As I may have expressed in earlier posts I am highly confused by the actual length of a pregnancy. I keep saying I am 7 months, but I guess at 32 weeks I am actually 8 months pregnant - as in starting my eighth month. And a full pregnancy is 9 full months. I'm figuring it out... I know, I know... I'm slow! Here I sit, prepping for my first of 14 classes the next two years at San Jose State University. MBA here I come, I mean, waddle! I'm a tad bit nervous to have to sit in a four hour class this evening, considering I can barely sit still in general. My butt goes numb, baby karate kicks me in the ribs, puts her heel in my stomach, then does a two hand handstand on my bladder... and I'm supposed to sit there really still paying attention to my professor. The plan is to sit near the door at the back of the room so I can run to the bathroom every 30 minutes or stand up to stretch my legs. I am nervous that the professor is going to question my ability to attend class. If he asks my due date I'm gonna fudge and say it is in late November and will not volunteer that I am due the week of the final, mid-October. ha! Dang, this is gonna be interesting! I've also got a ridiculous amount of water and snacks to hold me over. Although, I am rarely hungry these days so I doubt I'll hit up the food stash.
Speaking of not being hungry, I am rather pleased about this recent development. I am clearly terrified about gaining weight. Yes, I know that we are supposed to gain 25 to 35 pounds, but I am still convinced that range is completely excessive, especially on the higher end. I still can't believe my midwife told me she'd like to see my gain as much at 40. What?! 35 pounds alone is a serious amount of weight considering the majority of us are carrying 7-8 pounders. I just can't justify the extra 27-29 pounds of "stuff". I am eating normally, attempting to work out (which has proven really tough with the pelvic and back pain), and don't take anything too seriously. I am by no means a small girl. I started this pregnancy at 5 foot 8 inches and 147 pounds. I have gained 21 as of week 31 and haven't gained since. I am sure I'll pack on a few more pounds, but let's be honest, what goes on must come off afterwards, and I will not be in the mood to work really hard at it post-baby. The thought of running after giving birth sounds truly horrifying. I have no plans of doing that for quite a few weeks. Even then I might start with some power walking.
One hour until I have to leave for class. Wish me luck!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Bye bye constipation
As many of your pregger ladies have experienced, pregnancy and constipation often come hand in hand. By the fifth month it was really driving me batty and I was highly grossed out by the mass quantities of food I was eating, yet nothing was, ahem, coming out the other end. I tried psyllium husks, stopped taking my prenatal vitamins, worked out every day, drank excessive quantities of water, and even tried squatting for like 10 minutes at a time. But nope, nothing.
Embarrassed, I shared this with my midwife, who said that it can be cured with a couple daily teaspoons of Natural Calm Magnesium powder. I went to the local health food store and was surprised at the price, $20 for 8ounces. I thought this seemed pricey for a product I had never heard of nor had any clue if it really worked. I went home and browsed online and that appeared to be the going price. I was still hesitant, but three days later when I was still constipated, I would have paid $200 for 8 ounces.
That night I took my first serving. The back says to start with 1 teaspoon then gradually work your way to 3 teaspoons, or until you find the right amount to stay regular. I winged it and went with two teaspoons the first time. I filled a glass with about a 1/4 cup of water, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds until it was hot, then mixed in the powder. It foamed and sputtered as I mixed it around. I then poured in about a cup of cold water, mixed and drank. I had purchased the natural flavor and it was just really citrus-y, so I cut it with a splash or two of OJ... much better.
The next morning, much to my pleasure, I had to use the bathroom. Sweet relief! haha A few hours later I went again. Not to be too graphic, but it was a legit movement, I didn't have diarrhea. So many times when you take products like this you just get sick and constipation actually seems like the better alternative. I think it you overdid the servings, like hit 3 teaspoons or more, you'd be in for a rough time. So I'd recommend sticking with the 1-2 teaspoons to start, then adding more/less depending on the circumstances. Also, I've stopped taking it every day and now do so only once every other and all is regular.
Sorry if I grossed anyone out, but this stuff has been a freakin' life saver. I am so grateful I found it!
Embarrassed, I shared this with my midwife, who said that it can be cured with a couple daily teaspoons of Natural Calm Magnesium powder. I went to the local health food store and was surprised at the price, $20 for 8ounces. I thought this seemed pricey for a product I had never heard of nor had any clue if it really worked. I went home and browsed online and that appeared to be the going price. I was still hesitant, but three days later when I was still constipated, I would have paid $200 for 8 ounces.
That night I took my first serving. The back says to start with 1 teaspoon then gradually work your way to 3 teaspoons, or until you find the right amount to stay regular. I winged it and went with two teaspoons the first time. I filled a glass with about a 1/4 cup of water, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds until it was hot, then mixed in the powder. It foamed and sputtered as I mixed it around. I then poured in about a cup of cold water, mixed and drank. I had purchased the natural flavor and it was just really citrus-y, so I cut it with a splash or two of OJ... much better.
The next morning, much to my pleasure, I had to use the bathroom. Sweet relief! haha A few hours later I went again. Not to be too graphic, but it was a legit movement, I didn't have diarrhea. So many times when you take products like this you just get sick and constipation actually seems like the better alternative. I think it you overdid the servings, like hit 3 teaspoons or more, you'd be in for a rough time. So I'd recommend sticking with the 1-2 teaspoons to start, then adding more/less depending on the circumstances. Also, I've stopped taking it every day and now do so only once every other and all is regular.
Sorry if I grossed anyone out, but this stuff has been a freakin' life saver. I am so grateful I found it!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My body has officially fallen apart at 30 weeks pregnant
Today marks 30 weeks of pregnancy. Today also marks the beginning of the end of my body!
