This pregnancy is really moving along. I can’t believe I’ve made it to 29 weeks and that both baby and I are doing so well. I sure am thankful. Here’s a rundown of the latest news:
Today is our Anniversary!
Today my husband and I celebrate our marriage four years ago. It was a beautiful Easter weekend on the beach in North Carolina and the ceremony, though small and quietly arranged, was wonderful. I’m so lucky to have him in my life. I don’t know what I did before I found him.
Pain in the rear moves to the front
Just when I thought I might be starting to get a handle on the hip pain thing, it threw me a curve ball. Now I have pain in the front, too. It’s like the ligaments and muscles around my pubic bone are out of control. Every time I move, the pain shoots through my pelvis, especially when I move my legs. Putting on my socks in the morning has become an epic struggle. When the baby kicks, or I cough or laugh, the pain shoots right through me. It takes me a good couple of minutes to roll out of bed or to climb into the car. TMI alert: It even hurts when I pee.
The books call it Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, but I call it torture. Apparently, the pain in the front occurs because that is the spot where the two hip bones come together. They’re held in place by ligaments, which become loose and relaxed during pregnancy, in preparation for childbirth. The result is a wobbly pelvis, misalignment of the bones in the pelvis, and possible muscle spasms as the muscles attempt to hold the bones in place. Here is a really good first-hand account of the condition. I think Kmom is onto something when she says she suspects that the root cause of the pain is the misalignment of the hip bones. I have to admit that she has me a little freaked out about the potential for injury during childbirth when Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is present. I’m going to need to ask my doctors a lot of questions to ease my mind!
I have my second physical therapy appointment tonight. Hopefully they can offer me some sort of remedy. In the meantime, I’m able to get a small amount of relief from a maternity belt wrapped low around my hips, the exercises that the physical therapist suggested, and an ice pack.
The Big Swell Returns
My ankles have started their swelling tendencies again. Even with the compression stockings, they’re still fairly fat and feeling a bit achy by the end of the day. Luckily, the swelling has not spread to my face or hands (I’m even still wearing my rings) and a couple of hours with my feet up does wonders for the bulges around my ankles.
Wishing for a Plan
I’ve been pestering my High-Risk OB for an inkling of what to expect during the birth of my son for a while now. I am a planner, and when things are uncertain, I start to worry. Last week, I pressed for information again and this time I got a little, but not much. He says that we will try to get me to 37 weeks before we deliver. This sort of shocked me when I realized that 37 weeks is only 8 weeks away. Wow.
I pressed for information about the mode of delivery (will Baby NoName use the vaginal route or the uterine, aka cesarean, route?) He sort of put me off on this one, although, it seemed that he was leaning toward the vaginal plan. I’m guessing it’s because my pregnancy, despite the diabetes, has been pretty “normal.” Again, I am freaking out a little (OK, a lot.)
As my belly has gotten bigger and bigger, I’ve begun to realize that this baby has got to come out of me somehow and none of the options sound especially pleasant. I think my preference might actually be for a c-section. At least I’ve had (minor) surgery before, so I could have an inkling of what to expect. Plus, the controlled environment makes me feel better about my diabetes management during the procedure – one less variable, you know? It doesn’t hurt that I’d be likely to get another two weeks of Short Term Disability pay out of the deal.
When I started to freak out a little in the appointment, the doctor just smiled at me, and continued the exam. Sigh. My husband and I attend childbirth classes this weekend. I’m sure I’ll be a worried mess by Monday.
A sweet journey to motherhood 