Week 28

This week was exciting on many, many levels! Firstly, we had our big 28-week appointment! This brought with it the dreaded gestational diabetes check! I had heard so many women describe the oral glucose tolerance test with such vehement distaste that I was expecting a disastrous experience. Thankfully, though, the Glucola liquid wasn't nearly as terrible as I had heard--I would liken it to a very sweet orange-flavored kool-aid drink--and so I quickly downed the beverage before meeting with my doctor.

All seemed to be right on track with our baby boy--which was quite a relief for this Mama! His heart rate was in the mid-150's as he squirmed to avoid the Doppler probe! My blood pressure continues to be nice and low and my weight gain is right on track, so I am again feeling very, very blessed. After the appointment I reported back to the lab to have my blood drawn and for the first time began to feel a bit...yucky. I would imagine that's exactly how one would feel after eating too many doughnuts or candy on an empty stomach...I'm merely speculating on how that would feel, of course ;-) So after the blood draw, being in desperate need of some blood-sugar-stabilizing protein, I found my way to the nearby Denny's for scrambled eggs and chicken sausage. I had never been so thankful for protein in my life, haha!

Aside from the appointment, Andy & I attended our first Natural Labor class. We learned about the benefits of laboring naturally (less medicinal-related side effects, more alert mother & baby upon delivery, quicker recovery, etc.) as well as some stretches and breathing techniques to help us (or rather me, haha) cope with labor. This class only strengthened my desire for a medicine-free birth and I felt more empowered than ever before! It was also quite refreshing to be surrounded by other expectant parents who shared this desire! Honestly, more often than not I've been told how "crazy" and "unrealistic" I am to hope for a medicine-free labor. But not in this group of women, oh no! Here the ladies were proud and enthusiastic about laboring naturally and I just loved it!

Later in the week I performed my first pelvic exam on a real patient! This experience was quite different than I had expected. In some ways I was expecting it to be a bit awkward or uncomfortable but, surprisingly, it wasn't! I tried my best to make the sweet young standardized patient feel comfortable as I talked her through the procedure. Before either of us realized it, I had finished the exam and she reported no discomfort! I was beyond thrilled! Maybe obstetrics & gynecology is in my future?! I have always been interested in the specialty, so I guess we'll see!

Below is our update!

How Far Along: 28 weeks 

Total Weight Gain: 16 lbs 

Stretchmarks: None 

Sleep: Pretty solid, especially after a long day on my feet.

Best Moment this Week: Learning that our baby boy is growing just perfectly and that natural labor is definitely possible!

Movement: Yep, especially when I lie quietly on my left side ;-)

Gender: Baby boy 

Labor Signs: None 

Belly Button: In :-)

What I Miss: Nothing

What I am Looking Forward to:  Next week's Natural Labor class!

Milestones:  We are officially in the third trimester! I cannot believe that in 12 short weeks we'll be holding our baby! Grayson probably weighs around 2 1/4 pounds and is about 15" long! This means he's about as big as a large eggplant :-) His little eyes boast cute eyelashes and he can probably see the light that filters into my uterus. He continues to add some chub to those adorable little cheeks which his Mommy & Daddy just cannot wait to kiss!

28 Weeks

(sorry, no picture this week!)

 

Til Next Time,

Hugs & Kisses,

A Southern Sweetheart