Week 31

I have so little too complain about. Overall, pregnancy has been wonderful. I love seeing my belly grow big and round and there are a lot of symptoms that I can appreciate much more than mind. I try to focus on the fact that my body is changing in order to support our son, both now and after he is born. So, the leaking breasts, the low back pain, foggy brain, tiny bladder and swollen ankles are just reminders of a beautiful process that will lead to the birth of our baby.

Still, I would like to trade in the heartburn and carpal tunnel syndrome. The heartburn has been off and on since I got pregnant, but now, it's harder to avoid. Antacids don't really help me, so I don't bother, plus they can interfere with iron absorption and iron is so very important in this last trimester (more on that later). When the heartburn is especially bad, it really feels like my esophagus is corroding upward. Not fun.

The carpal tunnel syndrome started gradually with tingling and numbness in my hands during the night. It's progressed to the point that I cannot grip the covers to pull them up in the middle of the night and in the morning, squeezing toothpaste out of the tube is difficult. On the pain scale, I guess it's not as bad as, say a migraine, but it is annoying and I'm already having to pass some things off to Matt that my hands won't allow me to do. I may have to start sleeping with braces on my wrists.

Weekend before last, Matt and I attended a 1-day birth class at the hospital where we baby will be delivered. There were only 2 other couples at the class, so it was comfortable and we were able to get all our questions answered. The class included a tour of labor and delivery area of the hospital. I was relieved that the hospital provides a birthing ball and encourages the mother to try different pushing positions during labor. I was really concerned about being forced to be on my back during the whole delivery. Or should I say, my tailbone was concerned. For the most part, Matt and I are flexible about our birthing plan. We have the standard preferences, like a vaginal birth, breastfeeding baby after delivery, etc. The health of our baby and myself are the top priorities, so we will be flexible about our desires so that we do what is best for baby and me.

One thing we learned in birth class is that newborns don't get iron from diets. They have to shore up their supply during pregnancy. This is why it is so common for pregnant women to be anemic in their 3rd trimester. Women have to consume enough for her to deliver safely and for baby to store up for the first few months after birth.