Today I went out and bought a bathing suit. I intended to buy a new suit at Old Navy because they have mix and match pieces on sale and because they have sizes that go up to XXL and they make their sizes big compared to other clothing brands. I barely fit an XL top. I wasn't surprised. I could have found one that fit, but bikini tops are supposed to be a little revealing and my boobs have completely changed in appearance and size. In general I am a lot bigger than I thought I was. I truly saw how big my belly has gotten as well, but, c'mon, I'm full term 4 days. I'm supposed to be huge! Anyway I just didn't feel comfortable wearing a bikini. My sexy factor is totally gone. I'm not ashamed of my body by any means, but my self confidence has wavered a bit.

So I said, screw it! I went to Thyme and bought a proper maternity suit and I feel way better wearing it. It has ample boob coverage and the bottoms are really long like granny panties, which doesn't really work since it just slides under my belly and settles above my pubic bone, but it fits my butt. It's also a tankini style so my belly is covered. I bought it on sale for $30, which is only $6 more than what I would have spent at Old Navy. Even though I only have 3 1/2 weeks left until my due date, if hitting the pool can help baby girl turn, then it's well worth it. I plan on going to the pool very regularly until she's born (or my water breaks) so it's not like I'm using it once or twice and tossing it aside.

Tomorrow I hit the pool!! I'm pretty excited. I haven't gone swimming since I was in Mexico.

Today I've been trying different techniques to encourage baby girl to flip. I've done a few inversions off the couch, been on hands and knees rocking back and forth, and knelt on the floor with my butt sticking straight up. The last one doesn't feel good on the neck, but it's easier to hold for a longer period of time than the inversion. I even tried some more simple techniques like shining a flashlight on my belly and using a cold and hot compress simultaneously. She wiggled a lot, but to no avail. What kills me is that I have no idea how these things don't make her flip. With her head crammed up into my ribs and her bum sliding out of my pelvis how is it that she simply doesn't just...turn? Why doesn't she seek more head room? How does her poor little head tolerate a cold compress? It baffles me.

Well, I will continue to do these things multiple times a day, plus hit the pool, until I know for sure that she's head down. Once she's head down I'm buying a birthing a ball to help her drop and STAY there.

She still has time, she still has time, she still has time....

I went for my ultrasound this morning. She is frank breech, just as I suspected. I couldn't even take home a decent picture because she was, once again, "camera shy" and wouldn't give the tech a decent profile image. The ultrasound measured her at 6 lbs 10 oz. It's a little large for her gestational age, but I did some googling on that weight at 36 weeks and I'm finding women saying they've babies are measuring 7.5 lbs at the same gestation age. So 6 lbs 10 oz can't be that bad. I know she could be smaller or bigger. It's not accurate, but it's fun to know and interesting to see the potential results of my GD. It makes me wonder how big she would have been if I weren't diabetic. Would she be smaller? Would she have been bigger because I would eating way too many treats and junk food because I know I would have. I would have likely consumed lots of ice cream, potato chips, and non-diet sodas. I would eaten desserts after my meals when eating out to satisfy my sweet tooth. Instead I've cut out all those things I just mentioned, substituted some things (i.e. wheat and sugar free chocolate chip cookies, most of the carbs and sugars come from the chocolate chips themselves) and overall eat less.

Now I must wait until Thursday to hear what my midwife has to say about baby girl's position. I don't think they can do much except give me suggestions on how to help her turn and I'm already exploring those options. One method I really want to try is swimming, but I need to go buy a new bathing suit top before that happens. My boobs haven't stopped growing and the same top that barely fit me in February doesn't fit anymore. Thankfully Old Navy sells individual bikini pieces for cheap in XL and XXL, so I should be able to find one that fits me. At the pool there is nothing worse than seeing a woman of any size, pregnant or not, wearing a bikini top that is too small for her. Too much side boob AND cleavage just looks horrid and skanky. There is a way for larger women to wear bathing suits and look classy and that is: the bathing suit simply fits properly.

