Pregnancy

26 Weeks – Pregnancy Update

The weeks are quickly slipping by for now and it’s hard to believe that by the next update I post, I’ll officially be in the 3rd trimester! We’re also officially under 100 days until I reach 40 weeks!

I have a story that I should have shared last time but I forgot and it’s still worth sharing.

It was my husband’s birthday weekend and we were about to do the dishes (handwashing at the moment until we install our dishwasher). I looked out into our screened porch and noticed a large wasp flying around. The last time I was stung by a wasp, I ended up in the hospital so I needed it to go ASAP. Brady eventually got it pinned using a cup against the screen but it was mad and there wasn’t much Brady could do but hold it there. I doused the wasp in Oxi Clean from the other side of the screen and Brady left it in the yard to die a slow death…

A few minutes later, while I was drying dishes, I came across a cricket in one of our drawers. There was no way to get it out easily and I ended up crunching it into a paper towel. It was gross and now I’m pacing in the kitchen saying, “I’m going to throw up, I’m going to throw up.” Brady is looking sympathetic but says, “Pregnancy has turned you into a wuss”. Cue instant tears. I bawled for the next 5-10 minutes for no explainable reason but pregnancy hormones and the death of two “animals” in a matter of minutes. It’s easy to laugh now that I was distraught over something so trivial but I was I was a mess there for a bit.

26 Weeks – Pregnancy Update

Size of Baby

Baby is now 14 inches, about the size of a head of kale, and weighs around 1.7 pounds!

Weight Gain

My last update I said I’d gained about 4 pounds but I think I’d been fluctuating between 4-6 pounds because of intense bouts of nausea. I’ve gained approximately 8-9 pounds at this point which isn’t too surprising since I’m eating regularly and also experiencing some swelling. When I spoke with my doctor at the last appointment, she mentioned she would like for me keep at, or less than, 20 pounds weight gain – which is something I would definitely agree with! I’m feeling ok about myself right now since it’s fun to see the baby growing but I know I will probably have some body image issues after giving birth. I’m sure it will be hard to deal with the weight because I anticipate being exhausted and really just needing/wanting to spend all my time with my baby.

I’ve had a lot of thoughts about how I want to deal with weight gain going forward since I started overweight but I will save that for another post.

New Developments/Symptoms

I finally had a good week!!! I don’t feel “normal” but I had an entire week where I didn’t have any major heartburn, nausea or fatigue! I was able to get some things done around the house last week which makes me happy because settling into our new home has been a slow process. I was able to actually cook a few nice meals as well and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that. I hope I’m not jinxing myself here but I’d really like at least a few more weeks of this before it all comes back again in the 3rd trimester.

i’m starting to waddle and my body movements are quickly becoming more limited. I can still bend over to pick things up/shave my legs, but it’s getting harder to do things like get off the couch or out of bed, twist to the side to alleviate a back cramp, etc.

I’ve been experiencing odd dreams over the last few months, but I feel like I’ve reached a point where I’m now having vivid dreams every night and the weirdest thing is that they usually continue after I’ve woken up. Well maybe not the weirdest thing… my dream last night was an old western theme and Blake Shelton was an abusive father? Super weird! Apparently you don’t dream more than usual when pregnant but since you’re sleeping restless and waking up to use the bathroom in the middle of your dreams, you have a tendency to remember better.

I mentioned last time that I’d been experiencing some swelling in my hands when I sleep which has now developed into some carpal tunnel in my right wrist. I have a brace for the left wrist but I need to pick one up for my right arm to use when I sleep. I had to purchase a cheap ring to use for the rest of pregnancy because mine was hurting on my swollen finger. After I took a shower on Friday evening, I could feel swelling in my ankles and feet while walking so that’s now a new reality. I already have a couple pairs of shoes I’ve had to put away because I can’t wear them anymore.

I’ve been feeling his movements a lot but yesterday was one of the first days I felt him kick and moving while I was walking which feels totally different than his movements while I’m just sitting/laying down.

Food Aversions/Cravings

I think I’m starting to have more cravings for sweet things now than I have up unto this point but I still often get that really bad taste in my mouth after eating something sweet so it’s a weird trade off. I also feel like I alternate cravings. I’ll want something sweet and then once I’ve finished, I want the salty. Sometimes it even goes back and forth. A week ago, I bought a carton of chocolate almond milk and I finished it before the end of the day so I’ve decided I can’t buy that anymore.

It’s nice to finally have an appetite again and for the most part be able to eat anything I want without feeling sick at the thought. One thing I’ve noticed though is that I can feel really full one minute and feel absolutely starving a minute later. I’m not sure what that’s about but it happens almost every night when I go to bed.

Exercise

With the beauty of spring all around, it’s been so much easier to get outdoors! I’m loving sunset walks right now as we leave the heat of the day. I’m also doing well on getting steps in again since I’ve been up and getting things done. I’ve thrown in a couple stretches and weights here and there just to add in some extra movement as I can. I’m just trying to add in more activity where I can to build up fitness without overdoing it.

Maternity/Baby Purchases

I’m at the point where I’m not really able to wear many of my pre-pregnancy clothes but it’s been such a struggle to find cute/age appropriate/works for my body type maternity clothes. Motherhood Maternity hasn’t impressed me a ton with their options beyond the two dresses I’ve already bought and many of their clothes as well as Target’s just don’t work for me. I’d like to keep dressing in my general style and not feel like I’m buying clothes that make me look like I’m 10-15 years older than I am.

Enter H&M! I found 5 really cute dresses online and I ordered all of them so I can try them on and return the ones that don’t work. Ideally I’d be able to try them on in store without the return hassle but they don’t sell maternity in stores – at least not near me. Hopefully I get at least 2-3 that I love. PinkBlush has cute items but they can be pricier. I have one dress from Wren and Ivory that is very similar in style to PinkBlush but with a smaller stock and cheaper prices. ASOS has some nice maternity options as well but I haven’t ordered anything from there.

Our baby shower is in less than 2 weeks and we’ve already received a few gifts here at the house so it’s been fun getting to open those gifts and prepare for baby’s arrival!

Overall Feelings

I’ve finally reached a point where I feel like I’m finally able to say with (almost) full confidence that we are going to get to meet this baby. I had a hard time most of this pregnancy because I’ve been here before with all the symptoms and whatnot but then the baby was taken away. I’m feeling him kick regularly which is very sweet and a huge reassurance to feel his movements.

Brady has been such a help to me and it’s been so exciting to be on this journey with him. He’s there whenever I need help and I don’t know how I would have survived to this point without him. I’m really excited to see him as a dad because I’ve always known that he would be a great one.

The two of us have been having a pretty good time during this pregnancy – he said that I’ve been a lot happier that I’ve been in a long time – which is probably true. I was really depressed during the aftermaths of our miscarriages, the first one being more than a year and a half ago. It’s one of the biggest reasons we went to Disney World twice last year because I was really needing a pick me up and something to look forward to in my life. I’m so excited that we’re getting closer to welcoming our baby boy!