Reality Check

Ok, I better stop procrastinating and just update before I forget everything that's been going on.

My last prenatal appointment was exactly a week ago. I found out that since the appointment 4 weeks previous to that one, I had gained 8 pounds. That's a total of 24 pounds. Needless to say, that was my main concern at this appointment. My midwife wasn't super concerned about my weight gain so far, but she did say it was on the high end. I on the other hand have been very concerned because at this rate I would probably gain over 40 pounds. I would have liked to have gained 24 the whole pregnancy to be honest.

So after my appointment I decided lots of things had to change. I wouldn't say that I was eating horrible before but I for sure wasn't eating as good as I could. I was making sure to get protein and eating fruits and veggies, but the problem was that I wasn't restricting my sugar/junk food intake. With the holidays coming up, I knew I needed to change my diet now or I would be in big trouble.

So from here on out I have cut out most sugar, junk food, and high carb foods (white breads, pasta, and processed foods). I still allow myself treats once in a while but not on a daily basis. I also want the main food that i'm eating daily to be fresh produce. This also means eating out less.

The second part to my plan is working out much more. Before this appointment the only exercise I was getting was a walk, once in a while. Now i'm going to an actual gym and getting at least 30 minutes of cardio 3-4 times a week. I will generally go on the elliptical for 20-30 minutes and then light swimming to cool down.

Hopefully I can control my weight gain from here till the end of the pregnancy. The goal is to only gain 1-2 pounds a week from here on out.

The other thing that I brought up at my appointment was that I have been having lots of stretching pains around my uterus at night while sleeping. When I change positions it's very painful and sometimes I would just wake up feeling super uncomfortable. My midwife suggested taking Epsom salt baths, which soaks into your skin and relaxes muscles and tendons around the uterus. The few nights that I did do the Epsom salt baths before bed I felt noticeably better through the night. With winter coming, I will for sure be taking more of those.

Besides that everything is going great and she is getting so big! From head to toe she's around the size of an ear of corn and weighs around a pound and a half. I feel her moving a ton and Phil has FINALLY felt her moving. I had written on my Facebook that I found out I have an Anterior Placenta, meaning it sits right in the front making it much harder to feel movement from the outside. That explains why it's been harder for Phil to feel anything. 

We have scheduled two classes at our Birth Center that we have to take before she gets here. One is about Early Home Care and the other is on possible Complications. Those will be at the end of November. Phil and I are planning on starting our registry this week so we can prepare for all of our future baby showers. That's about all for now!