1 - Official weight gain as of this morning is 20 pounds... you have to be kidding me.
2 - Muscles that have officially separated and left me in a whimpering lump of pain: abdominal, symphysis pubis, and sacroiliac. The abdominal muscle separation has me completely stumped. Prior to this pregnancy I was totally fit, solid core muscles, worked out all the time; my belly at 30 weeks is still rather small, some people think I am only 3-4 months along, not 7+; and again, I was fit and had a rock solid tummy! What the hell?
3 - My right nipple, if expressed, secretes breast milk. Ok, it is so officially over.
Weight gain and the leaky boobs were all expected, but I am really struggling with all my muscles/ligaments giving way with 10 weeks to go. The pelvic pain (compliments of the loose symphysis pubis and sacroiliac) has been mildly bothering me since June, about 20 weeks in, but has become progressively worse, with the peak at week 28. If you look at my past posts you'll notice my incessant complaining about sore pelvis muscles and the area between my legs. I'd been asking doctors/midwives about this for months and they all down played my pain and said it was all part of pregnancy. But last week when I was completely unable to walk, stand, roll over in bed, or even crawl on the ground, I decided that all these medical professionals were dead wrong and there was something definitely wrong with me. Sure, I figured it was pregnancy related but I didn't think it was normal.
After researching the web for days I self diagnosed with Symphysis Pubis Disorder, also known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, Pelvic Shear, or Pelvic Girdle Pain. The symptoms were exactly what I was experiencing: inability to stand on one leg, sharp pain in groin and pelvis area, clicking noise in pelvis when walking and rolling over, inability to get in/out of bed, extreme pain when getting in/out of car and when depressing manual car's clutch, inability to walk up stairs, and general pressure and pain when walking. Many of the posts and articles I read described pain on a tolerable level but I was reaching an 8 or 9 out of 10 on the pain threshold level. My pelvis had literally locked up and if I could get it to move the pain was unbearable, bringing tears to my eyes.
I shared all this with my midwife and she said that it was a normal part of pregnancy and that she too had experienced the same thing with all her children. Then she informed me that her youngest child is now 13 years old and she still experiences the pelvic pain - she then rambled that maybe she should do something about that. Um, hello... Anyhow, she didn't seem to take me seriously, so I started calling prenatal chiropractors and quizzed them on their knowledge of Symphysis Pubis Disorder (SPD). After calling five offices I got a recommendation for a woman in my area who has assisted women with this very issue. I called immediately and begged for an appointment that afternoon.
The first visit took about 90 minutes, half of which was probably due to the fact that I was writhing in pain and couldn't roll over. She started with a heat pack on my lower back. When she pulled up my shirt she was shocked to see how swollen my lower back was, she said she'd not seen something this puffy in a long time. She began by deeply massaging my right upper butt cheek. It was painful as I could feel the pull on the opposite side in the front of my pelvis. She worked it deeply for about 5-6 minutes, then switched to the left upper butt cheek. After deeply pressing and massaging there she then (this is kinda random) applied hard pressure below my tailbone, at the top of my (no other way to say this) butt crack! It hurt like hell but it was a good hurt. She pushed in and up and I could feel the whole pelvis moving. She did this for maybe 2-3 minutes then had me roll over to my back... this took a whole five minutes. Jeesh!
Laying on my back she had me bring my knees up, keeping my feet on the table so it took pressure off my lower back. She then began deeply deeply massaging my right outside hip and it was causing my back right sacroiliac joint to burst with pain. As she massaged she would carefully wiggle my right knee from side to side. After 3-4 minutes of this she moved to the left hip and repeated the process. After properly loosening me up she rolled me to my left side and cracked my right back, it popped about 6 places and I felt tremendous relief. To end she had me lay on my back again and she deeply massaged my pelvis, which again, hurt a lot. She made sure the pelvis was aligned - it was - and concluded that she believes I am having the pain from the symphysis pubis dysfunction because my body was responding a little too well to the hormone relaxin and all my joints/ligaments had given away more than they should have. She said that often SPD patients have issues because 1 - their pelvis is misaligned, 2 - their body is reacting poorly to the relaxing, or 3 - a combination of the two. Again, she thinks I have too much relaxing and this will all go away within a few weeks of the baby being born.
After the extremely thorough examination I was still in pain but I felt extreme relief to know that someone finally took my pain seriously and offered an explanation and treatment. The chiropractor, who was also a homeopath, gave me some homeopathy pills to take which she said could help strengthen my joints/ligaments; I was given a pregnancy belt/girdle to support my pelvis; she instructed me to wear tennis shoes at all times; and she gave me instructions on how to get dressed, get in/out of bed/car, and how to prevent further pain. Following this appointment, which was on a Wednesday, I came back for another hour appointment the next day, then again three days later. It is now five days since my first appointment and I feel like a new person. I wouldn't dare run or go on a long walk, but I am not in pain. I am insanely grateful to this chiropractor for giving me my sanity back. It is literally the first time since June (it is now mid-August) that I know what is happening to my body and most importantly, I am not in severe pain and I know how to manage it.
What annoys the shit out of me is that all the western medicine practitioners I spoke with blew me off, no one acknowledged my diagnosis of SPD and just told me the pain was part of being pregnant. I took me doing extensive research and finding alternative medical care to start the healing process. Oh yeah, the other annoying part... insurance didn't cover the chiropractic with this out of network provider. $300+ later it sucks but I'd have paid triple to stop the pain.
