4-23-11

[Comfort]

One thing I found that I could not live without during this pregnancy (other than my super supportive husband) is a body pillow. This magical item helps aid comfort and sleep during the night. First of all starting your second trimester you’re advised to sleep on you side. Why?
-You don’t sleep on your back because it causes pressure on the uterus, which limits the blood flow to the baby.
-You don’t sleep on your belly, well you don’t want to squish the kid
You can sleep on your right side, but books and doctors say the left side is better due to blood flow. I’m a back sleeper so it was hard to adjust to sleeping on my side. In the beginning you don’t really need the body pillow but once the tummy gets bigger it just gets more and more uncomfortable to sleep. The body pillow somehow manages to support the ever-growing tummy and aching back. The only thing about sleeping on my side is that it makes my shoulder tense. Anyway, I recently slept without the body pillow and just used a regular pillow between my knees and it just didn’t feel the same. I had no idea that the body pillow helped so much. Without it, I’d get even less sleep than I already do.

I am looking forward to being able to sleep on my back again, and lay on my tummy. One of the first things I wanted to do once the baby comes was lay on my belly and eat sushi (simultaneously). However, I found out that if I breast feed I’m still advised not to eat raw fish. So sad, but for the health of the little one this sacrifice will be worth it.

Another interesting thing that is happening now is that my tummy has dropped, which is also called “lightening” which means the baby has descended into the pelvic area of my body. Now my belly rests comfortably on my thighs when I sit. This descending can cause pelvic pain when I walk or sit too long, but it’s also a good sign because it means the baby is making his way down. It gives my lungs and stomach more room, but unfortunately there is now less room for my bladder. This makes even more frequent trips to the ladies room.

Please continue to pray for us. As the days get closer I get more nervous. I wonder if I’ll ever go into labor. Labor pains don’t usually give a warning and you know me, I like to be prepared. But don’t worry I won’t “pop” in a second although it looks like I am. It’ll take anywhere from 12-20 hours from the first signs of labor contractions till the actual birth.