27 weeks 2 days

For my 27 week update I want to document a few of my symptoms for my own benefit later on. I am still feeling pretty good. I certainly don’t feel un-pregnant, but I don’t feel miserable either. My biggest issues are the following:

• Constipation (or just general difficulty in that area). It doesn’t matter what I eat or how much I drink, I have trouble there.
• Heartburn – This is a constant battle for me. Again, it doesn’t seem to matter at all what I eat or if I lay down too soon or stay sitting up, etc. I just have this constant burning of acid in the back of my throat. I have found that gum is a very good remedy for this. I’m not sure if it actually helps it or just makes it less noticeable, but it is my go-to when the heartburn starts. I just can’t pop 10 Tums every time I feel it and it takes about 10 to do any good.
• Sore feet – I have found that I simply cannot stand up and walk around and do errands like I could before I was pregnant. My body will tolerate about ½ the number of hours on my feet that it used to and that number is dwindling. Every weekend, I am nearly unable to walk by the end of the day simply from being up and around all day.
• Hives/Rash/Eczema? - A recent, and very unfortunate development. I woke up last Wednesday with what appeared to be a rash all over the right side of my face. This evolved into large swollen welts by Thursday. It really looked and felt like hives. They itch like crazy. Over the weekend it started to remind me of eczema, but I cannot be sure. I will endure anything to get this baby here and in the grand scheme, this symptom is very minor, but from a vanity perspective, it has taken a toll on me. It looks like a very large, severe acne breakout. In addition to my face, I have other areas which are now getting itchy bumps such as my legs, shoulders, inside my elbow, etc. I also have two common eczema sites that have flared up. I am going to the doctor today, but I really don’t expect a resolution. I’m just going to rule out anything that could be threatening to the pregnancy.
• Lack of hunger – This is kind of convenient since my whole life I’ve required food every couple of hours. It seems the baby is pushing in my stomach or something and I just don’t have the desire to eat as much. I’m definitely still taking in a good amount of calories, because I kind of like to eat, so I’m still doing it, it’s just nice not to have to deal with being hungry every 2 hours.

I think that’s all the main symptoms. I do have a lot of trouble bending over and I’ve become annoyingly clumsy. I also struggle turning over in bed, getting in and out of the car, and other small things like that.

I am starting to feel like nesting. I’m sure this isn’t the tell-tale instinct that signals the end of a pregnancy, but I’m overcome with an urge to get ready for baby by cleaning out closets and drawers, purchasing items for caring for him, and generally get the house ready to go.

I’ve been browsing books that will give me some guidance on the first several weeks of having the baby at home. I’ve heard of several books but I’m having trouble picking them because of the fact that there is some seriously controversial stuff written about newborn care. I have heard good things about Baby Wise from real people, but when I read the reviews, there were nearly as many horrible reviews as there were great reviews. This concerns me, but I do like the idea of structure, which this book seems to help design. I also have heard good things about the Happiest Baby on the Block, but some say it’s only good for the first few weeks and generally the information is pretty light. I think I’ll get both of these books and try to extract the good stuff from them both and ignore the advice I find irrelevant or inappropriate. I suppose women had to feel their way through this experience without books for decades, so I’m sure everything will be fine.