If anyone else has experienced this pain and wants support or a recommendation to a Santa Cruz area chiropractor, please contact me. Also, check out this link http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/pubicpain.htm. Although I am far from plus sized, it had the most comprehensive information about symphysis pubis and sacroiliac pain and guided me in finding help. Good luck ladies!
1 - Official weight gain as of this morning is 20 pounds... you have to be kidding me.
2 - Muscles that have officially separated and left me in a whimpering lump of pain: abdominal, symphysis pubis, and sacroiliac. The abdominal muscle separation has me completely stumped. Prior to this pregnancy I was totally fit, solid core muscles, worked out all the time; my belly at 30 weeks is still rather small, some people think I am only 3-4 months along, not 7+; and again, I was fit and had a rock solid tummy! What the hell?
3 - My right nipple, if expressed, secretes breast milk. Ok, it is so officially over.
Weight gain and the leaky boobs were all expected, but I am really struggling with all my muscles/ligaments giving way with 10 weeks to go. The pelvic pain (compliments of the loose symphysis pubis and sacroiliac) has been mildly bothering me since June, about 20 weeks in, but has become progressively worse, with the peak at week 28. If you look at my past posts you'll notice my incessant complaining about sore pelvis muscles and the area between my legs. I'd been asking doctors/midwives about this for months and they all down played my pain and said it was all part of pregnancy. But last week when I was completely unable to walk, stand, roll over in bed, or even crawl on the ground, I decided that all these medical professionals were dead wrong and there was something definitely wrong with me. Sure, I figured it was pregnancy related but I didn't think it was normal.
After researching the web for days I self diagnosed with Symphysis Pubis Disorder, also known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, Pelvic Shear, or Pelvic Girdle Pain. The symptoms were exactly what I was experiencing: inability to stand on one leg, sharp pain in groin and pelvis area, clicking noise in pelvis when walking and rolling over, inability to get in/out of bed, extreme pain when getting in/out of car and when depressing manual car's clutch, inability to walk up stairs, and general pressure and pain when walking. Many of the posts and articles I read described pain on a tolerable level but I was reaching an 8 or 9 out of 10 on the pain threshold level. My pelvis had literally locked up and if I could get it to move the pain was unbearable, bringing tears to my eyes.
I shared all this with my midwife and she said that it was a normal part of pregnancy and that she too had experienced the same thing with all her children. Then she informed me that her youngest child is now 13 years old and she still experiences the pelvic pain - she then rambled that maybe she should do something about that. Um, hello... Anyhow, she didn't seem to take me seriously, so I started calling prenatal chiropractors and quizzed them on their knowledge of Symphysis Pubis Disorder (SPD). After calling five offices I got a recommendation for a woman in my area who has assisted women with this very issue. I called immediately and begged for an appointment that afternoon.
The first visit took about 90 minutes, half of which was probably due to the fact that I was writhing in pain and couldn't roll over. She started with a heat pack on my lower back. When she pulled up my shirt she was shocked to see how swollen my lower back was, she said she'd not seen something this puffy in a long time. She began by deeply massaging my right upper butt cheek. It was painful as I could feel the pull on the opposite side in the front of my pelvis. She worked it deeply for about 5-6 minutes, then switched to the left upper butt cheek. After deeply pressing and massaging there she then (this is kinda random) applied hard pressure below my tailbone, at the top of my (no other way to say this) butt crack! It hurt like hell but it was a good hurt. She pushed in and up and I could feel the whole pelvis moving. She did this for maybe 2-3 minutes then had me roll over to my back... this took a whole five minutes. Jeesh!
Laying on my back she had me bring my knees up, keeping my feet on the table so it took pressure off my lower back. She then began deeply deeply massaging my right outside hip and it was causing my back right sacroiliac joint to burst with pain. As she massaged she would carefully wiggle my right knee from side to side. After 3-4 minutes of this she moved to the left hip and repeated the process. After properly loosening me up she rolled me to my left side and cracked my right back, it popped about 6 places and I felt tremendous relief. To end she had me lay on my back again and she deeply massaged my pelvis, which again, hurt a lot. She made sure the pelvis was aligned - it was - and concluded that she believes I am having the pain from the symphysis pubis dysfunction because my body was responding a little too well to the hormone relaxin and all my joints/ligaments had given away more than they should have. She said that often SPD patients have issues because 1 - their pelvis is misaligned, 2 - their body is reacting poorly to the relaxing, or 3 - a combination of the two. Again, she thinks I have too much relaxing and this will all go away within a few weeks of the baby being born.
After the extremely thorough examination I was still in pain but I felt extreme relief to know that someone finally took my pain seriously and offered an explanation and treatment. The chiropractor, who was also a homeopath, gave me some homeopathy pills to take which she said could help strengthen my joints/ligaments; I was given a pregnancy belt/girdle to support my pelvis; she instructed me to wear tennis shoes at all times; and she gave me instructions on how to get dressed, get in/out of bed/car, and how to prevent further pain. Following this appointment, which was on a Wednesday, I came back for another hour appointment the next day, then again three days later. It is now five days since my first appointment and I feel like a new person. I wouldn't dare run or go on a long walk, but I am not in pain. I am insanely grateful to this chiropractor for giving me my sanity back. It is literally the first time since June (it is now mid-August) that I know what is happening to my body and most importantly, I am not in severe pain and I know how to manage it.
What annoys the shit out of me is that all the western medicine practitioners I spoke with blew me off, no one acknowledged my diagnosis of SPD and just told me the pain was part of being pregnant. I took me doing extensive research and finding alternative medical care to start the healing process. Oh yeah, the other annoying part... insurance didn't cover the chiropractic with this out of network provider. $300+ later it sucks but I'd have paid triple to stop the pain.
