35 Weeks: Discomforts & Joys of 3rd Trimester

The better I feel physically, the busier I get - naturally. In the past week, my husband and I have taken care of most of the big things we wanted to get done before the baby comes. It's been a while since I felt this productive.

I've also been feeling some new physical discomforts, specific to this very weighty 3rd trimester.

NEW DISCOMFORTS:

1) Back Pains:
I first felt it late last week during a walk outside. I let out a small 'ahk!' and had to stop moving. My first thought for a split second was "Baby, we got 6 more weeks to go!" I quickly realized it wasn't a contraction. Then I thought maybe it's a Braxton Hicks - that wasn't it either. I limped back home and had to lie down for the rest of the evening. For a couple of days, I needed back massages in order to fall asleep.

2) Leg Cramps: 
I find myself stretching my legs/ankles a lot when I sleep because I feel sore all the time, and that's when it attacks me. I woke up screaming a couple mornings, tho the cramp subsided pretty quickly. I guess dealing with 20+lbs of extra weight on a daily basis is putting a lot of pressure on my legs.

ONGOING DISCOMFORTS:

1) Congestion: 
I've been congested since what must be Day 1 of pregnancy. Every morning and every night, I spend a lot of time in the bathroom, trying to clear my sinuses and my throat. And heater makes it impossible for me to breathe at nights, so we've been sleeping with our sweaters on instead, with the humidifier on.

2) Nausea & Vomiting:

This one is so much better than what it used to be, but it's still happening. It's alright though. It'll be over soon..... I'm still super sensitive to certain foods/smells, but at least my triggers have narrowed down. One of the main things is cooking oil. So far, I've identified olive oil, butter, and almond oil to be safe. Anything else causes nausea and/or vomiting. So it gets a bit tricky if I'm trying to eat out because I don't know what kind of cooking oils restaurants use.

3) All the other Usuals:

Then there are the common 3rd trimester symptoms many women experience, like frequent trips to the bathroom, indigestion/gas/bloating/heartburn, fatigue, interrupted sleep, weight gain, pregnancy brain, shortness of breath, swelling, and etc........... Almost.... Almost there! 

THE JOYS:

1) Feeling the Movements:

In all honesty tho, I don't mind these 3rd trimester symptoms too much. I find that I'm rather savoring every moment of this uncomfortable miracle, especially now that we're close to the finish line. I particularly enjoy feeling this baby move. Now that she's bigger and snug in my womb, the movements are different. She's not doing somersaults anymore because there is no more room. I could feel where her back is and where her limbs are. She stretches her legs and sometimes her whole body, and my belly stretches out diagonally. It's fascinating to watch, and it's almost strange how much joy I find in feeling those pokes. It hurts sometimes when she kicks me in the rib, but even then, I love it. It's so cute. And every time she moves, I feel like I'm getting to know her better.

2) Cravings: 
I know 2nd trimester is when things are supposed to be great, but for me, 2nd trimester came and left before I felt any kind of bliss. Until recently, eating has been either a terrible, disgusting chore or something always ending badly even if it starts out well. And with Gestational Diabetes, I thought I was never going to experience any kind of eating pleasure until I was done with this pregnancy. But in the past week, I've been having these nuts and cheese cravings, specifically almond butter and Manchego cheese (not together). My body doesn't seem to want anything it can't handle, and I'm enjoying my almond butter and/or Manchego cheese sandwiches like never before. Eating may not be awesome, but it's the best it's ever been during this pregnancy.

3) Love:
I'm in love with this baby. I can't wait to meet her, and I'm in love with my family. Despite the lingering list of difficulties I face on a daily basis, I'm going through a I-love-my-life phase. I hope it lasts for a while, enough to get me through the challenges of labor & delivery, plus the transition into parenthood. 

PHOTO at 35 weeks:

Hyperemesis Gravidarum: severe morning sickness

Apparently, Kate Middleton has this condition, and the media is beginning to cover Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The general population doesn't really know about it, and there also hasn't been much research on the topic because it's considered a temporary condition that passes.

My sister asked me if I had heard of HG because it sounds a lot like what I had gone through. Nonchalantly answering 'yes,' I was touched because I thought no one noticed - maybe except my husband. Reading this New York Times article by Laura Geggel, I do agree that this is not just another case of 'morning sickness.' I felt validated when I read '...there are a lot of misconceptions about it. A lot of women are treated really badly. They’re treated like they’re faking it or that they just don’t want their child.' I have actually been in this situation, where I was accused of exaggerating, which prompted me to change hospitals.

And when reading the blog entry, 'Pregnant and wanting to die' by Betsy Shaw, one of the links sis sent me, I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. I guess I could blame it on the hormones, but it is more that this woman was describing things I dared not say out loud. The morbid thoughts that has gone through my head had filled me with shame and a sense of incompetence as a woman. I too remember having moments of complete compassion for women who chose to end it. I remember thinking every day I want to die.

Fortunately, I was able to get through it without such tragedy. And I was also able to stop my weight loss early on. But I was still completely nonfunctional for months without any break - not even a moment, throwing up every single day, mumbling to no one in particular, 'please make it stop.'

I think back, and the only reason I was able to survive without living at the hospital is because my husband was by my side 24/7, feeding or trying to feed me every hour. There is no way I would have ingested anything if I were alone. Every bite of food or sip of drink tasted like death, and I was too dizzy to move.

But I also knew not taking what my husband had in front of me meant going to the hospital. For better or worse, I convinced myself eating and throwing up is better than lying in the hospital with a needle in my arm. Every bite was a battle, but I took it because I had an irrational fear - or maybe it's plenty rational - that I could hurt my baby if I didn't consume anything. My husband's hand movement that brings food to my mouth sometimes would be enough to set me off to vomit. Sometimes, we cried together as I struggled to swallow a piece of fruit...

Needless to say, I'm glad that period is over................

I feel nothing but sympathy for the duchess, but I'm slightly hopeful for what this new awareness could bring about.