30 Weeks - Quiet Week

How far along?  30 weeks

Total weight gain:  Up Five pounds total     

  

Size of baby:   Cucumber (According to the Bump)

Milestones (What Baby Center Says:):

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

A head of cabbage looks so much bigger than a Cucumber!!
Maternity clothes?  I am wearing both maternity and non-maternity.  Today (Friday May 4, 2012 - I am wearing regular clothes, but my pants are unbutton.)   

Food cravings or aversions: Sweets.  Seems a bit better this week.  No aversions...     

  

Sleep:  Sleep has been Ok this week.  The trouble has more to do with Anderson not sleeping well, not this baby!!   I still have all my pillows!

Symptoms:  After the past two weeks, I needed a good week and this was a good week.  Thank goodness.  I still had some pain in the lower pelvis area, but not too much and not for too long.  Thank God. 

On Tuesday (5/1/12) I had a series of doctor appointments.  I had my regular OB weekly appointment.  We heard the heart beat.  She (the nurse practitioner) had a hard time finding the heart beat, but she eventually did.  She was heavy with the wand.  It's funny how some doctors have a gentle touch and some stab you with it.  She was a bit wishy washy with some of her comments and not too sure what the next steps were.  She wanted to set up the Bio Physical Profiles (BPP) - weekly ultrasounds to check for any issues with the baby - beginning in two weeks.  I had them at Mass General last time, so I presumed they would continue there.  NO.  They do it in the OB office now.  We also need to set up Non-Stress Tests (NST) with Salem Hospital's Birthplace (also to start in two weeks).  The NST checks the activity of the baby and the contractions.  I also need to continue with my weekly OB visits.  So we are talking THREE appointments a week.  This is going to be hard.  I would be freaking out if it were not for the fact we did the same schedule with Anderson.  The BPP and the NST should be a few days apart so the monitoring will be stretched during the week.  We will see how the schedule goes.  I'm hoping to work Tuesdays from home (and have the BPP at 3:30 after my mom gets home) and work from home on Fridays (with the NST at 2pm).   We will see if that happens. I will schedule a meeting with my boss next week to keep him up to date.  

Another appointment on Tuesday was for the Diabetes specialist and he said I am doing very well.  He altered the medication a little.  He told me to schedule another appointment in one month (I thought that was far).  I will continue to update him on any significant updates via the patient gateway and my weekly OB visits.   

Lastly we had a Sizing ultrasound at Mass General Hospital to check the growth of the baby.  Baby is at 3 pounds 5 ounces - 55 percentile.  All appears to be well.  I am so happy!  I thought she was going to tell me the baby was in the 100th percentile!!  I feel so big.  We scheduled a sizing ultrasound for June 1, 2012 (and confirmed that the BPP should be handled at the OB office).   For the first time I was finally ok with this doctor (I still prefer Dr. Barth).   All in all a good Tuesday! 

Medications:  I am currently taking 125 units of NPH at night time to help with the fasting numbers (with the goal of having less than 90 for fasting and less than 120 two hours after meals).  The numbers continue to be on the higher side, especially at night (after supper).  I have increased the NPH units in the morning (before breakfast) to 40 (as per my doctor appointment on Tuesday). 

I continue with BP medication twice a day (no change).  I have been taking my pre-natal every other day *(or just half a day) and continue to take folic acid every day and on most days I take a DHA vitamin with dinner (but I tend to forget).   I started to take some calcium chews. 

My breathing is good but I feel a cold coming on and I am congested.  I may need to up my inhalers this weekend.       

Gender:  Not known.  Again, I really want to know so I could do some finalizing (names, clothes, sleeping arrangements).  I have no strong feeling either way.  I wish something would come to me, but I have no motherly intuition.  I guess I feel more toward a girl because I am feeling a lot more kicks than I did with Anderson.  Or maybe it is because I want that mother/daughter bond I have with my mom.  In the end I want a health baby, so it doesn't matter. 
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What I'm looking forward to the most:  Holding my baby and knowing all is ok with him/her.                

Worries:  The effects on Anderson, Alex being a good dad, me being a good mother/wife, the future...same ole stuff!   

    

What is different this time around:  Not seeing Daddy Nest.  He was super hyped up to have everything prepared for Anderson.  Not this time. 

Miss Anything?  No.   

Movement:   Lots and lots and I love it.  Sometimes the movements are a little softer but I still get some kicks and I love it.  I had the lap top on my belly the other day and the baby must not have liked it and I felt the hardest kick!  Hee Hee.  Also Anderson had a hard time sleeping so we slept on the recliner and after a while the baby was kicking up a storm.  I eventually had to go to the couch because my belly was starting to hurt.   
   

Labor Signs: None.    

Best moment of the week:  The ultrasound at MGH, when the doctor said all was good.  Also feeling the baby kick while Daddy was getting his US citizenship papers!  That was fun. 

Big Brother moment of the week:  Anderson grabbed his Elmo and brought it to my belly to give Baby a kiss.  Totally unprompted.  I loved it! 

NINE WEEKS TO GO.