Communicating with your big belly

Week 19

Andrew has started talking to the baby more. It helps make the pregnancy more real for me. He tells my belly, “Daddy loves you more!” Andrew also says goodbye to baby when he leaves for work in the morning. I feel weird speaking directly to the baby. I’m not sure why that is. I have been trying to read out loud more. I also want to quiz my mom on nursery rhymes and songs. I think it would be good to start singing to baby now. I’ve always sung along with the radio, but I would rather sing baby to sleep with lullabies.

Baby’s heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope now. Amniotic fluid is replaced every three to four hours. This is a good reminder to drink plenty of fluids. I also learned that if you get your nails done, you should be sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Some brands of polish contain formaldehyde, so check with your nail technician.

I was glad to learn that bleeding gums was a common pregnancy complaint. You might see a little pink in the sink when you floss, like I have. Hormones can cause your gums to swell and you have increased blood volume.

I’m starting to look pregnant rather than just having a little pouch. Baby was moving a lot the other day, I think he or she was salsa dancing. I can’t wait until Andrew can feel the movement. Every time I put my hand on my belly, he asks if the baby is moving.

I got acne on my back, but it cleared up right away. I’m getting terrible leg cramps during the night. I had been drinking a lot of milk, but I’ve been slacking off lately. Cramps can be a sign of calcium deficiency. I think I remember hearing potassium helps relieve cramps. I picked up some bananas and I’m drinking more milk and the cramps are subsiding.

A good friend of mine is having labor induced Wednesday. She is only a few weeks away from her due date, but the baby is really small. Mom has Crohn’s disease and the baby isn’t gaining any more weight. He or she is not even four pounds. We are hoping and praying mom and baby are healthy.

Well she’s here! Our friends had a baby girl on Wednesday. She was born 3 pounds, 11 ounces, and 17 inches long. Mom had an epidural, but no c-section. Mom was all prepped and ready for a cesarean and all of a sudden she progressed enough to have the baby on her own.

My husband and I go camping with this couple every summer. After I heard they had a baby girl, I want a girl. Neither Andrew or I have had much gender preference otherwise. I whined that our baby has to be a girl, so they can be friends. Andrew said that if we have a boy, they could date. I lamented, “My child is never going to date!” I’m not ready for this!

This week has had too much excitement. On Thursday the drain in our basement backed up. Fortunately it was just water and we noticed it right away. The plumber came on Friday afternoon. There were tree roots in the drain. We were told we probably should have it checked every two years from now on. For a pregnant woman who has to pee all the time, it was not fun being without water!

On Friday the monitor on my laptop decided to stop working. For the time being, I can use the old laptop or hook up an old PC monitor to the newer laptop. Fortunately Andrew is mechanically inclined. He has taken apart and fixed several computers. I’m sure he will fix this, too.

Please view my other blogs:

• Keepin’ it all straight
• Terra’s Announcement
• Terra’s Trip to the Midwest
• My Little Secret
• Terra’s First Few Weeks

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