If anyone else has experienced this pain and wants support or a recommendation to a Santa Cruz area chiropractor, please contact me. Also, check out this link http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/pubicpain.htm. Although I am far from plus sized, it had the most comprehensive information about symphysis pubis and sacroiliac pain and guided me in finding help. Good luck ladies!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Half Ironman swim at seven months pregnant - the results
This past Saturday I competed in the Barb's Half Ironman as a relay swimmer. 1.2 miles in the warm Russian River in Guerneville, California. I've done this event a couple of times and had been swimming intermittently at the pool so I wasn't nervous until I attempted to zip up my triathlon wetsuit 10 minutes before the race began. I couldn't breath... and I looked like Shamu. I was suddenly very concerned that I was going to smash Little B (that's the baby) and requested the opinion of about five women - all said there was no damage I could inflict by a tight wetsuit. My husband's concern was that he didn't want me getting out of breath and drowning. Fair enough, I appreciated the concern, but with the river varying in depth from 2 1/2 feet to 6 feet,there being dozens of officials in boats and hundreds of fellow lady swimmers, I wasn't worried. Plus, I convinced him that I am the one carrying this baby, she and I are totally best buds now, and why would I ever put her in danger?! He had to agree! Off I went.
I usually start front and center for the swim, but this year I was one row back and off to the side so I didn't get the normal punch/drunk combo from a competitor. For the first race of my life I took it easy, did catch up stroke, breathed every three strokes, and even did some backstroke. At the turn around it was shallow and I walked/dolphined off the bottom for almost a 1/4 mile. That was more work than the actual swimming. It was a quick swim and I did relatively well, only adding 3 minutes to my time from last year. I ran up the finish chute, passed the timing chip to my mother-in-law and off she went on her bike. Good times! I was very proud of both myself and Little B for hanging in there on the swim. After the swim I went back to the hotel for a shower and consumed half a bag of Kettle Chip salt and vinegar chips. DELICIOUS!
I usually start front and center for the swim, but this year I was one row back and off to the side so I didn't get the normal punch/drunk combo from a competitor. For the first race of my life I took it easy, did catch up stroke, breathed every three strokes, and even did some backstroke. At the turn around it was shallow and I walked/dolphined off the bottom for almost a 1/4 mile. That was more work than the actual swimming. It was a quick swim and I did relatively well, only adding 3 minutes to my time from last year. I ran up the finish chute, passed the timing chip to my mother-in-law and off she went on her bike. Good times! I was very proud of both myself and Little B for hanging in there on the swim. After the swim I went back to the hotel for a shower and consumed half a bag of Kettle Chip salt and vinegar chips. DELICIOUS!
And for all of you mom's considering racing while pregnant, I met another woman there who raced the whole Barb's Half Ironman last year while five months. She said it was fine and I got to meet her now eight month old baby girl, who was adorable and healthy.
Then to top of the weekend I went body surfing on Sunday and that was a bad idea. I decided to cut the session short when I got pummeled by a six footer and I somehow kicked myself in the back of the head. Talk about flexibility! Ouch. And I am wondering why I am so tired this week...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
How to scare the crap out of your poor husband
This is the third time it has happened, and each time it does, it scares the s*&^t out of both myself and my husband. Here we are, snoozing away at 3am, and next thing we know it feels like there is a knife stabbing my calves, I freeze up, the pain is unbareable, and I'm desperately trying to get out of bed so I can stretch my legs. Each time it has happened, I don't mean to wake up my hubby but I guess I start so quickly and yelp so loud that he thinks I am going into labor. The irony of this situation is that although I am in so much pain, seeing his terrified face always makes me start laughing, which doesn't help me to relax, nor stretch better. Poor fella.
Last night was especially fun because as I tried to roll out of bed I got tangled in one of the million pillows supporting me and couldn't move. Isn't pregnancy fun?
I've tried calcium and magnesium, stretching, and working out, but if I don't do a combo of those everyday I am in for a rough night. Any tips would be apprecaited!
Last night was especially fun because as I tried to roll out of bed I got tangled in one of the million pillows supporting me and couldn't move. Isn't pregnancy fun?
I've tried calcium and magnesium, stretching, and working out, but if I don't do a combo of those everyday I am in for a rough night. Any tips would be apprecaited!
I've been a bad, bad blogger...
It has been almost two months since I last blogged about this pregnancy. I started off so gung-ho and boy oh boy, did I fizzle. I don't think I like blogging. After spending all day on the computer for work, then online classes, and managing our other web business and blogging there, I can't get myself to write anything here. Or maybe it is because I do not find myself fascinating in the least and can't understand why anyone would want to read this blog... and it begins to feel like a waste of time. But, lots has happened and it will be fun to have this penned for posterity's sake!
As of now I am 28 weeks into the world's most boring pregnancy. Nothing happens! Sometimes she kicks, sometimes I can't breathe, sometimes I get really tired, and sometimes I get insomnia. I always have a sore back and I always get insanely full after eating hardly anything. That last one is so surprising as I've always been able to put away rather large quantities of food. Just last night I was only able to get down half a grilled cheese. That was kinda pathetic! In exciting medical news I am RH negative which means I went in for a Rhogam shot yesterday to ensure that my blood/body doesn't attack my future possible RH positive babies. It was rather insane to hear that, if left unaddressed, my body would literally attack the fetus and potentially kill it. Freakin shocking if you ask me... so I guess this pregnancy hasn't been too boring.
