34 weeks

It's not that I'm getting 'over' being pregnant, I know there are things about it I'll miss, but I am definitely over feeling like a huge clumsy awkward fatigued, no exhausted, lump. I'm back to first trimester (less, for the most part, the nausea) energy levels. Every time I think I've sorted out what dose I need my bowel meds at, my body gives me a big 'f**k you, you're going to spend the next 4 hours on the toilet.' I keep thinking I'm going to achieve stuff. Nope.
I'm almost a week overdue on this post. I have made some progress on the quilt I'm making for bub, but I still have plenty to do on it. I have Tupperware to pack up and deliver. The nursery is a little better, but still has a heap of stuff in it that needs relocating. I have managed to pack my hospital bag, but it needs repacking since it's missing half my stuff.  My house is a mess and baby isn't even here yet. Ok, I'll stop now.

We have had another visit with Dr D. Not a whole lot to report there, but our next visit will be looking at our birth plan. Which is good, since we are getting pretty close now. I don't need anything concrete, just an idea of what she is thinking/planning. Concrete birth plans are a total waste of energy anyway, babies never do what they are meant/expected to do! Still, a rough idea would be good. We had our next scan the same day. They said they were scanning regularly to make sure baby is growing properly. Yeah a small baby isn't the issue here. This thing is huge! It's head is in the 95th percentile (it's really big ok, don't make me explain percentiles right now) and all the other measurements read 2-3 week ahead of the date we got at the dating scan. So I'm hoping either the dating scan was off, or baby decided to come a couple of weeks early. Our scan was at 32 weeks, but baby was weighing 2.6kg (6 pounds) already! They usually get to that weight at about 35 weeks. Thank you Tim, for your big head and generally large frame.

While we were at the hospital, we also went up to the post natal ward again, to see about access for me and bub. It looks like I'll be in a room by myself which is pretty sensible, since those rooms are crowded without trying to fit a wheelchair in them too. With my bathroom habits (I say that like I have a choice in the matter), sharing a bathroom would really suck for any roommate I had too. So, room by myself, and they are going to get me one of the bigger high-adjustable cots from the nursery, with drop down sides. This can come up beside the bed and work as a co-sleeper, so I can get bub out without having to get out of bed, much like the bassinet I have at home, except the hospital one has wheels. We also spoke about what I'll need in the way of equipment. If things go as I hope, then I'll need a shower bench, which is easily fixed. If I am in a really bad way and unable to transfer independently, I might find I need a hoist and camode chair for bathrooming, so we have them on standby if needed. 

The lactation consultant also saw us while we were up there (I'm guessing the wheelchair gave me away). I'd asked for the referral to her, since I'd read somewhere in my research that para mums with an injury level above T6 could have issues breastfeeding due to a lack of stimulation. I'd become less concerned about this over the last couple of months, since my boobs don't seem to have any problems with that! Talking to the consultant though, it was T3 that effects that level, but milk production is not controlled by the nervous system anyway, so spinal cord injury should have very little effect on milk supply. I guess we will find out!

As is to be expected, I am continuing to stretch and grow. My big belly is making things awkward, like getting in and out of my chair/bed/car. I've had to change where I do my clexane injections, since there's no fat left in the middle of my belly to poke it into. It's making my stomach massage harder to do, which is part of the reason I'm spending so much time stuck on the loo. While I don't really feel baby move in the way you usually do, I can definitely understand why some women complain they feel like a washing machine when I've got my hands on my belly and baby is going round and round and round and round. It's certainly running short on space in there! I've got myself a pair of maternity jeans a size up, to accommodate for my belly and all the fluid in my legs and, well, everywhere! I had a bit of a nervous moment the other day when I felt a big lump on my leg. Swelling is a sign of deep vein thrombosis. In my case, it was just a big bubble of fluid (I had one the same spot on the other leg) and it went down over night.

I've also done a wheelchair upgrade. No, up size. This isn't an upgrade. I have borrowed an old demo chair, which fits me well sideways, but is much too big in the front, so I keep crashing into, well, everything. It's also so wide that I have to squeeze into the laundry. For some reason I fit into every room except the laundry and second bathroom. I guess Tim will have to clean that one. Actually, to be fair to him, he does anyway. So if I need to get into either of those rooms, it's watch out for my knuckles! Tim has been playing around and is making me a new set of side guards for my farm chair, so hopefully they work and I can use that chair, which does actually me in the front and my legs, so I shouldn't lose my feet so often, and maybe I'll crash less.

There are several para specific side effects that can arise during pregnancy. While I haven't yet had any UTI's, the most common of said side effects, I have got a pressure sore. It's a small one, but it's on my butt, which makes it kind of hard for me to monitor. It's also an area that's at high risk of infection, so I've been through a dose of antibiotics already. Having had a few burns over the years, I'm pretty good at wound management, but since I can't see this one, I'm relying a bit more than usual on my GP and nurses. I've only got 6 weeks left before baby is due (actually it's closer to 5 now, since I'm late posting this week) so I'm not loving my chances of having this healed up before then. My main concern is knowing how easily you can get infections such as staph in hospital, which could be a total disaster from my butts point of view. But we have had a bit of practise at getting these things sorted, so hopefully we can keep on top of it and be most of the way there by the time bub arrives. The other good thing is that it's not located on the sitting part of my bum, so I'm not restricted to bed rest. It kind of looked like a graze, so it could have been from dodgy transfers, but I really don't know.

