2nd Baby, 3rd Trimester Update

Oh, geez. I'm already 33 weeks. Time is definitely getting away from me, and I don't think it's just because I have a toddler too. It's just keeps ticking away... Still, I wanted to take the time to write some updates on the pregnancy for the sake of remembering it.

As far as pregnancy symptoms go, I know I am lucky. (But I still don't like being pregnant, sorry). I am tired and never really sleep through the night without getting up to use the restroom or just toss and turn. Which, by the way, turning over is getting to be quite the ordeal. Justin laughs at me, but it really is so much harder the bigger my belly gets! I don't have heartburn, or back pain, or things like that. I have been experiencing a decent amount of Braxton-Hicks contractions, without much rhyme or reason to them, which I read is pretty normal to have this early on in the second pregnancy. They been going on since early December.  (With Ansel, I had them every 5-10 minutes the last two weeks of pregnancy. Talk about annoying and uncomfortable.) I've gained about 22 pounds already, which is less that my first pregnancy, but I'm just not a hungry. I'm hoping this helps in the long run.

One of my concerns is that baby girl will be aligned correctly, since Ansel was a little off and I believe it caused a longer labor, pushing, and his eventual torticollis and plagiocephaly. Because of this, I've invested significant time and money in yoga. I go once a week with a few friends, and then do some pregnancy yoga videos at home at least one more time a week. I also have visited the chiropractor twice. On the first visit, she confirmed that my hips were a little off-perhaps one leg is longer/shorter- and that the baby was also slightly to the right side. This was just like with Ansel. When I lay on my back I can seriously tell that my belly is lopsided. The good news is that on the second chiropractor visit, she said the baby was more in line like she should be. So, I will just continue with yoga and have at least one more chiropractor visit before birth. Then I'm just trusting that God sustains me through whatever the final position is.

We are going to Family Beginnings at Miami Valley again since our experience with the nursing staff and my midwife was so good last time. Any interventions really make me anxious, and therefore a natural delivery is the route that is best for me. One thing that I'm still fretting about is that I tested positive for GBS in a urine sample at the beginning of the pregnancy. GBS is a bacteria that can come and go, but if it present at all during the pregnancy they want to pump you (and therefore the baby) with antibiotics during labor. I'd really rather avoid an IV altogether, besides the fact that the chance of passing to the baby is very small- about 2%. I'm not really sure I like the baby being given all those antibiotics right away anyway, unless it really is needed. If I decline this, they will want to keep us at the hospital at least two nights to monitor. While this is how long we stayed last time, I'd much rather come sooner if I feel up to it, especially since we don't have to wait around for the Doc to do a circumcision. Less time at the hospital sounds very good to me! I am having a GBS swab test done in a few weeks, and if I test negative then, I feel like I have a good basis for declining the antibiotics. I've being taking garlic and probiotics as my midwife suggested to help in this.

Everyone is different, but we don't announce when we are going to the hospital. Shoot, last time it was in the middle of the night anyways, and I still have 18 hours of labor to go. I don't want people waiting around because that just stresses me and I have enough to deal with. Some people like the endless birth party, but in all honesty, I just want to be alone. Let me labor alone (besides my hubby), and once the baby comes I don't want a bunch of visitors. Heck, even when I get home I don't want visitors. Birth is tiring and all I want to do is rest and enjoy the new addition without added stress of company. I know, everyone is different, but that's just how I personally feel about it. So, a few more weeks, but the end is in sight. I can't wait to meet baby girl!!