Anyway two of the ladies in my due date club have been swimming and one got her baby to turn completely and the other is seeing positive results. So maybe the pool would be successful for me too. I would probably find it relaxing anyway and it's the ultimate method of gentle exercise. Now that I have all the time in the world to go I have no excuse. I should go at least three times a week I think. No, make that 4 times a week.

Today was my last day at work. It was bittersweet, it was downright awesome. I'm not going back for a year. At the end of my shift my manager had secret collected a bunch of my coworkers in the office to surprise me with a goodbye and a card. It was such a sweet gesture that I didn't expect. It makes me feel special to know that they will miss me. We'll still see each other, though, because I live a 15 minute walk away and prefer shopping there for my necessities. Plus, I have all my prescriptions for my diabetic supplies there so I will definitely be in there before babe is born to pick those up. I have a 98% chance of my diabetes going away right after birth, so I won't need any of that stuff after the fact.

I am so relieved to be taking an extended break from all the regular customers. I like my store and the staff, but the customers of New West can be a bit dodgy and the regulars downright annoying. It will just be nice to not have to engage in benign chit chat all the time and hear them complain about things nobody has any control over, like the weather or sales tax. I'm so excited to be spending a whole year focusing on my new little girl and facing the challenges of motherhood head on.

Going through this pregnancy and being part of an online due date club has been a real learning experience and lesson in appreciation. I feel so damn lucky to live and be having a baby in Canada. While I do live in the only province that charges its citizens a premium for medical, I don't pay a dime because I'm considered low income. So my entire prenatal care is covered by our wonderful (yet flawed, but that's a whole other can of worms) universal health care system. I didn't have to worry about choosing an OB or a hospital that would be covered by an insurance policy. If anything happens my baby after delivery I don't have to worry about receiving a bill for tens of thousands of dollars for her stay in a NICU. Even if I had a home birth it would be covered because midwives are recognized health professionals in BC. So all of my prenatal appointments, my gestational diabetes appointments and care, and my extra appointments with an OB are a not even a financial thought for me. I feel really bad for all the American moms in my due date club when I see them struggling with their insurance. No offense, Americans, but you guys have a terrible, terrible health care system that puts profit before people. It seems criminal to charge a family tens of thousands of dollars just to have a baby. And what do the families without insurance do, I wonder? Have their babies on their kitchen floors or bite the bullet and take on a $30,000 debt? 

Another reason I am so grateful to be pregnant in Canada is my maternity leave. How on earth does a mother raise a baby with only 12 WEEKS of mat leave? In Canada we get a full year. We still have to work a certain amount of hours over the last year to qualify and then receive 55% of those earnings if we do, but we still get a whole year. Some companies will top off their mat leave pay as well. I don't expect this to be a year long vacation. I'm about to begin a whole new job that is full time and then some. I don't expect it to be easy, but from what I hear the unconditional love that I'll feel for my little girl will make it so worth it it's not even funny.

Yet another thing I am grateful for is my extended health benefits that I get through my employer. Sure I pay for them out of my paycheque, some $25 or so per month, but my diabetic supplies are freaking expensive. It's probably safe to say I've saved about $300 because my diabetic supplies are fully covered. I learned that my insulin costs $50, and I'll probably only use 1 or 2 out of the 5 cartridges that come in the box. What a waste of money that would have been if I payed out of my own pocket.

Anyway I now have 4 weeks until my due date to take it easy, enjoy myself, prepare, and go to appointments. Starting next Thursday I see my midwives every week. I have one more GD appointment, and I'll be seeing my new OB here and there as well. I have my ultrasound tomorrow morning to find out just what this little girl of mine is up to. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that the solid bulge of movement at the top of belly has been her bum this whole time, but when I poke my belly I doubt it because I don't feel any feet or knees or back to go with that bum. We will just have to wait and find out. I'm not going to let myself worry about it, though. She has time to turn, if need be, and there are things I can keep doing to help her out, like continue with the Webster technique through my chiropractor, doing inversions, and I'm going to try swimming.

