Pregnancy talk

     So... I pretty much sucked at posting this month... And not only that but I didn't really do a very good job documenting the entire evolution of my pregnancy....  Oh, well... It's never too late!(or is it?)

     I am now in my 32nd week and pregnant as can be! :) Feeling really great, had no major complications  so far and everything is looking good and on time. But let me elaborate on that...

     In my last pregnancy-related post I mentioned fighting my way through the incredible amount of information and opinions out there... Well that took a while but by week 25 I was pretty much in the clear with what I want for my pregnancy and the first few months of my little ones life.

     From the very beginning I had the intention of having a natural birth with the minimum amount of medical intervention as possible. Since here in Abu Dhabi THE place to have your delivery is in a hospital, assisted by a doctor, we had to negotiate on a few terms. First round of discussions with our  Dr didn't go as smoothly as I would have thought... My few requests, like for example no 'routine' use of artificial oxytocin or other such drugs and delaying the clamping and cutting of the baby's cord until it stops pulsating, were met with answers like 'this is not good'...

    I didn't insist on it at the time, but in the weeks to come, I became truly restless and a bit stressed about it(exacerbated by pregnancy hormones). It was unclear to me why would a mother have to fight for her right to a NATURAL birth, of course with the condition that there is no risk of harm for baby or myself. So I dug in even deeper in the mountain of information and the next time I went in I was prepared. With Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and quite a relevant number of studies, websites, forums and other medical opinions under my belt, I wrote a so-called 'birth plan'. Now this is something I found truly stupid at first, because we all know if there is one event that can be unpredictable and full of surprises it's the birth of a child, so making a 'plan' just seemed ridiculous. So ridiculous in fact that I didn't even titled it 'plan' but more like our preferences for natural birth. Encouraged by the small research I made I decided it may actually be useful in our situation.

     I was so pumped about our next Dr. appointment that I would have even been prepared to quit her services and find another Dr. altogether...Thankfully we didn't need to bring things that far at all... She was super nice and understanding, we discussed each point I had listed on the paper and then she offered to sign it for me!  I was actually surprised, since I had expected that she would oppose to at least a couple of the preferences on that list, but nope. I guess in the end she just wanted to make sure that I really knew what I was talking about and after discussing together she realized that I needed this for my own peace of mind if nothing else!

     And it most certainly brought me the peace of mind I needed in order to truly enjoy my pregnancy with my growing belly baby and the few, mild symptoms that reminded me of said growth...

     Around week 29 I started getting some acid reflux. It wasn't a regular, everyday thing and definitely not bad enough for me to require medication. I found that a small glass of cold milk, lying on the left side and keeping my head slightly elevated helped get rid of it.

    At week 30 I started getting my first Braxton Hicks contractions. Although I've been getting them ever since, they have no regularity or clear pattern, though a bit uncomfortable, they don't hurt at all and just go away on their own. It's just a reminder that THE TIME is only getting closer and closer and my body is slowly starting to prepare. Nothing to worry about there.

     A few faint, purplish lines also made an appearance on my expanding belly in the last couple of weeks. I have been regularly using this butter and recently purchased this oil to at least try to keep the 'damage' to a minimum.

     As far as energy levels go... Let me be honest... I could sleep.... Like a lot! And then wake up, have water and something to eat and then sleep again...  :D  But the past couple of weeks we've had visitors over and so we were in full 'tourist mode' with a lot of activities and stuff planned pretty much every day. I am still surprised about not having a harder time with it. I feel really great, still driving around and standing or walking for longer periods of time are still ok. I can definitely feel a bit of pressure and mild pain in my lower back, but it's manageable.

     One thing I am not really used to and has been coming and going lately is a weird kind of head ache. More like a pressure in my head. Though it's usually making me tired, I cured it with a lot of water, my vitamins and a quick nap.

     And the latest news in the evolution of my pregnancy... It seems our baby girl decided to switch things up and is currently residing on top of my bladder. The feeling that it's not empty never goes away. Like, I feel I need to go again the second I stand up from the toilet. (Is this TMI?) Not funny people...not funny!  :D  :D

     Emotionally I would say I am doing pretty good. I am not having any major issues with depression, anxiety, stress or an unsupportive family, like I have unfortunately heard a lot of women battle during their pregnancies.  One thing that is noticeable is that I am a bit more sensitive and can easily cry (when watching a movie or just following the presidential election in Romania) no biggie... And there have been a couple of occasions when I unjustifiably snapped at my husband, but for the record, I sincerely apologized the minute I realized that I was out of line. You just can't not blame the pregnancy hormones for that!   :D

     I am very happy that we pretty much purchased all the things that we think we need for the arrival of our baby girl. Since I didn't manage to do a 'wish-list' type of post, I will soon make one with the things we have already purchased. They still need a bit of organizing and I am going to start washing all of her little clothes and blankets soon, but I feel good with the fact that everything is already here.
     The following weeks I will need to prepare my hospital bag as well, so I still need to get a couple of things. I know the hospital pretty much provides us with everything we need, but it's never a bad thing to be prepared. I will try my best not to over do it. Not planning on carrying a travel-sized luggage when we check in.  :D

     Coming up next week are our prenatal and breastfeeding classes. I am definitely not lacking information, but I figured it can never harm to hear if the people from our hospital have something new to add and meet other future parents as well.

     Another thing that has been on my mind a lot and I have unfortunately postponed for way too long, is trying to contact a doula. I know that I can get this type of help here in Abu Dhabi and since I am planning on laboring at home for as long as I can, I imagine having the support of an experienced woman who is not going to get too emotional or lose focus will be nothing but helpful for me. Hey, I will need all the comfort I can get, so why not...?

     Also....again something that I kept postponing for some reason is trying to get a professional photographer for a little maternity session. I know if I don't do this I will certainly feel sorry later on, so I'd better get on it before I already find myself with a baby in my arms.  :)

     This is pretty much it for now.... I will seriously do my best to keep posting more the next weeks, if not for the people reading this blog, than at least for myself.

      The two photos in this post are my most recent ones, from a few days ago when we went to the Arabian Nights Village for a daytime desert safari. What a gorgeous place!