Baby Update #4: 24 Weeks – Enjoying the Honeymoon

Welp, I’m 24 weeks today. Only 16 weeks until my due date. Umm what?

I have to say, I’m really enjoying this stage of pregnancy.

I feel great, I have tons of energy, and I’m sleeping possibly better than I have during any other pregnancy, which I attribute to two things that are different this time around: my chiropractor (I go every other week) and my Tempur-Pedic mattress (seriously love that thing!).

I feel like my growth has slowed down a little, while others have commented that they don’t think I’ll make it until May (don’t worry, I will). So who knows. It’s funny how different each pregnancy has been on my body…

Apparently, I skipped 24 weeks with L.

I had a quick Dr. appointment on Monday and everything looked good. Perfect BP (100/60), average weight gain (I think I’m up 10-11 lbs now?), and the heartbeat sounded good. This is the first time the Dr. got out the measuring tape and he said I measured right at 24 weeks. Boring, but in a good way!

My next appointment will be more exciting . I have the glucose tolerance test (Mmm… glucola is my favorite ), a follow up ultrasound for the Echogenic Intracardic Focus (EIF) they found at 20 weeks, and I get my shot of Rhogam.

I did talk a little about future appointments with the Dr, mainly how they will deal with testing for Group B Strep (GBS) (which is a long ways off, but I’m mentally prepping myself). Long story short – I was GBS+ when I was pregnant with L. Despite getting the proper dosage of the antibiotics during labor/delivery, she was admitted to the hospital at 3 weeks old for late-onset GBS (<-I posted about it a long time ago). I’ll never know if it was ME that gave it to her, or if she randomly contracted it some other way (it’s very rare to get it so late from the mom, but it’s possible). I was told at one point that because she had GBS that I would have to get the antibiotics if I had another baby regardless – so did they really NEED to test for it and in conclusion the answer was yes. (<–sorry that was so long and rambly). Look forward to that excitement around 35 weeks.

As for everything else – here’s the breakdown…

Cravings:

• Orange juice – OJ  has been my biggest craving this pregnancy. I could probably easily drink a gallon a day, but I limit myself to 2 big glasses. I prefer it to have pulp and no sugar added.
• Steak/red meat – If I can eat a steak or a hamburger once a week I am a happy girl.
• Yogurt – Especially Chobani’s Lemon Yogurt. Yum.

Aversions:

• Strawberries – I’ve had this aversion for EVERY pregnancy. When I am pregnant, strawberries are dead to me. This is very disappointing because strawberries are in season right now in Florida.
• Chicken – Chicken is pretty hit or miss with me right now. I made it the other night and it grossed me out, but then there are days where I don’t mind it. It’s weird. Just like pregnancy.

Complaints:

• Round Ligament Pain – Ugh. It has begun! I actually feel great about 85% of the time – it’s mainly AFTER a workout where I feel like I have no control over my hips and I have to break out the waddle.
• Varicose Veins - Remember when I mentioned them before? Yeah, they are now in full effect. I’m sorry if you were trying to forget.
• Bloody Nose – Yep, I have these. I had never had a bloody nose until I got pregnant with B. It’s only *slightly* embarrassing to be talking to someone and then realize that you have blood dripping down your face. It’s due to constricting sinuses and a larger volume in blood (50% more!). I’ve had them each time and they go away immediately after the baby is born.
• Itchy – The itchiness is out of control! It’s the worst on my back (oddly enough) where I can’t reach it of course, even with my ridiculously long arms. Lotion helps, but only so much. Maybe I need to take an oatmeal bath or something.
• Pants - So, I’ve been waiting to fit into my maternity pants and it’s JUST NOT HAPPENING. They are still TOO BIG. This is a good problem to have. Apparently running has really slimmed out my hips or something, but I’m pretty much wearing one pair of pants (more than once a week – don’t judge) and a lot of dresses. I think I’m going to have to stop by Motherhood maternity and get another pair of pants soon.

Fitness

• Running – Running Is STILL happening! I’m running my 13th half marathon Saturday. I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot more walking, but I will still attempt to run as much as I can. For the most part, running feels really good – which actually surprises me. I can breath easier than with cycling (see below), BUT I do feel the need to pee every 2-3 miles which is more annoying than anything and there’s that whole round ligament thing. I still plan on running when I can – but there will be a significant shift to other types of fitness in the coming weeks. 
• Spin/Indoor Cycle – Spin is slowly becoming my go-to cardio activity. It’s easier on my back and hips, but it does still get my heart rate up higher. I also have to sit upright or stand frequently the bigger I get because leaning forward squishes my diaphragm (which is not new or surprising). My lady parts are definitely more sensitive now as well, so I kind of have to ease into the seat. Ha ha. I could buy a cushion, but it seems a little silly with less than 4 months to go.
• Weights/Bootcamp – I’m modifying my workouts more, but I’m still very comfortable with strength training. This is kind of a big milestone for me because usually at this point I give up strength training completely. I will say that my legs are MUCH more tone this time around, which is nice. I’ll be interested to see how it effects my postpartum weight loss (as long as I keep it up) as I typically get chicken arms and legs after the baby is born.

Milestones

• Kicks – Not only can I feel the baby kicking me regularly, but I can now see him/her moving around. The kicks are now up higher, at least a good inch above my belly button.
• Linea Nigra – My linea nigra has started to darken. I’ve gotten one each time, so I was expecting it. It was VERY noticeable with B, but didn’t show up until much later (closer to the final weeks) with L. Should be interesting to see if this is a boy/girl thing for me or not.
• Acne – My acne is clearing up! As I suspected, my hormones (or something) started to level off the last few weeks and my acne has been reduced significantly. This could also be because I found the best face cleanser and lotion ever or I switched to Bare Minerals makeup. Whatever the reason, my skin is MUCH, MUCH happier!

As I’ve previously posted, we are still working on organizing rooms (and closets) so not much has been done with the baby’s room. I still have a deadline for February to have things settled and the room painted. Of course, that implies we have the paint color picked out by then! Ah well, that’s definitely NOT a priority at the moment.

It’s hard to believe that in just four weeks I’ll be in the 3rd trimester. Pregnancy, please slow down!! (<–remind me I said this in May!) I can only hope I can continue to feel this good