cream are all on rotation.

How I'm sleeping: When I was having bad stomach aches, sleep was really hard to come by.  As soon as I found a position that took the pressure off my tummy, my back would start hurting, but if I moved to relieve my back muscles, I would have stomach pains.  It was rough!  These past two nights have been MUCH better.  On Wednesday night, I slept from 11 pm to 6 am without having to get up to pee - that's HUGE!

What I'm looking forward to in the near future: Pretty much everything in the coming weeks feels really exciting right now!  I'm a holiday season addict and now that Halloween is behind us we can start making our Thanksgiving and Christmas plans and I can work on my Christmas shopping.  Getting the house ready for baby's arrival has begun (I'll post photos soon!), I'm going to hopefully get in touch with a dog trainer in the next couple weeks to help the dogs prepare for their world to get rocked, and I'm researching to hire our newborn photographer! All of a sudden it feels like crunch time to get ready for this little one, but I work best under pressure! : )

Feeling baby move: My practitioner made me kind of nervous at my appointment because she asked if the baby was "really active."  I definitely feel her moving a lot, quite a bit more than I used to, but I wouldn't say that it's constant or consistent yet.  But when I put pressure against my stomach, like leaning lightly against a counter or placing my palm over where the baby is, I can feel her pushing back.  So I guess she is moving around, she's just not big enough yet for me to feel it all the time.  My mom and I watched her wiggle for a long time tonight which was pretty funny.

Innie or outie?: Still an innie - but it feels more shallow, and it's actually kind of tender when I put my finger in it (weird I know).  I'm thinking there must be a good bit of pressure pushing on it from the inside.

I won't officially be in my third trimester till next week, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me because we definitely have less than three months left before our due date!  We had our first couple childbirth classes this week, and they were a little scary but also strangely reassuring.  It's nice to know what we're getting ourselves into and our hospital's policies about c-sections, separating mom and baby after delivery, etc.  I've been comforted by the classes instead of them making me more nervous.  Next week, the classes focus more on breastfeeding and infant care.  I'm really excited about that because I'm not really sure what to do with a baby yet. : ) I don't have a lot of experience other than with my little sister - and that was 19 years ago!

The days are just flying by...  I can't believe we're almost a week into November.  This baby is gonna be here before we know it!  We have a low key weekend planned.  Hopefully putting the changing table together, heading to the gym at least once, and going to church on Sunday.  Next time I talk to y'all I'll be in the third trimester.  Ahhh!