This afternoon I had my much anticipated OB appointment. A couple of weeks ago I was reluctant to go, but I was pleasantly surprised. I've had this biased and unfavorable opinion of OBs based on nothing at all, just what I've heard about American OBs. What is the difference? Well, this is Canada so while some practices may be similar I am, ultimately, in a different country and our OBs (and hospitals) are likely to practice a little differently as well (i.e. different policies/protocol on c-sections). I don't know why I've had it in my head that all OBs practice like pretentious, old school doctors from the 50's who ride on this high horse declaring, "I'm the doctor so what I say goes!". My OB is young, apparently boho in style, and has a pleasant bedside manner. She was not all what I expected. If I saw her on the street in passing the last thing I would ever think she does for a living is practice as an MD, let alone an OBGYN. So I'm pleased with her to say the least and she made it clear that she knows that her involvement is only due to the fact that my midwives' college requires it. She said everything is fine and she'll just be taking a back seat. I'm still in the hands of midwives.

The appointment was pretty straight forward. I met with a resident first who collected history and asked about my blood sugar numbers and how much insulin I'm taking. Neither of them seemed concerned in the least. I'm sure the amount of insulin I'm taking is minimal compared to some women they've seen. She checked my weight, blood pressure (kind of high 135/82 or something like that, but that's also typical for end of third trimester), fundal height (36 cm. One cm ahead, but considered normal), and my personal favorite, urine. Man, will I ever be glad to never pee in a cup or on a dipstick again for a long time. Anyway I checked out just fine. Everything was normal. The resident said that my referring midwife is the very same who delivered her own baby. I thought it was a little ironic that an OB resident had a midwife deliver her baby. Small world, anyway.

After all that my I met with my actual OB, the boho chick I liked her right off the bat. She said some very important things that I needed to hear. It is very apparent now after three weeks of being on insulin that my diabetes is in fact getting worse as time goes on and that insulin is very necessary. However she said it's a sign that the placenta is growing and working properly since it's the hormones from the placenta that are causing the GD in the first place and making it worse. So in way, it's good that I need insulin and that my dosage seems to always be increasing. She also said that even though induction would be seriously considered so that I don't go past my due date, I'm still calling the shots for my delivery and there is no reason for me to not have a normal vaginal birth. She believes I'm in good hands at my midwifery.

I asked her about the induction thing and I told her straight up that I wasn't into having an IV induction with Oxytocin. She said I can decline an induction and wait to go naturally and during that time I would have to go for NSTs to keep an eye on the baby and make sure she's okay. She said there are other things that can be done to encourage labor to start like sweeping of the membranes and such, which I am all game for. I will try anything to avoid an IV induction, which can make labor more painful, longer and lead to a higher risk of C-section. So I'm happy with her answer. I'm not going to be forced to do anything, but I need to keep my own head in the game to keep my baby girl safe. Her safety is the most important thing and I can't let my own stubbornness get in the way of that. 

The other thing I asked her about was her position. It's suspected that she's breech still. OB said that normally babies are in a head down position by now, but there are things that can be done to try to help her flip if she doesn't. It's not uncommon for babies, even first timers, to wait until the last minute so there is still time. My ultrasound on Friday will give everyone involved a solid answer which way she's sitting. It would be a great surprise to find out she is in fact head down and I've been seeing her bum bulging this whole time. If I find out she's head down I'm going out that very same day and buying a birthing ball so I can help her drop. If she is breech then I'll have to wait and see what my midwife says at my next appointment. I think, out of all of this, anything were to send me in for a c-section it would be her breech position rather than the fact that I'm diabetic. But I think in that regard I can still wait for labor to start naturally rather than scheduling it. At least my body and baby would be telling me it's time rather than removing her when it's not. At least that's how I would prefer it to go. Scheduling a C-section would only make me more nervous I think. I don't need to know when her birthday is going to be.

Anyway, peace of mind has been achieved. I feel so much better. Now I'm just looking forward to my ultrasound. I'll get to find out how big she is, how much she weighs, what position she's in, how my amniotic fluid levels are doing, and how much hair she's got. I really want to know the last one for no particular reason other than curiosity, lol.

I'm realizing that I'm panicking for no reason. With a new perspective put on my GD, I'm just going to relax. I want to enjoy these last weeks, rest up, get some gentle exercise to prepare myself, and, the hardest of all, exercise some patience. I'm in good hands.

