I spent Christmas Day 20 weeks pregnant. Do I have a picture from that day to show for it? No. The two other kids outside my uterus keep me nice and distracted at all times, especially during holidays.
Symptom-wise, I’ve been dealing with SPD (my fantastic lightning crotch and public bone pain). Actually, sometimes I feel like my whole pelvis is going to fall apart. That last part of the week was the worst. I did buy a pregnancy belt that does help, but it only does so much. The pain gets so bad that I literally have to scale up my stairs at night like you would if you were trying to climb a particularly vertical part of a mountain – gripping the banister while pulling myself up the stairs one by one while muttering, “Son of a bitch.” It alternates between stabbing pain and aching and burning. I told Chris I literally feel like my vagina is on fire sometimes and he gives me a side eye like he doesn’t quite know what to make of that. It also makes turning in bed rough. I always start out on my left side and then whenever I wake in the night to pee, I turn to the other side. I still haven’t used a pregnancy pillow, but I’ve been getting away with just a pillow between my legs.
I need to see a chiropractor. It’s been 3 years since I was last seen, but with my insurance, I’m not sure what’s going to be covered.
Otherwise, the heartburn has been in full swing around here. One night it was so awful that I finally caved and took the dfjk;ivjdnruinvdjlnfvldsj apple cider vinegar and garlic mixture sitting in my fridge for the last few months unopened.
I knew if I took this concoction any earlier in pregnancy I would spew it up no doubt. But earlier this week, I had almost constant heartburn that evening and decided to bite the bullet and do it (well-diluted this time, unlike that one time I took a straight shot from the bottle and wanted to rip my esophagus out). (Side note, ironically, this post I linked is from when I was 20 weeks pregnant with Olivia small world). I’m happy to report, it went well-ish. I didn’t dare breathe through my nose for the next 15 minutes in order to smell the garlic in my throat because THAT would have definitely made me hurl. And I did have to pause a few times and tell my stomach to not upchuck the nastiness I just consumed. But it did help the heartburn even if I still had some indigestion and it was only temporary because the heartburn came back that night when lying in bed.
On Thursday, I saw my doctor. My actual doctor, not a PA or other OB. I haven’t seen him since I was 7 weeks and I was supposed to have this appointment with him Tuesday, but he was called to a birth and I rescheduled for Thursday. All morning, I waited for my phone to ring to tell me I’d have to reschedule again or see a PA. But it worked out.
He agreed I could up my blood pressure medication to try and lower my systolic (it had been in the mid to high 130s, even if my diastolic looked good under 80). In the clinic, because the assistants love to immediately check your blood pressure while you’re getting your coat off and panting, it was still something like 135/80. Which my doctor was happy with, but I’ll be going to 400 mg of labetalol three times a day instead of two. That makes six pills a day and I feel like I’m constantly munching on M&Ms. And I haven’t been great at checking my blood pressure, but that evening and yesterday my blood pressures at night were 132/73 and 133/77.
He told me that yes being on blood pressure meds this early and having to increase them several times now does increase the chances of preeclampsia, but it’s less than if I had higher blood pressure without it. So really, I just don’t have a choice and this is what it is. He did say the hospital I’ll deliver at does take babies at 28 weeks and up, so as long as I can hold this baby in until then, I shouldn’t have to necessarily worry about a transfer to the Children’s Hospital. He said the neonatologist there is the same one who covers the U of M children’s hospital and this doctor is “excellent” so I feel like I’m in good hands if the worst happens.
I asked him what he thought of me seeing Maternal Fetal Medicine and being followed by a high-risk OBGYN, and he thought it was a good idea, with my history, the blood pressure issues, and the liver concern. He said GI doctor know the liver, but they don’t really do much pregnancy stuff. He said he would see if MFM could do a consult with me after my level 2 ultrasound next week.
I think it will be good. Especially since I will hardly see my actual doctor this pregnancy and don’t really like seeing a slew of PAs when there are so many issues that keep coming up.
So far, the medication increase has been okay. I usually feel lightheaded and weak a few hours after taking my morning dose and now it’s feeling like that with the afternoon one. Like, I try to do laundry or clean and have to keep sitting down like I was doing Friday after vacuuming and mopping. I’m just breathless and my heart is beating fast. I hope this isn’t my new normal in feeling like this throughout the day.
But the good that came at the end of the week is….baby movements. Lots of them. Like, lots of them. Pokemon was squirming and wiggling and kicking and at one point, I swear they did a YOUGE stretch inside me and it either makes me laugh and tickles a little bit, or it borders on feeling uncomfortable. I love it. The movements are literally the only thing I have ever enjoyed about pregnancy besides the pregnancy orgasms and the fact that I can eat a cheeseburger and no one notices because my stomach always seems gigantic now.
Olivia and Emelia get a kick out of it, whenever I tell them Pokemon is awake and moving. One night, I was reading to Emelia and said, “Oh! The baby just woke up and they’re kicking!” and she immediately grabs the top of my shirt, “I wanna see da baby!” And when I said, Oh I’m sorry honey, but you can’t see the baby, she put her head on my belly and said hi.
Also, this is the first photo I took where I realize how high I’m carrying, compared to my other two pregnancies. I still am not swinging one way or another when it comes to this baby’s sex, but now it’s making me wonder if there’s a boy in there.
