They say the end of pregnancy is when time slows down. This entire pregnancy has felt like approximately one million years, but now, time seems to be speeding up. The days are flying by, the weeks are adding up, and we have so much that still needs to be done to prepare for this baby.
My “nesting” phase has kicked in full swing, although my husband said he doesn’t believe nesting is real. Since I’m too sick, weak, and huge to actually do anything at this point, and everything that needs to be done right now involves major construction and heavy lifting, most of my “nesting” really just means “nagging” the men in my life to get a move on with the nursery and house adjustments, much to their annoyance. Because my heartburn has been so severe that I have to sleep sitting upright, I did buy myself a $300 glider/recliner chair off Amazon and waited by the door like an anxious puppy for 3 days until it arrived. It’s so comfy and perfect for napping. I now use it as my throne from which I bark orders at my poor husband. When I’m not in it, Thing 1 and Thing 2 (also known as Rawj and Meowgi, our two cats) take over the throne.
Speaking of the nursery, progress is finally being made. It only took 34 weeks, but it appears that my husband has finally accepted the idea that his child is entering the world very soon. He’s spent hours over the last week deep cleaning his office, moving furniture out, donating old things we don’t use, and getting ready to let me and the baby take over his last sacred space in the house. Poor guy.
We had an ultrasound appointment and an appointment with my nurse/midwife this week. Baby Torrez looked great on the ultrasound, although he was head down and facing my back so I didn’t get to see his sweet face. He is estimated to be about 4lbs 9oz at this point, on the smaller side. His growth dropped from the 24th percentile to the 13th percentile, but this slowed growth still isn’t enough to concern the doctors. They did schedule me for one final ultrasound that’ll be on Logan’s birthday in a few weeks. His little jabs and gymnastics have stopped almost completely, so he must have nestled into a position he likes. Wherever he is, he’s close to my bladder because I now use the bathroom approximately 1,000 times per day. Even though I’ve only gained a few pounds (which is actually a huge accomplishment given my major weight loss), my stomach is huge and it’s throwing off my balance way more than I experienced during my first pregnancy. I have definitely reached the stranded turtle/beached whale phase – you know, when you’re on your back and you’re completely stuck and helpless, or you’re on the ground and completely stuck and helpless.
My midwife also informed us that if I were to go into labor at this point, they wouldn’t try very hard to stop it unless I had some underlying infection or emergency condition that needed to be treated. At only 34 weeks and almost nothing done to prepare, that thought was a little jarring. Despite how miserable this pregnancy has been, I do want a May baby and not an April one. I already have one of those!
In terms of the endless hyperemesis journey, I still have highs and lows. One night, I vomited so violently that apparently I pulled muscles in my upper abdomen, and now every time I get sick I re-injure those muscles. It feels like the area under my upper ribs is being torn apart from the inside and I feel the pain radiating all the way around my back. The doctor told me to use a heating pad and Tylenol (which I can’t stomach). My weight has been fluctuating within a 6-7lb range over the last few weeks, but at least it’s not dropping. The doctors will be happy if I can gain anything at this point!
Acupuncture has seemed to help a lot. I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ve had two appointments now and each one has been a great experience. For starters, I sleep for the entire hour in some kind of trance. I go into such a deep sleep that I hear myself start snoring as I fall asleep and wake up knowing I haven’t moved an inch for the last hour. My acupuncturist also places stickers on the pressure points I need to remember – some for nausea, some for sleep, and some for lower back pain. On acupuncture appointment days, I also go into extremely deep sleep at night, something I’ve been tracking on my Apple watch. Between the insomnia, vomiting, heartburn, bathroom breaks, and overall discomfort, a good night’s sleep makes a huge difference in my overall energy level and mood.
Because of the combination of my much-welcomed weight gain and the fact that my body seems to be almost completely rejecting the Zofran pump (my stomach is covered in giant, painful red and purple welts), my nurse/midwife approved me to start weaning off the Zofran pump. My home health nurse told me that because I’m on a pretty high dose of Zofran through the pump currently, it’s going to be a slow process weaning off of it and switching to oral medication. I’m so ready to just throw the whole thing in the ocean and be done with it, but even lowering the medication dose the first time affected me much more than I thought it would. Receiving the medication at a slightly lower rate caused the nausea to come flooding back, and I had a few very rough days. I’m feeling better now as long as I stick to a mostly liquid diet, and I think I can handle another dose decrease today or tomorrow. Small steps but steps nonetheless in the right direction! I anxiously await the day when I’m done being on home healthcare and I can live disconnected from all medical devices!
