Are you engaged?

Constipation has never been one of my life's problems and luckily enough it hasn't dogged me in pregnancy either, even after I started iron supplements. Since the last 2 weeks my doc has added an extra dose of iron supplement as my hemoglobin has fallen from 12 to 10. This has managed to create some problems in bowel movement, so much so that since yesterday I have been feeling pressure and some pain in the lower pelvis. It goes away on lying down and increases on walking around or getting up from sitting position.

Since we are just two days away from entering the 9th month, I just read the 9th month chapter in What to Expect (the pregnancy Bible) . It says that 'engagement' can happen anytime 4 weeks before labour - and reading about the symptoms makes me wonder if it must have happened in my case - leading to the pressure symptoms, extra sensitive bladder (night time loo calls gone up from just once to two times now) etc.

Another site gives some detailed info on the pressure symptoms which seems to sum up my case very well -

Pelvic floor pressure:

Once the baby has dropped into position or engagement has occurred, you may feel pressure on the pelvic floor. The head of the baby is pressing very snugly against the cervix now and will continue to do so until birth. You may feel as if you need to move your bowels, the pressing down of the head causes a feeling of fullness and pressure very similar to that. Some women who have had several children might experience some pain. Many women might have trouble walking or feel as if their hips are not working properly. A hard feeling to describe even to doctors, if you are experiencing this odd and painful experience you might feel at the end of your rope trying to find an answer. This pain is stemming from a large tendon that weakens in each pregnancy. The tendon forms a sort of 'saddle' and the stress of engagement may cause pain after sitting or lying down, then standing. To help avoid this pain, try to walk and get exercise to strengthen this area early in your pregnancy.

This is exactly what I told my doc on phone today - that I just cant explain what exactly is happening, because it is all too vague. Anyway, after a dose of Duphalac laxative tonight, we are planning to see him tomorrow - 3 days before our scheduled visit.

Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms when your baby's head got engaged? Please share!

I have managed to make the final list of things to take to the hospital and the bag packing will start today...will post the list tomorrow for benefit of those who might be looking for such information!

Reporting from the 35th week

Diwali was a quiet affair with the two of us hanging around at home for most of the five days except for Diwali night Laxmi Pooja at Preeti's followed by a yummy traditional Marwari dinner and a lunch on the following day at the Govinda restaurant of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple which lead to much stomach ache due to going overboard with the buffet! I swore not to get tempted with good food again, as there is so little space for the stomach to expand. Bumble must have raised hell inside due to the space jostle :) We remembered the word stoma-cha-chee from an episode in Everybody Loves Raymond, which is nothing but Debra's way of teasing Ray for the word stomach-ache.



On Diwali night we enjoyed the fireworks from our 9th floor balcony - watching the skies over the Andheri-Juhu coastline come alive with brilliant displays of coloured lights. S ofcourse with a shot of Hennessey and me, just like that!




Just so that Bumble knows, 2nd November when we had a small function to bless baby (Valaikappu) was the first time in 3 years that our house had most of our family in together under our roof. Most of our relatives who could make it, did so, that too in the early hours of Sunday morning. This is a less elaborate version of Seemantham, which involves many more rites and rituals. Valaikappu essentially involves older ladies of the household making the pregnant woman wear bangles which are seen as a kind of protection to the baby. I did not know that there were a pair of gold and silver bangles that have been passed on from two generations over me - and every pregnant woman on my maternal side has worn the same bangles during her similar function. We missed S's parents as they are scheduled to come here after 3 weeks anyway.

Apart from these highlights of the past few weeks, the trigger finger is gone...and the numbness of fingers in the early mornings is much less than before. The pelvic pressure / pubic pain on turning around in bed or getting up from lying down remains.

Energy wise I am feeling quite alright compared to the last few weeks and just as What to Expect...says - the movements are more squirms than kicks nowadays and we can almost feel a knee or the heel on my upper abdomen and they feel like good pokes from the inside.

We are tying to get organised on the baby requirements and my hospital bag which in all probability should be packed by end of week, because our 36th week starts on Friday and we want to be well prepared. Having seen a number of 'what to pack' lists on websites and in books, I have a fair idea on what should go into the list.

Suddenly I seem to be getting baby clothes from everywhere....Preeti's SIL putting together a hand-stitched package from Indore, another friend with a huge bag of baby T's clothes that she has outgrown, my other friend putting a basket together and lastly but not the least, my MIL getting their family tailor to stitch all kinds of baby requirements in 2-3 sizes. Bumble, with all this coming in, your mamma will not be shopping for you in a long while :) - at least that's what I feel now!