And the fact that some of symptoms I'm facing are signs of impending labor, brings hope with its misery.
Swelling: The swelling has reached an all time high and I finally caved and bought some compression socks. Most expensive pair of knee highs I've ever bought too! But oh the relief... don't know why I waited so long. The swelling makes moving around even more difficult. Kneeling is practically impossible. Which is why my sewing projects are on hold... I simply cannot kneel on the floor to cut or pin fabric. Good thing all important baby sewing projects are finished.
For some reason swelling, makes my skin feel bruised. My feet and ankles feel bruised to the touch, which makes putting on the compression socks and walking not so much fun.
Oh, and I now wear my wedding ring on my pinky finger... oh the sadness.
Carpal tunnel: So, remember when I said that my right hand was going numb? Well, its actually carpal tunnel. Who knew carpal tunnel made your hand/arm go numb and is a common symptom of pregnancy? 'Cuz I sure didn't.
Apparently when you swell up like a balloon as I have, the extra fluid puts pressure on the median nerve, resulting in carpal tunnel.
For a few weeks, it was just an annoying numbness in the evenings and mornings, but last Friday I woke up and the numbness just didn't go away. So halfway to Boise, we stopped at Walmart to buy a wrist brace so I could have some relief. Now, if I take off the brace for more than 20 minutes at a time, my hand and arm starts to go numb. Though the brace does seem to help the problem, it makes my hand/arm drastically less mobile... which makes eating, writing, typing and really anything cumbersome. Oh and so much for all those crocheting projects I started...
Difficulty moving: Each day, moving, bending, reaching, etc gets that much harder. Even wrapping presents was difficult with all that kneeling, cutting, moving around... ugh. I feel like an overweight 80+ year-old. And watching said overweight 80+ year olds move around at church, I realize that I move like them too. Which really makes me not want to grow old or become overweight...
Bad skin: Some pregnant ladies get prettier skin, mine just gets uglier. You can tell where I'm swollen because the skin is red and purplish in some areas, gross I know. And my pores are gigantic and red looking. Ick.
As you can see, pretty much all of my symptoms stem from being swollen. Why do some ladies swell like balloons and others not at all? I don't have an answer to that, but maybe it is repayment for not having morning sickness. Maybe this is just the "grass is greener on the other side" coming out in me, but I think at this point I'd rather take the morning sickness... and all ladies who do suffer from morning sickness are shaking their heads, "no" I'm sure.
Bruised groin: Supposedly this is a sign of my body getting ready for labor, and the extra pressure of the baby. But man it sure feels like I killed it at the gym doing kettle balls and sprinting... If only that were the reason I am sore.
Stabbing pains: Sharp, stabbing pains in the groin. At first I thought these might be Braxton Hicks, but no, its just pressure from the baby... again another sign of impending labor, but they sure do stop me in my tracks sometimes.
All these symptoms are in place, I'm sure, to make moms-to-be that much more excited, if that's possible, to meet their new little baby.
I can't think of anything better than to have my baby in my arms and NOT in my stomach :)
That will be very soon if I can take it one day at a time, because baby's due date (January 15) is 19 days away, and since the doctors won't let me go more than a week overdue, (Thank goodness) then I have approximately 19-26 days left! YAY!
We are pretty much ready for baby, just a few last things to get. I still don't have a diaper bag... or diapers... but that will be easily fixed. We have the crib, clothes, blankets, carseat, stroller, swing, bouncer, baby toiletries, breast pump, glider chair... so I think we'll be good if she decided to come :)
Oh and once I get the wall decor up, I'll post pictures of the finished nursery :)
I remember going out to buy diapers right after leaving the hospital with Regan because we didn't have enough:) So excited for you!!
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