I have got to the point where it is almost impossible to find a bra to fit me. I had enough trouble finding comfy bras that fit well and didn't mark before I got pregnant. Having gone up about 3-4 cup sizes, that has become basically impossible. I can't find anything in Launceston, so I'm down to two bras that fit. Oh, except the strap buckle thing has broken on one of them! So really, one. So I did something that I never do. I ordered some bras online. I got three, one is fabulously comfy, the other two I've sent back as they are too small. If the don't fit, I'll cut my losses, but either way, I'll be ordering more of the one I'm wearing! It's basically a maternity sports bra and feels amazing. I never found sports bras this comfy when I was playing ball...

I also went and stocked up on some comfy clothes for post birth. I accidentally did something really smart and got a zip up hoodie, rather than a pull over one like I usually wear, which will be much easier to wear while I'm breastfeeding. It totally went over my head when I was in Target, but since they didn't have any pull over ones, I just got what they had. Never mind that I went and bought button up pj's 2 minutes later, so that I could feed wearing them. Clearly, I was having a good day!



My energy levels are right down again. I'm sleeping about 10-12 hours a night and usually only wake up once, but I'm not sure how deep my sleep is, since I'm so tired. It could also be related to my haemoglobin levels. I'll find out about that this week. 

Tim went and got his boosters this week, flu vaccine in one arm, whooping cough in the other. Except when you get a whooping cough booster (if you're not pregnant) it comes with bonus things, like tetanus, which makes for a pretty nasty vaccine. Poor Tim was feeling pretty miserable for a day or so afterwards! His shoulder is also starting to feel a bit worse for wear as the cortisone wears off, so he will probably need another dose of that soon. 

I think that about covers the last few weeks. Until next time!  

32 weeks

So many people have told me that the last few months drag out, but I still feel like time is flashing by. The nursery cupboard doors are now painted, though they are still leaning up against the wall, rather than attached. I had wanted to put in open shelves in the nursery, but I've decided that, from a practical point of view, that is a silly idea. As soon as this baby gets mobile, everything on the bottom 2-3 shelves will be on the floor. So draws it is! Then to make a start on washing and homing all these clothes, blankets and everything else! Once that's all sorted, I can finally get these Winnie the Pooh bits up on the wall.

While time is still flying by, I am noticing things are becoming a lot more work. Everything is. I'm needing more sleep again. I often need to stop and take a few breaths after a transfer, particularly getting in and out of the car. My massive belly rubs against the steering wheel if I'm not careful where I put my seat. I can still get my chair in and out over my belly, but it's a bit of a jenga game each time.

I've got my 'fat' chair out, but I can't actually use it at the moment because I can't find my side guards for it! (If someone has a set I can borrow for a few months, that would be awesome). I actually really don't want to swap out of my good chair, since this one fits in those stupid flat pack toilets, meaning I can use most bathrooms. That's particularly handy in places that don't have a wheelchair bathroom.

I'm finding my transfers are more difficult with so much belly in the way. I can't lean over properly to get the butt lift I need, so I find I get stuck half way into my chair sometimes. The good news is I haven't had any falls lately (touch wood) even if there have been a couple of close calls.

I know I've said a bit before about things swelling. Well my poor little toes are swelling so much through the day they are getting splits and cracks underneath them! Just another thing to keep an eye on and manage. While my feet and legs do deflate overnight, that fluid has to go somewhere. A least part of it is going to my hands. Those rings would have been long chopped by now if I hadn't got them off the other day. When I wake up, they are so swollen I can't even close them properly. I have to lay there opening and closing my hands, gradually moving the fluid out of them. They are actually quite sore most days and it usually takes a good 10-15 minutes to get them moving properly.

I'm pretty sure my bellybutton is now an outie. I've also got linea nigra, which is a dark line from your belly button down that pregnant women often get. Not that I can see anything past my belly button now unless there is a mirror involved.

It's interesting how the questions I'm asked have changed throughout my pregnancy. Early on it was 'how far along are you?' to 'when are you due?' to now the 'how long to go now?' I'm not sure if I'm small, or if it's just because I'm sitting all the time, but people always seem surprised how far along I am. Not that I'm worried, the baby is certainly growing fine. I think it's probably starting to run out of room now though, because there are some really strong movements! While I wish I could feel more, I don't mind that I can't feel those nasty kicks to the ribs etc. One of my friends told me a while ago that it's a new and unpleasant sensation being punched in the vagina’. So, honestly, I'm not too upset to miss that one.

I'm now gathering bits for my hospital bag, things like cheap undies I can just throw out and maternity pads. I was discussing it with a friend the other day, how much weight we put on while we are pregnant. If you consider there is several kg of baby, a couple each more in fluid, extra blood volume, amniotic fluid, placenta, boob mass, uterus.... it doesn't take long to add up! I was thinking later about how much blood and gunk you lose in the weeks post baby. Well, if you consider how much of a mess a standard period is, with only a couple of weeks of growth to the uterus and lining, it's really no wonder there is so much to get rid of after nine months!!! Anyway, that's today’s insight into how my brain works.

I've also been putting a bit of thought into the birth itself. (Probably a good idea). I know that the more movement you can get, the more you help labour along, which is why they encourage you to walk, stand change position and so on. I'm kind of limited in that regard. Personally, I have no interest in a water birth, but I like the idea of being able to labour in the bath. Again, I'm going to be limited there, since I'm not the one who has to get me out of the bath again afterwards! I should be able to use the shower instead though, which is a pretty good compromise, I think. I'm going to be basically restricted to laying on my back or my side for the birth itself. Unfortunately labouring on your back is the least helpful position for getting a baby out, but it's not really something I can do anything about! 

