32 weeks

music to my ears
after hitting 30, every week has just sounded better and better to me, thanks to my NICU experiences during residency. while i would like to avoid having her emerge in any sort of premature fashion [especially considering my husband cannot yet walk . . .], 32-weekers aren’t scary. they generally do beautifully, and in reality they are even pretty cute [though on the needy side].

the truth is, though, i feel very confident that i am destined to be one of those women just biding my time before that induction at 41 weeks. i myself was apparently 17 days late [yep: 42 and 3!] and from my TTC experiences, i’ve learned that nothing in my reproductive system moves very quickly.

luckily, i’m still feeling . . . pretty good.

huge, but pretty good
a few of my maternity tops are starting to get a little too short, which seems amazing to me [they looked SO BIG when i first got them!].

here i am at 17 weeks wearing a fake bump at the maternity store:

not far from the reality, i’d say! but for a more accurate depiction i feel they should have bra inserts too . . .

32-week details

feeling: overall, decent. i have contractions from time to time, but have been reassured that they are classic braxton hicks, and they never come more then 1-2x/hour. getting up from a sitting position or lying down is a challenge, but i’m trying to see the humor in having traded core strength for a massive uterus. i am definitely a little tired, but i think that’s more about what’s been going on [josh’s accident, etc] than the pregnancy, really! i am still able to work full-time, work out, and get a lot done. honestly, it’s easier than it was in the 1st tri.

OB appointment data:
weight gained: 18 lbs at 32 weeks. interestingly, somewhere between the early 2nd tri and now i have fallen from the high end to the lowest end of the dreaded weight gain tracker. however, i think i’m still likely to gain the recommended 25-35 lbs and therefore am happy with how things have gone! and i am eating constantly . . .

BP: 101/67, my lowest one yet — i’ll take it.

baby’s heart rate: in the 130s! it sounded much slower to me, and the OB confirmed that this is a normal finding in the later weeks as her parasympathetic nervous system kicks in.

measurement: 33 cm — putting me at just 1 week ahead [at 25 weeks, i measured 27.5 and was really nervous about just how big our baby was going to end up!]. i am glad that the gap has narrowed.

position: head down! i kind of figured, because the strongest kicks are now up by my ribs/upper abdomen, but it was nice to have confirmation. of course, she could probably do 10 backflips before now and when she chooses to come out [or is evicted], but it’s nice to know she does enjoy hanging out in the right configuration.

workouts: yes, stiiiilllll running, although just on the treadmill. i generally do 30-40 minutes with a combo of run/walk. right now, i do 4 minutes running [at 5.5 miles/hour — i know, speed racer!] alternating with 2 minute walk breaks. i move the incline from 0 – 1% to vary the challenge. with 18 extra pounds, it is enough to make me feel like it’s a real workout, but i’m not DYING at any part of it.

i’m doing about 3 ‘runs’, 1-2 elliptical workouts, and aiming for at least one yoga or weights session weekly. [i say ‘aiming for’ because that’s the part that’s not always actually happening!]. i did manage to lift for 15 minutes yesterday and am definitely sore today.

eating: everything! honestly though, my diet does not seem markedly different from when i have been marathon training in the past — the only difference is that i’m not actually putting in the time running. i suppose this makes sense, as the caloric requirements added by baby are probably similar to that of increased mileage. i am pretty permissive about eating what i want, but i always have been. and i have been making sure to get vegetables in at every lunch + dinner for the baby’s sake. i will plan on throwing in a what i ate: 3rd tri edition sometime soon.

and that about covers it! just ~4 [or 5] more of these biweekly updates until the real excitement begins! [looking for previous updates? they’re all listed at end of the pregnancy page]

and with that
i’m headed into a super-busy day at work today — covering the wards and the pager. at least it’s only 9 hours!! and when i get home and finish with work i have this to look forward to . . .

season 1 finale!!
josh and i have DEVOURED these episodes, and have so much fun making our own predictions and analyses. i will be sad that it’s over [at least until season 2] but i can’t wait!