30 Weeks

We had our second and final birthing class on Monday. The events leading up to the class were exciting. I had gone to campus to do some work and attend some meetings. When I returned to my car in the parking garage I found a completely flat tire. I began changing it myself, but once I got to the part where I needed to get the spare out of the trunk, I found I couldn't do it by myself. About twenty people walked by me and not one of them offered any assistance. I was astounded by the rudeness and the complete lack of sympathy by the students. I called one of my friends who I knew was on campus and he came to help me. After we got the spare on and lowered the car, we discovered that the spare was flat as well. My friend was kind enough to drive me to a tire shop just down the road and sit and wait with me while they replaced the tire. (I had somehow gotten a puncture in the sidewall which is completely unrepairable.) When we finished getting the new tire on, I thanked my friend profusely and then began to travel out of the garage. I noticed my car was wobbly and I knew it had to be the tire. I drove very cautiously and slowly the two blocks back to the tire place to have them torque the lug nuts and discovered that despite my friends best efforts, were a full turn or more from being secure. Had I gone at speed my wheel would have spun off. (A reminder to all men and women that basic car repair knowledge is invaluable!)
After all that debacle, I stayed on campus to grab some dinner and do some work before the birthing class rather than try to attempt to make it home and turn immediately around. My fun day continued when the pasta I picked up for dinner spilled sauce on the passenger seat, which I ended up having to super clean the next day before I picked up a professor to take to the airport.
At birthing class we went over recovery and breast feeding before taking a tour of the hospital wing. It was good to see the rooms before I have to be a patient because I know what to expect now. The birthing rooms are recently remodeled and have ample room along with a whirlpool tub. I sure hope I get to use those tubs, cause they looked so appealing and comfortable. (Even made me want to remodel my bathroom to get one.) After giving birth, they have two recovery rooms, the postpartum and the Nesting Place. My preference is for the Nesting Place, which allows you to keep the baby with you at all times rather than keeping them in the nursery. The postpartum rooms are small, but if they have space they allow you to stay in the birthing rooms instead.
We walked by the nursery and saw all the babies in their various stages of crying and sleeping. The nurses inside were starring at us all like we had pickles on our noses. I find it hard to believe they haven't seen a bunch of pregnant women cooing at babies. T and I joked that maybe they were just worried that we would all deliver at the same time.
On Wednesday I had another OB appointment. My weight gain was back to normal thank goodness. While the OB was trying to get the fetal heart rate, he asked if she is still very active, and then said, "Oh, I just answered my own question. She just kicked my hand." He had a very hard time getting the heart rate off of her because she wouldn't sit still. (Guess I shouldn't have had that apple cider at breakfast, but now know that she will be limited in the amount of sugar we give her.) The books all say that she should be slowing down with movements because she is getting cramped, but I think that has just made her movements more obvious to me. The other night I was sitting in the recliner reading a book and you could watch my stomach move in waves and quick jabs. She gets very active after dinner and doesn't stop until after I fall asleep. (And maybe not even then since T said he put his hand on my stomach the other morning while I was asleep and she was already rocking and rolling.)
Speaking of sleep, I finally got a good night last night. I have been having tremendous heartburn the last couple of days that just wouldn't stop no matter what I did. I can only take two Tums a day thanks to the kidney stone episode, but even taking small glasses of milk, eating small meals, and sleeping in a reclined position didn't help. I was even waking T up with my coughing at night as the heartburn irritated my throat. I asked the OB, and they said to take Pepcid twice a day and chew gum after each meal to help digestion. Well the gum only seemed to make it worse, but I took the Pepcid before bed and had the best nights sleep I had had in weeks. (Even with the bathroom trips every two hours.) It is amazing how much better a good nights sleep can make you feel. Now I feel like I can survive these last ten (or so) weeks.