The holiday in Austin, TX was so fun. It was great to show my family my baby-bump and to hear their excitement for us. I think it was especially great for mom who got to feel the baby move. We were driving to a restaurant to have some good bbq for lunch and we were in the car for a quite a while. The baby was kicking like crazy so I took my mom's hand and put it on my belly. As soon and her hand was on there, the baby kicked really hard. It could've been a punch too, but I think it was a foot. My mom got so excited, and it was just delightful to share that moment with her.
The baby is moving a lot. I'm starting to pick up a pattern too. He moves between 9-10am, then again between 1-3pm, and a lot from about 9-10pm. Sometimes the kicking startles me because I'm usually not expecting it. It's so fun though! I'm trying to show my husband when the baby moves because that just looks funny. He has only felt the baby, but hasn't seen my stomach jump around yet. I'm starting to imagine what it will be like when the baby gets bigger. Alhough, I'm sure it's a bit strange too.
Supposedly the baby weighs about 1 lb and 9oz. I'm 25 weeks along, more than half way there! My body has changed a lot and others are starting to notice that I am clearly pregnant. I'm feeling the weight more and more and noticing that I can't do certain things as gracefully. I definitely feel the bulge when I bend down to put my shoes on. I'm feeling lopsided when I go to put clothes on. And, I somtimes can't see my feet when I look down. This only happens occassionally - it depends on what part of the day it is. I'm smaller in the morning than at night...
I am feeling really good these days and it's true when they say that the second trimester is glorious. One definitely feels good about what is happening and it's like you're in la-la land. Most times, things don't bother me and I'm feeling quite relaxed. It's great. Although, I am becoming absent-minded and kind of air-head-ish. I admit that I am that way without pregnancy, but now it's more pronounced. The good thing is that I don't care! I wonder what the 3rd trimester will bring before I enter that phase. Can't wait!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Carpal Tunnel?!?!
In the last three nights, I've been waking up to numbing, tingling forearms, hands, and fingers. I've heard at work that pregnant women experience carpal tunnel syndrome throughout their pregnancies. The first night I felt it, I thought I was just sleeping on my arm, but then it happened again and it hit me that what I was feeling was carpal tunnel! I wasn't expecting it at all!!
It wakes me up, but not because it hurts. It's this numbing sensation that is somewhat startling at first, but then I get my hands and arms moving and then it's fine. I do find that my wrists are sore throughout the day, so that has been a bit annoying. So I consulted with the midwife and she said the only thing I can really do is use these wrist wraps at night. These wraps are suppose to help with blood circulation, which will eliminate the tingling and numbing. I found this information on babycenter.com, which helps understand why pregnant women get carpal tunnel:
"What causes carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy?
The carpal tunnel is a bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. The swelling and fluid retention that's so common during pregnancy can increase the pressure in this relatively narrow and inflexible space, compressing the median nerve that runs through it.
The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb and the index, middle, and half of the ring finger and is responsible for movement of a muscle at the base of the thumb. Pressure on this nerve is what causes the symptoms."
For some women, it comes later in pregnancy, but I was one of the lucky ones to get it a bit early on. That's alright though, I'm getting the braces and hopefully that should work. It should then go away after I deliver...hopefully.
Life has been busy these days, as we are preparing for various events, but it's been really good. I've been feeling really great, and doing what I can to remain healthy. Hope to post again early next week....
It wakes me up, but not because it hurts. It's this numbing sensation that is somewhat startling at first, but then I get my hands and arms moving and then it's fine. I do find that my wrists are sore throughout the day, so that has been a bit annoying. So I consulted with the midwife and she said the only thing I can really do is use these wrist wraps at night. These wraps are suppose to help with blood circulation, which will eliminate the tingling and numbing. I found this information on babycenter.com, which helps understand why pregnant women get carpal tunnel:
"What causes carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy?
The carpal tunnel is a bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. The swelling and fluid retention that's so common during pregnancy can increase the pressure in this relatively narrow and inflexible space, compressing the median nerve that runs through it.
