Pregnancy week 26 - I forgot all about this week

Yes I did! In the beginning of last week I had an appointment with my new midwife, since my original one just had her baby!  Is it just me or does it seem like February is the baby month? I've been hearing so many new birth announcements it's crazy! Bless them all.  I am pretty comfortable with my new midwife, she's cool.  Hopefully I will be in her place in the near future, talking to pregnant women while seeing the joy and anxiety in their faces as each month passes by. So here is what happened this week.

I got to hear my precious little munchkin's heartbeat last monday! Around 148.  Hubby missed it this time! He had work and I had no idea about hearing those fast thumps!  I remember when we went for the ultrasound back in January, my husband was all fascinated SEEING the heart thump twice as fast as ours.  He would have loved to actually HEAR it this time.  Even though I feel baby moving and kicking all day and night long, I got all emotional just hearing his heartbeat and started thinking how incredible it was that I'm carrying a little human being who grows every week.  I wonder where my stomach is??????? My bump is very hard now! I feel the baby taking up my entire midsection, and yes, by now I can tell where his head is...I can feel his little head sticking out just by placing my hand on my tummy.  My little angel!

So my midwife also took my blood to see if everythings fine.  The result is, my iron level dropped a bit more than before, which means my iron tablet dosage must be increased.  From once a day to twice.  So I had low iron level all this time.  No wonder I almost fainted a few times this year.  I always felt so weak.  A week has passed since I've increased the dosage and now I hardly feel dizzy.  I still have very low pressure.

She also measured my bump and she estimated that the baby sac is about 23cm.

I also had to book these new times for group sessions.  My husband and I will be attending those.  I guess they will introduce us to "labour stuff".  Oh, and whether I want epidural or not. My mom and mother-in-law had natural birth when they had us, but I don't know whether I can handle that.  I have a feeling I will be asking for the epidural when I go into labor.  I am so sensitive from my tummy down, it's insane.  I can't even handle a nice foot massage because I am weirdly ticklish on my feet, and knees.  Let's not even talk about going into labour!  Time will show everything.  Don't want to stress about that part now.  I've had enough first trimester!  Let me enjoy my last week of 2nd trimester! (So far the BEST trimester).

I craved...

Kebabs.  For you people living in Stockholm, I'm talking about that gigantic plate in Årsta they fillup with kebabs, frenchfries, and salad.  Love homemade paratas.  Had a bunch in the weekend.  

I also craved biscuits, but I think I mentioned that last week.  Chocolate cake and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.  Chocolate chip cookies.  I crave anything unhealthy.

I do, however, still love salted juicy ripened extra red tomatoes.  I actually like them more than pickles now!

I eat pretty much everything now.  Yogurt, milk, cheese and eggs are in my daily diet.  I love food.  I'm always hungry.  I don't know where all the food is going.  I gained 1.5 kg within 2 weeks.

Also, my first course for the semester in my nursing program has come to an end.  New course started today.  Time flies!

Exactly 3 more months until due date!

Pregnancy Week 25 - Leg cramps!

Right before this week had ended, I was introduced to those painfully unpleasant cramps.  The first one happened while I was trying to sleep.  It was 5 in the morning, the time my bladder gives me the signal to get up, and all of a sudden I shoot up and start gasping for breath while I moan in pain.  I start getting spasms through my calv and oh my it was a horrible feeling in the darkness.  I scared the crap out of my husband.  He thought I was having contractions or something.  Thanks to him the pain eased  quickly.  Ever since that morning, I haven't really been able to walk as fast, stand on my tippytoes or go up and down the stairs normally.  I've been having minor cramps after that big ugly one.  Yup, it's normal for pregnant women to go through this.  This is something I will not miss.

Week 25 was ok (except for the cramps) and I had this crazy craving for red lobster's cheddar bay biscuits.  Too bad I live across seas.  I don't know what it is with me and junk food! I just love everything greasy.  I ate healthy this week though.  Tried to load on vitamin C and iron rich foods.  I don't think I got enough dairy products though.  I gained another pound.  Now I feel baby's constant movements all over the place from way above my navel to my placenta.  I can't lay down in one position for a long time but there are times when I really have no other choice but to lay down.  A few people felt him kick hard.  It felt like a basketball bouncing inside me, but side ways.  He seems to kick more when daddy feels him.

We are still trying to find the perfect name for our little one.

Pregnancy Week 24 - Hello, month 6!

So week 24 has come to an end and I think my little man grew a bit more and he's trying out all sorts of sleeping positions to make himself all comfy in my little womb.  When mommy moves, he moves.  When mommy tries to sleep, however, he plays around.

Baby's most energetic time of the day is from 10am to 1pm.  He also loves doing his own little soccer training at 9pm.  It certainly feels amazing! My belly button irritates me, though.  It's a total outy!

My overall "high" bump just lowered a few inches.  Now I feel heavier and every time I sneeze it hurts! My bladder tells me to go to the bathroom right when I feel like dozing off.  I have some light headaches during the day, and oh, I feel great eating all the time except for that one morning when I suddenly threw up just eating some toast.  Throwing up while your baby is kicking you is NOT fun.

I have weird hormones.  I don't even know if I should blame my hormones for this or not.  Whenever I get plenty of rest, I get morning sickness.  On the other hand, I feel fine the days I stress about other things and keep myself busy not thinking about baby.  Like that one friday night I pulled an all-nighter for a paper for school.  I was overwhelmed and thought I would never be able to do it, since writing swedish papers still remain a challenge for me, but I got through it and met up with my fellow classmates the next morning (yes a saturday) to do group work.  Baby kicked all night so it was hard to fall asleep anyway!  But I promised myself to never do that again.

