27 Weeks

Not much has really changed from last week so I thought I'd add some different thoughts on things.

Mood: As mentioned yesterday, meltdowns and anxiety marks this week.  Overall, though, it's really not that bad.

Food: I thought I'd quickly share what a typical day's food looks like for me.  I don't think I've increased or decreased my food intake much throughout this pregnancy.  I was most hungry at the very beginning.  Now I can't eat as much in one sitting, but I eat frequently throughout the day.  So, I think it all works out.

8:00 - Breakfast: Bowl of porridge and piece of toast with peanut butter (On the weekend we often eat later and make a larger brunch of eggs and bacon); Prenatal
10:00 - Morning snack: Crackers and cheese or peanut butter; Coffee; Piece of fruit
12:00 - Lunch: Bagel with cream cheese and cucumber, Piece of fruit, Cookies
3:30/4:00 - Snack: Granola bar and fruit or taco chips with cheese (sometimes I'm super hungry and eat a mini meal)
6:00 - Dinner: Varies (rice, meat, corn, salad, potatoes)
7:00 - Dessert: My sweet tooth has picked up lately - cookies, or ice cream
10:00 - Before bed snack: Cereal and milk

I do drink a variety of other drinks (mostly juice) throughout the day and tons of water!  But overall, I think that is reasonable, right? 

Sleep: I feel like I am super fortunate as I read other people's stories about difficulty sleeping at night (knock on wood!).  I am sure it will only get worse from here, but I have been sleeping very well.  I go to bed at 10:30 and usually wake up once at 1:30am to pee, and then I sleep right through the night till my alarm at 7:30.  It's awesome!  Some nights it is really hard to get comfortable and I feel like I can't breathe.  Last night I slept on the couch so that it could support my back.  I am just so glad I'm not up every few hours.  I do wake up extremely thirsty and am worried about being dehydrated, but I try to drink a full water bottle after dinner and keep one by my bed that I drink throughout the night.  I usually can't last a full day without an hour nap in the afternoon either.  So, all-in-all that's about 10 hours sleep a day.  On days I don't have to get up early, I can usually get up, pee, eat breakfast, and then go back to bed for a few more hours too.  I just love my sleep!

Exercise: I've really been craving more movement.  I started doing my yoga twice a day sometimes (since they are only 15 minute videos).  I'd love some suggestions on other great gentle prenatal yoga videos available online.  The site I use is www.doyogawithme.com.  It is awesome, but limited for the prenatal videos. 

Body: I decided to start measuring around my belly this week.  Right now it is 43 inches!  Wow!!!  Last I checked I was measuring 34 weeks, so I guess that's about right.  I'm staying strong at 180 pounds this week.  I think it is also almost time to upgrade bra sizes again.  Another thing I haven't talked about much is my good old bowels.  I just thought other pregnant ladies might be interested in this, but feel free to skip ahead if you're not.  Ever since the beginning of this pregnancy I have diarrhea every single morning!  Sometimes 2-3 times!  I was worried at first but it has been such a pattern, and I'm not dehydrated, so my doctor isn't worried.  I chalk it up to some form of pregnancy IBS.  It doesn't seem to matter what I eat.  It usually happens first thing before I've eaten anything (and after I drink coffee, but I just can't stop myself).  I do feel fortunate that I have not had to deal with the other side of things (constipation).  Usually though, I don't have any other BMs throughout the day, so by the end of the day, my tummy is big!  Sometimes it's pretty uncomfortable until the next morning when it finally lets go.  Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Movement: I think these babies are starting to have some patterns to their movement, which I love!  They are definitely most active at night, but there are times throughout the day I feel them moving more.  It is my favorite!  I read that right about now they start to get hiccups frequently too, so I'll try to decipher what that movement might feel like.  I am excited to have our next ultrasound to see what positions they are in.  Most of the movement I feel is very central, right around my belly so I can't tell which twin it is. 

What I miss:
Going for walks, drinking wine, working out, drinking lots of coffee (and not having it make me feel sick), bending over, um, baby dancing?!

