Twenty-six weeks along!
Lately, I’ve been feeling huge! I had to dig up pictures from my 26 Week Bumpdate with Baby #1 to compare, because it just feels like I am way bigger this time around, but I don’t think I really am. Honestly, more than anything, I feel a bit bewildered that I am this far along. The first few months of pregnancy go so slowly–when you are throwing up all the time, and can’t find any food that tastes good, but then the second trimester (at least this time around!) just flies by!
I am way less focused on this pregnancy than I was on my last one. Pregnancy itself doesn’t hold quite as much magic to me, because I know the really wonderful part is the baby at the end of it all. Until then, I am still so focused on Gideon, moving, and normal life.
How far along: 26 weeks!
Due date: August 23
Gender: I still don’t know. Saia still does know. So far this secrecy thing is working great. 🙂 I don’t even think about it most days, and I can’t wait until Saia announces what the baby is at birth! That gives me chills just thinking about it.
How big is baby? Baby is now the size of a bunch of kale, and weighs around 1.7 lbs!
Worries I’ve had this week: now that I’ve started gaining weight, am I gaining too much? How much had I gained at this point last time? When I was in my first trimester, I was dropping weight fast because I had no appetite and struggled to find anything to eat that sounded good. I remember just dreaming of the day when I could actually feel full again. Now that ALL food sounds good (glory be!), I am worried about gaining too much weight. Sigh. I want to just trust my body, but the truth is I haven’t been eating super well the last few weeks, so I think I just need to focus on healthy eating and then I wouldn’t be so worried about extra weight.
This month’s midwife appointment: I had a really low-key appointment this week (I LOVE those, because it means nothing is wrong, and my pregnancy is progressing normally). They had me make an appointment with the OB who did my c-section: basically so she can “advise” me about VBAC and C-section risks, and sign off on my VBAC. I’m not worried about it. She was very pro-VBAC even when she did my C-section, and no one is going to be able to talk me out of a VBAC (I am armed to the teeth with research and statistics). They also gave me my lovely glucose test drink to take before next time (yay?). And we talked about my worries about having to submit to electronic fetal monitoring in the hospital: I really hate that the hospital requires VBAC moms to have EFM, even if they have a mobile/waterproof one so that I can labor in the tub or shower or anywhere else. I just have done my research, and know that reading the EFM chart is open to interpretation, increases your c-section risk, and doesn’t improve outcomes for either the baby or the mama. My midwife agreed with me, but just basically said it is just one of those things that the hospital requires, but the good news is she is the one who will be reading the charts, and making the decisions. So that made me feel a little better.
Weight gain: I finally started gaining weight (I lost weight in my first trimester), and I gained four pounds last month, which kind of shocked me. Ha ha! I have been eating A LOT since food FINALLY has started to taste good again, so I need to focus on getting back into healthy eating rather than I-am-so-excited-all-food-tastes-so-delicious type of eating.
Exercise: I got a couple of walks in this week, but thanks to being super busy (I got out of the house a lot!), and several days of rainy weather I didn’t fit in daily exercise. Hoping to remedy that this week!
Purchases I’ve made: you guys, we bought a minivan! I cannot even tell you how much I LOVE it. I’ve driven it all over the week, and it has been so much fun!
How are you feeling? Feeling really good! I had one migraine this week, but other than that I have been super energetic, and really into nesting. I am loving this complication-free (knock on wood) pregnancy!
Maternity clothes: I am still looking to flesh out my maternity wardrobe a bit. I’ve been hitting up thrift stores, but haven’t found much of anything. Looking forward to going to a few garage sales in the coming weeks!
Sleep: Really great! Gideon is sleeping through the night (thank you Lord), and I have been sleeping really well too!
Miss anything? I miss running. I was running a lot in the fall, training for a half-marathon, and I took a break during the winter, and then I had an exhausting first trimester and didn’t run either. I really, really miss it.
Movement: This baby is so active. With Gideon, I could tell he was head-down the entire time, because his kicks were always high up on my belly. Even when my midwife was trying to convince me he was breech (she was wrong), I knew that he was head down. But this baby is a windmill of kicking activity. I feel kicks–within minutes–near my belly button, then on both sides, then way down low. This baby seems to be twirling in circles in utero, and I really don’t know what to make of it. I know that at twenty-six weeks it is normal for the baby to be traverse or breech, because they just still have so much room in there, but I am praying that baby will be head down when it counts.
Symptoms: I definitely feel like my belly has been growing a lot, and it has just felt really uncomfortable and tight. I also have sporadic headaches and/or migraines. But I can’t complain! Most of the time, I feel really good!
And, for comparison, here is my 26 Week Bumpdate with Baby #1
Such a cute baby bump! Looking good mama!
That is a bummer about the fetal monitoring. I had to fight to have intermittented monitoring with both babies and I know walking around helped my labors progress. You’ll make it work though! Even moving in the room helped me a lot.
So happy the minivan is working out good for you! We are going to put three car seats in the back of our truck and hope Declan will be able to crawl to his each time.. but I just don’t know… lol. We shall see how it goes.
Thanks sweet friend!
I know, I loathe the EFM. At least the hospital I will be going to has only mobile/waterproof EFM so I will still be able to use the tub, the shower, walk around, etc…otherwise I probably wouldn’t go there. I’m just hoping I’ll be able to do the majority of my labor at home, and go in at the last minute. Maybe they won’t have time to put the monitor on. 😉 Fingers crossed.
I bet Declan will be able to crawl to his seat! He’ll probably find that fun! And it will be nice to be so close to all three of them–one thing that surprised me is how far back Gideon is in the minivan. When I’m driving, I can’t really hand toys back to him as easily anymore. Ha ha!