My Lady of the Lantern

Non-Darn: Met Dr. BS yesterday for a regular appointment. Everything appears normal. Kaiser was in a head-down position. My BP was singing tra-la-la at 120/80 which is pretty good. I was 32w5d by LMP, and Kaiser was 34w3d by the average U/s Gestational Age( I-am-in-love-with-the-doc's-ultrasound-machine ). Kaiser weighed 2032 gms (2 kgs), and that is a good thing too. I got egged for not doing very good on the have-small-meals-frequently thing. We saw a loose cord around the neck y'day in the ultrasound, and I was told that it is not a big deal because it can wind and unwind/slip-off. I told Dr. BS about the fact that I would be going to City X for my delivery. I was feeling a bit guilty in telling her this, but thank God, she took it very nicely. She has offered me all help in case I need any medical aid before I reach City X. I promised her that once I come back, I will bring Kaiser to meet her. Darn: So I had in mind two boy names and one girl name for quite a fixated while...

- My food cravings change so fast! I was so in love with bread, and now am completely over it. - I had this moment this past week. I was taking a bath and I thought to myself - 'I am having a baby!!! '. It was more like - 'OMG, I am reallllly having a baby!!! ' . - I still do not take a pillow. My normal sleeping position used to be on my tummy. Once I place a pillow, I have found that I start turning onto the pillow, unconsciously taking the sleeping position from my pre-pregnancy days. - Kaiser kneads me from inside. I get double volleys and lately, I can visibly see my belly-skin dance and heave around with his/her movement. - I have this post I wrote and then left it on the chiller tray. I am not sure I am able to say what I want to say without sounding like a mean, self-absorbed leech. Of course, I am a mean, self-absorbed leech but I wont be able to hear that label from anyone else. The post also reflects that I tend to worry too much, predict too much and plan t...

...is what I say when I sit down to write down and forget what it was I wanted to title the post. Have you ever wondered about the difference between motherhood and the idea of motherhood? Those of us who have not had this easy to achieve and then have, has it ever felt that the dream we were running after and what it actually encompasses is different (in any degree)? I am not painting it in strong colours of black and white, just a random surge of thoughts in either direction would be good. Would love to hear your opinion on this. Also, here is a 31w5d belly shot of yours truly. I had a mini-adventure transferring the pic from the camera to my PC, wherein I landed on my bum. Ouch! I was instantly *oh-no & egad* and prayed hard for nothing adverse to have happened. So far, I am good. And speaking of adventures , what would you like to do?

Come to think of it, I haven't done a concrete update on this for so long... - Cravings: Oranges and Tangerines! And I found them in the local market which is great. Cheese! Pizza! Cheese! Soups! - Stretch Marks: Yes and No . Yes because a few from my old days seem to have become prominent BUT there are no new marks - not on the belly or anywhere. Touchwood! -Sleep: The sleep gets disturbed by nature calls and the pain. And I have trouble falling asleep. And don't feel like getting up. But overall I will still rate it as good. - Movements: Intense in the afternoon (1400-1500/1600 hours) and then during evening (around 2200 hours). And plenty in-between. Have noticed K getting quieter when I am tired. - General Appearance: My bump defies gravity...pear shaped and with a distinct linea negra. And it is straight out...The bump does not spread...so if you were to look at me from behind, you would not guess that I am pregnant. Also, since there is no oedema or anything as suc...

Have you cooed cheer at Clare's news? Or am I the absolute last one to know? Go on and cheer in case you have not and make me feel less bad, please? The nut of this post is that I met Dr. BS yesterday and had a quick peek at Kaiser as well. Everything is fine and well. I was 30 weeks 2 days yesterday, but Kaiser being the show-off (in Kakunaa's words) was 31 weeks. One thing, I can now discontinue the aspirin I was taking. Secondly, there is not much that can be done about the pain that I am experiencing. I have my own tricks - partly taken from Dr. Google. For one, keeping knees together while moving on the bed helps. Second, the first time I hit the bed, I tend to not fallback on my back but sleep sideways. And flinch whenever it hurts. It helps to flinch. :-) ^WiseGuy^

What happens at this stage? People start talking to your belly. It has become increasing obvious to everybody, even strangers that I am expecting. And there are many unabashed and awkward stares at my belly. I find the protruding belly unusual (not ugly) too, and am amazed by how I need to negotiate belly space when standing against doors or other objects. ----- Do you remember Xo ? The one who became a part of fukdum post ? Well, she is on the family way too - she conceived after her first IVFw/ICSI cycle and is expecting her first in end-Jan 2011. Good for her. ^WiseGuy^

My right hand and right leg acted up real bad yesterday. I noticed the paining right knee when I was returning back from office. The pain reduced after I took a short rest. I thought it was just because I was tired or so. We went to the theatre last night for a 2145 Hours show of a new release. We walked back home from the theatre (it is very close to our home) . And I realized that it pained me to drag/lift my right knee by any proportion. Anyways, once home I realized that my right elbow was ticked off at me too. And the elbow and the knee in some bizarre symphony woke me up from my sleep and made sure I acknowledged their presence in my body. My elbow was paining so bad that I thought that my arm was about to fall off from below the elbow. I could have taken a painkiller but had been avoiding it as much as I could. I decided to pick up the medicine from the chemist in the morning (my nose ring got tugged at some place, and I have some pain in my left nostril too, joy!). Voila, morni...