What I look forward to: Morning cuddles in bed with the babies, breastfeeding (I'm super curious to see how this all works), going for LONG walks with the twins and the dog (hopefully our winter is not too wet), enjoying coffee again, and, um, baby dancing!

Baby Brain = Anxious Brain

Let me tell you... baby brain is FULL in gear over here!

I'm so glad my official maternity leave starts in just a week.  I'm useless at work.  I make mistakes all the time.  I can't focus.  I have one more article to submit to our local newspaper from my counselling office.  I drafted up a whole page of notes and outlined the whole thing... then I left the piece of paper in a library book that I returned.  Here is the worst part: I can't remember AT ALL what I wrote about.  I have absolutely no idea what topic I had chosen or anything.  Mind you, it was about 2 weeks ago that I did the preliminary work, but STILL!

On top of that, the crazy hormones have kicked into full gear.  I've been having mini meltdowns every day.  Yesterday I cried looking at our budget (How will we make it when I stop working - even with maternity pay?).  Today I cried about friends wanting to come visit us this weekend (Yes I want to see them... but what if I don't feel well?  What if I'm too tired?  What if I am grumpy?).  I cried because I thought I hadn't felt the babies move for a while (DH reminded me that just a few hours previous I was talking about how much they were moving).  I'm sure there are many other trivial examples that I just can't remember right now. All I know is that any problem seems insurmountable right now, and so it makes me cry.

Which brings us to my anxiety about these babies coming.  In a few days we are 27 weeks.  That means these babies will likely be here within 10 weeks...possibly even 8!  8 weeks is 2 months!  2 months people!  I. Am. So. Not. Ready.  As much as I kept saying to people, "I just want to see these babies so badly... they could come at any time and we would make it work" - it's not true anymore!  We are not ready.  Stay in there babies, stay in there!

We still have done ZERO in the nursery.  We are awaiting our wallpaper to arrive (which has been an ordeal in itself) before we paint.  We are waiting to set up any furniture until we paint.  We are waiting to fill any furniture (bedding, clothes, etc.) until we set up the furniture.  So basically nothing is actually done.  I have barely bought any baby clothes!  People keep telling me, "Don't buy anything.  You will be given soooo much stuff."  Well, let's see it people!  I know we have two bigger showers coming up soon, so I am sure that is true, but I feel so unprepared right now.  I can't even pack a hospital bag because I don't have enough outfits for the babies.   I am trying to get other things organized in the house, and plan out meals to freeze, etc. BUT this baby brain is not making that an easy task!  Pretty much all I am good for is lying on the couch, doing nothing!

Then there is the thought of actual labour and birthing these babies.  Even if I don't experience labour, I know nothing of all the decisions to be made when a baby is born.  I'm hoping that will be covered in our L&D classes.  Still, I feel so unprepared for all of it.  We don't know what we are doing!

I know it will be okay.  We will have people helping us out.  Things will get done.  BUT my brain won't rest assured until these things actually happen.  (Also, in the back of my mind is the worry that I will be put in the hospital early too... how do you deal with all these things from a hospital bed???).

So, here is what I AM going to do to give myself some peace about it all
- Tomorrow I will stay home and hopefully have a planning/organizing day (come on brain, work with me!)
- I will find an old college paper to hopefully draw from in order to write a newspaper article
- I will start to keep a pen and paper beside me at all times to write down my thoughts as they come, because otherwise I just won't remember
- I will prepare an online order for some essentials and save it until next payday
- I will look at birth plan ideas to start familiarizing myself with questions and decisions to be made
- I will set out some books I have on caring for babies after they arrive (breastfeeding, sleeping, etc.) to hopefully start to browse through and prepare myself
- I will book an appointment with my naturopthic doctor to discuss how she can support us once the babies come (breastfeeding, immunization information, etc.)
- I will book myself a pedicure and hair cut in the near future
- I will go for my afternoon prenatal massage tomorrow and let all my worries melt away

Sound good?