Hmmm, what else? In June we went to Japan for 10 days, lots of walking and biking in the heat. We also went to a few onsens, which are the Japanese version of a hot tub spa. Don't worry, don't worry I only submerged my body fully for a few minutes, I mostly just laid on the hot rocks and dipped my toes in and splashed warm water on myself. Yes, I ate raw fish everyday. No, I did not get sick. And yes, I did my best to stay away from mercury ridden critters. We'll find out if I did a good job. The plane ride was a bit much. Going there we got re-routed and it was almost 12 hours!! Agh, I wanted to freak out. I drank a ton of water, asked for a seat in the bulkhead so my legs had room, and got up every 45-60 minutes to do squats, stretch, and walk. Only bad part was that I was in the back of the plane getting more water about 30 minutes out from Tokyo and we hit major turbulance. The flight attendant and I both got knocked to the ground and I had to crawl to a nearby seat and strap in for the remainder of the flight. My husband didn't know where I'd gone (he was asleep when I got up) and I think I freaked him out a bit. Good thing the attendants didn't know i was pregnant, they probably would have flipped their lids!
In triathlon news, I think the last time I posted I had just done the Mermaid Sprint triathlon at five months. This weekend I am doing one final race, competing as a swimmer in a half ironman relay with my mom and mother-in-law. We are team "Baby Momma and Two Hot G-Ma's:. Should be a fun time. My only dilemma as of now is how I am going to get a wetsuit on. Even when I am not pregnant my triathlon wetsuit is crazy tight and breathing is an issue. Couple that with my swollen belly (which according to accounts is not very impressive and looks more like I am three months, not seven months pregnant) and my inability to breathe, and I might have an issue on my hands. It is a river swim and it is super shallow so the plan is so stand up and take a serious breather when I feel crappy. Oh yeah, last weekend I went to the Vineman 70.3, which I dropped out of because I do actually believe doing a full half Ironman pregnant is incredibly irresponsible, and saw a woman from Arizona with a license plate that said TriMomma. She had two young kids, was my age, and still raced competitively. I was very encouraged and awed... although dang, was she unfriendly or what. I think she thought I was a wanna-be athlete and blew me off. Whateva! Snap Snap! even my husband said - wow, she thinks she is special.
So, that is it. That is what a 30 year old pregnant, age grouper triathlete does when she's growing her baby girl. Nada mucho, I guess!
As of now I am 28 weeks into the world's most boring pregnancy. Nothing happens! Sometimes she kicks, sometimes I can't breathe, sometimes I get really tired, and sometimes I get insomnia. I always have a sore back and I always get insanely full after eating hardly anything. That last one is so surprising as I've always been able to put away rather large quantities of food. Just last night I was only able to get down half a grilled cheese. That was kinda pathetic! In exciting medical news I am RH negative which means I went in for a Rhogam shot yesterday to ensure that my blood/body doesn't attack my future possible RH positive babies. It was rather insane to hear that, if left unaddressed, my body would literally attack the fetus and potentially kill it. Freakin shocking if you ask me... so I guess this pregnancy hasn't been too boring.
Hmmm, what else? In June we went to Japan for 10 days, lots of walking and biking in the heat. We also went to a few onsens, which are the Japanese version of a hot tub spa. Don't worry, don't worry I only submerged my body fully for a few minutes, I mostly just laid on the hot rocks and dipped my toes in and splashed warm water on myself. Yes, I ate raw fish everyday. No, I did not get sick. And yes, I did my best to stay away from mercury ridden critters. We'll find out if I did a good job. The plane ride was a bit much. Going there we got re-routed and it was almost 12 hours!! Agh, I wanted to freak out. I drank a ton of water, asked for a seat in the bulkhead so my legs had room, and got up every 45-60 minutes to do squats, stretch, and walk. Only bad part was that I was in the back of the plane getting more water about 30 minutes out from Tokyo and we hit major turbulance. The flight attendant and I both got knocked to the ground and I had to crawl to a nearby seat and strap in for the remainder of the flight. My husband didn't know where I'd gone (he was asleep when I got up) and I think I freaked him out a bit. Good thing the attendants didn't know i was pregnant, they probably would have flipped their lids!
In triathlon news, I think the last time I posted I had just done the Mermaid Sprint triathlon at five months. This weekend I am doing one final race, competing as a swimmer in a half ironman relay with my mom and mother-in-law. We are team "Baby Momma and Two Hot G-Ma's:. Should be a fun time. My only dilemma as of now is how I am going to get a wetsuit on. Even when I am not pregnant my triathlon wetsuit is crazy tight and breathing is an issue. Couple that with my swollen belly (which according to accounts is not very impressive and looks more like I am three months, not seven months pregnant) and my inability to breathe, and I might have an issue on my hands. It is a river swim and it is super shallow so the plan is so stand up and take a serious breather when I feel crappy. Oh yeah, last weekend I went to the Vineman 70.3, which I dropped out of because I do actually believe doing a full half Ironman pregnant is incredibly irresponsible, and saw a woman from Arizona with a license plate that said TriMomma. She had two young kids, was my age, and still raced competitively. I was very encouraged and awed... although dang, was she unfriendly or what. I think she thought I was a wanna-be athlete and blew me off. Whateva! Snap Snap! even my husband said - wow, she thinks she is special.
So, that is it. That is what a 30 year old pregnant, age grouper triathlete does when she's growing her baby girl. Nada mucho, I guess!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Accepted to MBA program! Can this week get any crazier?!