Another thing I've been thinking about is fit balls. Obviously I can't balance on one of those, but I'm keen to try a bosu ball, which is kind of a half fit ball, on a board. Theoretically the same principles of sitting on a fit ball should apply to a bosu ball too. The idea of using a fit ball throughout labour is the movement and sitting upright both help get the baby into position and move along the labour process. Assuming I can get on and balance on a bosu ball, then I'll be able to get the same kind of motion as I would using a fit ball. Again, something to think about and practice.

Tim and I went back to see his shoulder specialist this week. At our last appointment, the surgeon wasn’t comfortable with doing the surgery and gave Tim a cortisone injection instead. This has made his life a lot more pleasant lately and he has actually been able to sleep on his shoulder again. So six weeks in from that, our options are now wait, go for the cortisone again, or go for surgery, but that would be to fix the AC joint not the SLAP lesion we originally thought. With the baby due in 8 weeks, it won't be surgery for now, but we may find in a few months that the injections aren't doing enough, so it's not off the table completely. 

Well, that's it for this week. Our next scan and appointment with Dr D is only a few days away, so we will know more then!

30 weeks

It's amazing how something that can drag on so much some days can also pass in a flash! We are down to the last ten weeks already! How crazy is that?

Becca has headed north, but we managed a morning together before she left to take some maternity photos. We had a bit of fun, trying a few different things, even getting Jess our dog in a few.

Soon to be four...

I had my consult with the anaesthetist. I really wasn't that impressed to be honest. It didn't help that I was asked to be there at 8, when he didn't start work until 9, or that the lady on the phone got short with me because I wasn't overjoyed at the early start. Unfortunately as a para I can't just get out of bed and go in the way most people can. Anyway, once I got to see him, he basically told be I had to have an epidural because of 'spontaneous dysreflexia.' After I'd clarified he was talking about autonomic dysreflexia, I asked him what my other options were and he wouldn't really give me any. As with a caesarean, I'm happy to have an epidural if I need one, but I want you to give me a good reason! I'm aware that dysreflexia is dangerous, I've been a para 8 years now, after all. He was far from convincing me though. He went through the potential side affects, but he didn't actually tell me what it involved, aside from how they insert the needle between the vertebrae. I learnt more about epidurals from the birth/newborn education classes we did!
As for other options, all he told me was that the gas would only take the edge off, not take the pain away. Well, what if that's all I need? An epidural will lower my blood pressure- I already have low blood pressure! I also have a very limited amount of sensation and movement in that area as it is. I would like to keep control over as much of that as I can, for as long as I can. The chances of them doing anymore damage are very low, so that's not really what I'm concerned about, but I kind of think I'm going to need everything I've got, in the best condition it can be in. I also know an epidural will slow down the second part of labour, which I don't think will be particularly helpful.
Is that enough reasons to question his decision? Especially since his only reason was the risk of dysreflexia. I've not had an episode of dysreflexia in years, but having had one in rehab, I do know what signs to look out for. Not to mention they will be watching me closer than a hawk anyway. He also failed to mention that an epidural will require a cannula in my hand, to give me fluids to increase my blood pressure (still getting over the last one) and a catheter, since I won't be able to get up and go to the toilet. The catheter doesn't bother me in the slightest, since I manage to go to the toilet without the use of my legs anyway, oh and I can't feel them put it in anyway. To be honest, I'll probably be asking for one anyway, so I can spend my energy on other things, like, oh I don't know, pushing out a small human. I just think they are both things he should have mentioned! Right, rant over, onto the next topic..

Tim and I spent an entire weekend at the hospital doing our birth/caring for a newborn/breastfeeding classes. Tim really doesn't like hospitals, so it was a particularly painful experience for him, but we got through it all. The midwife who took the classes was very enthusiastic. She reminded me of Steve Irwin a little, if you can imagine him swaddling a baby or explaining the wonders of breast tissue. She did have a lot of good stuff to teach us though, including all the stuff the anaesthetist failed to mention. The tour of the labour ward was handy, since we now know where to go and what to expect. And how to get into the hospital after 8.30pm. She also talked about things like breastfeeding and swaddling, signs of problems in the pregnancy and early labour, signs something’s wrong once the baby actually arrives. I probably would have worked out myself that green vomit wasn't good, but it's nice to know for sure. All in all, it was a crash course in how to get the baby out and what to do with it once it gets here. Handy stuff to know!

Last week we had our next visit with Dr D. She is very happy with how things are progressing and it was a pretty quick visit. I did ask her about my bowel meds, since I have been a bit constipated (again a very common side effect of pregnancy) and I had been starting to get haemorrhoids (some bits of being pregnant are better than others). Anyway, as a result of this conversation I learnt that senna, the active ingredient in my laxatives, can go through to affect the baby, so it's best avoided during pregnancy. Obviously it's not a good thing if the baby started pooping into the amniotic fluid before it's born, since it's the amniotic fluid bub is sucking on. You can get some pretty nasty infections from that. She suggested I try Normacol Plus and coloxyl instead.
Dr D has also got me going to see the director of the labour ward next time I'm coming in to see her, so we can have a look at what I need and what will make life easier for everyone. We already got the ball rolling on a couple of things, like the cot (theirs are way too tall for me to get a baby in and out of), when we did our tour of the labour ward. I was ready to have a fight over the anaesthetist, but Dr D just said not to worry too much, since he doesn't get involved until we have gone through the other options (the ones he didn't want to tell me about) already.

