Warning: LOTS OF WORDS and feelings too! not many pics. Feel free to skip this post all together if you don't want all the details.
I went in for my routine OB appt this last Wed and my blood pressure was quite a bit higher than it had been and higher than what is considered normal. My blood pressure was taken three times in the same appointment with the outcome being too high every time (top number right around 160). So we did some lab work and tests to rule out pre-eclampsia. All my lab work came back perfectly normal, so the chance of me having pre-eclampsia is low. My OB wanted me to come back in for an extra visit this coming week just because of how high my blood pressure had been and how this was out of the blue (my blood pressure has been great so far this pregnancy, I've been keeping good tabs on it at my appointments because my BP was a little high most of the time with Ameilya). So we will see what happens this next week at my appointment. Stress can raise your blood pressure and the past few weeks have been pretty stressful so I am kind of thinking that this is probably why this is happening but of course I can't know for sure.
I don't want to just be a complainer and tell you how hard my life has been but here are just a couple things that have raised my stress level above normal. I'm just going to be brutally honest because I feel like it will help me to release some of the tension to get some of these thoughts/feelings out. (Feel free to skip/scan this, this is more for my benefit than anything.)
1: Not sleeping well. I can't fall asleep in less than about 1.5-2 hours, I wake during the night and can't back to sleep quickly, and I have trouble getting into a deep sleep
2: A friend I serve with in church named her baby the exact same first and middle name as we were going to name our baby. This has been stressful because I really like to have a plan and now I just don't. I don't feel like I can use the same name because I feel like everyone will think we just copied the name they used even though we had decided on the name for our little girl months ago.
3: Tyler and I have been arguing a little more than normal. I don't know if it's just me or a combination of the both of us but there has been a little more of this going on than typically. Tyler is gone a lot for work and we still have only one car until our other is fixed so this has added to the stress between him and I. This leads me to having my own negative thoughts and insecurities about whether or not I'm a good wife/mother and leaves me feeling like I'm constantly falling short and inadequate. (That last part is totally my own fault and I just need to get over it and not over think
4: Only having one car. We have been doing the one car thing for nine months now. The speed limit on the roads near our house is 50mph for quite a while so it's not safe for me to walk with Ameilya in a stroller anywhere (which there isn't anywhere close by to walk to even if I felt the desire as we are a little rural). I feel a little trapped, isolated, and lonely. I love Ameilya but I need adult conversation and time out of the house. The only time I feel like I get to leave is when I teach lessons and when I go grocery shopping. Tyler is working on the car as we speak and we are hopeful that it will be done sometime this week so there might be a remedy for this one, knock on wood.
5: Plans for maternity pics falling through. Tyler didn't have time to watch Ameilya like I had planned for and it was too late to find a sitter. Hopefully I will be able to find a time to reschedule since I feel like I still look decent enough to have cute pics taken.
Also (I think because of the stress), I have been having little bouts of almost pre term labor. I'll have 5-8 hours where I'm having contractions 8 min apart or less, some of them as close as 3 min apart for an hour or more. Most of the time they are around 5 min apart. Today I felt like I could hardly get up out of a chair without my uterus contracting into a big, angry ball of tension. This is definitely not helping as far as trying to destress goes, since I have lots of contractions then I worry which makes me more stressed. Vicious cycle going on there. Hopefully I will just be able to take a chill pill and this issue (along with the high BP) will hopefully resolve on it's own and baby girl won't come before it is safer for her to do so.
Anyway, back to the usual pregnancy update post. Sorry for all the feels and venting. Not quite sure how else to get it all out.
What Fruit are you? a large head of romaine, which is again not a fruit
Due date: 23 September 2015
How far along: 34 weeks and 5 days today
Next appointment: August 12 but I did just have one yesterday
Gender: Female
Total weight gain/loss: Gain of 24 pounds (as of Wednesday)
Exercise: nothing formal, trying to take it a little easy because of all the contractions
Stretch marks: None
Swelling: yes, hands and feet mainly, not too bad yet though
Maternity clothes: yes, since about 12 weeks
Belly button: out and visible through any and all clothes!
Sleep: can't fall asleep most nights, not sleeping deeply, waking up during the night and not being able to fall back asleep, can't usually get to sleep during Ameilya's nap time either. I'm one tired mama. Melatonin and lavender oil have helped a little with the falling asleep part but still having trouble with the rest
Food cravings: fruit, chocolate milk
Symptoms: Still nauseated, most of the time just in the morning and if my heartburn is really bad, heartburn is so bad that sometimes I throw up a little bit but usually isn't too bad as long as I take a little medicine for it
Movement: Yes! She makes powerful and visible movements. She has very specific times of sleeping and waking
Labor signs: see above
What I miss: Being able to lay on my stomach, being able to reach my toes, being able to drink orange juice without feeling like there's a dragon breathing fire up my esophagus
What I'm loving: Um, I can't honestly say I love anything about being pregnant, I do really like feeling her move though, as long as she's not kicking my ribs too hard!
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our little sweetie for the first time, not being pregnant anymore, drinking/eating whatever I want without fear of heartburn!
Best moment this week: It's been a rough few weeks as noted above, I am really looking forward to my baby shower this weekend though!
Random fun fact: our baby girl is measuring a week and a half big. Not sure how I end up with these big babies but it seems like we are going to have another big one! (Ameilya was almost eight and a half pounds!)
Tummy pic (this was taken Wednesday when I was exactly 34 weeks, just didn't get around to posting it until today):
If you ever need some grown up time I will be more than happy to come over. The boys love getting out of the house. Or if you just need me to help watch your little one so you can relax. Or if you want to get out I can drive us to a park or something. Just shoot me a text 801-725-7858. I'm sorry! It can be so hard the last few weeks.
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