Pregnancy Month 8

The 8th month of pregnancy.

I’m gonna try to be real positive here, but I’m DONE. DONE. We still have six weeks to go, but I’m DONE.

Still, I’m thankful for this little growing man, for all his kicks and rolls and punches and for how incredibly healthy he is despite how difficult this pregnancy has been for me.

Size of Baby: At 34 weeks, baby is now the size of a pineapple! Curiously enough, I am measuring almost three weeks ahead in this pregnancy, based on fundal height (I haven’t had any ultrasounds since 20 weeks). Measuring ahead in fundal height is completely normal, and no one is even slightly concerned, but it is a little bit unusual for me, since I measured at least two weeks behind for both of my last pregnancies. Theo and I both think that my dates are off (even though the dates are based on an early ultrasound, which is supposedly VERY accurate) and I’m further along than we all think. But we shall see. Perhaps I’m just on my third pregnancy and very large and in charge.

Symptoms/How I’m Feeling: Phew! In addition to still having a lot of nausea and the occasional vomiting, I also got a lovely skin rash that is JUST for pregnant women! How fun! *sarcasm* Basically, it was just a SUPER SUPER SUPER itchy rash on my legs. Every time I touched it, it would spread and itch more and I just could not get the itching to stop. I tried EVERYTHING. Yes, I tried essential oils. Yes, I tried coconut oil. Yes, I tried Epsom salt baths. Yes, I spent $60 on over the counter anti-itch lotions and creams (including Benadryl). Nothing helped. I would wake up crying, asking Theo to take me to ER so they could cut off my legs. I might be a dramatic person a little bit, but I’m not exaggerating when I say I have never felt itching like that. Finally, I was prescribed a steroid cream and it WORKED! Like magic. Within days the itching was gone and while I still have spots and will probably unfortunately have scarring, I’m just so thankful that I don’t have to ride the entire rest of the pregnancy out in itching misery.

The next thing that happened to me after the rash cleared up has been A LOT of contractions. Contractions happen a lot, but there was one day when I had 7 hours of contractions every 5-10 minutes. We debated going to labor and delivery, but after calling the doctor we determined that I just needed to lay down, drink a lot of water and not get up. I had an appointment later that week and they checked my cervix and it’s all good, so I’m glad I didn’t go rushing to the hospital for false labor, but I’m also annoyed that I can’t do much without having continuous contractions.

Emotionally, I’m starting to get nervous about labor and delivery. I didn’t feel this nervous with my first, and I don’t think I was nervous with my second. But now that I know what to expect, I think I’m more nervous. There are also a lot of moving parts this time with two kids to situate before I can give birth, so that is always a factor!

Sleep: Eh. It’s alright, but I have a hard time rolling over nowadays, so tossing and turning isn’t really an option. The restless legs have returned, so all I want to do is toss and turn but I can’t. Once I fall asleep, I usually sleep pretty great and get up once or so to use the bathroom. I’ll take it!

Cravings: Peanut Butter, Pistachios and Honey Nut Cheerios are the things that I usually feel like I can stomach, but I wouldn’t call them cravings. Mostly, I just eat to survive and I’m hoping and praying the nausea goes away the minute this kid is born so I can eat without having to worry about feeling sick.

All in all, this pregnancy has not been easy for me, but I’m thankful. I am privileged to carry this baby and it blows me away that my body is creating an entire body. It’s a miracle, and it’s beautiful. But it’s also sometimes uncomfortable and I’ve just about reached my limit. 6 more weeks (give or take!) to go!!