The one useful thing the anaesthetist did tell me, was that he will get me to stop my clexane injections at 37 weeks and switch to asprin. It's not as affective, but it means I don't have to worry about bleeding out during surgery if I go early and they have to operate. I forgot to mention it earlier; I was a bit worked up.

Speaking of Clexane... I had a nasty bruise last week! (On another note- how huge is my belly!)

I also went and got my flu and whooping cough vaccines this week, one in each leg! I do have an awesome GP! I also went and got a blood sample taken to check out my haemoglobin levels, now that it's been four weeks since my infusion.

I have had to take all my rings off, as the swelling of my entire body continues to progress. I took three of the four off at the beginning of the week, but it didn't take me long to realise I should have taken my wedding band off at the same time. That eventually came off, after I stuck it in ice water until it went numb and Tim eventually managed to pry it off, with the help of some dishwashing detergent. I don't think the tears running down my face helped much, but it bloody well hurt!!! At least he didn't take any skin off, unlike when I took ones of the others off at the start of the week.

My belly is continuing to grow. The stupid washing basket keeps falling off my lap whenever I try to do any laundry! And I still have two months to go... Just how much bigger can it get? Because I'm sure no pregnant woman ever wondered that before! There's been lots of kicking and belly rolls lately. As baby gets more cramped, they are certainly easier to feel. My dad finally got to feel bub move a few days ago, which was pretty exciting.

I have been doing a regular urine sample each visit with Dr D lately, to test for urinary tract infections (UTI). They do these regularly with any pregnant woman, but I am at a higher risk of getting a UTI because I self catheterise. I got a call from the hospital Friday to say that my latest sample had started growing bugs and they needed another sample to double check before they put me on antibiotics, in case of contamination. So with a long weekend coming up, I made a trip in to do another sample for them.
While I was there I asked to see a midwife to talk about things with my bowels. It had been a week since I changed my meds and I'd gone from spending about an hour in the bathroom of a morning, to spending 3-4 hours. Dr D had just finished seeing another lady to finish the day, so she stopped in and had a chat with me. She agreed that the change in meds wasn't working and I was better off to go back to the senna, but keep the Normacol Plus, so I didn't end up constipated again. There is a risk that it will affect the baby, but I can't spend the next two months on the toilet, so it's just something else we will have to watch out for.
While I was there we had a look at the results from my blood test. My iron levels are great, but my haemoglobin level have only just started to move. They will give it a couple more weeks and get me to have another blood test, then decide what to do. That could be why I'm feeling a bit sluggish still. Again, I just thought I'd been over doing it.
Dr D also suggested I try a haemorrhoid cream and ice twice daily to help look after my behind. It doesn't hurt, but I still don't want them, especially knowing my healing rate (very slow).

I think that covers most of the last couple of weeks. I'm trying to get a few things sorted around home in preparation. I've had the doors pulled off the nursery cupboard, so I could take them outside and paint them. So far it's taken me a week to do one coat. I might have to get a wriggle on there...
Until next time! 

28 weeks

Where to start? The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur. I have now finished up work. Well, sort of. I've given up my day job, but I'm still doing my Tupperware parties. In some ways they are harder, because most people want to book them in the evenings, which makes for a rather late night for me. Really though, I am just taking it a week at a time for now.

I know I've written a bit about things swelling recently, but I was actually a bit worried the other day. So I self catheterise to go to the toilet. For those who don't have experience in this area, that means that every time I need to pee, I have to insert a catheter into my urethra, wait for my bladder to empty, then removed it. The trouble recently coming from the fact that everything in that area was so swollen that I couldn't actually find my urethra. I've been doing this for 8 years now, I'm pretty familiar with that area, but I was seriously lost. Obviously you can't just stop peeing for three months. My sister Ellie is a nurse, so I was on the phone to her (obviously she wasn't going to know any better than me where my urethra had nicked off to, I know that) to see if she had any ideas to help. I know women are often given ice packs to help reduce swelling post childbirth, so I wasn't sure if that might be an option. Realistically though, if things hadn't returned to normal, I would have required an indwelling catheter. As it was, I managed to empty my bladder using a different type of catheter (one that didn't flex quite so much) and by the next day the swelling there had gone down and things resumed to normal, though I did make a point of reacquainting myself with the landmarks, so I didn't get lost again. After all, I can't exactly leave a bread trail, can I?

My legs are doing the same old thing. Start off skinny, look like tree trucks within an hour. I have room in my jeans when I put them on, then have to peel them off at the end of the day. Literally peel them off! I'm still trying to get them up every day if I can, and get the zapper (neurotrac) machine on them as often as I can. I've used compression socks a bit, but they mark pretty badly around the back of my knees and the front of my ankles, so I'm a bit reluctant to use them. All this fluid makes my legs so heavy at the end of the day too. It's a real effort to lift them into bed! And as for shaving them... I just can't get them up on the shower chair anymore. Although to be fair, even if I could, there isn't any room for them past my belly! So deforestation of my legs now requires either light machinery or a second operator. Or both.
They have been kicking about a bit in the mornings too, so I've been trying to make an effort to stretch my legs before I get up each day. It's actually a good reminder. I just have to be careful when I first sit up that I don't get half way up and thrown back onto the bed, or even better, into the bedside table. I've done that before and I feel absolutely no need to repeat that exercise!

