Pregnancy in general - Overall, I like being pregnant. There are a few exceptions - like labor and morning sickness - but even considering the icky parts, I still don't mind it. It's sad to think - what if this is the last time I'm pregnant? Maybe it is, maybe it's not. But one thing I know for sure is that all 3 of these have been completely different experiences!
Baby #3 - At almost 35 weeks, I've been feeling like I'm at the very end - and that ANY MINUTE I'll have this baby. I can't exactly say what it is that makes me feel that way - it's just a combination of things. I'm definitely in the 'every move is almost painful' stage which is made worse because I'm also in the 'getting 2, maybe 3, full hours of sleep a night' stage.
At 32 weeks I was already 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced and have had contractions on and off since then. I've also been measuring 2 weeks ahead for a while now which could mean nothing, or it could mean the baby is big. (Another note - I actually wouldn't mind if the baby was 9ish pounds because I think it makes feeding and sleeping through the night a lot easier.)
I've been trying to get things ready for the baby and keep down the rising panic I feel every time I think about going into labor at a strange time. It completely freaks me out to think that I won't be able to get anyone to watch the other kids in time for Michael to go with me to the hospital!
I never posted an ultrasound picture of baby #3 - so here is one from our 20 week ultrasound.
A comparison of pregnancies so far:
Morning Sickness:
Elliott - None
Emerald - Some
#3 - A TON - but mostly was extreme tiredness
Weight gain and swelling:
All 3 - I started at the exact same weight and so far have had the exact same weight gain
Swelling - by far the worst with Elliott, some with Emerald, not much this time
Timing and labor:
Elliott - born the day after his due date - 8 hours of labor in the hospital - 2 hours of pushing
Emerald - born exactly one week before her due date - 2 weeks of steady contractions (5 minutes apart) - 45 minutes of labor in the hospital with 1 or 2 pushes
#3 - ???? stay tuned...
Most difficult part of pregnancy:
Elliott - PUPPPs rash and swelling - if you don't know what PUPPPs is...be thankful!! It is awful - like having the worst sunburn you can imagine all over and then being stung by hundreds of bees on top of it! Below is a (very icky) picture of what it was like. It actually got worse right after he was born and then disappeared within 8 weeks or so. It is rare - but can happen with pregnant women when they're carrying a boy. I got a tiny bit right before Emerald was born, but nothing like it was with Elliott.
Emerald - the end. 2 weeks of labor was no fun - and it was awful one night to have to go to the hospital by myself because I couldn't get anyone to come watch the kids quickly enough. Thankfully, I was sent home and had her a couple days later, so Michael didn't miss anything.
#3 - so far the most difficult part of this pregnancy was the beginning. There were days I was so weak I couldn't lift up a glass of water to take a drink - yikes!
Drugs in labor?
Elliott - yes - I got an epidural but it was turned off before I began 2 hours of pushing - so what was the point?
Emerald - yes - I got an epidural - but again, what was the point? It didn't work because the labor was so fast and it was a horrifying experience. My back was a pin cushion with 5 or 6 different holes in it because the anesthesiologist spaced off to answer his phone and told us stories about the last speeding ticket he got in his fancy car. Awful!
#3 - Not sure yet. I'm not planning on using anything this time (because of what happened with Emerald) but I'm a little nervous...so we'll see.
Most fun outing during pregnancy:
Elliott - trip to Switzerland for Michael and I - and buying a new house a few weeks before he was born (although we were sad to leave the beautiful nursey Michael made)
Emerald - trip out East (DC, Baltimore, Philly) and a family reunion in Atlanta
#3 - I've been pretty stuck in the 'daily' parts of raising kids and we cancelled our big vacation to work on the basement instead. =( But I did get to go see some friends in Ohio.
Names:
Elliott - Michael came up with this one. I didn't like it - but it's grown on me.
Emerald - This is my grandma's name. I've always liked the name but it took us 2 full days in the hospital to decide for sure...we were a bit nervous that it would be perceived as a really odd name.
#3 - no clue! We still have no idea what we're going to name this one! Yikes!
Pictures:
Elliott:
We won fantastic tickets to Michael Buble and got to hang out with him a little bit before the show. He and Michael share a love for hockey and we had SO much fun with him! Best.show.ever.
Swelling. I couldn't wear any shoes other than flip flops (almost 3 sizes bigger than my normal size) by the end.
PUPPPs - this is a little bit of it almost 2 months before he was born. It got MUCH worse and also covered my arms!
ummmm...what can I say about this? As my belly grew, so did his beard.
Switzerland
The nursery Michael built in our old house. It's hard to tell, but he did individual wood pieces on the walls and then built a shelf at the top with lighting hiding everywhere and a train that went around the room when you flipped a switch. It was perfect and Elliott would have loved it!
Elliott - 9 pounds 10 ounces - just a few hours old
Emerald:
I don't have nearly as many pictures of being pregnant with Emerald. But here are a few.
The White House
Last family picture of the 3 of us.
Emerald - 8 pounds 7 ounces - less than an hour old
Baby #3
I've posted lots of pictures recently. Based on the ultrasound pics, we think he or she looks very similar to the other 2. I've felt all along like it will probably be a girl (although I'd love a boy this time)...we'll see in a few weeks.
It was really fun to read all the details. :) Good luck with Baby #3!
ReplyDelete