26 Weeks

Last week I had an appointment with the peri and my regular OB. Both babies are measuring at 2 pounds and all their measurements are exactly where they should be, according to the peri. Baby A has been firmly planted head down towards my cervix for the whole pregnancy—the peri said he still has room to flip around if he wants to, but that boy seems content to be camped out for the exit. Baby B, accepting he won’t be first out the door, is still taking advantage of being able to move all over the place. Every time we see him he’s rolling in a different direction. In fact, it’s sometimes hard to measure him because of all his gymnastics. I’m just hoping he’ll settle for head down when the time comes.

My placenta has finally moved out of the way of my cervix, so between that and Baby A’s head down position I’m wondering if I might actually be able to have these babies the old fashioned way instead of through a C-section. The docs are still in a wait and see mode. I wish I could know one way or another to mentally prepare myself, but that just isn’t going to happen. Both ways have their pros and cons, so I just want to do whatever is best for the babies.

My poor feet are really feeling the pain of my 37-pound weight gain. The new shoes I bought last month to accommodate their swelling no longer fit. When I walk, I feel like every step takes an amazing amount of effort. I’m out of breathe quickly, and boy have I been sweaty, even in the cold weather. Gross side effect—my underbelly really sweats a lot! I change all my clothes as soon as I get home each day. My blood pressure is still really good, though, so all the swelling is just one of those things. My fingers are starting to look like cocktail sausages.

The return of the extreme fatigue I had in the first trimester has meant that I’m passed out by 7:00 on the couch each night. The trade off is that my appetite has quieted down. I have a very small dinner around 5 or 6 and then nothing else for the evening. I’m still eating plenty of small snacks throughout the day, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had that super starving feeling.

Sleeping at night is a challenge. When I try to roll over to switch sides, I feel like I might suffocate in the few moments I’m on my back. I haven’t had to pee quite as much, but sometimes I get up and go anyway just to try and stretch a little. My hips throb at night. My back hasn’t been hurting as much, and I wonder if that’s because I finally started wearing a support belt.

Overall, I would say that I’m doing fine and I’m not too bothered by all of these symptoms. The babies move like crazy and that is making everything so worth it. I’ve spoken more to my sister this week, and our pregnancies continue to be like night and day. The funny thing is, every time she complains about something she doesn't like about being pregnant, her husband tells her she should think about how I feel. That must kinda suck for her. I don’t really think my symptoms are something to complain about, because if I didn't have them I'd panic that something was wrong. My comments are really just observations so I remember what it was like to be pregnant.

On that note, I should point out that pregnancy has made my hair super soft and glossy. It was always thick to begin with, but now it feels luxurious instead of frizzy. My nails, on the other hand, which were always strong and had super white tips, have been really bad. They’ve been growing downward into my skin in a really weird way and they’re not nearly as white. Time for some more calcium?