The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb and the index, middle, and half of the ring finger and is responsible for movement of a muscle at the base of the thumb. Pressure on this nerve is what causes the symptoms."
For some women, it comes later in pregnancy, but I was one of the lucky ones to get it a bit early on. That's alright though, I'm getting the braces and hopefully that should work. It should then go away after I deliver...hopefully.
Life has been busy these days, as we are preparing for various events, but it's been really good. I've been feeling really great, and doing what I can to remain healthy. Hope to post again early next week....
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Growing Affection
In the 1st trimester, I read that at the beginning of pregnancy, one "looks inward" upon learning that you are pregnant. You try to let the idea sink in and there's a lot of introspection going on. I might have mentioned this before. But, looking back, it's so true. There are so many phases to this experience and it's very fascinating to me.
The 1st trimester is all about questioning: What is pregnancy going to be like? Why do I feel this way? How are people going to react? What kind of parent am I going to be? Holy crap is this really happening?! For some people, you spend all this time searching for answers - at least I did. I do admire women who go with the flow and learn as they go. Not me. I've always had an anxiety tick (thanks to genetics), but it's OK. I use it to my advantage and I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to know why things happen the way they do, and what you can do to make the best of it all. Anyway, there's definitely a lot of reflecting going on in the 1st trimester because it doesn't seem entirely real that you're going to have a baby.
The 2nd trimester is all about "outward-ness." I'm 22 weeks along this week and I feel really good. The baby is kicking a lot, I'm starting to show, although, I still look like I'm in the "is she gaining weight?" phase, we're starting to gather a lot of baby supplies, and right now it all feels very real. I'm no longer urgently looking on-line for answers, currently not worrying about pregnancy complications, and we are more and more elated with the fact that we're going to have a child!
For me, it started when I felt the baby's first real kicks. Before, it was like I was having muscle twitches in my abdomen - what they call fluttering or butterflies. But now, it's full blown kicking and maybe even little punches. Every time I feel the baby, I think oh, there he is! And I say hello little guy. I know I'm a dork, but that's what comes to mind every time. I'm starting to really enjoy his presence and I realize that my love is growing for him. It's so strange to me, but a good strange!
Part of it too is that we were able to get a whole bunch of baby supplies from my sister. We drove down to Chicago over Thanksgiving and filled a mini-van with stuff. It was great. We feel very blessed to have all these things and to know that all this money is not being spent. It feels good to know we're recycling and hopefully we can pass these things on to others. This is what we received: clothes from 0-12 mos., 2 swings, 2 bouncy seats, a bumbo, an infant carseat w/stroller (my other sister gave us an unused and larger carseat for later), a breast pump, a rocker, extra newborn diapers, a high chair, and other things I'm sure I can't think of right now. My MIL has a crib and changing table for us, so I think we're pretty much set.
Lastly, we're thinking of baby names. Names are so difficult. We want it to be unique, we also want it to be of Latino origin, but we want to choose one that everyone can say without difficulty. We want to tie the name to our families somehow - make connections to preserve legacies. We want to choose a name that will remind us of someone special or someone that has made an impact on us. How the heck do you do this?! We are optimistic though, and I know that we'll come up with something.
It's amazing to see the workings of human nature. To closely look at this timeline of having a baby, and how it influences the way we think and act. My second trimester is going to be a refreshing gentle breeze as we prepare for our baby boy. It's going by quickly with the holidays and all and before I know it, I'll be focusing on labor and delivery. I've kind of put that on the back-burner, but I will definitely be looking at various "techniques" on how I would like to deliver. May not turn out the way I plan, but I will try to be as prepared and open-minded as possible.
The 1st trimester is all about questioning: What is pregnancy going to be like? Why do I feel this way? How are people going to react? What kind of parent am I going to be? Holy crap is this really happening?! For some people, you spend all this time searching for answers - at least I did. I do admire women who go with the flow and learn as they go. Not me. I've always had an anxiety tick (thanks to genetics), but it's OK. I use it to my advantage and I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to know why things happen the way they do, and what you can do to make the best of it all. Anyway, there's definitely a lot of reflecting going on in the 1st trimester because it doesn't seem entirely real that you're going to have a baby.
