33 weeks and growing

Sorry it has been a while since the last update. I will update a week 33 photo soon. I started back to school after a long spring break this past Monday and things have been hectic with planning, meetings, assessments, CSAP, etc.

What is new in the world of pregnancy? Well, I went to the doctor on Friday. My belly has grown 2 inches in 2 weeks, so little Coranelle seems to be going through quite a growth spurt. Despite all that growth, I packed on 1 pound! But, I am starting to actually feel big. Thankfully, I am still able to wear the bras I wore when I was on the pill, but who knows how much that will change when my milk comes in. I was surprised to find out that I am already producing colostrum- and I won't say much more about that since there are males that read this. But, it is crazy to see your body produce something in new places. Hopefully, breastfeeding will be smooth and successful!

I had an ultrasound to check to see if the baby was head down. She is! She won't likely move now, so that is great. While the doctor was giving me an ultrasound, I had her check to see if I was still, in fact, having a girl. And, we are! So, bring on the pink clothes and accessories. I can confidently say that there won't be a boy coming out in May that has to put up with lots of pink polka dotted attire.

Last weekend, Ryan and I took the childbirth class on Saturday from 9am-5pm. It was a marathon class, but we learned a lot about labor, complications, breathing, contractions, positions for helping relieve pain, pain medication, etc. Ryan is going to be a wonderful coach and he is so supportive and attentive. My mom and Heido will both be with me during labor and I know they will take good care of Ryan and me. I have no idea what labor will bring, or how I will deal with the pain. I would love to do it without medication- but have reserved the right to change my mind if I so desire. We learned about the new "walking epidural" and that sounds intriguing to me. It takes the edge off the pain, without numbing, so I could still walk around or use different breathing/yoga positions to ease the discomfort. It might be a good option. I also found that doing prenatal yoga will be truly helpful with my breathing and I have learned lots of great positions from yoga that I will be able to use during labor. Who would have thought that I would have stuck with yoga?! I even bought my own, personal yoga mat!

At our class, we also got to see the birthing rooms. They are like fancy hotels! Seeing the rooms made the up and coming transition in our lives VERY real. I could picture being in the room, hanging out with Ryan, Coranelle and family after the birth. Wow! This is really happening! And soon!

I have also taken two nights of breast feeding class. Those have been very informative and helpful as well. It is nice that the hospital has 3 lactation consultants so that if things go wrong, there is someone there to guide you through the process. I now know about all the possible nursing bras, pads, pain relieving techniques, tank tops, and complication remedies. I am getting antsy to use all of this information, instead of storing it up in my mind for later!

Tomorrow, my colleagues are giving me a baby shower! I am really excited to see how they shower Coranelle. I am nervous to be up in front of my staff as the center of attention. That is not a position I have in my work place, so I am sure my face will be bright red! But, I feel blessed that they have planned this and are being so supportive.

I am still able to walk or go to the rec center daily- so that is nice. My belly gets super tight, but I am used to it being tight round the clock now. I cannot tell if I am having braxton hicks contractions or not. It just always feels like a drum! It will feel so strange when I can once again breathe, move quickly and bend over to put my socks on.

Thanks to all of you for reading and I hope you are doing well! 7 weeks left!