14 October 2008

The Mommy Update

These are my feet, my balloon-like feet. The lines around my ankles are from my socks.

Today I had another prenatal visit. This was not such a great visit. Baby seems to be fine, but Mom is not. My body is simply not handling pregnancy so well anymore. My blood pressure has gone sky-high and as a result I have been put on partial bed rest (resting for no less than two hours every morning, afternoon and evening and then eight hours at night). I also begin a 24 hour urine test tomorrow morning and when I return to the office with that on Thursday they will do some blood work and also do an NST (nonstress test) to make sure baby is handling the stresses of my body all right. I will also be required to have an NST at least twice a week until baby's birth.

It was certainly not a terrible visit, but it was frustrating. If my body is getting so sick of being pregnant why doesn't it just go into labor? The doctors are a little surprised I am still pregnant and even today the doctor muttered, "So when is this baby going to be born?!" Alas, the days are now very numbered and soon it will all be over. In the meantime, however, I am feeling pretty crappy.

I do, however, have some recent late pregnancy experiences that have kept me smiling. The first is the conflicting report I get from people regarding my size. The first is the people who ask, "Are you sure you're not having twins?" [No, seven ultrasounds and an amniocentesis have all confirmed both the number and gender, and yes, I am huge.] The second group of people say, "You don't look large enough to be as far along as you are." [Great, so I look like I should be this bloated and fat normally?!?!] In actuality: My uterus is measuring smaller than average, but I do carry everything "out front" and this does make me look astonishingly large.

Then there are the kinds of people I have met at the supermarket. The first group is frightened of me and avoid all eye contact and try their darndest to stay out of my way. I can't blame them. The second group is comprised of mostly older women and women who do not have children. This group is the one that will give me the large sympathetic eyes when they pass me, will always give me the right-of-way when rounding the corner, and sometimes offer a word. It is not always an appreciated word. For example, the lady who, when she saw me, stopped dead in her tracks and gushed, "Awwwww . . . I just LOVE pregnant bellies!" Huh? I almost had to duck and cover to make sure she didn't come running over to begin stroking my, apparently, much-loved belly. But other times these people are a godsend. This afternoon was one such time. I had to stop at the supermarket on my way home and I needed to buy a case of water. A lady behind me in the check-out line offered to put the water back in my cart and then offered to walk me out to my car and put it in my car for me. She was much-needed and much-appreciated.

My stories can go on, but I don't want to bore anyone. I do, however, want to share these things while I still can. It seems that most women within a couple years after childbirth kind of forget what pregnancy was really like, so I wanted to make sure I recorded all this while I was still in the throes of it. (A recent study has actually confirmed my hypothesis. About eighteen months after delivery women tend to remember mostly the good and not the bad parts of pregnancy, labor and delivery. It must be a species-survival mechanism!)

But in other nature news: The color was gorgeous up here, but after last night's wind and rain most of our leaves are already scattered on the ground. I did, however, include a couple of pictures that when using some imagination you can see how beautiful it was up here.

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

Oh your feet!
You poor thing. It won't be long now.

Anonymous said...

a couple of questions:

1. What are you doing buying bottled water when it comes for (practically) free, with much less environmental cost, out of the sink?

2. Whatever happened to those people who used to bag groceries and then carry them out to your car for you? Am I the only one who remembers this? Was Zeeland the only place this happened? Now you even have to ring up your own groceries sometimes! Drives me nuts.

Good luck, mom. Can't wait to see the pics of her in color!

love,
gwen

Unknown said...

*Sigh* I was complaining to Michelle (friend from school) about this pregnancy today! I was saying how I want this baby born NOW because it is affecting MY sister's HEALTH! Michelle just kept telling me it was better for baby! w/e! I hope you go into labor... as I type this! I am more than ready to be an aunt... you tell Sylvia that!

I do hope you start feeling better- I know that's difficult at this time, but maybe getting the extra rest will help (here's hoping!)

And yes, it WAS gorgeous up there when the family was up on Sunday!

Susan said...

I've been following your blog, enjoying your writing, and feeling eager for this baby right along with you. Just want you to know that we keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
Love to you both,
Aunt "Ginny" Sue