This week tops all weeks recently. Not only did I do my first pregnant triathlon, found out that we are having a baby girl, are leaving in three days for an overseas vacation, but this morning I found out that I was accepted to San Jose State University's executive MBA program. I am so excited! All the studying, GMAT prep, essay writing, etc. has paid off.
It's so funny to think I will be attending SJSU because when I first started looking at schools last year I turned my nose up at this one. I was only going to apply to Stanford and UC Berkeley because I foolishly thought that they were the only ones that seemed fitting after my undergrad degree at Georgetown. But once I looked at the program requirements and *gasp* the insane costs and distance from my house, San Jose suddenly looked more fitting. So here I am, ready to enroll at San Jose State. I can't believe it!
Three cheers for all moms who are raising a family, working full time and going to school, too. This is gonna be bad!
It's so funny to think I will be attending SJSU because when I first started looking at schools last year I turned my nose up at this one. I was only going to apply to Stanford and UC Berkeley because I foolishly thought that they were the only ones that seemed fitting after my undergrad degree at Georgetown. But once I looked at the program requirements and *gasp* the insane costs and distance from my house, San Jose suddenly looked more fitting. So here I am, ready to enroll at San Jose State. I can't believe it!
Three cheers for all moms who are raising a family, working full time and going to school, too. This is gonna be bad!
Monday, June 8, 2009
It's a girl!
This morning daddy and salt and vinegar momma learned that we are having a girl. It is completely mind blowing to think that in about 4 months our daughter will be here - our little girl! Now I am wishing I'd shut my mouth when I said I wanted a son, oops. Lesson learned.
I'd like to briefly touch on the ultrasound experience and doctor's visit. Before you go they ask you to empty your bladder 1 hour and 15 minutes before, then 1 hour before drink 16+ ounces of water. I had a large decaf coffee and the water and had to pee like I've never had to before. I couldn't even look at the bathroom door because I was afraid I'd involuntarily go on the floor! I also didn't eat breakfast because psycho that I am I didn't want to have an extra ounce of food in me when I got weighed. I planned to pee everything out and take off my shoes before I got on the scale. I hate that part.
Ok, back to the ultrasound. It was the weirdest thing because I am trying to enjoy myself and watch the monitor but I had to pee so bad I had to concentrate on that and started holding my breath. If I could have relaxed I bet the appointment would have been more fun. After about 10 minutes of checking out the baby she finally swoops down to the bottom area and says there it is, a girl! Actually she said, there is the labia... ha! How clinical was that? Either way, it was mind blowing to fianlly give this baby an identity, our daughter, her, she, daddy's little girl. How awesome.
The doctor's appointment was the normal poke and prod, weigh and blood pressure check. I'm at 21 weeks now and have gained 11 pounds. I definitely am not happy about this but my midwife said that it was excellent. At this appointment I worked up the gall to ask permission to not come to as many prenatal appointments. After having researched it I am of the opinion that the whole USA prenatal visits is part of an on-going insurance racket. Does a healthy woman really need 13 prenatal visits? I personally don't think so. I was asked to come back in 4 weeks for another check up but politely debated that I would like to push that out 6-8 weeks. After some back and forth we agreed on 7 weeks. The midwife/doctor agreed that it was more than safe and made me promise to come in earlier if I was concerned about anything. I also felt like I had taken a little bit more control over this pregnancy and my body - and my freakin' checkbook - by requesting fewer appointments. So, any of you out there thinking that you'd like to try going to fewer prenatal visits, do your research and ask. You might get lucky!
I'd like to briefly touch on the ultrasound experience and doctor's visit. Before you go they ask you to empty your bladder 1 hour and 15 minutes before, then 1 hour before drink 16+ ounces of water. I had a large decaf coffee and the water and had to pee like I've never had to before. I couldn't even look at the bathroom door because I was afraid I'd involuntarily go on the floor! I also didn't eat breakfast because psycho that I am I didn't want to have an extra ounce of food in me when I got weighed. I planned to pee everything out and take off my shoes before I got on the scale. I hate that part.
Ok, back to the ultrasound. It was the weirdest thing because I am trying to enjoy myself and watch the monitor but I had to pee so bad I had to concentrate on that and started holding my breath. If I could have relaxed I bet the appointment would have been more fun. After about 10 minutes of checking out the baby she finally swoops down to the bottom area and says there it is, a girl! Actually she said, there is the labia... ha! How clinical was that? Either way, it was mind blowing to fianlly give this baby an identity, our daughter, her, she, daddy's little girl. How awesome.
The doctor's appointment was the normal poke and prod, weigh and blood pressure check. I'm at 21 weeks now and have gained 11 pounds. I definitely am not happy about this but my midwife said that it was excellent. At this appointment I worked up the gall to ask permission to not come to as many prenatal appointments. After having researched it I am of the opinion that the whole USA prenatal visits is part of an on-going insurance racket. Does a healthy woman really need 13 prenatal visits? I personally don't think so. I was asked to come back in 4 weeks for another check up but politely debated that I would like to push that out 6-8 weeks. After some back and forth we agreed on 7 weeks. The midwife/doctor agreed that it was more than safe and made me promise to come in earlier if I was concerned about anything. I also felt like I had taken a little bit more control over this pregnancy and my body - and my freakin' checkbook - by requesting fewer appointments. So, any of you out there thinking that you'd like to try going to fewer prenatal visits, do your research and ask. You might get lucky!
Triathlon at five months pregnant!
Yesterday momma completed her first triathlon while pregnant. While this wasn't my first tri ever, it was my first time doing one while hauling 11 extra pounds and a 21 week old fetus along for the ride. I'd wanted to sign up for the event a month earlier but was hesitant to pay the entry fee only to drop out if I didn't feel well, so I waited until the day before to sign up to ensure I was able to go the distance. Granted, the distance wasn't anything terribly impressive - 400 m swim, 10 mile bike, and 2.5 mile run (or waddle) - but it was something!