I had a few weeks sleeping flat, but I've built up the pillow fort again and I'm sleeping much better. I have started putting an extra pillow under my right hand side though, to tip the weight of my belly off to the side and off the nerves running along my spine. This is also meant to help prevent haemorrhoid's too. Did you know 50% of women get them when pregnant? I certainly didn't.
In the last two weeks things haven't been working quite so smoothly in the bowel department, so I'm a bit cautious that I could end up with haemorrhoid's. I don't know if it was the infusion itself, or just me eating less fibre as I try to eat more iron, but things aren't working as well as they were. Again, for those of you who don't know how things work for people with SCI, our bowels don't work by themselves. For me, it means I take laxatives every evening, then have to use a suppository of a morning, combined with stomach massage to empty my bowels. As with my bladder, it means I am pretty familiar with what works for my body and how. As a result, I usually pick up pretty quickly when things aren't right, even without being able to feel what's going on in that area. There is so much stuff you never even think of until you get pregnant and it happens to you...

I've had lots of suggestions since my last post, as to what to do for heartburn. I've tried some Zantac, which seems to work well, so thanks for all your suggestions there.

We had our next scan earlier this week. Everything is going as it should, baby is still about a week ahead of the dating scan, but a week either way is considered normal. It had its head burrowed into my right hip, so the radiologist couldn't see its face. We did get a picture of it hi-fiving the ultrasound though! You can't see the thumb, but it's definitely there, just hiding.   

Bub giving a (sideways) hi-five!

My energy levels have picked up a bit in the last week or so, now that my iron infusion has had a chance to kick in. I still feel tired, but I'm able to get more done in between. I'm taking time this afternoon to work on the quilt I'm making for the baby. I haven't touched it in about a month, because whenever I have had any spare time or energy I've been trying to get stuff sorted around home.

Tim and I headed down to Hobart for a few days a week ago. In reality, it was probably our last hurrah before baby arrives. We had a great couple of days, catching a show and catching up with friends. We have actually done a bit of eating out the last couple of weeks, which is good, apart from my very restricted stomach capacity. That is very disappointing. I'm enjoying getting out a bit though, before we have to factor baby sitters into the equation! And really, I'm not going to have the energy to be going out for dinner for a while after anyway!

I've had that stupid metallic taste in my mouth again lately. Again, one of those annoying pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about until you stumble across it in a pregnancy book. I have discovered pickled onions makes it go away though. That could be why so many pregnant women like pickles.

So a bit of a funny story to finish off. It wasn't funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now. I have gone off my poached eggs for breakfast lately, instead having pancakes with berries and yogurt each morning. Well, the other day I went to put the bag of blueberries back in the freezer and the bag came undone. The blueberries came out everywhere- all through the freezer, all over me, the floor and under my chair. I had pancakes and sauce cooking up, blueberries rapidly defrosting all over... everywhere!  Tim had just left for work, so it was up to me. I am at the stage now where things have to be pretty bloody important for me to pick them up off the floor myself, but without avoiding the kitchen all day, which I can't exactly do as a 'grazer' I kind of had to pick them up. It was probably only about a cup of them, but when you have to pick them up one at a time, that's a lot of blueberries! And they were too soft to vacuum of sweep up. I can't bend over forwards anymore, straight over the side wasn't working either, so it was a very specific angle I had to lean over at. I could only pick up about 3 in any one go too, because I couldn't breath! So I had a fabulous start to the day! I have since contained the remaining blueberries in a solid container, to avoid any future escape attempts. There were several lone escapees found in various places, very soft and soggy, throughout the rest of the day too. Like the pocket in the front of my chair.

Just some of the nasty buggers..

Until next time! No doubt I'll have some other disaster to share in a couple of weeks!

26 Weeks

I'm currently lying in a bed in the LGH with a drip in my hand, getting an iron infusion and feeling somewhat sorry for myself. It's taken three attempts to get the cannula in my hand and by the time the second guy was poking around in my veins I'd given up being brave. I wasn't feeling entirely confident in him, given that I'm pretty sure I've got a good couple of years on him and how many cannula's could he have possibly done? Not to mention he told me it would be like a sharp scratch and I know damn well that is not what they feel like!! It's an initial sting, followed by this painful pressure on your arm as they tell you not to move, when every nerve is telling you to get away from this horrible thing. The lady who finally got it in did a good job, even if her idea of reassuring me was to tell me the needle they use during labour is much bigger than the one she was using today. I've already asked her to please do any cannula I need in the future. After going through this three times in an hour, it took a while for the tears to stop and my stomach to stop churning. 

So now I wait, while they pump in the half a litre of iron infused saline that's making my left hand very cold! At least one of the student doctors has made me a milo, and someone else filled up my hot water bottle for me. I'm glad I brought that with me, since the other lady in the room is hot and has the aircon cranked up! 

This all came about after I found a request for a general blood test last week when I went for my glucose tolerance test (more about that later). The midwife called me on Monday, to say that my iron levels were low. Talk about a light bulb moment! That would be why I've been feeling so tired and flat, why I've been getting my post pranial symptoms, even though I've been eating such small meals and why I've been pale and cold! I usually eat heaps of red meat and green veggies, so my iron levels are normally really good. The last few months though, I've really only been grazing, and steak and broccoli aren't really things I snack on (who does?) so between that and baby draining me of everything, it's really not surprising. Ellie did suggest to me that my baby is a vampire and that's why my haemoglobin is low, but given the amount of garlic I eat, I don't see how that's possible. Of course there are some people who would argue that vampires don't exist. 

