31 Weeks

Well, I'm now at 31 weeks.  Less than 2 months to go.  I had a doctor appointment last Thursday and things are still looking good.  I gained 8 more pounds for a total gain of 29 so far.  I'm ok with that considering one lady at my office gained 60 during her pregnancy!  I read that at this stage the baby is about 3 pounds.

I've started swelling in my feet and ankles which is no fun.  When they swell bad the bottoms of my feet hurt and it hurts really bad to walk.  I talked to the doctor about it and she said that the swelling is just because of the pregnancy (since my blood pressure is normal and whatnot) and also that it's worse because it's summer.  She said it's also common when you stand for long periods of time or sit with your legs hanging down.  So I'm supposed to sit with my feet/legs elevated as much as possible.  I've been doing that when at home and it does seem to help reduce the swelling.  She also suggested compression hose, so I might get some compression trouser socks to wear at work.  Another symptom is that I'm feeling hot a lot...especially at night.  I get sweaty when under the covers, but am too cold without them.  It's crazy!

Yesterday we had a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital.  It's a nice facility.  You get a private delivery room and private post-partum room.  There's wi-fi throughout the whole hospital, and the TVs have tape and DVD players so you can watch movies while in labor.    All the bathrooms in the labor/delivery rooms have jacuzzi tubs.  I've read and heard that sitting in a tub during the first parts of labor really help to relax you and help with the actual delivery.  This is something I need to talk to my doctor about (not all doctors want you in a tub after your water breaks) but it's nice to know they have those tubs available if it's ok with my doctor.  Next appointment is September 8.

The hospital does have a nursery, but they encourage the baby staying in the room as much as possible for bonding, feeding, and learning things.  When we passed the nursery there were two babies in there and the nurses brought them to the window so we could see them.  They were tiny and wrinkly!  Haha.  Anyway, there was one girl there who turned to her husband and said "oh my God, I'm so freaking excited!"  It was cute.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with a pediatrician.  I guess I should figure out some questions to ask!  Anyway, we've heard good things about this practice, so if I get a good vibe from the pediatrician we might just go with him.