Week 28 - Beginning of Third Trimester

Holy cow...I'm officially in the third and LAST trimester!!! Where has the time gone? Are we ready? Of course, not! But will we ever really be ready? Looking at the "What do YOU think we're going to have?" poll above, there are 83 days until my due date - less than 3 months...AHHHHH!!!!!

In the meantime, I sat for three hours and took my Glucose Tolerance Test on Friday (same day as April took hers) - I have the bruises on both arms (from being pricked four times) to prove it. Today, one of the midwives, Sarah, called to give me the results. Now at my first visit with Sarah, she said she would only call when the test results were of some concern which is why she called last week. So when I received the call today, I was thinking the worst. Luckily, I was wrong - I'm in the clear!!! Actually, both April and my glucose levels came back normal - few!! Like April said in her blog, I couldn't imagine cutting anything else out of my diet.

Just as April said, although being pregnant is a wonderful feeling, the comfort factor is starting to diminish. Which is hard to actually type knowing that April is carrying twins, therefore much bigger and I'm sure much more uncomfortable. Sleeping through the night is starting to become a rarity, sitting in certain positions are no longer an option, and I will no longer take for granted the ability to bend over and put on shoes and put pants on without sitting down.

Still, my favorite part of the pregnancy is feeling the baby move. With it getting bigger, I am not feeling it as much (it's starting to run out of room to roll around) - mostly in the morning and at night. However, it also means that s/he is becoming stronger and so the punches and kicks are definitely being felt and seen. But my favorite, favorite feeling is when an actually body part is pushing so 'hard' against my tummy that I can feel the outline of whatever part it is. Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out exactly what part I am feeling. Is it a foot? a knee? a bum? a head?

So here's to the last three months. We look forward to making our baby furniture purchases this coming weekend, our Marco Island vacation in two weeks, completing our baby registry, taking birthing classes, painting the baby's room, setting up the room, finishing my year at school, and just enjoying our time together as a couple.

PS- Check out Alysia and DJ & April's blogs (click the links above) - both have been recently updated!!!

Baby Development (from Pregnancy.org)

• Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
• Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
• Eyes are completely formed now. Quite a view from inside!
• Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
• Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb!
• Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
• Talk to your baby often, reading stories, singing songs and more. He or she can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
• Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds and is 14.8 inches.

(pictures from Pregnancy.org)

Week 27

Oh man! With report cards being due this week, I really haven't had a chance to do much else. Well maybe a few other things...Todd and I decided to take advantage of the lake effect snow and go snowshoeing at the Clarence Nature Center again. We found a new path that ended up leading us to Uncle Carl's backyard!

But was I sore that night! This hasn't been the first time I felt discomfort especially after exercising so after self-diagnosing myself online (smile), I think I may actually have an acute case of Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)?? I was actually a little fascinated with what I found. According to http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/,

"During pregnancy, your body produces hormones and body parts shift to meet the demands of your growing baby. Your body produces a hormone known as relaxin during pregnancy. Relaxin softens the ligaments in your pelvis to enable your baby to pass through your pelvis. Normally, the two halves of your pelvis do not move very easily because the symphysis pubis is strengthened by ligaments. If one side of your pelvis moves more than the other side, you can experience pain and inflammation. This can happen when you walk or move your legs and the pain can become severe."

In addition to my SPD (ha ha ha), Sarah, one of the midwives, called on Monday to let me know I'm slightly anemic and my glucose was slightly higher than it should be (my levels were 144 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood plasma - the cut off is 140 mg/dL). Luckily the anemia can probably be taken care of with an increase of iron and folic acid in my diet.

However, because my glucose levels were just above normal I have to go for a THREE HOUR glucose tolerance test on Friday - ughhh!!! That means I will need to fast for at least 8 hours (nothing but sips of water), go to a lab, have my blood taken, drink some glucose solution, and have my blood taken after 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours of sitting in the waiting room.

One would think the best time to go would be first thing in the morning; however, I wouldn't get back to school in time to just take a half day. So I will be going on Friday at 1:45pm. It may actually kind of work out because I'm hoping it will be okay for me to get up at 5:30am to eat some cereal before going 8 hours without any food - yikes! Wish me luck and that I don't pass out from hunger!

Time to shuffle off to bed!!


Baby Development (from Pregnancy.org)

• Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby!
• Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
• Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
• S/he also continues to take small breaths and although s/he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.
• Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
• Retinas have formed.
• Your baby will grow over a half inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenominal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
• Average size is now 14.4 inches and 1.9 pounds.

(pictures from Pregnancy.org)

Week 26

Weight: 124 lbs. (+ 11 lbs)
Fundal height: 26 cm (determined by measuring from the top of the pubic bone the top of the uterus (called the fundus) which is just above the belly button right now)

It's been a busy week. I'll start with today's big event - our visit to our new caretaker: Nurse Midwifery Associates of WNY. Apparently, they used to be housed in a Victorian home on Linwood. However, as of July they joined the Kaleida Healthcare System and are now housed in a traditional medical building on Hertl near Elmwood. I can tell they miss the intimacy of the house, but I assume they had to merge with Kaleida probably for insurance cost reasons.

