Wow. I’m 34 weeks pregnant. This is very hard to believe. This pregnancy has flown by. I felt like my pregnancy with Connor lasted so much longer! Let’s see how things are going with little Dawson Bean:
I look exactly how I felt when this photo was taken. I was spent after a long and difficult day at work. Andrew took this picture of me around 7 pm and I was in bed at 8.
Weight Gain: I went to the doctor on Wednesday and I had gained 4 pounds. This brings my total to 29 pounds. My appetite has really decreased over the past 2 weeks, so this is a little surprising. Oh well. My doctors still assure me that my weight gain is “great”- their words.
Cravings: I still don’t have much of an appetite this week. I honestly can’t think of anything that I HAD to have.
Aversions: This is going to sound weird but…my scent. I know this is absolutely bizarre. My sister-in-law told me the same thing about herself when she was pregnant. She said she couldn’t stand the way she smelled. I thought that was really odd because I also thought her perfume smelled nice, but figured it was her hormones. Well, I totally get what she meant now! I feel like I stink all the time now. This just started this week. I take my deodorant to work, I keep a mini bottle of perfume in my car and I have lotion at work that I re-apply often. No matter what I do, I still feel like I stink. I never experienced this with Connor, and Andy promises that I don’t smell funky to him. I hope this goes away soon, because I am so self-conscious.
The Good: I will always love and remember feeling Dawson move and grow within me. I love walking into his room and imagining him in his crib. My co-workers threw a shower for me on Thursday with sweet gifts and yummy food.
The Bad: Physical therapy was awful (continue reading below). I feel heavy. Dawson is getting heavy. I feel his weight in everything that I do now. Getting out of bed in the morning physically hurts.
Baby’s Size: My app says the size of a cantaloupe, around 4 3/4 pounds and almost 18 inches long.
My doctor checked me yesterday and my cervix hasn’t opened, which is great news. I experienced some spotting with Braxton Hicks contractions while we were at the beach last week. She told me to take it easy as best as I could until I hit the 36 week mark. Then, she said, I was free to do jumping jacks (yeah, right) or anything really because if he was born after 36 weeks he would be healthy. We also got the ok from all of the doctors about something that is important to us during Dawson’s birth. I plan on doing a “birth plan” post next week so be on the lookout for that post if you would like the details.
So, physical therapy. Geeze. I thought that I had pain coming from my hip, turns out it was coming from my right butt cheek. TMI? Then you aren’t reading the right blog. I am honest here because I want people to learn from my experiences. I don’t want to sugar coat facts. Anyway, the therapist started touching different areas around my hip and I was feeling discomfort. Then she had me lay on my left hip, with my back facing her. Without warning she pulled my pants down. More than half of my butt was showing. I was mortified and so thankful that she couldn’t see my face.
Then it got worse. She started touching around my right butt cheek and IT. WAS. EXCRUCIATING! I seriously had tears pouring out of my eyes, and running down my face. She certainly found my point of pain! It was awful. She thinks I injured my muscles in 2 ways. First, I sleep in a really weird position only when I’m pregnant. I pretty much sleep on my stomach (weird, right?) with my right leg and hip at an odd angle. Second, although I no longer pick up the children in my preschool class, I did during the early stages of my pregnancy. She thinks both of these things contributed to me tweaking my muscles. So, no more bending down, holding the kids at all. I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees and under my belly, and I have physical therapy twice a week for three weeks now.
I’m glad that I am going to physical therapy. I don’t want this injury to prevent me from running or exercising after Dawson is born. I also need relief from the pain now. I honestly don’t know how much it will help until after Dawson is born. I’m still sore from my appointment. I’m hoping that I’ll get some form of relief soon!
Have you ever gone to physical therapy? Did it hurt worse than help the pain at first?
Greater Fitness 