32 week update

[Tiina News]

Well, I'm back after a great week and a half on and by the ocean. We
sailed to the rental cottage and did not stop for the night - a mistake!
Sailing by full moon *was* romantic, but not sleeping at all wasn't. DD
slept but woke up cranky and seasick, and soon the crew was in full
mutiny. I informed Capt. Bligh (DH) what I thought of his stupid hobby
and told him that the next time I run the marathon, I'll make *him* run,
too. With both kids in a double stroller!

A week on the island improved my mood, and on the way back, we stopped
for the night and slept. The weather was great, the sailing was great,
and I look not just sun-kissed but positively sun-ravished. But enough
of that..

Today, I had my 32 week appointment. Everything is going so well, I feel
I should knock on wood! No heartburn, backaches, fatigue, constipation,
sleeplessness, anemia, or whatever. I feel absolutely fine. Maybe it's
compensation for the horrible anxiety I suffered from earlier?? I know
things don't work that way, but..

Anyway, all is well. My bp was 126/78 - I was sure it would be higher,
because it was quite hot and I'd walked briskly to the clinic. But no.
Also, my weight did a funny thing. Last time, I'd gained over four
pounds in two weeks and was a bit surprised. I remember Cheryl remarking
that it could be just a spurt, and that another time, I might have
gained very little. Well, Cheryl, you were right! Now I'd only gained
*half a pound* in two weeks. My bump had grown two centimeters from 29
to 31 though, so I guess that's just how things work with me.

So, my total gain is still around 31 pounds. Even that is kind of funny,
since I don't really see *where* it's gone. The NP said that I only seem
to have gained on my bump, and seemed surprised when I reminded her
that's hardly possible, since I've gained 14 kilos! It can't all be in
the bump! (Well, some of it is in my boobs - they've grown from a small
A to a generous C cup.) Where is all this mystery mass? Search me..

Baby's heartbeat was around 140 again, and like last time, DH was there
to hear it because of his vacation. That was a great treat. My next
appt. will be in three weeks, with a doctor.

Well, that was about it. I'm so happy to be able to experience a third
trimester like this (so far so good, anyway) because with DD, it was
mostly pain and stress because of my horrible SI joint problem. I
thought that might have masked all the lesser ailments, so I didn't know
what to expect, plus of course pregnancies vary anyway. This is all a
very nice surprise. Oh, and I just have to mention another bonus - my
libido seems to be increasing by the day! After a nauseous, nearly
libido-less first trimester, both DH and I are very pleasantly surprised
by this. And of course, with the bump you have to be more inventive.. ;-)

Congratulations to all of you who are having (mostly) glorious
pregnancies, and my sympathies to those who aren't - I do know what
that's like!

Tiina

[Linz]

"Tiina News" > wrote in message
...

> So, my total gain is still around 31 pounds. Even that is kind of funny,
> since I don't really see *where* it's gone. The NP said that I only seem
> to have gained on my bump, and seemed surprised when I reminded her
> that's hardly possible, since I've gained 14 kilos! It can't all be in
> the bump! (Well, some of it is in my boobs - they've grown from a small
> A to a generous C cup.) Where is all this mystery mass? Search me..

You will have put on an amount in blood, too, which doesn't show!

Sounds like you had a lovely holiday, I'm quite jealous!

[Tiina News]

GoofeeGyrl wrote:

> << Today, I had my 32 week appointment. Everything is going so well, I feel
> I should knock on wood! No heartburn, backaches, fatigue, constipation,
> sleeplessness, anemia, or whatever >>
>
>
> Good for you!!! I hope it continues through the next weeks too :)
>
> Linda
> Mommy to Sophie, 2 years
> and girl #2, due Sept 7th



Thanks, same to you! I guess there's plenty of time left to start
feeling lousy, but at the moment, I'm feeling optimistic!

Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
EDD Sept.15


>

[The Huwe Family]

Amniotic fluid is quite heavy.