What a weekend so far! It's the busiest one I've had in a while. I think I held my own pretty well for 35 weeks preggo.

Friday morning I went to my chiropractor. I'm basically seeing her once a week at this point to get adjusted and make these last weeks of pregnancy more comfortable. She can only do so much for me, but it's better than nothing. I don't even want to know how I'd feel without her adjustments. She also employed the Webster Technique while I was there. The Webster is a technique that chiro's use on preggos like myself to help their babes turn because mine, bless her little heart, is still breech. She basically pressed really, really hard on some important ligaments that support the uterus to help them loosen. This basically gives the baby more room and my uterus more flexibility for her to turn. Space is scarce for her these days, so turning is either a chore that my body is making too difficult for her or she's just being stubborn. Whatever the case I want to start making an effort to help her turn. She just may turn on her own around 38 weeks, but for now I can at least try to help her along. I have an ultrasound on June 15th to check her position. If she turns before then, great! If not we'll see what my midwife has to say about that. If she never does turn I hit 39 weeks I might be sent to the hospital for an external cephalic version, which is manual baby flipping from the outside. It's a more aggressive than the Webster in that it should make her turn right then and there, not press here and there and wait a few days to see what happens. Hell, they might do it earlier than 39 weeks because I'm looking at possibly not being allowed to go past my due date because of the diabetes. So they might do it earlier to give her time to drop? I dunno. Worst case scenario is that she's stubborn, my team gets impatient and the OB that I must now consult with due to the diabetes declares that I need a c-section. Makes me shudder thinking about it, but there is time yet!

Speaking of an OB, I now have to see one along with my midwives because my endocrinologist put me on insulin for my diabetes. At first I thought it was a bold leap that ended up changing my prenatal care in a way that I wasn't happy with at all, but now that a few weeks have gone by and I'm recording my glucose numbers I now believe that it is necessary. My hormones are messing with me, man! Anyway, the insulin opens a whole new can of worms. I need an OB because I'm now considered high risk, but my midwife can still deliver my baby for me (phew!). I see this OB on Monday. I really need to ask her this whole induction thing my midwife mentioned. She said that the OB may not let me go overdue and I could be looking at a possible induction. I don't want an induction. I don't want to be hooked up to an IV and given Oxytocin so I can have a horribly more painful labor than is necessary and one that could go royally south because baby girl wasn't ready. All this uncertainty is KILLING me. I really wish I had a solid answer: will I be allowed to go into labor on my own or am I looking at a scheduled induction? It is so important to me that things run their course and it's pissing me off that medical system is getting in the way of that. Anyway I have this ultrasound on Friday to check baby's position, but I'm more interested in going to find out how big she is. I think it might help the decision making factor about my delivery one way or the other. If she's big I might be screwed, if she's measuring right on I might be okay. I highly doubt she's measuring small. This blog post aside, I'm trying not to think too hard about it because I still have 5 weeks to go and I'm doing all that I can to keep my sugars under control. There is still time even though everything seems like it's right around the corner.

In other baby news my last day of work is Thursday. I'm so excited! I'm just so happy to be done work. I don't hate my job, but it will be nice to get away from the customers and all of their retarded comments like, "Oh! You look like you're gonna go any day now!" Thanks a-fucking-lot, asshole. Just say I look huge. Anyway when I first got pregnant I thought I'd take it to the end because I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had this extra time. Well, I have a month and I know exactly what I'm going to do with myself: take it easy, take care of a few last minute things, go to my appointments, and get some daily exercise. Oh, and wait anxiously, lol, like every woman does at that stage of pregnancy. I'm getting to the point of being done, but at least I can feel that way leisurely and not add undue stress from work.

Man, it feels like this pregnancy keeps going downhill, but I try to be optimistic and remind myself that at least I'm not dealing with preterm labor or, god forbid, problems with my baby. My baby girl is doing just fine. She's been quiet today, but had hiccups twice and I even felt her breathing. It was a very cool moment to say the least. She's moved around a little, but seems to fall back asleep after a short period. I'm not concerned. I listened to her heartbeat on the doppler and it was strong and beautiful and the same rate it always has been.

