The world of infertility is a cruel one but the sense of belonging that the blogging community brings to me is overwhelming supportive and has indeed gotten me through rough times before our IVF and along the way. In very happy news, one of my fellow IVF gals had her baby on Saturday! I've followed her story closely because our timelines are so similar. Check out her story and that precious new baby here. My thoughts and wishes for peace are with those who are still in the trenches of infertility, particularly with a girl I've known for a very long time who is starting an adventure with her husband in the realm of embryo adoption. We were fortunate that IVF worked for us, but for some couples, that (painfully) expensive and intrusive process does not work. Embryo adoption is such an amazing thing and Porch and I have discussed the possibility of donating unused embryos when our family is complete. It's certainly something that demands careful thought, but could change the life of a woman who otherwise would not know the journey of carrying a baby. Just a thought. :)
How far along? 38 weeks
Progress: None. Well, cervix is closed. She's dropped a little, but Dr. G is not expecting her to arrive any time soon. Hmph. Not sure when she'll decide to make her appearance!
Total weight gain: I've gained 22 pounds total.
Maternity clothes? I find my choices are getting fewer and fewer as I continue to grow... but I refuse to buy more as we will be all done soon!
Stretch marks? It's true. I found a stretch mark on my side. Turns out, my body has officially reached its capacity.
Sleep: Sleep... I remember sleep. I toss and I turn, I flip and flop. I usually take 1 Tum a night and get up at least once to use the restroom (last night, I was up twice). I did have two nights this week when I slept for 5 or 6 hours without getting out of bed which was a huge success for me.
Best moment this week: Probably each time I found a comfortable place to rest my hot body for more than a second.
Miss anything? I don't miss much. I miss sleeping on my belly.
Food cravings: Still nothing wild & crazy. Just a sweet tooth.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Being hot makes me super nauseous.
Gender: Baby Girl :)
Labor signs: Not yet... the Braxton Hicks contractions are still around, but I am now in full-on panic mode as I wait for the real deal.
Symptoms: The bump, ninja kicks to the ribs, reflux for days, lots of discomfort in the pelvic bone area, the waddle... oh the waddle.
Belly button in or out? I have determined that technically, it's an outie, but because of the abdominal surgery I had and the way they stitched me up, it's physically impossible for it to actually pop out. It's weird.
Wedding rings on or off: On and back to being loose. Must have been retaining water last week.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, and totally counting the days! I find myself letting go of more and more at work as I realize I may not be there for some of the stuff that's coming up. Moody when I get completely uncomfortable.
Looking forward to: Another weekend at home, waiting for Little Miss to make her grand entrance. It's also the End of the Year Celebration at my center on Saturday & if we're still without Baby, we'll be volunteering together to make the event a great experience for our families & children!
Baby is the size of: a bunch of celery (soon we can stop comparing her to food)
you are so close! I can't wait to hear when your little one arrives! :)
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