"Tiina News" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Cheryl S. wrote:
>
>
> >>
> >
> > Same here - the only thing that looks different about me is my belly,
> > yet I've got 27 extra pounds somewhere. I've been feeling a little
> > puzzled by that too.
> >
> > I found this website that breaks it all down: http://tinyurl.com/htwt.
> > Some of the things listed there that I hadn't thought about were: uterus
> > enlargement (2 pounds), muscle development, which (together with fat
> > stores) is four to eight pounds, and the increase in blood volume is
> > actually pretty heavy too - three to four pounds. I wonder what "other
> > fluids" are? They weigh two to three pounds. Altogether that's 11 to
> > 17 pounds that might not be readily apparent.
>
>
>
> Wow.. I have a friend who only gained 15 pounds (6+ of it was baby).
> That is amazingly little, especially in view of this information!
>
> Anyway, I guess it's better having gained quite a bit and not looking
> like you have, than the opposite.. ;-)
>
> Tiina
> SAHM to Emilia,4
> EDD Sept.15
>
>
>
> > --
> > Cheryl S.
> > Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 4 mo.
> > And a boy, EDD 4.Sept
> >
> > Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
> > shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

[Tiina News]

Em wrote:


>>
>
> You are such the traveling queen lately, Tiina! sounds like a lovely trip
> aside from the seasick espisode.




Well, it is over for now - DH is going back to work tomorrow. We made
one more trip (Thu to Sat) to a friend's lakeside house and had a great
time. They had everything - swimming! sauna! sailing! fishing! great
food! naked women! (My friend doesn't believe in clothing, at least in
the summer.) So we all just cavorted around in the nude, and in true
Finnish fashion, I even greeted my friend's husband not wearing a
stitch, belly and all. He's a pretty hefty guy, so we compared girths.
This natural attitude to nudity was actually one of the things I missed
while living in the States! I concede that I can be a bit more "natural"
than most Finns even..



>
> I know what you mean about feeling like knocking on wood. I have had none of
> the above as well. My doula went over a list of common pregnancy
> "complaints" with me at our prenatal visit, so that she could check them off
> & keep them in my prenatal record & I didn't say yes to a single one of
> them. I think this may be why I'm fixating a bit on optimal fetal
> positioning--kind of like maybe that is when I'll finally "get mine" & will
> get a dose of something extra uncomfortable, instead of flowing along in a
> fairly ideal manner. (of course, that's the whole anxiety problem rearing
> its ugly head again ;-) I would be better off thinking positive affirmations
> about how my body knows how to do pregnancy very well & will know how to do
> birth well also....).



I know what you mean - something *has* to go wrong, right? ;-) Well, not
necessarily. I managed to squeeze DD out, back labor, skinny hips and
all, and this time *should* be easier. And you seem to have everything
going for you when it comes to having a smooth, complication-free birth.
It might get uncomfortable, but personally, I was way too involved in
the process to really think about that. There was no time for anxiety -
I just wanted to take care of the business at hand!



> See, even though you are winning our "contest" on paper, I otoh can
> definitely see where some of my 16 pounds have settled on me. My thighs
> namely! I still look like a relatively thin person with a bump, but I've
> also thickened up noticeably in the hip/thigh region! (enough that a
> "tactful" friend of my mom's even commented on it--"wow! you've really
> spread out in the hips"). I still feel relatively trim & chipper though for
> being 31 weeks pregnant & in the heat of summer!



That's good! I think my gain, apart from the "invisible" stuff like
increase in blood volume etc, is so evenly distributed that you can't
really see it that well. But even if yours is mostly in one place, it'll
be less to lose afterwards, and that's a bonus!

It's been quite hot here in Finland too, which I love, although people
assume I don't. After all, it's only 80 to 85 - hot for here, but
comfortable compared to the humid 90+ we often had in Massachusetts.
I'm actually getting tired of people telling me how I must hate this
heat. NO, I DON'T!


>
>
>>Well, that was about it. I'm so happy to be able to experience a third
>>trimester like this (so far so good, anyway) because with DD, it was
>>mostly pain and stress because of my horrible SI joint problem. I
>>thought that might have masked all the lesser ailments, so I didn't know
>>what to expect, plus of course pregnancies vary anyway. This is all a
>>very nice surprise. Oh, and I just have to mention another bonus - my
>>libido seems to be increasing by the day! After a nauseous, nearly
>>libido-less first trimester, both DH and I are very pleasantly surprised
>>by this. And of course, with the bump you have to be more inventive.. ;-)
>>
>
> Unfortunately, my DH is less cooperative than yours. Though I am far from
> having a raging libido, my DH says he "feels weird" about intimacy lately &
> is pretty hands off. He is still really good about non-sexual types of
> caressing & displays of affection, but not very interested in anything
> further. I have to pretty much ask to do anything, he does not initiate at
> all. This has only happened in the last month or so--the baby seems much
> more *present* now & I think that is what makes him feel strange.