So my baby weighs over a pound now! I think he's about 13inches.  From this week on, he will start to fill up with all that yummy baby fat.  His lungs are well-developed so he is practicing breathing before coming out into the real world.

I am worried about writing up my paper!  It would have been much easier if I could do it in english.  Really!  But in the future all of my patients and coworkers will be speaking swedish so I might as well get the hang of it.

Overwhelmed/frustrated at Pregnancy week 23

I just about had it this week. I want to get away from everything. Really.  I feel physically and mentally exhausted. I need to be close to mom or something. I don't know.

Starting school in Sweden...a challenge

My distance program for midwifery school has officially begun.  So it's distant learning, but that doesn't mean you just sit home and cheat off the textbooks on online exams.  It's more like being home yet mentally not.  We have plenty of interactive web conferences and lots of group work.  When it comes to group work, our discussions work best when we meet up somewhere physically. Then we have these obligatory seminars with the entire class and ofcourse the teacher who is usually commuting with us through a webcam in the classroom.  Classes nowadays I tell ya!

This is my first time seeing so much technology being used for classes.  That's when it really feels like 2013.  No more...read the books do your homework and have a popquiz while your teacher roams the lecture room.  The learning style we are introduced to kind of compels you to focus on your studies giving you flexibility at the same time.  A totally New concept for me.

Did I mention it's all in swedish? Another big challenge.  Sometimes I just get confused during discussions and lectures.  Like should I pay attention to the new swedish words or the new concepts of the chapter we are studying?  When I express my thoughts, does it sound the same in swedish as it would in english?  It can be extremely nervewracking!  On the bright side, everybody is terribly nice. They never make me feel like an idiot, even though they sound so professional and experienced already.  I still think being a midwife will be a huge challenge!  It is already kicking my butt.

Just doing regular housework....a challenge

I feel like i have a 20Ib bowling ball is inside me.  I get breathless just cleaning the house, or cooking.  Going out to throw the trash in the snow feels like a job.  Doing groceries (making a damn grocery list) is a pain.  Earlier today, while standing in line at a super market, i suddenly felt so weak, that i almost fainted.  It was the worst feeling.

In-laws are coming back home...want to do something special

But what?? My creativity left me the day i became preggo!

Baby is...

More than a pound.  I think he is about a foot long.  He kicks, flips, turns all day and night long making himself comfortable in my womb.  My sac is the size of a freakin cantaloup.  No wonder I can hardly sleep! I wont lie though, I love those kicks!

Pregnancy week 22

Tomorrow will be my last day of week 22. This time it really flew!

Dear Baby,

Hello my little prince. You have grown so much MashAllah. I don't need an ultrasound to tell me that, because I've been feeling you way too much. Does mommy's movements bug you? What about when daddy keeps aking you what your name's gonna be? Well you sure partied inside last night! I felt hard kicks and thumps on the left the entire night boy! What were you doing?? Well, you haven't stopped doing it, because I still feel you.  You kicked my ipad yesterday.  Today you kicked the big laptop! Here I am sitting by the window all comfy in my pjs watching tv and nodding my head while I see Sweden's clouds give snow again in this cold gloomy winter afternoon.  Ofcourse, when you arrive in this world, everything will change!  Sunshine and flowers day and night!  But nothing will be as bright compared to your angelic little face.

This week you have been fed well. I ate everything from fruits to greasy fastfood.  Variety is good right? I had a thing for german apple pancakes. And frenchfries. No, not at the same time!

I had a little group session taught by my pregnant midwife.  We did some breathing exercises to help relax my stiff body.  Us mommies were so clueless. We watched a breastfeeding video for first-timers.  It was helpful, cute...and kinda funny.  I guess we will all learn with time despite the number of videos we see.

Still haven't found your crib yet....

Those Old Wive's Tales : Gender Predicition

First of all let me make it clear that gender is absolutely the least of my concern when it comes to having a baby.  I just love babies.  Be it boy or girl.  Seeing one makes my day!

Superstitious things never really got to me.  Especially the ones dealing with pregnancy.  I always believed that each woman is made differently and you really can't generalize us all by some tale.  It might come out true for many, even me, but I see that as a simple coincident.  But admit it, you get curious sometimes.  I know I do.  When I began my 2nd trimester, I've heard all kinds of things from different women.  It's fun to hear actually.  Here are the common ones I was told:

1.  If you're carrying low, it's a boy.
     Carrying high, it's a girl.
   
     I am carrying pretty high.

2.  If your bump sticks more up front, it's a boy.
     If it's more wide, it's a girl.

    My bump is sticking straigh up front.

3. If you feel more movement on the left, it's a boy.
    On the right, then it's a girl.

   umm...there's no middle choice? My baby actually jumps all around!

4. Glowing means boy.  Dry hands and cold feet mean boy.
    Skin is breaking out, skintone is darker, hair is dry. Girl.

 I've experienced both.  Except for the glowing part.  I am NOT glowing.

5.  Craving sour and salts? Meaty and greasy food? Boy.
     Got the sweet tooth?  Girl.

     My taste varies day to day.

6.  Morning sickness and more vomiting.  Girl.
    Hardly any vomiting.  Boy.

  Did I tell you about staying in the hospital for my severe vomiting? My morning sickness stopped after        week 20.

7.  Ok this one just made me laugh. If Dad's getting fat it's a boy. I've also heard if he's gaining weight it's a girl.  Seriously, there's no right answer.

I don't think my hubby's weight has anything to do with gender!

I do trust my instincts, though.  Mama's instincts always counts.  I had a feeling what this one's going to be long before I even got pregnant.