The 2nd trimester is all about "outward-ness." I'm 22 weeks along this week and I feel really good. The baby is kicking a lot, I'm starting to show, although, I still look like I'm in the "is she gaining weight?" phase, we're starting to gather a lot of baby supplies, and right now it all feels very real. I'm no longer urgently looking on-line for answers, currently not worrying about pregnancy complications, and we are more and more elated with the fact that we're going to have a child!
For me, it started when I felt the baby's first real kicks. Before, it was like I was having muscle twitches in my abdomen - what they call fluttering or butterflies. But now, it's full blown kicking and maybe even little punches. Every time I feel the baby, I think oh, there he is! And I say hello little guy. I know I'm a dork, but that's what comes to mind every time. I'm starting to really enjoy his presence and I realize that my love is growing for him. It's so strange to me, but a good strange!
Part of it too is that we were able to get a whole bunch of baby supplies from my sister. We drove down to Chicago over Thanksgiving and filled a mini-van with stuff. It was great. We feel very blessed to have all these things and to know that all this money is not being spent. It feels good to know we're recycling and hopefully we can pass these things on to others. This is what we received: clothes from 0-12 mos., 2 swings, 2 bouncy seats, a bumbo, an infant carseat w/stroller (my other sister gave us an unused and larger carseat for later), a breast pump, a rocker, extra newborn diapers, a high chair, and other things I'm sure I can't think of right now. My MIL has a crib and changing table for us, so I think we're pretty much set.
Lastly, we're thinking of baby names. Names are so difficult. We want it to be unique, we also want it to be of Latino origin, but we want to choose one that everyone can say without difficulty. We want to tie the name to our families somehow - make connections to preserve legacies. We want to choose a name that will remind us of someone special or someone that has made an impact on us. How the heck do you do this?! We are optimistic though, and I know that we'll come up with something.
It's amazing to see the workings of human nature. To closely look at this timeline of having a baby, and how it influences the way we think and act. My second trimester is going to be a refreshing gentle breeze as we prepare for our baby boy. It's going by quickly with the holidays and all and before I know it, I'll be focusing on labor and delivery. I've kind of put that on the back-burner, but I will definitely be looking at various "techniques" on how I would like to deliver. May not turn out the way I plan, but I will try to be as prepared and open-minded as possible.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Healthy Pregnancy - Not Easy!
What I mean by healthy is eating well, exercising, appropriate amount of rest. I always try to be healthy by eating well, drinking lots of water, and exercising because it makes me feel good. I do it moreso to balance my brain, but I do also find it satisfying when I can fit into my clothes comfortably. Now that my body is expanding, I'm not feeling all that comfortable... But I keep thinking to myself, you're growing a baby!
The 1st trimester stopped me from exercising. I was sooooo tired and nauseous that my goal was to get through my day at work and then I would go home and sleep. Working out was not in the picture whatsoever. I've read though that if you can just get yourself to exercise, even 10 minutes a day, you feel better. You're less nauseous and less tired. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt guilty about it, but I also told myself that as soon as I felt better, I would get back into my routine. It happened.
I joined a gym a block away from work and it has been great. I thought I'd be running, but I don't. I was all paranoid that I had an incompetent uterus, so I chose to swim, I do some yoga, and I jump on the elliptical machine. All have helped me feel great. I work up a sweat (yeah, even in swimming - I can feel myself getting warmer) and I get my hearbeat going, and it feels wonderful. Yoga has helped immensely with lower-back ache and with breathing. I only workout about 20-30 min every other day, but I don't feel the need to do any more than this. If I weren't pregnant, it'd be a different story, but for some reason, this amount of exercise is perfect for now.