Dealing with this gestational diabetes thing has been both a cinch and a challenge. It's getting frustrating not being able to eat whatever I want. I miss eating treats and cereal and sushi. Lord knows, I'd like to pack a muffin and eat it after baby girl is born. Actually, I could probably get away with eating whatever in the early labor since I will need the energy for hard labor. I betcha carbo-loading for hard labor would be effective provided that labor itself doesn't cause nausea and vomiting. I was told that a woman will burn about 40% more energy during labor, it's that intense. Anyway, it's been a cinch at the same time because I've found foods that I like and some things that I can still get away with eating. I have been put on insulin, which I take before eating dinner so that my bedtime numbers are lower so that I can eat a bedtime snack so that my morning numbers are lower. It's a fascinating chain reaction that carries over to the next day. I don't mind taking the insulin itself except...

It's a total game changer.

Little did I know, being put on insulin officially makes me high risk and now my midwives must subsidize my care with an OB, just in case. Just in case of what, I have no fucking idea. I think it's a waste of time. My midwife still gets to deliver my baby and ultimately she and the nurses will take care of me, regardless of my diabetic status. So why the fuck do I need some useless OB? Can you tell this pisses me off? lol My prenatal care has become a legal issue at this point. My midwives regulatory college dictates that once a pregnancy is considered high risk they can no longer be the sole care providers. So I've become trapped in some medical political bullshit that's only complicating things. My anger is not directed at my midwives or the OB I will be referred to. If anything my anger is directed to the system and, perhaps, my endocrinologist for putting me on insulin like it's no big deal. Well, it is a big deal if it's going to change the course of my prenatal care.

My midwife also hipped me to the possibility of an induction because they may not want me going past my due date. Neither do I, but they can fuck right off with that. I am not letting them potentially ruining my birthing experience with a shitty drug induced labor that is more likely to lead to the use of instruments or a Caesarian to get her out because she was not ready. The good news is that she may have only mentioned that because my diabetes puts me at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia so they may only induce if I happen to develop that. However, she could have told me because they just don't want her getting too big. Based on the size of my belly I can't see myself giving birth to a 9 lb baby. This is a detail that I have to clear up with them at my next appointment.

On the other hand I am leaving work at 37 weeks when I am full term, so I will have three weeks to get labor going on my own. At 36 weeks I plan on getting an exercise ball and using that to help her drop as well as drinking the raspberry leaf tea and perhaps doing a few other things to get a head start. But it sounded like my midwives are on board with helping me get the ball rolling once I hit 37 weeks to avoid any unnecessary complications and to encourage my baby to come on her own.

Oh, AND I get to go for another ultrasound. I'm excited about this part. They don't know for sure what position she's in, though they suspect she's breech. So I will have an ultrasound done to check her position as well as fluid levels and her weight. I can't wait see her again and I'm dying to get a better approximation of her weight.

Everything has been going well...except for one (not so) small detail. I have gestational diabetes. Yee-fucking-haw. It's totally manageable, like having Type 2, but if I'm really unlucky diet and exercise just won't cut it and I'll have to take insulin. I can't see it getting that bad though, unless I was lazy and just kept eating crap all the time. If anything this will put a fire under my ass to eat better. I still have to go to a diabetes clinic on Monday morning, but I'm already taking steps to head in the right direction. Frankly, I'd do the test again a little later to confirm that I do indeed have it. I posted about it in due date club and a couple of ladies came back saying they initially tested positive, but did it again at a later gestation and tested negative. The only thing is that they could have only done the 1 hour test, while I did the diagnostic 2 hour tolerance test. I don't think I could have screwed it up either because I fasted for 12 hours instead of 8 and only drank one cup of water for the whole two hours I was there.

