26 WEEKS + 2 DAYS

Yesterday was my 26 week ob appointment and with that came the glucose test.  I don't remember that glucose drink being so disgusting, but it did not sit well this time around.  It's about a 40 minute drive to my doctor's office, and the whole time driving was spent convincing myself not to throw up.  I've heard of people doing that, and then having to go back and redo the drink.  No way was I going to redo this, so I held it down!

 

My normal ob was on vacation which gave me a chance to meet with another one of the doctors there.  They're all great there, and I love that office.  Everything went really well.  Blood pressure was still low and my belly is still tracking right where it needs to be.  And my favorite part of these appointments - listening to the heartbeat!  As the doctor was holding the Doppler to my stomach, you could see this little baby just moving and pushing my stomach around. 

 

I love getting to the point where it's not only little kicks and flutters, but you can actually see and feel limbs and their body gliding across your belly.  And baby hiccups... don't get me started on how much I love those baby hiccups.

How far along?  26 weeks + 2 days
Total weight gain:  18 pounds.  I've noticed that I will gain 2-3 pounds in one week, and then my weight will plateau for the next few weeks.  But on average, that puts me at a 1 pound gain per week since I started the second trimester.  Can't complain with being right on track.
Maternity clothes?  Yep. I still only wear maternity clothes about 30% of the time.  If my normal shirts are long enough, there way more comfortable to wear.
Sleep:  I have a really hard time sleeping on my left side.  I can always fall asleep on my right, but for whatever reason, it's impossible on my left.   
Best moment this week:  Hearing that little heart beating away at the doctor appointment. 
Miss anything?  alfalfa sprouts.  I had this same issue when I was pregnant with Conner.  I miss alfalfa sprouts now as much as I did the last time.
Cravings:  Well, beside the alfalfa sprouts I'm missing, I've actually had a strange craving for a margarita.  I don't drink alcohol very often, but a margarita may need to be in order after this baby comes. 
Symptoms:  I've had a couple of very unpleasant symptoms that have crept up this past week and a half.  1) Varicose Veins - these suckers are ugly and more importantly, they are soooo painful. If they don't go away after pregnancy, I'm saving up money and getting them removed!  2)  Swelling - I haven't had any problems with swelling until this week and I attribute that to large consumption of water on a daily basis.  My body can't compete with the heat and humidity this week though and it's caused so much swelling. Bleh.
Looking forward to:  We are looking forward to camping this weekend.  We haven't camped at all this year, so we are meeting up with Aunt Shannon and Uncle Ken and the boys at the river property and planning to have a good time together.

Two big decisions were made this week.  I had originally planned on going for a VBAC up until a week past my planned due date.  If I go past a week overdue, I was just going to schedule a C-section.  That has now changed to just waiting it out and trying for a VBAC even if it's a week past my due date.  My doctor will let me go up to 2 weeks past as long as the baby is still healthy and growing.  If things don't happen within those 2 weeks or if this baby is showing signs of needing to come out, then C-section it is!

 

The second big decision this week (and the one I'm really excited about) is hiring a doula.  I've never put any thought into using one or having a desire for one.  After hearing about my friend's experience with one and how much support they mentally and physically give the mother, I am sold.  Especially since we're going for the VBAC, I feel like this is the smartest way to go to help our chances of success.  Not to mention that the doula that we are using is probably the easiest person to talk to and will be so supportive of us at any point of the labor and delivery process whatever happens.