27 week check in!

Major things this week:

Heartburn: It is out of control.  I need to look into Pepcid or Zantac because EVERYTHING gives me heartburn these days - even plain water. I think I've been eating more Tums than food lately.

Weight gain: It's been fluctuating.  I've been relatively...puffy lately so I think I'm retaining water (edema). A couple days ago I was up 9 lbs total which isn't crazy for being 27w PG but it was a 3 lb weight gain in less than a week so it made me a little concerned. I made sure to drink lots of water and check my BP regularly and things seem to be fine I think. I also ordered protein urine test strips off of Amazon just in case. (Since rapid weight gain, edema, high BP and protein in the urine are all indicative of Pre-e.)

Tangent: Maybe I'm overly cautious but I got the test strips because my OB office NEVER feels the need to check my urine even though everything I have ever read says it should be part of every routine prenatal visit. I had it checked at my very first intake appt (~10weeks or so?) but it came back 'contaminated' so they couldn't use it. At the next appt I asked them if I needed to give a new sample and they said no. At the following appt I demanded to give them a sample and got an eye-roll from the nurse but that's how I found out I am positive for Group B Strep (kind of important to know). Ever since then, I have asked at every single appt if I should give a sample and they always say no because my BP has been fine. This is beginning to piss me off (no pun intended).  I asked all the girls in my PAIF group what they do and every single one of them gives a urine sample at every single appointment. Except me. Doesn't my OB care to know if there's protein in my urine? Or if I have a UTI with no symptoms? I am still undecided as to how much of a stink I should make about this...  In the meantime I'm testing my own damn urine.

Aaaaaanyway, my weight has gone down a bit and as of this morning I am +7 lbs total which seems more normal for me.

Here's the bump:

I am uncomfortable. I am finding that I groan a lot these days - especially when I'm trying to readjust my position on the couch or in bed. I can't help it. My hips and pelvis and back and abdomen are all just SORE.  And I can now feel the weight of my full heavy ute all the time so sometimes I find myself holding up my belly when I'm standing. Maybe it's time to look into a support belt.
I definitely think I look better than I feel. I'm getting annoyed with all these people at work looking at me and saying "Oh you must be feeling so good!". I don't. I feel like crap. Still happy to be pregnant, but no, I do not feel good.
The other day I was in an all-staff meeting and my boss asked me to give everyone an update on a project I'm leading. I started talking and just completely ran out of breath partway through the second sentence. I kept trying to talk which just led to gasping and squeaky noises.  I'm not sure if I imagined everyone looking around at each other in alarm or if it really happened, but I'm sure I must have sounded like a fish out of water (or like I was dying). Eventually I had to just stop mid-sentence and apologize for being "unable to breath while sitting" and then I hoisted myself up out of the chair and limped to the front of the room (since my right leg doesn't like to work for a minute once I stand up) in order to finish my piece, with what I am sure was a bright red face. (And even then I could barely get the rest of it out.)  I do not embarrass easily but that was really really embarrassing for me.  Ugh.

I fell this week. I slipped on black ice in the parking lot at work and now have some lovely bruises to show for it. Luckily I didn't fall directly on my belly - more like my knees and hip/side. I was mostly just banged up and shaken up and my ankle is still not normal, 4 days later.  I won't lie - I was freaked out for a little while and convinced myself that the baby was moving less than usual that night and the next day.  Everything is fine though and I now have a shiny new "medical parking permit" on my car so that I can park close to the building for the rest of my pregnancy instead of having to trek all the way across the parking lot in the snow/ice. Yay.

This weekend: 3-day weekend! I will be making a little bit of progress on the nursery and hopefully a LOT of progress on the registry :-)  We decided to register at both Babies R Us (since there's one close to pretty much everyone) and on Amazon.  I have a lot of research/work to do to feel ready for this but on Monday Hubs and I are going to bite the bullet and go to BRU to do the whole registry in-store.  After I get home I'll re-evaluate and then register for anything additional through Amazon.  I have had a LOT of people start asking where we're registered so I'm thinking there's a baby shower in my future...

One more week till 3rd trimester!! Hooray! And I read in my baby book last night that if something goes wrong this week and I have to deliver (God forbid) baby boy would have an 85% chance of survival!  I know I probably sound like a super negative person even thinking about that but it makes me feel better that I've gotten far enough along that even worst-case scenario is not so bad anymore! Yay :-)