I've been feeling totally fine, though. I don't know what it feels like to have blood sugar levels too high. I get shaky when sugars are low, but who doesn't? This might explain why I gained so much weight so quickly while other ladies in my due date club are doing just fine. I weighed myself at work this morning and I weighed roughly the same as I had on the 20th at my midwife appointment. Obviously I am gaining weight regardless of how much fat I'm putting on because baby girl and my uterus are only getting bigger and, therefore, heavier. Whatever, I don't want to think about weight gain, or at least MY weight gain. I'd rather focus on baby's weight gain and ultimately keeping her at a reasonable size at birth. I'll be damned if I push out a 9 pound baby! So I think it's good to gear up and gain control of my diet now before SHE starts to really pack on baby fat in preparation for birth.

So my focus is on eating more vegetables, cutting down (if not out) on sugars, and cutting down on my carbs. I considered going back to a gluten free diet, since eliminating wheat would be the ultimate diabetes "fuck you", but I'm just not into committing that fully. I still want to eat bread and a muffin or a bagel here and there. It will be tricky to moderate how much of that I eat. I still want to eat whole and ancient grains, and sadly gluten free replacements are merely made of rice tapioca flours with some flax seeds thrown in. Not good enough for me. I'm selectively choosing gluten free foods, like gluten free pasta noodles. I'm cutting back on cereals because they're nothing but carbs and sugar. I'll eat granola instead as it's high in protein and made of oats, not enriched wheat. On my days off or days I start in the afternoon I will make an effort to eat a REAL breakfast with eggs. This is how I'm thinking and this is where my effort is going, but for all I know I could be doing it wrong. I'll see on Monday when I consult with the doctor.

Oh boy...my belly is getting big enough that I feel short of breath while sitting.

Anyhoo, last weekend we had a 3D ultrasound done. It was both entertaining and educational. I know what my baby's up to in there and why I feel her kick only in certain spots. She occupies the right side, with her head at the top and folded her half. We watched her as she sucked on the cord and her knees and tried to such on her feet. It made it a little tricky to get a good picture of her, but we did manage to get some. It was pretty awesome to see her move about, try to grab her leg and shove her foot in her mouth. She got frustrated at one point and made a fussy face. That was pretty cute. All in all I feel like I know her a bit better. She's got a face and a little personality. I'm betting she'll be the kind of baby who will want to be swaddled with a pacifier in her mouth at all times. I'm cool with that. I want to swaddle her while she sleeps at night anyhow since it's supposed to help babies sleep longer by both making them feel safe and preventing them from startling themselves awake.

Her kicking is getting stronger and I feel it more frequently throughout the day. She's been on the quiet side today, but she has really active days and really quiet days. I usually whip out the doppler on the quiet days. Nate felt her kick of the first time last night. He wasn't sure what he felt so he asked "Was that it?" and I had to confirm with him, lol. In a few weeks her kicks will be unmistakable to him and we should start to see her move too. I haven't seen anything yet thank to that cushy anterior placenta, but they day will come. All in good time. I may not ever get a distinct foot or hand poke out, but it'll be cool to see my belly morph into a different shape as she moves.

To put the cherry on the top of all this I'm getting over a cold and have been for a week. That's unusual for me. I rarely get sick and when I do it lasts 3 days at the most. I know my immunity is down from being pregnant, but it would be really nice to pop my ears and breathe through my nose again.

Yes, I'm sorry. This is basically another rant.

My work is starting to get REALLY irritating. I deal with customers for 8 hours a day, and work in a place that has its fair share of regulars. It's one thing to talk about my pregnancy with coworkers. It's another to talk about it all the time with customers.

I'm sorry, but since when is it a customer's business to question me about my pregnancy? I get that it's exciting, especially for some people who aren't pregnant. Some people just LOVE seeing pregnant ladies. That's fine if they want to get an eye full, but I'm getting sick and effing tired to hearing: "I didn't know you're pregnant!" (Good for you!) or "When are you due?" (July...no you don't get to know the actual date!) "How far along are you?" (Far enough that I'm outta here in three months.) or "Do you know what you're having?" (Why? So you can tell me I'm going to have a great time or that's too bad boy's are easier?)or "Do you have any cravings?" (No and wipe that look of surprise off your face.) and my personally HATED favorite "How are you feeling?" (SHUT UP!)

