Here I am at 29 weeks, one week closer to the magic 30 weeks, where for some reason, in my mind it all becomes real.
I STILL don’t feel pregnant! It STILL catches me off guard when I glance in the mirror and see my bump. Now I KNOW I’m pregnant and I am loving the movement bub makes and I quite like when I look in the mirror and see bump. And its a joy to embrace my belly finally rather than hiding it. Maternity clothes are a joy for apple shaped women….my wardrobe has barely changed as I live in empire line dresses normally anyway, tummy skimming flattering things of pleasure.
I was talking to my friend Lora over at the21stcenturymama yesterday and she assured me that it probably still wouldn’t feel real until that first night in hospital with a new baby in my arms. It is reassuring to know that I am not the only one who has ever felt like this!
However, over the weekend, we did have a bit of a health scare. As I am a chronic hypertensive I do have my own blood pressure monitor and the numbers started to rise. Not to alarming portions but definitely to speak to the doctor because he told me to. I hit 144/90 and it wasn’t going back down. My doctor has told me that this is a critical stage of pregnancy, in a normal woman, your blood pressure drops in the second trimester, with me as mine is managed he wanted to also see the drop which we did, third trimester is where it starts to rise again. And the worry of pre-eclampsia begins.
Now I’ve been reading more on the subject of hypertension in pregnancy and the general consensus if your hypertension is pregnancy induced (PIH) then the only real way to solve the issue is to deliver the placenta (route of all evil apparently) I am not sure where I stand on this as my hypertension is a chronic condition and therefore will always be there. I think I am very much on the keep this baby in me as long as it is safe to do so!
Being in the different world that is Dubai and under private healthcare I have my OBGYN personal mobile and whatsapp. So I sent him a whatsapp! As you do.
And his advice was as follows (for anyone who may be in the same boat):
1. Rest at home all weekend
2. If any nausea, vomiting or persistent headaches to call immediately (all big red flags for pre-eclampsia)
3. Paracetamol is OK at times
4.Increase your fluid intake
5. Call if any bleeding or pain
6. Do not worry, you are in safe hands
I think a lot of it was the fluid intake. I do not drink enough.
So my aim now is to drink at least 7 400ml glasses of water per day and I have done this ever since my scare alongside resting. The next day my pressure dropped back down to 113/76 so I was able to push out my blood test and 24 hour urine test until my appointment tomorrow. And so it begins, the more intrusive monitoring of pregnancy, which I am grateful for as I just want everything to be alright with bub, but I had hoped to avoid this time. I also think this means that I’m staring down the barrel of a repeat c-section, but I live in hope.
Hopefully my next bump watch will be just that, a picture of my THIRTY (eek) week bump and nothing exciting to report!
