24 weeks

On Monday I made the bi-weekly trip to “the big city” for my appointment with the high-risk OB.

I am starting to get the hang of the whole thing. I’ve not gotten lost for a couple of weeks now, and I’m finally starting to remember which level of the parking garage to park on for the quickest access to the office.

Except for the excruciating hip pain I told you about yesterday, the appointment went according to plan. According to the nurse, my blood pressure was “beautiful” and the heart rate was “perfect.”

The doctor observed that my weight is good, and when I commented that I am always starving, he said, “Don’t starve, eat!” I don’t think he knows what he’s saying … he may have unleashed a monster. Some days I feel like I could eat everything in the refrigerator! He reminded me for a second time that my insulin needs will probably triple over the course of this whole journey, and that the increase is totally normal and it’s not because I am doing anything wrong. It’s just a consequence of those pesky pregnancy hormones and the placenta that makes them.

He asked if I was having any other problems aside from the hip pain. I mentioned the swollen feeling in my pelvis and he explained that this is also normal. He says the ligaments are stretching to make room for my huge uterus. As an aside, I mentioned that my heartburn seems to be making an occasional appearance again, but that this was the least of my concerns given the fact that the hip pain is keeping me up at night. We tabled the heartburn discussion for now.

The appointment ended with the now standard hug and a smile. In two weeks, we are scheduled for another ultrasound.

This past weekend we also did a little baby shopping with my husband’s family. Our baby gear collection now includes a pack and play and an umbrella stroller, and finally the little guy has a couple of t-shirts and a sleeper. We also looked at cribs and bedding, but we didn’t purchase any. We are so indecisive! A special thanks goes out to the in-laws for their generosity this weekend! We had a nice time, and are really happy with the gear.

Like a horse

I have been eating like a horse lately. Sometimes at dinner I can put away more than my husband. I’m not sure what to make of it. Maybe it’s the hormones? I do my best to follow the dietitian’s advice, but I find that, somedays, my belly is just always hungry and grumbly.

I do a relatively good job of avoiding the junk food … I save that for treating lows :). I haven’t had a junk food binge since the marshmallow and corn dog dinner I told you about, but the number of calories I’m consuming … wow.

So far today I’ve eaten a whole peanut butter and jelly (no sugar added) sandwich, a turkey and swiss wrap with mustard, a 1/2 cup of pasta salad, a half of a ham sandwich with mustard, and an oatmeal cookie. I’ve also downed three large glasses of water. And it’s only mid-afternoon!

I’m sure you noticed the theme in all of those items: carbs. It’s like my carb switch is ALWAYS on. I’ve tried substituting veggies, but it just doesn’t work. I just end up eating the carbs anyway. The only “healthy” thing that does the trick is fruit. Sure, it still has all of the carbs, but at least the calories are generally lower and I’m getting a couple of vitamins, too.

The good news is that the lows have dropped off considerably, so I’m not wasting nearly as many calories on those. And my weight gain is still under the acceptable amount, but I’ve noticed that it is coming on faster now. I know that an increase in the rate of weight gain is normal for this stage of the pregnancy, but sometimes I wonder whether the weight is just the normal amount or if I’m not building a little extra fluff as well. I’ve got 16 weeks to go … the fluff could really add up in that amount of time.

Thankfully, maternity pants are very forgiving … because I’m starting to feel like I’ve got a beach  ball in my gut … and an inner tube around my hips!