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHGHGSHGSDKFHGSKLDFJLKSDJFLKJDLFGKJ

It's none of their buuuuuusssiinnneeesssss.........I've already decided that if they ask me about names I'll tell them I have one, but I'm not going to tell them WHAT it is. I draw the line at sharing her name. But I would really like to draw the line at the first question. It's a such a hard thing to deal with. How can I express that I don't wish to talk about it with strangers and be polite about it?

And then there's all the unsolicited advice. Heaven forbid I ever mention a symptom, for example heart burn. "Oh, it's only going to get worse!" Ha f*cking ha! As if I'm not aware of that! I don't need customers telling me how bad it's going to get, or how wonderful they are once they're here, or how excited I must be getting. I. KNOW. I'm here, I'm getting there, and HOW COULD I NOT BE?!

And then there are the wives' tales. Oh how I hate the wives' tales because my pregnancy is blowing quite a lot of them out of the water. Yesterday I had a regular customer (crazy old bat, I might add) who ARGUED with me about the gender of my baby. She asked about cravings and was so beside herself that I don't have any. Then she said that if I'm not craving dairy I'm having a boy. End of story, apparently. I said, "No, I'm having a girl." She said, "If you're not craving dairy by now, it's a boy. I've been there and done that." I just said, "Well my ultrasound said it's a girl." DON'T ARGUE WITH SCIENCE! She didn't say anything after that. What. The. Heck? 
Later that day I think I scared another woman by pregnantness. She stopped in her tracks, looked at my wearily and asked, "Is there a baby in there?" Uhh..excuse me? What else would it be? Then mumbled something about gas that I didn't hear twice, helped her and had her on her way while I sat there scratching my head wondering what just happened. Either that woman is scared of pregnant ladies, or she thought I was THAT bloated. What is going on?!

Then today, I had another customer tell me that my maternal glow made her want to cry...*crickets* Say what?

So another three months of this....can I deal with it? I certainly hope so. I'm losing it though. It's exhausting me. I don't want to spend my off time with anyone other than my DH because I'm so mentally exhausted from these people. *Sigh*

Wow...22 weeks. Where has the time gone? I'm now rocking a sweet bump that's only getting bigger.

And oh! Since I haven't been on here in two weeks. It's girl My anatomy ultrasound went well. She's healthy as far as the tech told me. I'm sure I'll get the detailed lowdown at my next midwife visit on the 20th and she must be in perfect health otherwise I would think my midwife would have called me and asked to see me sooner so we could further investigate.

She's kicking up a storm, especially in the last couple of days. Her kicks are getting much stronger. I feel like I'm missing out a little because I have an anterior placenta that's cushioning a lot of the blows. So I feel the kicks really low and and (starting to) feel them really high near my belly button. In between is like a dead zone where the placenta must be. I really hope it doesn't take away from those magical moments when she tries to push her hand or foot out through my belly.

Her heart beat is hella strong too. I've been listening to her heart beat every day with the doppler since I got the thing at around 13 weeks. It helped me get through my annual Mexico trip without worrying about her. Before it was a nice wooshing sound in the typical heart beat rhythm, now it's a strong and blatant thump that distorts on the crappy speaker no matter the volume level. Feeling her movement is curbing my compulsion to listen to her though. I really look forward to 4 weeks from now when I can't ignore her kicks even if I wanted to. I can't wait to feel her hiccups.

So far I've gained about 20 lbs, give or take. I'm not worried about it like some would be at this stage. I expect I'll gain between 40-50 lbs altogether. While I won't be solely relying on it to help me lose the weight, I imagine that breast feeding will help quite a bit. But it's not like I'm worried about fitting into those pre-pregnancy jeans or whatever. Maternity jeans are just as useful postpartum. I'm more concerned about moving comfortably and without pain. So far I think my trips to the chiro are paying off. I need to see her again, actually, but not till next week.

As it happens with pregnancy, my feet are starting to ache more often than not. At work I'm suffering so yesterday I bought some trainers that are totally against dress code, but I don't care. I need my feet to be comfortable. Besides, I think my pants will cover most of them anyway. I also bought them half a size bigger to accommodate any foot growth that may happen in the following weeks.

I have less than 4 months left of work. And four months until our lives change forever.