Not the best "Belly" picture...but a picture nonetheless...I've pretty much had to take all of them myself...I'm running out of ideas.
So Tuesday, I had another midwife appointment.* I gained about 2 lbs. Same scale. different floor. My weight has been going up and down for like a month now...I don't think I've really had consistent weight-gain in a while. o-well...
* My GBS test came back NEGATIVE!! yeah!! It's the first time that's ever happened. So, I have to keep taking my probiotics to keep it that way, so we don't have to worry about doing anything special during labor.
* I'm slightly anemic (like, just under the border-line), so they put me on another herbal supplement called Floradix herbs + iron - a liquid all-natural supplement that doesn't have the constipation side-affects that most iron supplements have.
It's kinda crazy. I feel like I'm taking more stuff being pregnant than I ever do NOT pregnant. No medicines, so to speak...everything is all-natural, but for real - it's kinda hard to keep up with it all.
Breakfast - iron supplement, prenatal vitamins, 5-week formula
lunch - 5-week formula
Dinner - iron supplement, 5-week formula, pro-biotics.
But hey - if it is going to make me and my baby healthier for labor and delivery, I'm all for it.
* I had an exam to check for dilation....and I'm already at 3cm and 70% effaced. Usually at this point I MIGHT be about 1cm (if that), and effaced about 25%. Apparently, the 5-week formula is doing it's job to get my body ready for labor. One thing it supposedly does is aide in dilation before labor starts so that labor itself is easier. It also says it brings the body into balance - so people with longer labors have shorter ones, and those who have really short labors have more average-length ones. I'm a little worried how fast this labor will be if I'm dilating more before-hand though. We'll just have to see.
And I know that this doesn't mean labor could happen tomorrow. I could be walking around like this (or even more progressed) for weeks before labor starts. Again, we'll just have to see what happens.
* In the meantime, I've been having a LOT of Braxton-Hicks contractions, that are apparently doing something... and I've been having a lot of back pain too. I saw the pregnancy chiropractor Tuesday as well, and she aligned my back, hips, pelvic bone, neck - the works. She also used pressure points on my sinuses to help open them up so I can breathe more easily - and my nose was running like crazy on the drive home! She did the same for Bella's sinuses, and gave Bella and Balian "mini" adjustments. Bella has been fighting a cold, and not only did her sinuses need help, but her neck and back were a little bit out because of coughing a lot. so interesting...Bella seems to be feeling much better today though - I don't think I've heard her cough once. Oh, and just FYI, here's a list of some homeopathic decongestants that she told me about:
1. Put Apple Cider Vinegar in a humidifier. smells bad, but she says it works great.
2. Onion. French Onion Soup, or boil an onion for a couple hours, then take 1-2 tsp. of the juice every couple of hours.
3. Peppermint. Pretty much just keep the Altoids coming, drink peppermint tea, or put some peppermint oil on your chest to breathe it throughout the day.
4. Xclear - an all-natural nasal spray that has Xilotol, saline, and grapefruit seed extract in it. Tastes sweet if it goes down your throat, and you can use it as many times as you want throughout the day. I've actually used this before, and I do like it - it just doesn't really work when you reach sinus infection status.
5. of course, there's the Netti Pot, but I'm kinda hesitant to try it out right now, simply because my gag reflex is so bad right now...maybe after the baby is here, if I still need it...
I think that's it for now....