Hmm, my DH doesn't seem to have that problem. Maybe he's just so happy
to be gettin' any after the "Don't touch me!!" first trimester. ;-)
Still, I can very well understand that a guy might feel weird about sex
with the baby right there, as it were. You might remind him though that
he should get it while he still can (hm, pardon the crude expression) -
I'm sure this varies greatly, but I remember having zero interest in sex
for quite some time after the birth, with postpartum hormones, fatigue,
sore nether regions, and whatnot. I hope he gets over it, at least if it
bothers you.


>
> I hope things keep trucking along merrily for you. It does sound like this
> has been a very good pregnancy for you! Hope the birth is the same.



Right back at you! Our pregnancies have been pretty similar, with early
anxiety but few physical problems. It will be interesting to see if the
births will be at all similar. Just think, in a couple of months we will
be swapping birth stories! I can't believe it!


Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
EDD Sept.15




>
> --
> Em
> edd 9/23/03
>
>
>

[Tiina News]

Henrietta Louise wrote:

> Sounds like a wonderful holiday, overall.
> Glad to hear the appoointment went well, Tiina. Here's hoping for a
> wonderful last trimester.
>
> Regards,
> Henrietta
> #4's edd: March 22, 2004



Thank you, Henrietta! I can't believe we have *March* due dates here
now. Seems like I was in that early stage just weeks ago.

Hoping everything goes smoothly for you too,

Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
EDD Sept.15



>
>

[Em]

"Tiina News" > wrote in message

> Em wrote:

> > You are such the traveling queen lately, Tiina! sounds like a lovely
trip
> > aside from the seasick espisode.

> Well, it is over for now - DH is going back to work tomorrow. We made
> one more trip (Thu to Sat) to a friend's lakeside house and had a great
> time. They had everything - swimming! sauna! sailing! fishing! great
> food! naked women! (My friend doesn't believe in clothing, at least in
> the summer.) So we all just cavorted around in the nude, and in true
> Finnish fashion, I even greeted my friend's husband not wearing a
> stitch, belly and all. He's a pretty hefty guy, so we compared girths.
> This natural attitude to nudity was actually one of the things I missed
> while living in the States! I concede that I can be a bit more "natural"
> than most Finns even..

Make that "traveling nudie queen" ;-) I have trouble picturing such a
relaxed attitude towards nudity--I live in the repressed, Bible Belt,
Midwestern US after all... ;-) I had a bit of a mini-vacation myself this
past weekend. DH & I went on a little excursion to some state parks about 3
hours from where we lived--got an "anniversary package" at a B & B and then
went out seeing the various sights. It was really nice (5th wedding
anniversary celebration as well as a final kids free trip for a while).

> I know what you mean - something *has* to go wrong, right? ;-) Well, not >
necessarily. I managed to squeeze DD out, back labor, skinny hips and
> all, and this time *should* be easier. And you seem to have everything
> going for you when it comes to having a smooth, complication-free birth.
> It might get uncomfortable, but personally, I was way too involved in
> the process to really think about that. There was no time for anxiety -
> I just wanted to take care of the business at hand!

I'm trying to work on the positive affirmations I mentioned earlier--i.e.
"my body knew how to grow this baby & it knows how to birth this baby as
well!" It would help if I didn't have the psychological quirk of seeing my
various worries as a protective mechanism of some sort (illogical I know,
but I always think that if I *think* about xyz & prepare for xyz, then it
won't happen...)