I will say that I had my doubts if I made the correct decision when we walked in - it was not the best decorated waiting room to say the least. But then I quickly learned that this building houses a few different practices which means you need to check in at a general desk and then wait in this room to be called by your specific practice.

To add to the doubts, we ended up waiting almost 45 minutes to be called back. We found out later that there was a problem earlier in the day and we can expect to be called back within 15 minutes of our appointment time from now on. My doubts continued as we were taken to the exam room which was just as bare and thin-walled as you can expect in a medical building.

Fortunately, things started to turn for the better when we met Sarah, one of the midwives. I think we spent at least 1.5 hours with her - answering medical history questions, asking questions, and then doing the exam as well. We then needed to wait another 30 minutes to have my blood drawn for the big glucose test. So Sarah brought us back to their office which was much more comfortable and inviting than the front waiting room.

There we met Mary (the woman I initially talked to on the phone) who was just as friendly and helpful. Another great aspect of this practice is that they encouraged us to set up appointments for the next four months so I could pick the exact time and date for each one to save Todd and me from taking time off from work.

And to top off the experience, while we were waiting, Sarah made sure we were introduced to the two other midwives, Martha and Elaine, who seemed just as friendly. In all my appointments at Audubon's Women Medical, I think I had only met three of the seven doctors by the time I left. Today I met all three in one day!! I even found a picture posted in the office of a student I previously taught who was delivered by the midwives!

Our next appointment is in four weeks - before we fly down to Marco Island for our last hurrah. I am only hoping my experiences will continue to be just as pleasant.

Rewinding to this weekend, Todd, his parents, and I went to H.A. Whites on Kenmore Avenue between Delaware and Colvin to check out baby furniture. Holy cow...what a selection!! It was initially quite overwhelming, but after a couple hours we were educated on crib manufacturers, car seats, and even strollers. Needless to say we did not make any selections. But our visit did do a good job of getting the wheels turning.

Fortunately, my cousin-in-law, Gen, e-mailed me her registry which at least gave us a starting point. I have also been working my way through the book Baby Bargains to help us start a list of items we would like to purchase. So much to think about and decide on!!!

Time for bed! Check back for new pictures. Will see you next week!!!!


Baby Development (from Pregnancy.org)

• Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length.
• To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple.
• Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.
• Air sacs in the lungs form now.
• Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.
• Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.
• Retinas begin to form.
• Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
• Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

(from Pregnancy.org)

Week 25

Well, trying to get back into the swing of things after being off for 12 great days. It did make it a little easier to transition back last week only having 3 work days.

This past Saturday Todd and I went snowshoeing at the Clarence Nature Center (off Thompson Road). Even though there wasn't a ton of snow, we just had to try out Todd's new snowshoes. Besides it's a great way for me to enjoy the winter now that I shouldn't ski. After the Clarence Nature Center, we hiked the Clarence Escarpment Park (off Greiner Road) which led into the backyards of Spaulding Lake where we continued to walk. I think we ended up being out for almost 2 hours! Needless to say I was pooped by the time we got back home.

Today we met with Cindy, a doula who came highly recommended to us by our friend, Michelle P. A doula is "a person who accompanies a woman in labor, mothers the mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. A postpartum doula continues that valuable emotional support and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition into new family dynamics." Since we have only heard wonderful comments from those who have had a doula during their birth, we thought we'd look into the option as well.

We ended up talking with Cindy for almost 2 hours! She had a lot of information for us to think about that we will eventually have to articulate in a Birth Plan. Things like what we would like available to us during labor for comfort, induction/augmentation of labor, fetal monitoring, leg support, environment (light and noise), episiotomy, anesthesia, and postpartum wishes such as skin to skin contact with the baby, evaluation of the baby, cutting of the umbilical cord, delivering of the placenta, breastfeeding, rooming in with the baby, circumcision, and more. Yikes, so much to think about!!!

I personally think that we would only benefit from having Cindy with us during the labor and delivery. Other than being there to implement as many techniques as necessary to ease the 'pain' of labor so as to deliver as natural as possible, I also see her as being a patient advocate. Someone we could look to to help us make as educated of a decision as possible if the midwife should propose it during labor.

In the meantime, the tum tum is getting bigger and the baby's movements are getting stronger. I tend to feel him/her much more during the weekend and at night. All my movement during the school day must keep it quiet.

Furthermore, little by little my former students are finding out that I am pregnant as well. I've noticed a few of them 'checking out' my belly when they come in to say hello each morning, and apparently it came up in one of the first grade classrooms today. Hence, I received three cards from two of the girls. One of which said," Dear Mrs. Rassman, Hay I hrd (heard) you wear (were) haveing a baby."

I'm definitely enjoying being pregnant and really don't want it to go any faster as I imagine this is the easy part compared to what s/he has in store for us!

Baby Development (from Pregnancy.org)

• The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
• Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
• Your baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
• The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
• His swallowing reflexes are developing.
• Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
• Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).

(from Pregnancy.org)