This week, my little app showed us that we are now in the double digits in the countdown to my due date! That’s pretty crazy to me. Next week or the week after will begin my third trimester depending on which app or book or website you’re looking at. It’s all happening :)
26 Week Rundown
Weeks Pregnant: 26 weeks
Baby is the size of a… Head of Lettuce
Food Cravings: Not really a craving per say, but I’ve noticed my appetite is increasing. When I am hungry, I need food like 5 minutes ago! As far as cravings, which again are decently minimal for me I’d say, the only things I can remember from this week are orange juice, ice cream and coffee.
Food Aversions: Nothing really at this point…
Symptoms: The insomnia is starting to get interesting. Before, if I found myself having a hard time falling back to sleep, it would normally only last 15-30 minutes. Now it’s getting to be more like an hour. I’ve also noticed that my back is getting a bit more sore, and I am getting slightly more swollen. I am totally paranoid about wearing my wedding rings now, so I’ve just grabbed a few of my stackable gold rings (fake of course) and made those work. I’d rather wear something than nothing. Oh, and allergies are of course still present but more like that annoying neighbour that you just have to live with.
New this week: We had another birth and parenting class this week, which was again really informative. Some things that stood out to me were learning about the effect different hormones have in the delivery process, particularly adrenaline. Adrenaline, which normally surges when you’re afraid or feeling anxious, can actually all-together stop oxytocin, the happy hormone that keeps contractions coming. More and more I am realising that labour and delivery is going to be as much of a mental task as a physical one! We also learned about the 3rd stage of delivery (placenta) and options there, which I wasn’t aware of.
I’ve noticed the baby’s moves are not just getting stronger, but they’re changing slightly in that I feel the slow, creepy stretch now and not just the jabs. I have to say – that is a VERY weird feeling!
Also new is all the planning that goes into flying while pregnant. My Dr had already talked to me about compression socks and drinking lots of water. I’ve borrowed the socks, and I am ready to go in that department. I also have my letter stating it’s ok for me to fly since Qantas requires it after 28 weeks. What I wasn’t anticipating was the lack of options when it comes to travel insurance for pregnant women. I’ve only found one company that will cover after 26 weeks, even if you have a normal, low-risk pregnancy, and it’s not cheap. However, I would so much rather pay that then face the mountain of bills that would come my way if anything were to happen while we were in the US. These are the things that make me SO incredibly grateful to live in Australia and be a part of their health care system here. I am more thankful than I could ever express!
Unrelated to baby – my hair is new. I am pretty bi-polar when it comes to hair colour, and I’ve swung back to dark, which I am really liking.
Looking forward to: I am looking forward to this week, which is the start of the new quarter at YWAM. We have new students arriving, and my husband is also leading one of the schools. It’s a much smaller quarter than we’ve had in a long while, so it’ll be a much different pace. I am also looking forward to our quick trip for the wedding in a week and a half!
Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach. Feta. Sushi. 
Exercise: I woke up early and went for a good, brisk walk with my friend Tina on Thursday morning. I had been wanting to do exercise in the morning rather than leaving everything to the evenings, but I’ve found it hard to get myself up. It’s always great to have a friend waiting for you. Even though Tina probably wouldn’t have classified it as a brisk walk because she has much longer legs than me, it was definitely good for me. It really changed my day, and I felt so much more energy. We also walked up the big hill to dinner that same night, which was great! Still trying to get more consistent with pilates, but I am so glad I found those videos. They’re so helpful!!
Books I’m Currently Reading: Save Our Sleep here and there, as well as the other two weekly books for updates on the pregnancy.
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