As of this writing, I’m 20 weeks, 2 days pregnant. This means I’m a smidge over halfway through the official medically-designated pregnancy length of 40 weeks.
Where oh where did the time go.
Observations up to this point:
I strongly dislike being pregnant. I’m still looking forward to the end result, but I am decidedly NOT one of those women who is all blissful and glowy and bursting with the joy of impending new life. I am cranky and tired and bursting with gas and heartburn and a bad back.
I am, however, becoming a big fan of pants with huge elastic waists. So comfy!
We had the 20-week ultrasound, conveniently scheduled for 19 weeks, 5 days (thanks, midwives), so the ultrasound tech wouldn’t tell us the sex of the baby. This thanks to the hordes of assholes who are apparently out there waiting for any excuse to destroy a fetus who isn’t their preferred gender. Because at 20 weeks, on the nose, they’ll change their mind? Or something? Who knows.
The tech did show us the money shot, without comment, and after some contemplation, discussion, and furious hunting on google images at home we’ve decided it looks like it’s probably a boy. I’m guessing (hoping) the midwives have the info in our file at their office and will confirm at our next appointment.
If not, I’ll probably insist we go fork out for one of those creepy 3D ultrasounds at a private clinic.
Have I mentioned that the amount of patience I posses seems to be inversely proportionate to the size of my waistline?
Either way, the ultrasound was neat, and introduced the phase at which Neil starts to compare me to a goat. Apparently human ultrasounds are just like goat ultrasounds, where you position the wand certain ways to view different layers of anatomy and can check size measurements, organ structure, etc. Except of course for goats, twins are a lot more common. Oh. AND IT’S A BARNYARD ANIMAL.
Though I suppose I could forgive him for wanting to make the comparison – I’m practically furry with the fine layer of hair I’ve grown pretty much all over my body. But still. I don’t bleat (so far).
The other most obvious bit of unpleasantness is my back constantly going out. Thanks to the changes in hormones so my pelvis can widen my back is entirely unstable and I seem to injure my SI joint every other week. I can’t walk up stairs. I can’t lift anything over about 15lbs. I can’t walk for more than an hour. Otherwise I’m a cripple for about 3 days.
I have also become quite insistent with the “nesting,” nagging about getting around to the long-overdue cleaning out of closets and moving of furniture so we have room for this extra person and his (her?) paraphernalia before he (she?) arrives. Except, of course, thanks to the back thing I can’t actually DO any of the cleaning and moving. I can just do the nagging and directing.
And yet, Neil still brings me flowers. Have I mentioned he’s up for sainthood?
On another tiny, positive note, I do have a small bump and so far no sign of stretch marks. My mom didn’t get them, even with twins, so I’ve got genetics on my side for that one.
I can also still roll over in bed without assistance, and now that my uterus has moved up and off my bladder, and the wee babe isn’t yet big enough to noticeably stomp on it, I can sleep through the night a lot of the time without getting up to pee. Small victories.
Considering this is supposed to be the “honeymoon phase” of the pregnancy (and I will admit it’s nice to be rid of the nausea), I am expecting it to get worse again, and biding my time for the next 19 weeks, 5 days.
And anyone who dares suggest I’ll be even a minute overdue is going to get a face-full of angry pregnant woman ready to destroy them.
You know, Jen – there’s a million reasons why I love you and reading your blog, but this post is one of the best I’ve read. Because it removes the supposed “bliss” in the pregnancy. Of course, you’re happy the little one is coming. But being pregnant is not easy, and you’re honest and forthcoming about the discomfort it’s causing you.
I have to admit – I’m really looking forward to meeting your and Neil’s little one. Karen Parker is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I’m dying to see Robert (her and Dan’s little one). My friends’ families keep expanding! 🙂
I never understood why they wouldn’t tell you the gender in BC. Are there seriously that many people that would terminate if the baby was the wrong sex?? Every time we went for an ultrasound here (which was a LOT thanks to my many complications) we had to explicitly tell them we didn’t want to know.
Congrats on the boy! Are you craving a lot of beef? 🙂
I will try and refrain from any goat or rumen jokes I am glad that you and baby are doing well and that you have not killed anyone in public yet. I applaud Neils ability to escape your fetus induced rage he should write a manual or a pamphlet
steven schwartz´s last blog post ..NaBloPoMo Day 1 30 Things I am Willing to Do Or Not Do To Stay Sane
The heartburn and the pelvic/SI joint pain were by far the WORST parts of pregnancy for me. My favourite part was feeling the little one squirm around 🙂
try going to a chiropractor. i went to one for both my pregnancies and it really helps alleviate pelvic back pain. lots of chiropractors specialize in pregnancy.
Well, here’s some more stuff to think about (sorry, I can’t resist):
Enjoy not having your period for 9+ months? Well, don’t get too used to it, because, if you deliver vaginally, be prepared to bleed for a solid 2-6 weeks. And, no tampons for you. Nope – it’s a giant diaper pad between your legs as you walk (that is, once you can walk again) around. Add that to the scabby nipples, exploding boobs, saggy stomach, sleep deprivation, insane hair loss (expect to lose about half of your hair at around month four… don’t worry, it grows back, but you’ll have inch-long tufts that stick up when you try to wear a pony tail), clothes that no longer fit (you get back to your pre-preg weight quickly, but the pre-preg shape is another story all together), memory loss, and pretty much constant feeling of anxiety that you are doing it all wrong… well, let’s just say that it doesn’t end with the pregnancy. But, let me be clear, it is ALL, every last second of it, worth it times a million. Becoming a mama is the absolute most amazing, rewarding and mind-blowing thing ever. It sounds cheesy, but I actually feel like another part of my soul opened up when Adele was born. The love is beyond words.
I totally agree with Nicole. Being pregnant was hard at times, but being a new mom was absolutely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But SO awesome at the same time (ok not always at the same time). If you think pregnant women are smug, just wait until that baby is born and you’ve survived a couple months, you’ll feel smug, and you absolutely deserve to feel that way! Today while driving to meet Nicole for a stroller run, for a brief moment I thought I’d forgotten the stroller. Loranda commented yesterday how she found the cereal in the fridge. Being able to laugh at those things is very important. Also being able to laugh at being pooed, peed and barfed on while you yourself are leaking milk all over… good times 🙂 One of the things I didn’t expect is how much richer my relationships with friends and family have gotten – not to mention all the support from all the new moms I’ve met. I love it and I am SO thankful. And as hard as it all has been, I would and I will absolutely do it again 🙂
The sleep deprivation of early parenthood is simply indescribable. And if I did describe it you wouldn’t believe me anyway.
But dammit, I have stretch marks, and I’ve never been pregnant!
Derek K. Miller´s last blog post ..A return to bleah