28 Weeks...A Whole Week Late

Just when you thought I'd completely abandoned my blog...

I'M BACK!

I know I promised I'd post weekly, and I've been a pretty big slacker on that front, but I have a pretty good excuse this time. It's exhausting to move, especially to unpack, and try to put your life back together in a new place. Jeff and I are finally recovering from our epic journey from Texas and our move into our new home in Klamath Falls.

So this week's pic comes a whole week late, and in a perfect world I'll take the 29-week pic sometime soon and post it as well, but I'm not making any promises. Again, because I was without chalkboard and chalk still (at the actual 28-week mark), the 28-week pic is a combo photo that I'm mildly proud of (the chalkboard, not necessarily the bump)...

 The 28-week mark is a pretty big milestone for pregnancy, at least to me. Not only am I officially seven months pregnant, but I'm also into the third trimester, and in the proverbial home stretch. In theory, I have just three months (12 weeks) to go until we meet our little Peanut.

Now, of course this isn't a hard-and-fast due date (nothing with babies is ever on schedule) but it's an excellent guideline.

Little girl kicks like crazy these days, most vigorously in the early mornings. She gets quite uncomfortable if I'm not sitting properly, and lets me know with a few big kicks.

"Mom, I'm getting totally squished in here!! Can you sit up a little more, please???"

As for me, I'm still feeling well, although the discomfort of pregnancy is beginning to kick in. My back is bent to compensate for the forward pull of my belly, and I find my legs get tired faster than they used to. I haven't really been able to run or workout since I left Texas, and I can feel that I'm out of shape (and so can my doctor...whoops). I'm hoping to get back into at least walking, as I think I'm officially too big to run or jog. I need to find a gym so I can try a treadmill workout recommended to me by another pregnant friend, but in the meantime I'll settle for walks around the neighborhood.

Also found out today from my new (and super, totally awesome) doctor that I'm anemic, and she's recommended that I take an iron supplement daily in addition to my prenatal vitamin. Here's a little tidbit about anemia from BabyCenter.com:

"Your iron requirements go up significantly when you're pregnant. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases until you have almost 50 percent more than usual. And you need more iron to make more hemoglobin for all that additional blood. You also need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta."

I was turned away once in college while trying to give blood for not having enough iron, and given my other blood issue (my outrageous blood pressure) I'm not entirely surprised. I'll start tonight taking my supplement to make sure Peanut has all the iron she can get her hands on.

Also - did you read that? The amount of blood in my body is almost 50 percent more than usual, which I read elsewhere equals roughly two pounds. I have TWO WHOLE POUNDS of extra blood in my body. That is just bonkers.

I mentioned my high blood pressure, so I might as well just get that out there too. I've "struggled" with hypertension since I graduated college, and realistically, probably before then - although I wasn't aware of it yet. It's a little bit due to genetics, a little due to stress and a little due to weight. When I lost 30 pounds in 2011, my BP went down enough that I was able to stop taking the medication I'd been prescribed for it. Unfortunately, as I've gained that weight back (thanks a lot, Texas), my blood pressure has risen again. I've been able to manage it pretty well with exercise, but pregnancy throws your body for a loop, and generally causes your BP to rise anyway. So that's another thing my doctor and I are monitoring closely. High blood pressure can be a sign of preeclampsia, a medical condition associated with pregnancy. More from BabyCenter.com:

"Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women and typically starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Elevated blood pressure is the primary symptom, but there may be others such as protein in the urine, liver or kidney abnormalities, persistent headaches, or vision changes.

Preeclampsia can progress slowly or rapidly from mild symptoms to severe, life-threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly.  Your doctor will screen you for the condition at every prenatal visit by taking your blood pressure and checking your urine sample for protein.

The more severe the condition and the earlier it appears, the greater the risks for you and your baby. Most women who get preeclampsia develop mild symptoms near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care.

But when preeclampsia is severe, it can affect many organs and cause serious or even life-threatening problems. That's why you'll need to deliver early if your condition is severe or getting worse.
Preeclampsia causes the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in high blood pressure and a reduced blood flow that can affect organs in your body, such as your liver, kidneys, and brain.

When less blood flows to your uterus, it can mean problems for your baby, such as poor growth,too little amniotic fluid, and placental abruption (when the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery). In addition, your baby may suffer the effects of prematurity if you need to deliver early to protect your health."

I realize this all sounds very scary, but I have complete trust in my new doctor, and I'm sure she'll do everything she can to make sure Peanut and I are as healthy as possible. Plus, I may not even develop preeclampsia, high BP is just one symptom.

Okay! Scary stuff out of the way!! Given how long this post has run on (and all the medical information you've never always wanted to know) I'll close it off at this point. I don't have much on the docket for the rest of this week, so I'll try and get you a 29-week post ASAP (although I'm going to need to buy some chalk since mine is packed away somewhere for the duration of our stay here in K Falls). I'll also take some pics of our new house so you can imagine our little life here, and see where Peanut will be spending her time once she arrives.

Have a great Wednesday!