> > See, even though you are winning our "contest" on paper, I otoh can
> > definitely see where some of my 16 pounds have settled on me. My thighs
> > namely! I still look like a relatively thin person with a bump, but I've
> > also thickened up noticeably in the hip/thigh region! (enough that a
> > "tactful" friend of my mom's even commented on it--"wow! you've really
> > spread out in the hips"). I still feel relatively trim & chipper though
for
> > being 31 weeks pregnant & in the heat of summer!
>
> That's good! I think my gain, apart from the "invisible" stuff like
> increase in blood volume etc, is so evenly distributed that you can't
> really see it that well. But even if yours is mostly in one place, it'll
> be less to lose afterwards, and that's a bonus!

I still get a lot comments like, "you're so tiny, except for the bump in the
front" but like I said, those who know me well spot my extra "girth"!

> It's been quite hot here in Finland too, which I love, although people
> assume I don't. After all, it's only 80 to 85 - hot for here, but
> comfortable compared to the humid 90+ we often had in Massachusetts.
> I'm actually getting tired of people telling me how I must hate this
> heat. NO, I DON'T!

We had another hot spell this weekend--90's plus stifling humidity, but
today it went back down to a comfortable 84 with much lower humidity. This,
I can handle!

> > Unfortunately, my DH is less cooperative than yours. Though I am far
from
> > having a raging libido, my DH says he "feels weird" about intimacy
lately &
> > is pretty hands off. He is still really good about non-sexual types of
> > caressing & displays of affection, but not very interested in anything
> > further. I have to pretty much ask to do anything, he does not initiate
at
> > all. This has only happened in the last month or so--the baby seems much
> > more *present* now & I think that is what makes him feel strange.
>
> Hmm, my DH doesn't seem to have that problem. Maybe he's just so happy
> to be gettin' any after the "Don't touch me!!" first trimester. ;-)
> Still, I can very well understand that a guy might feel weird about sex
> with the baby right there, as it were. You might remind him though that
> he should get it while he still can (hm, pardon the crude expression) -
> I'm sure this varies greatly, but I remember having zero interest in sex
> for quite some time after the birth, with postpartum hormones, fatigue,
> sore nether regions, and whatnot. I hope he gets over it, at least if it
> bothers you.

I have reminded him that the opportunities will be significantly more sparse
for at least a while after the baby gets here. Still, he is remarkably
unmotivated. I don't have *that* much interest myself, but do feel like we
should be taking advantage of our relative freedom at this point!

> > I hope things keep trucking along merrily for you. It does sound like
this
> > has been a very good pregnancy for you! Hope the birth is the same.
>
> Right back at you! Our pregnancies have been pretty similar, with early
> anxiety but few physical problems. It will be interesting to see if the
> births will be at all similar. Just think, in a couple of months we will
> be swapping birth stories! I can't believe it!

I absolutely *cannot* believe that in 5-8 weeks, that is where we will be!!
Lordy!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(32 weeks today!)

[Tiina News]

Em wrote:

I had a bit of a mini-vacation myself this
> past weekend. DH & I went on a little excursion to some state parks about 3
> hours from where we lived--got an "anniversary package" at a B & B and then
> went out seeing the various sights. It was really nice (5th wedding
> anniversary celebration as well as a final kids free trip for a while).



Sounds lovely! It's a great idea to take advantage of these last weeks
before the birth. I myself am planning to grab some more quality time
with my three sisters and maybe get a rental cottage for the second
weekend of August.


>
> I'm trying to work on the positive affirmations I mentioned earlier--i.e.
> "my body knew how to grow this baby & it knows how to birth this baby as
> well!" It would help if I didn't have the psychological quirk of seeing my
> various worries as a protective mechanism of some sort (illogical I know,
> but I always think that if I *think* about xyz & prepare for xyz, then it
> won't happen...)



Yes, I know what you mean - thinking worry is some kind of a talisman to
make sure those bad things won't "ambush" you! I'm a bit like that myself.



>
> I still get a lot comments like, "you're so tiny, except for the bump in the
> front" but like I said, those who know me well spot my extra "girth"!



I've been getting the same kind of comments myself, and when it comes to
the size of the bump, everyone seems to have a different opinion.
"You're so small!" or "September? Oh.. I would have thought sooner." For
some reason, I hate the latter, especially when I notice myself getting
defensive about it. "Well, according to my NP, I'm perfectly average.."
I swear, I will never, ever comment on a pregnant woman's size!