* I am sleeping well, but some discomfort seems to have set in because when I lie on the bed for the first time and attempt to turn on a side, it feels like something is folding-snapping between my legs...it is such a strange feeling. I have not been able to explain it well to my doc. :-( * I like all fruits - well most of them, except for apples against which I do not have anything per se, but having one a day everyday kills the joy of it because it almost becomes a medicine. * About a fortnight back, the frequency of my trysts with the loo had reduced and now they are back on. * I am a bit concerned about the placenta having moved lower (though it is not on the cervix). * Currently the fuzzy date for me to proceed on my maternity leave is January 17, 2011. * How I will move back from City X to here with Kaiser is a big question mark in my mind. I cannot simply say, "Hey, my maternity leave is over. I am going away. Okthanxbye!" * I do not plan to go back to work as soon as ...

So this is the output of a brain that has no single thread to follow. I have found myself very emotional lately. I have been secretly sensitive as a person. I have cried over scenes and movies and songs and such, but these days I seem to have tears readily poised over my lower eyelids. It's them hormones, right? In the baby shower there was a game - a gender predictor thing. Five items were hidden with a slip of paper kept underneath each of them. The woman is expected to lift one of the lids randomly and her first pick is supposed to be the gender of the baby she is expecting. What I picked first was an outright feminine word. The lady who made me do it, asked me to lift all other lids randomly and then tried to soothe me with bull* that I had seemed to pick more male words than female words. I immediately cut her off by saying that for five items, if three items were male, it was obvious that more picks would be made towards the male side in any order. Ahem! It's logical, I ...

Just to update you on the whole fuss I made about the dipping Hemoglobin, here's the thing: I switched my iron supplement! The one I have been taking from the beginning of this pregnancy is Ferrous Fumarate IP (152 mg), and it has been replaced with Ferrous Bis-glycinate (60 mg). The kind advice came from my resident OB ( aka dear mother ). Ferrous bisglycinate is a chelated form of iron.(Chelated means amino acids are attached to the mineral) Hopefully things will get better. Also, I hope the new drug will permit me to not enjoy the benefit of mild acid reflux that stays with me for a part of the day. And oh, there is this evil hill rising on my forehead too... And I am leaving you with You Learn (Alanis Morissette). ^WiseGuy^

I saw Kaiser (through Dr. BS) again on Friday night. I did not get a very good profile of the baby, as the baby was turned 'away'. Kaiser rested his/her hands over his/her head and that is the one thing I remember distinctly. Other things follow: Le Good: I submitted my holy blood for a fasting sugar and hemoglobin test on October 21, 2010. The Good is that my sugar is well within range [82 mg/dL when the normal is between 74 - 100 mg/dL]. Le Bad: Hemoglobin is down to 10.7 gm/dL. The value at the beginning (in the tests run in the first trimester) was 12.0 gm/dL. What Dr. Google tells me is that during pregnancy, anemia is defined as Hb What surprised me is that Dr. BS did not take the dip seriously though. After she thought I was humming on and on, she asked me to - increase the number of times I feed myself. - increase milk intake. - turn Popeye - and, maybe increase the iron supplementation to twice a day for a while. She asked me to take care about the possible consequen...

I can feel Kaiser move!!! And it is amazing really. [Though I almost always find a bone to get crucked on.] Like, the first time I felt those solid kicks was evening, then a couple of days later I got a three-kicker on an afternoon after I laughed at a funny statement a student made. And now I am obsessed with finding some pattern. One morning, I woke up and felt Kaiser having a go at my innards. I must tell you it hurts to be losing a boxing match where you just can't get back. I did have my 'ha!' when I turned sides and the kicking reduced. I did not feel bad about countering Kaiser then, and now I am like 'Jeez, I should have let that continue' . Since then, Kaiser seems to have understood that Mamma does know a couple of tricks, and he/she seems to space out flutterings throughout the day...rather than odd fixed time-spots. And I kind of miss him/her doing the jig during evening time...Kaiser just won't persist with a pattern. I almost managed to post a r...