So, back to the glucose tolerance test (GTT). They test everyone for gestational diabetes when you are pregnant. It's a series of three blood tests over two hours, with a horrible glucose drink in the middle that makes you want to vomit. On top of that, you have to fast for at least ten hours before, so for pregnant ladies who normally eat little and often to prevent nausea and heartburn, a GTT on top of a fast is just asking for trouble. I felt so awful by the end of it!! At least today I have a massage to look forward to when they are finished with me!! 

Ok, so no longer dealing with the iron infusion- it sometimes takes me a couple of days to finish off a post. I had some pretty impressive bruises for a couple of days after the infusion, particularly where the student doctor didn't know when to quit. 

No wonder I almost punched him...

Thrown in amongst my feeling rubbish, is Tim. He's been having a bit of trouble with pain in his right shoulder this month. Last week he's had a MRI and we thought confirmed a slap lesion. That would have required him to have surgery on his shoulder, after which he would have 6 weeks in an immobilisation sling before being allowed to start gentle Physio on it. He wouldn't be able to drive during that period either, so he would be basically be relying on me to go anywhere. The catch though, was that the orthopaedic surgeons and the radiologists couldn't agree on a diagnosis, so we have been left somewhat in the air. They have tried a quartizone injection, which has helped a bit, but he could still end up needing surgery anyway. If that's the case, the timing becomes even worse than had they operated straight away. It's very much a case of wait and see, for now.

I've been trying to get my feet up as much as I can, but they get so fat so quick! I took some photos throughout the day earlier in the week to try and show how quick they change. There is a big dent in my foot from just pressing on it, much like play dough. I think I'd been out of bed for about two hours by this stage.

I have measured my feet a few times throughout the day and found they swell about 2cm from morning  to afternoon! Not to mention the size and shape of my toes. And my ankles and legs and everything else!

Morning

Afternoon

The iron infusion I had last week will take about 2-4 weeks before I start to feel the benefits of it. That's how long before the iron is effecting the haemoglobin levels in my blood. So I'm still feeling really lethargic and flat. I took my resting heart rate before I got up yesterday and it was up around 90 beats a minute. No wonder I'm so tired if my body has to work that hard to provide oxygen when I'm asleep! I've had a few mornings where I've felt really awful after eating and had to go lie down, much like I did when my post pranial hypotension was at its worst.

The other thing that is making me feel really awful is heartburn. I actually haven't been using my pillow fort for the last week or two and it's been nice, but I think I'm going to have to reassemble it. I'm finding I'm really uncomfortable when I go to bed and waking up heaps through the night. I'm tired enough already without having trouble sleeping.

Tomorrow will be my last day at work. I feel in some ways like I'm piking out, finishing up so early, but at the same time, I know enough to listen to my body and right now it's screaming ENOUGH!! Had I not become anaemic, I might have been able to keep it up a bit, but at this stage I'm more than ready to finish up.

We had another appointment with Dr D last week. She is happy with my progress. We will continue to see her every 3-4 weeks and after our next appointment we will meet the anaesthetist to talk about what my options will be when it comes to actually getting baby out.  We also have our classes coming up in a few weeks, talking about parenting newborns, breast feeding and so forth.

There have been a couple of exciting things happen over the last few weeks. Exciting for me anyway. We were all raised in cloth nappies and it's something I've just always assumed I'd do too. I found out when my cousins were both having babies last year, cloth nappies have changed somewhat from when I last changed one. So there has been much discussion with various mums and mums-to-be over the past few months and I finally have got some. They are very cool! Now I just need a baby to try them on...

The other very exciting thing was my baby shower over the weekend. Again. it's a little early, but with one of my sisters about to head interstate for several months, I wanted to have it while she was still here. We ended up with a bit of a dragon theme going on, basically because I had some adorable dragon paper I wanted to use on the invitations. So I did the invitations and the guest list, my sisters and their helpers did the rest. I am somewhat terrified at the prospect of helping plan Ellie's bridal shower/hens party now, they both did such an amazing job! They managed to carry the dragons throughout the whole afternoon. My little brother Keygan even made balloon dragons!

And how impressive is this cake!

Tim joined us at the end of the afternoon to help open the gifts. We certainly have an amazing and generous group of friends! It was a lovely day and we were eating Becca's delicious home made mini pies for two days afterwards. Thanks again girls!

I think that covers most of the last couple of weeks. Baby has been very active and can now be seen from the outside when feeling particularly energetic.
This week I'm after pointers on dealing with heartburn. Are there any foods you've found that give you heart burn? Any that are 'safe'? I was talking to Tim about this yesterday, only to be told that 'pregnancy' was what was causing my heartburn. He's a funny one...

Right. Now, I'm going to go put my feet up!

24 weeks

It's been another busy couple of weeks. I can't actually remember a lot of it, but I know I've been busy!