>
>
>>It's been quite hot here in Finland too, which I love, although people
>>assume I don't. After all, it's only 80 to 85 - hot for here, but
>>comfortable compared to the humid 90+ we often had in Massachusetts.
>>I'm actually getting tired of people telling me how I must hate this
>>heat. NO, I DON'T!
>>
>
> We had another hot spell this weekend--90's plus stifling humidity, but
> today it went back down to a comfortable 84 with much lower humidity. This,
> I can handle!
>


I'm getting my comeuppance now, because I kind of have to admit that I
wouldn't mind if it were, well, slightly cooler. It's been a humid 85 to
90 for a few days now, with no end in sight. It's quite rare for Finland
and feels sort of uncomfortable, pregnant or not. I don't think I'll be
making the four-mile round trip to town center with a stroller today,
no! I hope the cooler weather stays with you over there.


>>
>
> I have reminded him that the opportunities will be significantly more sparse
> for at least a while after the baby gets here. Still, he is remarkably
> unmotivated. I don't have *that* much interest myself, but do feel like we
> should be taking advantage of our relative freedom at this point!



Well, as long as you are more or less in sync about it, can talk about
it, and keep up the connection in other ways.. it doesn't sound so bad.
The important thing is to remember you're a couple, both before and
after the baby!


>
>
>>>I hope things keep trucking along merrily for you. It does sound like
>>>
> this
>
>>>has been a very good pregnancy for you! Hope the birth is the same.
>>>
>>Right back at you! Our pregnancies have been pretty similar, with early
>>anxiety but few physical problems. It will be interesting to see if the
>>births will be at all similar. Just think, in a couple of months we will
>>be swapping birth stories! I can't believe it!
>>
>
> I absolutely *cannot* believe that in 5-8 weeks, that is where we will be!!
> Lordy!



Could be up to 10 weeks, of course, but hope it won't!


Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
EDD Sept.15





>
> --
> Em
> edd 9/23/03
> (32 weeks today!)
>
>
>

[Em]

"Tiina News" > wrote in message
> Em wrote:
> > I'm trying to work on the positive affirmations I mentioned
earlier--i.e.
> > "my body knew how to grow this baby & it knows how to birth this baby as
> > well!" It would help if I didn't have the psychological quirk of seeing
my
> > various worries as a protective mechanism of some sort (illogical I
know,
> > but I always think that if I *think* about xyz & prepare for xyz, then
it
> > won't happen...)
>
> Yes, I know what you mean - thinking worry is some kind of a talisman to
> make sure those bad things won't "ambush" you! I'm a bit like that myself.

Illogical, I know, but a lot of times it does kind of seem to work--i.e. if
I always think of the worst thing that could happen, I'm pleasantly
surprised when it doesn't happen and feel like I somehow averted the worst
thing simply by thinking about it (wow. I sound a bit psycho when I see this
in print <debates canceling message...>).

> > I still get a lot comments like, "you're so tiny, except for the bump in
the
> > front" but like I said, those who know me well spot my extra "girth"!
>
> I've been getting the same kind of comments myself, and when it comes to
> the size of the bump, everyone seems to have a different opinion.
> "You're so small!" or "September? Oh.. I would have thought sooner." For >
some reason, I hate the latter, especially when I notice myself getting
> defensive about it. "Well, according to my NP, I'm perfectly average.."
> I swear, I will never, ever comment on a pregnant woman's size!

I have yet to get a "you look like that baby is due any minute time
comment." Almost always it is, "September! That soon?!" It is still kind of
odd for me to have people comment on my being pregnant at all, kind of like,
"they know!"

> >>Right back at you! Our pregnancies have been pretty similar, with early
> >>anxiety but few physical problems. It will be interesting to see if the
> >>births will be at all similar. Just think, in a couple of months we will
> >>be swapping birth stories! I can't believe it!
> >>
> >
> > I absolutely *cannot* believe that in 5-8 weeks, that is where we will
be!!
> > Lordy!

> Could be up to 10 weeks, of course, but hope it won't!

My range was meant to include you as well--I really hope you don't have ten
weeks left!! :-)

--
Em
edd 9/23/03