Eating has been quite interesting. I always think...everything in moderation...but being pregnant has made that a bit hard to control. You know when you're about to get your period, and crave something and you go out and just get it without even thinking about it? Well, that's what I feel like now. I crave salty food so I go and look for it! I do talk to myself a lot about what I should be eating, so I try to compensate by eating healthier foods like yogurt and vegetables. I also crave fruit (probably b/c of thirst and wanting something sweet) and I'm glad for that because at least it's not ice cream.
I drink coffee, but only about a cup every other day. When I do drink coffee I do drink more water that day. I do remember craving soda in my 1st trimester. I'm not a soda drinker, but I did have to have the occasional carbonated drink to get rid of that nausea. I would look for something like Fresca or 7up. Ginger Ale works great too.
In this second trimester, my taste buds have certainly gone wild. I hope to eat more spinach salads and more green vegetables. With the holidays, I'm hoping not to let-loose, but if I do, I have Jan-April to recover. I do have to say that it's easier when you think about the baby inside of you and you think of what you are feeding them. It's a great feeling when you know that the healthy food you are eating, your baby is eating it too.
Oh and rest, well, I sleep ok. I toss and turn and I'm getting used to not sleeping on my back. When we go to bed, my husband reminds me that I need to sleep on my side. I loved sleeping on my stomach, and can't wait to do that again!!! I don't feel the urge to take naps anymore, but people keep telling me that I need to get all the naps and all the rest in as much as possible b/c "when that baby comes, you're not going to have time to do that!!!" AH!
The 1st trimester stopped me from exercising. I was sooooo tired and nauseous that my goal was to get through my day at work and then I would go home and sleep. Working out was not in the picture whatsoever. I've read though that if you can just get yourself to exercise, even 10 minutes a day, you feel better. You're less nauseous and less tired. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt guilty about it, but I also told myself that as soon as I felt better, I would get back into my routine. It happened.
I joined a gym a block away from work and it has been great. I thought I'd be running, but I don't. I was all paranoid that I had an incompetent uterus, so I chose to swim, I do some yoga, and I jump on the elliptical machine. All have helped me feel great. I work up a sweat (yeah, even in swimming - I can feel myself getting warmer) and I get my hearbeat going, and it feels wonderful. Yoga has helped immensely with lower-back ache and with breathing. I only workout about 20-30 min every other day, but I don't feel the need to do any more than this. If I weren't pregnant, it'd be a different story, but for some reason, this amount of exercise is perfect for now.
Eating has been quite interesting. I always think...everything in moderation...but being pregnant has made that a bit hard to control. You know when you're about to get your period, and crave something and you go out and just get it without even thinking about it? Well, that's what I feel like now. I crave salty food so I go and look for it! I do talk to myself a lot about what I should be eating, so I try to compensate by eating healthier foods like yogurt and vegetables. I also crave fruit (probably b/c of thirst and wanting something sweet) and I'm glad for that because at least it's not ice cream.
I drink coffee, but only about a cup every other day. When I do drink coffee I do drink more water that day. I do remember craving soda in my 1st trimester. I'm not a soda drinker, but I did have to have the occasional carbonated drink to get rid of that nausea. I would look for something like Fresca or 7up. Ginger Ale works great too.
In this second trimester, my taste buds have certainly gone wild. I hope to eat more spinach salads and more green vegetables. With the holidays, I'm hoping not to let-loose, but if I do, I have Jan-April to recover. I do have to say that it's easier when you think about the baby inside of you and you think of what you are feeding them. It's a great feeling when you know that the healthy food you are eating, your baby is eating it too.
Oh and rest, well, I sleep ok. I toss and turn and I'm getting used to not sleeping on my back. When we go to bed, my husband reminds me that I need to sleep on my side. I loved sleeping on my stomach, and can't wait to do that again!!! I don't feel the urge to take naps anymore, but people keep telling me that I need to get all the naps and all the rest in as much as possible b/c "when that baby comes, you're not going to have time to do that!!!" AH!
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