A before-schedule doc visit and before schedule USG

Last week thanks to a mild stretching kind of pain in the nether regions, I decided to ask doc if it is of any concern. According to my own research it could have been the normal stretching of the round ligaments due to increase in size of the uterus. The round ligaments are supports which originate on the sides of the uterus, run through the inguinal canals, and insert on the side walls of the vagina and even inner thigh. This description quite matched the region of my pain and a piece of advice on storknet.com further confirmed it.

Round ligaments are the ligaments that support the uterus, and they get stretched (like a rubber band) during pregnancy. This stretching is worse when you move or bend, and less when you lie still, particularly on your side with your legs curled up. Try moving slowly, taking a warm bath, or using a heating pad. Knowing that this pain may be severe but is not serious or problematic for you or the baby may help, too.

Anyway, my doc asked me to come by and see him for my mental peace - as we always take any info from the web with a pinch of salt. On examination, BP was still on the higher side of normal, due to which I was started on AlphaDopa immediately. Plus on examination of my belly, he found the head on the lower side due to which he also put me on uterine relaxant Bricanyl (which is also a druf for asthma). Two steroid shots were also prescribed one that day and one on the next for fetal lung maturity, all this just to be on the safer side.

The next day was another story. Bumble who used to kick and box frantically all day long until then suddenly decided to go lazy - making me wait and watch for kicks like a maniac and I didn't find them coming with the same intensity or frequency, despite turning around, poking around and even pleading to Bumble! This is going to be one stubborn baby with a mind of its own! Friday morning, I lost it. S was traveling from work and I couldn't take this. Called doc and told him I want to go for an ultrasound, even though the previous day he told it could be because i had started taking a uterine relaxant, but I just wanted to very sure that Bumble is OK.

After making 5-6 calls, I finally landed an appointment in NM Bandra. It was such a relief to lie on the table and watch Bumble doing his/her thing inside, tumbling around, kicking around and doing vague hand gestures, as if saying "Hi Mama, I just wanted to get you on this table, now go back home and relax". At my doc's recommendation, we also did a colour doppler to check blood flow aroudn baby which turned out A Ok. So I came back home with plenty of thanks in my heart that Bumble is fine, just having one of it's lazy days. Needless to say, now the kicking is back in full swing and aren't we happy to have that mode of communication with Bumble back!

Just entered the 32nd week, officially 6 more weeks to call this journey FULL TERM!! So our countdown is on!

Into the third trimester

We entered the final third of the journey on 19th September (starting of 28th week) or is it the end of 28 weeks? This is a bit confusing but given my EDD of 19th December, this gives us three months more.
Here are some notes from the third trimester.

1. My fingers (especially of the right hand) getting number when I wake up in the morning - and the funny problem of dealing with the trigger ring finger, which opens with a clickety click. Running hot water in the basin while brushing my teeth over my fingers helps in relieving the numbness quite a bit. The numbess and pins and needles sensation is known to be pretty common later in pregnancy due to water retention and pressure inside the carpal tunnel.
2. I enjoy keeping my feet over two pillows while I sleep...I'm probably going to get used to this extra comfort that I may continue to crowd the bed with pillows even after Bumble's birth.
3. At last visit, my doc said I have gained roughly 8 kgs in the previous two months, which is a little over my personal estimate from my home weighing machine. Having eliminated consumption of papads, sauces and pickles from my diet, i guess my weight has remained pretty constant over the last one week - since I was not binging on unhealthy food anyway, my presumption is that most of the rapid weight gain was due to excess water retention. My BP has also therefore come down to the usual 70 diastolic from the slightly overboard 84.
4. I'm enjoying fresh oranges of the season, at least one a day, this apart from the antenatal vitamin-iron pill. I hope Bumble loves oranges too, as we can enjoy them together when he/she is old enough and indulge in pip spitting contests while we are at it (in the garden of course)
5. The belly is looking BIG enough now that no one can mistake it for a paunch.
   
6. Bumble's kicks have now progressed from being felt only by mom to being visible to dad in the external world and to anyone else I may care to show :) The ripple on the surface of the belly was wonderful to share with S as apart from patiently keeping a hand on the belly to wait for that moody baby inside to kick - there is another sign for him to experience and enjoy.