We finally got to meet the illusive Dr D at our last appointment. Tim and I both took a liking to her straight away. She is straight up (except literally, since she's rather short) and to the point. I went in ready to have to explain why I wanted a natural delivery, but when I asked her what she thought, she said she saw no reason why, everything else going well, a vaginal delivery wasn't possible. So that was a bit anti climatic! Not that I mind, I'd rather it that way in this situation. I'm happy knowing she's got my back if I do have to go in fighting. All in all, it was a pretty quick visit (once we finally got in to see her) with just a basic check up and answering a few questions. She had a medical student with her who asked me a few silly questions, so I tried to give her a basic run down on paraplegia and how it effects me, without making her feel too stupid. Baby was being very wriggly, so they had a bit of trouble hearing the heartbeat, although, as Dr D said, we knew it was alive because it kept kicking the Doppler (ultrasound wand used to listen to the heartbeat).

Baby has been super active the last week or so! After being perfectly well behaved at the last ultra sound, it was all over the place for this one. The lady doing the ultrasound printed us off a hand picture as well this time. I've found a few times lately I'll be sitting not even thinking about the baby, but with my arms crossed and then my arms get a pounding. I still don't really feel much internally, but I can feel so much with my hands. I had thought I might feel more internally by now, but being able to feel it anytime with my hands makes it easier to deal with that disappointment. I've worked out a few things to make it move if I want to too, like leaning right over to the side or forwards. Apparently I could tickle a foot through my belly, but I'm not that good at identifying feet yet. I find it so amazing that even though its about 35cm long now and my belly is constantly expanding to accommodate it, it still finds room to do somersaults! 

I've been having a LOT of swelling lately! My feet often swell over summer, but this is a whole new level! And it's not just fat feet and puffy ankles, it's fluid retention all the way up to my knees! I am trying to take some time to elevate them each day, but I am so restricted to what I can do with elevated feet, that it is really hard to stop and go just lay down for an hour. I have so much I'm trying to get done! I did get out my electrode machine today and put that on my legs for a bit, to see if that helps. I'll give it a few tries and see how it goes. It's kind of like a tens machine, but works on the muscle fibres, not the nerves. I think. I haven't noticed any stretch marks on my belly, but I won't be surprised if I get them on my feet, knowing how much my feet are inflating/deflating each day. I wake up looking like my feet have spent the night in the bath!!

Tim and I finally made it out for date night this weekend, for the first time this year (so much for my plan of getting out a bit before the baby arrives). My feet were so fat that literally none of my shoes fit on my feet! I ended up having to wear Tim's wedding boots out to dinner!
Other things have swollen too. I've had a couple of times when I have struggled to do a catheter because things are swelling and changing. I can usually find my urethra in my sleep, but then again, it doesn't usually hide.. My hands have swollen too, so I'm wondering if I might have to stop wearing my rings at some stage. One of my cousins had to when she was pregnant.

Tim and I went in to see the physio at the hospital to have a talk about my changing balance and needs, and how Tim can best help assist me with transfers etc. She had a few handy pointers and gave us a foam slide sheet to take home. They quite often give them to pregnant women to help them roll over late in pregnancy. I'll let you know if it's any good when I actually try it!

We've been in contact with the OT department at the hospital, but they didn't have much to say, just put me in contact with the independent living centre. To be honest though, my experience with OTs has been pretty hit and miss, so I think I'll be just as well of asking the para mums I've been talking to.

I've gone and brought myself a pair of lace up, stretchy sneakers, but haven't given up on boots completely yet. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to them yet. Or hello to my old day chair, which is now in our shed. It's 4.5cm wider and my current day chair, so it will give me a bit more room to grow. It is also shorter though and makes me feel way more disabled than I actually am. The only thing that I can think of that might actually be better about it is the fact the because the seat has way more camber, everything might stop falling off my lap with quite so much ease. I'm dropping stuff all the time! If it's not my belly pushing it off, it simply rolls off. I don't know if it's a change in posture, if my feet are just sitting lower on my footplate (my strap broke a week ago and I haven't got it fixed yet, so my basket is the only thing holding my feet on my footplate) or if my footplate has dropped (I don't think so). It's driving me mad though!

We have made a decision on a pram and capsule- the Steelcraft ones I've been keen on since the start. So they have been placed on lay by. I took Tim in for a final look at them before I ordered them. He wasn't convinced when we first tried the capsule in the car, but I did it a few times, so he knows I can do it. And as I said to him then, it's better than the others! So time will tell if it works out for us or not!

I can't get on the bike by myself anymore. I went to help Tim move the cows a few days ago and he had to give me a shove up. I got half way up and couldn't go any further!

There is a real bump happening there!

Well, I think that's about it for today, back soon!

22 Weeks

I've been feeling really tired again, but if I think back over the last couple of weeks, that could be because I have actually done heaps, close to what I was doing before I got pregnant. I'm definitely in the eye of the storm here, but I can feel the next bit getting closer. I'm still needing a good 9-10 hours of sleep a night.
I only work one day  a week, but I've been noticing it really starting to wear me out the last couple of weeks. So many women work up until the last few weeks of their pregnancy- that won't be me! I actually have a few extra morning shifts over the next few weeks, while one of the other ladies is away, so it will be interesting to see how I handle that.

Last Thursday was eight years since my accident.  I am one of those strange people who celebrates the anniversary of my accident. Not so much because I like being a paraplegic, although it does have it's perks, but more because I should have died several times over that day. So I celebrate the fact I'm still here, the fact that  still have the use of my hands, the fact that I'm actually a much nice, more patient, considerate and compassionate person for it.