The week leading up to the event my lower back was killing me and I'd been to a chiropractor and had a prenatal massage. Nothing worked. When I woke up on race day I was in so much pain I could barely walk to the bathroom. Somehow the race cured me, nothing hurt at all during, I was so grateful! Maybe I whacked it out so much that it went back into place? Not sure, but it worked! The swim was pretty chill, out and back around two buoys in a quarry lake full of duck feathers and poop. I wore my wet suit, even though it wasn't cold water, to ensure none of that yucky water got up inside me to baby. I was 3rd out of the water, busted through transition, then was first out on bike and first back in by almost 3 minutes. I was ahead the whole run but got passed by a 22 year old NON-pregnant girl about 1/4 a mile from the finish line. I was so bummed but I promised myself I wouldn't push it. I finished strong in 1:11:15, about 8 minutes slower than I did it the year before, but still pretty solid. I was really proud of myself, as was baby daddy! 2nd overall in my division of 120 women!
Next and last race is the Barb's half Ironman in which I am only doing the swim relay portion. My mother in law is biking the 56 miles and my mom is running the 13.1 miles. Too cool to have the mom's, mom-t0-be, and baby altogether!
The week leading up to the event my lower back was killing me and I'd been to a chiropractor and had a prenatal massage. Nothing worked. When I woke up on race day I was in so much pain I could barely walk to the bathroom. Somehow the race cured me, nothing hurt at all during, I was so grateful! Maybe I whacked it out so much that it went back into place? Not sure, but it worked! The swim was pretty chill, out and back around two buoys in a quarry lake full of duck feathers and poop. I wore my wet suit, even though it wasn't cold water, to ensure none of that yucky water got up inside me to baby. I was 3rd out of the water, busted through transition, then was first out on bike and first back in by almost 3 minutes. I was ahead the whole run but got passed by a 22 year old NON-pregnant girl about 1/4 a mile from the finish line. I was so bummed but I promised myself I wouldn't push it. I finished strong in 1:11:15, about 8 minutes slower than I did it the year before, but still pretty solid. I was really proud of myself, as was baby daddy! 2nd overall in my division of 120 women!
Next and last race is the Barb's half Ironman in which I am only doing the swim relay portion. My mother in law is biking the 56 miles and my mom is running the 13.1 miles. Too cool to have the mom's, mom-t0-be, and baby altogether!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Running for Two
Please disregard my last post about me not running any more because it is too painful. Sure it is still painful, but I can't seem to stop myself from doing it. Here's the sad part, I don't even like running. It is a necessary evil and there is no other exercise, in my opinion, that gives you the most "bang for your buck". You can do it anywhere, you don't have to go long to get a good workout, and all you need is a pair of shorts and some running shoes. (Yes, I wear a shirt!)
Ok, to the point, I did a 5K race yesterday morning and told myself that I'd take it easy and run the first mile, walk the second, then run the third. My competitive drive kicked in and I ended up running the whole race. For all you big time runners, I know that a 5K is hardly anything, but for me it was super difficult and it HURT! And the sad part is that my husband did the 10K event and finished only 11 minutes behind me. Then today my mom informs me that she ran the LA Marathon 4 months pregnant with my younger sister. Granted, she says she race walked 16 miles of it, but WTF? No thank you, I'll stick to my measly 5K.
I'm intersted to hear what others of you are doing exercise-wise at 4-5 months. Have you been able to stay in shape? Right now I'll run/walk 3-5 miles, swim 1-2 miles, and bike an hour about five times a week. Obviously, I only do one of these events once a day. I'm not that nuts. I've got to stay in shape because I am doing the swim portion of a half Ironman relay in August at 7 months . My mother-in-law is doing the bike and my mom is running. Pretty random. I'll make sure to let you know how that goes - or doesn't go!
In other baby news, I was a good girl and didn't eat any salt and vinegar chips yet this Memorial Day Weekend, but there's still one more day left and I might break. Going to sushi tonight, no worries, I am only eating the veggie rolls.
Ok, to the point, I did a 5K race yesterday morning and told myself that I'd take it easy and run the first mile, walk the second, then run the third. My competitive drive kicked in and I ended up running the whole race. For all you big time runners, I know that a 5K is hardly anything, but for me it was super difficult and it HURT! And the sad part is that my husband did the 10K event and finished only 11 minutes behind me. Then today my mom informs me that she ran the LA Marathon 4 months pregnant with my younger sister. Granted, she says she race walked 16 miles of it, but WTF? No thank you, I'll stick to my measly 5K.
I'm intersted to hear what others of you are doing exercise-wise at 4-5 months. Have you been able to stay in shape? Right now I'll run/walk 3-5 miles, swim 1-2 miles, and bike an hour about five times a week. Obviously, I only do one of these events once a day. I'm not that nuts. I've got to stay in shape because I am doing the swim portion of a half Ironman relay in August at 7 months . My mother-in-law is doing the bike and my mom is running. Pretty random. I'll make sure to let you know how that goes - or doesn't go!
In other baby news, I was a good girl and didn't eat any salt and vinegar chips yet this Memorial Day Weekend, but there's still one more day left and I might break. Going to sushi tonight, no worries, I am only eating the veggie rolls.
Friday, May 22, 2009
It's time to blog about this baby - 18 weeks and 2 days in!
