Starving at Week 25.
Approaching week 25, I prepared for my glucose test by attempting to eat healthier. I tried to stop with the burritos at lunch, and instead opted to bring leftovers from home. I'd read too many articles and knew there wasn't much I could do to change the results of the glucose test, although exercise and a healthy diet is always recommended. Gestational diabetes is most highly correlated with age, and diet isn't shown to have impact on how one's body processes sugars in pregnancy. But this didn't stop me from trying. I ate as much healthy food as I wanted throughout the day and even right before bed. This led me to another problem. I'd wake up 3-4 times through the night STARVING. The hunger was painful. It felt like my stomach was shrinking violently and all the air was being squeezed out. I was too tired to get up, so I'd drink some water, only to wake up again less than an hour later with the same feeling. I got up and had some fruit and yogurt, or cereal. I'd wake up again 2 hours later with the same feeling. This continued for a few days before I contacted my doctor. Her response was that it may have been heartburn. I was having acid reflux (probably from the constant eating), but my gut told me it was hunger. I lurked around some pregnancy forums and found other women having the same problem at 25, 26 weeks and they were suspecting a growth spurt. I started to worry my body was telling me that baby's not getting enough nutrients and decided that "healthy" may not have been enough for him. After all, a burrito contains many nutrients that cannot be found in pasta, fruits, and vegetables. Even that pecan tea cookie might have butter and nuts that can be good for baby... right? Well, once I decided to indulge in all those things I started to wake up only once a night! I not-so-guiltily put off my glucose test another week.
End of Week 26
Just as one problem was fixed, another problem began. People at work started asking me whether I was sleeping well, and I was! The hunger issue had already been addressed, and I felt I'd brought it upon myself anyway. I didn't know what sleep issue they meant to ask about anyway. Constant peeing? Hunger? What were they expecting unique to Week 26?
And then I found out. My back sleeping started to hurt. I laid awake and exhausted hours before I could fall asleep. Then I'd wake up sore and uncomfortable, tossing and turning throughout the night. Back sleep meant I was crushing my other organs, and yes, I could feel it. My spine, lower back, and upper back felt strained even on my extra firm mattress. I tried to side sleep. My sciatica began to regress and pain crept on my other hip as well. What to do?! I'd read so many bad reviews on the Snoogle, and hadn't found a body pillow I liked yet. When we found out we were pregnant, I promised myself to avoid purchasing things that would contribute to my mini-hoarding problem and wanted to avoid sending things to a landfill too. I also hate taking time to repackage and return things. However, I knew the sleepless nights would only get worse as the baby grew.
A few days later, I desperately ordered a Snoogle despite fearing that I'd hate it and have to buy other body pillows. Nope. I loved it. I mean, I agree with all the complaints I'd read, and the pillow wasn't perfect. But it worked. I was just SO grateful to be able to fall asleep. I'm still getting a second body pillow so that I don't have to try to flip it when I switch sides. It is difficult to get out of when I need to pee in the middle of the night. I shower before going to bed, so I just use a regular pillow case like a condom over the head portion to avoid purchasing the "difficult" case at the price of the pillow itself. So, all in all I'm happy with my purchase. I wish I'd had it at least two weeks earlier than I did, but I didn't really need it before that.
Happy that I passed the glucose test WITH indulgences and WITHOUT eating complete crap, I can say that I'm finally getting the hang of being pregnant! I'm healthy, baby's healthy, sciatica pain/numbness is manageable, and I'm getting sleep. I'm still going to complain though. Hasn't this baby left me with enough scars? All that acne from trimester 1 left me with pock marks and keloids all over my face and neck. Now I'm getting stretch marks :( I'd been putting on cocoa butter every night (the cheaper stuff, since stretch marks are dependent on mostly genes and growth rate).
During a family dinner, I mindlessly began scratching my stomach only to go home and find a purple and black SPLODGE where I'd scratched. I wasn't even aware I scratched that much! My husband thought it was a rash from allergies, but I knew better. I showed my sister and she confirmed it was a stretch mark in the making. :Cry: I'm now vigorously rubbing Vitamin E oil on my torso prior to the cocoa butter, and upped the water intake I'd been neglecting the past week. Visually, I can't tell that the baby's gotten bigger. When he comes out though, I'm going to point to my scars and tell my kid, "This is how much mommy loves you!"
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