I felt it!I felt it!I felt it! Four punches/kicks!! Yeah Baby, Rock it good! ^WiseGuy^

My parents were here this past week, and mummy taught me a few exercises before she left. So far, I have consistently managed to do it on alternate days ( shhhh....nobody tells her, okay? ). -- I bought maternity wear for myself ( quite some while ago )...few mix and match pieces that were looser/ oversized and so far I have been comfortable in my old clothes...I did take out one from the maternity gear, but it was only because I wanted some novelty. No surprise however is that I am 'showing' clearly now. So the next pearl from Office TV is a suggestion by colleagues to wear my clothes such that the bump remains covered. Another one elaborated that this way I could save myself from evil eye. Bwahaahaaaaa! -- I am sleeping better. -- If I keep my hand on my belly lightly, sometimes I do feel some sensation. It is evanescent, and that is why I wonder if what I am feeling is actually Kaiser doing his/her jig inside. But I am still confused, because I do not know if what I am feeli...

Oya, I have more to add on what I am experiencing. First one is scratching ... I went scratch scratch scratch the skin around my belly-button, boobsies, and I wondered what was up. Google did not really help me coz it listed some scary c-ailment that has scratching and rashes as a major symptoms. I needed to moisturize better...that's what I learnt the hard way. Previously, I would do it once in the morning...but now I massage olive oil lightly in my skin pre-bath and moisturize twice a day. No more finger-fighting with the skin! And holla, my right ankle acted horribly a couple of days back, and y'day again! I was able to identify why...if I slept/lay down too much on my right side, apparently the right ankle, and the thigh go painful...and it's not the romantic painful. My right thigh is dough, the left one is plaster, I suppose. And coz it is good time for it, here is my 19w5d belly shot . Take Care! ^WiseGuy^ P.S. I have added a poll for your voting pleasure on the side...

This past Sunday and Monday have been super-rainy, and the aftermath of those days followed by sudden rise in temperature is a sweetheart cold that I have developed. So far, I am sneezing and blowing my nose (like a lady, mind you)... and that's that. Where has sleep gone? On Monday night, I suspected I was on my way to insomnialand. I don't have major discomfort when I hit the bed. But I will turn sides, lie flat on my back, and yet, stay awake. Birdman has been called in for 'make me sleep' duties, and he has tried cuddling/ persuasion/ 'atleast-let-me-sleep' strategies so far. You have any ideas for him? I slept late last night (around midnight) and woke up at near-daybreak for a pee call. I hit the bed and I knew the sleep was gone again. I started singing, and the poor man caught hold of me - stuffy nose and all and tried to pat me back to sleep. Good try there. The one thing that is awesome is that with the clogged nose and all, I can still SMELL things......

Just want to lighten my mood a bit here. This is just a quick list of what I feel these days: Hair: I haz dem. They are falling off my head, but flourishing at other places...like my stomach. I also have a linea negra . Skin: Well, an oil factory would be an overstatement, especially since the output seems to have diminished recently. However around my belly, skin seems a bit dry in certain areas...such as around the navel and a little band over the pubic area. Strategy: Area-specific moisturization. Cravings: I have nothing specific actually. I like white bread, and rice. Between salty and sweet, I seem to be hovering equally on both the types. Sleep: Well, when I lie flat on my back, that one point at the tail-end seems to carry all the tension. Turning sides helps. I have been told to prefer the left side, but I like to turn to my right initially. And oh, here is a 16w5d belly shot. Take Care, ^WiseGuy^ P.S. Dear Kaiser, I want you to be doing great, whatever it may be that is ...

We met Dr. BS today in the forenoon. She had an emergency last night and was unavailable for the appointment y'day. The meeting started normally. (normal normal normal grrrrr....) The nurse took my BP and it was 130/80. Dr. BS came in and the ultrasound began. The baby seemed to be lying face down east-west direction. If anything, it was that Kaiser was moving both his arms and legs continuously and it was amazing. The doc took the measurements again and Kaiser was 17 wk something, which I did not hear properly. In her chamber she started with a line: "The liquor is on the lower side." I wondered where liquor came to be in my system. Well no surprises if there was no vodka around anywhere. My inner funny bone did not crack much butt coz when I clarified I understood that she meant amniotic fluid . I also got my first Tetanus Toxoid injection today. Added to my prescription are Arginine granules and more rest. See you in a week again, Kaiser. Those waters better have rise...

# My latest craving is pizza. # I have been quite well as such. But a point on my lower back now seems to be too eager to confirm its presence. Especially when I lie down on my back, it is as if the whole tension is concentrated on that one point. Thankfully, the pain disappears as soon as I turn and lie on my left/right side. # Frankly, I appreciate that I am on the path of having kids later than sooner. Make no mistake, I am not appreciating infertility. I am actually happy that parenthood is not a blech-obvious-succession thing for me. Case in point: A friend's friend X got married in December last year and she is due this December. X has still not adapted well with her new setting, but 'since she got married late, and had to have kids anyways' , she actually did not think about whether or not to become a parent already. How can having kids be equated with the same ease as having laxatives for constipation? She did not think of her reproductive choices, she did not consi...

I finally did manage to take belly pics last evening. Here is a glorious 13wk5d shot for your viewing pleasure. And since I don't want to end the post in just two lines, I just wanted to add that my BP dropped to 130/80 in the last trip to Dr. BS. ^WiseGuy^