In a strange coincidence, I was booked in for the spinal review clinic on the Thursday! Having not been to one before I really didn't know what to expect. As it turned out, you see a continence nurse, the doctor, a physio and an occupational therapist (OT). The continence nurse didn't have much to tell me, except that I'm eligible for an annual medicare payment to assist with continence product, so that was good to know! She was a bit surprised when I told her I was pregnant, much to my amusement, since I certainly look it now! This is so much more than 'para-pot'! (For those of you who aren't in the know, para-pot is the name given to that bulge in the stomach we get when we lose control of our abs post SCI and everything just collapses with gravity).

The review with the doctor was really good. Dr N is from the Austin hospital in Melbourne and was actually my spinal consultant while I was a patient there. Apart from just being nice to catch up with him, it was really good to talk to him about the pregnancy. While he is not an obstetrician and has limited experience in the area, he does have a lot of experience with SCI. So far as he is concerned, I should be treated like any other first time mum, albeit with closer monitoring. As long as baby and I are healthy going into the birth, there is no reason he can see that I shouldn't be able to try for a natural delivery. There is a change things won't go to plan and I may need a caesarean, but there is that chance with all mums. So I'm happy with that. So far as pain medication was concerned, he didn't think a epidural was a given. What he actually said was 'well you've essentially already had one, haven't you?' He also mentioned there are other types of medication, such as gas, which we can use. No arguments from me on that!

The review with the phyiso and OT was ok, basically establishing tht for the most part I'm fine with both areas. They offered me an appointment with the physio department, so Tim can learn how to help assist me with transfers. I figured that was a good idea, so we will be doing that in the next few weeks. Mum covered all that in rehab, but I've never had the need to teach Tim until now, so I figure it won't hurt to do it with a physios help. They also offered to send an OT to our house to have a look at what we have and to discuss any equipment we may find useful. I don't expect a great deal to come of it, I think I'll get more from talking to other wheelie mums, but you never know what they will have come across. I'm probably a little jaded in my experiences of OT's in the past. I've found myself with expensive 'must have' aids that I've barely used, if at all.


This week I took a drive up the coast with a friend of mine who is also expecting. We went up to Stork Talk in Devonport and had a look around there. This is the shop I originally had a play around with prams, so this time I had a go at getting the capsule in and out of the car. The one I'm looking at, the Steelcraft Infant Carrier, was pretty awkward to get in and out, especially the first few times. The lady got me another one to try, that most people find easier. Most not including me. This one has the release up higher, so I actually can't pull on it and lift the capsule at the same time. While the Steelcraft is more fiddly, I can rest on the seat while I release it with one hand and lift with the other. The only weight she had to put in it was 9kg, so I know I can't lift it with 9kg in it. On the other hand, the baby won't weight 9kg to start with, so I will have time to adjust to the heavier weight. My thoughts at this stage is, yes, it's awkward, but I would get better at it with practice.
The other interesting thing is where in the car it goes. I had thought I would put it behind my seat. The sales lady looked a little horrified at that suggestion- 'but that's on the road side! You'd be getting the baby out into traffic!' I did explain to her that I actually need that extra room on my side to get my chair out (she didn't seem to care that I was getting my chair out into the traffic), so I won't always have room on both sides of the car. As it turned out, the seat in front of the capsule needs to sit forward and I wouldn't be able to get my chair between the steering wheel and me with the capsule behind me, so she doesn't need to worry about the baby playing in traffic. I will just be (even more) restricted as to where I can park!

On our road trip, we also visited Mary's Lingerie in Burnie. I'd been told by a few people they had a great range of maternity wear. Well they didn't have heaps, but what they had was good. I got myself a new bra and BATHERS!!  This may be a very trivial thing to most of you, but I have been searching for weeks, actually I think months now (I wish I was exaggerating) for something to wear swimming. I have now, finally, found something that fits! You have no idea how much this excites me! I'm super keen to get back into the water! And I love how they look on me- there is no doubt whatsoever that this is a mum to be!

The other stop we made (apart from several delicious food stops) was to spotlight, where I picked out some fabric to make a quilt for bub. I used to be ok at sewing back in school, but I'm somewhat out of practice now. I did get a new sewing machine for Christmas though, so I'm excited to give this project a try. I unfortunately have to clean off my craft table first, so it might be a week or two before I get to it! We've also picked out some decals (I think that's right, the stick on pictures you put on the wall) for the nursery, so I'm keen to start cleaning that out and making it look more like a nursery and less like the junk room. 

On the whole I'm feeling pretty good. My wrists have been irritating me occasionally, but with a bit of ice and my wrist brace on overnight they feel pretty good. I'm seeing my massage therapist every few weeks to help with the shoulder soreness. I'm getting indigestion/heartburn occasionally, again pretty standard pregnancy stuff. My weight distribution and centre of gravity is slowly changing, so my transfers are certainly not as pretty and easy-looking as they once were. I'm probably going to have to change my footwear again soon. The heels on my boots don't hold my feet up straight and the leather soles have my feet slipping all over the place. 

For those of you who don't get to physically see my progress, a baby bump update:

Thank you to those of you who shared names after my last post. I have been tracking them down, getting their stories. It's been an interesting mix, with roughly half the women I spoke to having a vaginal birth, and half having a caesarean. The reasons for those having caesareans have varied, between personal choice, those who felt a caesarean was safer for them than a vaginal birth and some who would have needed a caesarean regardless of their SCI. A few of the ladies who've delivered vaginally have stressed to me the importance of making sure my wishes are heard, not to just let the doctors book me in for a caesarean because it's easier for them. No danger of that! But it is nice to know other women have fought and won these same battles. Again, if you think of anyone I can talk to, please let me know!

Until next time!