I never thought I'd start a blog but after being pregnant for 18 weeks, I have found so much joy, entertainment, information, and humor reading other pregnant women's blogs, that I just had to jump on board. Maybe my experiences will encourage or resonate with others? It's worth a shot!
The name of this blog is simple, I have craved salt and vinegar chips all day and night long from the day I found out I was pregnant. Prior to pregnancy they pretty much grossed me out, the smell made me cringe and the taste, ugh! But today I am a changed woman. I now Google chip reviews, have convinced the local gourmet grocery and Trader Joe's to begin carrying the baked Kettle Chips version because I was horrified to find out just how much fat is in the regular ones, and I stockpile bags in my car truck in case I need a snack - yes, in my truck, because I don't trust myself to have them in the house or my office. It takes a serious craving to convince me to leave the house, open the garage, then the trunk to get my fill. I've also sampled just about every version they sell and pretty much love them all. This preggo momma does not discriminate as long as there is a taste of salt and the tang of vinegar. I know some of you are literally drooling as you read this! Should I go open the garage?
Another reason I wanted to blog was because I needed a venue to anonymously share my emotions without invoking the disapproving comments or stigma associated with my admittedly bizarre response to pregnancy. As of today I am 18 weeks and 2 days full of baby X. About 99% of the time I forget that I am pregnant. Other than the out of control desire to lick the insides of a salt and vinegar chip bag, I don't look or feel it and this is where I get to be honest, am incredibly bored by it. I find the prenatal visits a total waste of time and money, sure it is cool to hear the heartbeat but it still seems to disconnected. I want to plan vacations and business trips but am suddenly bound to this incredible ticking timeline that is going to restrict the coming months. I want to continue my running and triathlon training and managed to run 3-5 miles a few times a week until last Thursday when I think all the bouncing caused pelvic bursitis. It feels like I got hit with a bat between the old legs. Now all I can do is road bike, swim, and gasp... walk! Oh I do not enjoy walking. And when I try to turn it into a workout and swing my arms I feel like such a dork, just like all those people I used to run past and think, why are they walking, just run already! And walking, I must admit, is kinda tough if I go fast! It hurts and I get tired. How did I ever complete multiple Ironman and marathons? I have turned into a chip eating slacker.
But I am not a total lost cause. Don't judge me too quickly. While I do not relate to women who are completely overjoyed to be pregnant, enjoy every minute, and have been celebrating since they got the plus sign on the pregnancy test, I think it is really cool that's their attitude. I am sure I'll get there, this whole baby thing just caught me by surprise. I'm 30, married for 4+ years, have a great job, a beautiful home, wonderful friends and family, and an all around fantastic life. We are excited to welcome a baby in October 2009 but it is just not me to go ga-ga about the whole process... I'm leaving that to my sisters, cousins, and friends... all of whom are loving me being preggers more than me.
So hopefully I will update this blog somewhat frequently and someone will read it and relate to my emotions. Happy baby growing, Ladies!
The name of this blog is simple, I have craved salt and vinegar chips all day and night long from the day I found out I was pregnant. Prior to pregnancy they pretty much grossed me out, the smell made me cringe and the taste, ugh! But today I am a changed woman. I now Google chip reviews, have convinced the local gourmet grocery and Trader Joe's to begin carrying the baked Kettle Chips version because I was horrified to find out just how much fat is in the regular ones, and I stockpile bags in my car truck in case I need a snack - yes, in my truck, because I don't trust myself to have them in the house or my office. It takes a serious craving to convince me to leave the house, open the garage, then the trunk to get my fill. I've also sampled just about every version they sell and pretty much love them all. This preggo momma does not discriminate as long as there is a taste of salt and the tang of vinegar. I know some of you are literally drooling as you read this! Should I go open the garage?
Another reason I wanted to blog was because I needed a venue to anonymously share my emotions without invoking the disapproving comments or stigma associated with my admittedly bizarre response to pregnancy. As of today I am 18 weeks and 2 days full of baby X. About 99% of the time I forget that I am pregnant. Other than the out of control desire to lick the insides of a salt and vinegar chip bag, I don't look or feel it and this is where I get to be honest, am incredibly bored by it. I find the prenatal visits a total waste of time and money, sure it is cool to hear the heartbeat but it still seems to disconnected. I want to plan vacations and business trips but am suddenly bound to this incredible ticking timeline that is going to restrict the coming months. I want to continue my running and triathlon training and managed to run 3-5 miles a few times a week until last Thursday when I think all the bouncing caused pelvic bursitis. It feels like I got hit with a bat between the old legs. Now all I can do is road bike, swim, and gasp... walk! Oh I do not enjoy walking. And when I try to turn it into a workout and swing my arms I feel like such a dork, just like all those people I used to run past and think, why are they walking, just run already! And walking, I must admit, is kinda tough if I go fast! It hurts and I get tired. How did I ever complete multiple Ironman and marathons? I have turned into a chip eating slacker.
But I am not a total lost cause. Don't judge me too quickly. While I do not relate to women who are completely overjoyed to be pregnant, enjoy every minute, and have been celebrating since they got the plus sign on the pregnancy test, I think it is really cool that's their attitude. I am sure I'll get there, this whole baby thing just caught me by surprise. I'm 30, married for 4+ years, have a great job, a beautiful home, wonderful friends and family, and an all around fantastic life. We are excited to welcome a baby in October 2009 but it is just not me to go ga-ga about the whole process... I'm leaving that to my sisters, cousins, and friends... all of whom are loving me being preggers more than me.
So hopefully I will update this blog somewhat frequently and someone will read it and relate to my emotions. Happy baby growing, Ladies!
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