Pregnancy #2 - 32 weeks

I was really good at this blog thing with my last pregnancy...

We are at 32 weeks gestation with our new little guy! Estimated Due Date, August 10, 2015

Let's Recap:
Saw my new OB/GYN at about 10 weeks (LOVE him)
Announced to the world at 12 weeks

"I'm gonna be a big sister!"

Found out gender at 16 weeks, and did our gender confirmation and reveal at 20 weeks.

Baby Boy is healthy and continuing to develop well. It's crazy how different this pregnancy has been from the last one though!

Savanna 1st Trimester - very sick for a week, tired ALL the time
Baby Boy 1st Trimester - moderately sick all the time
Savanna 2nd Trimester - energy returned, smooth sailing
Baby Boy 2nd Trimester - energy good, major pain in hips and pubic bone, the start of physical therapy and chiropractic care
Savanna 3rd Trimester - pain in hips and pubic bone, maintained energy, retained lots of water
Baby Boy 3rd Trimester - continued pain in hips and pubic bone managed with physical therapy and an SI belt

Tiave has been a TREMENDOUS help throughout this, really stepping up to take care of Savanna when it is just too difficult for me, letting me rest as much as I need, and never ever complaining about it. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful partner in this madness we call life.

Pregnancy Pain: Let's Talk About It

Today I've decided to post a little about what I have learned about pregnancy.

Disclaimer: I am NOT and expert. I am simply sharing what I have learned from my Dr., other pregnant women, and the internet.

When you are pregnant, or looking to get pregnant you will have LOTS of questions. So, I'm going to address some of the questions I had and hope that I can be of help to some of you.

Let's start with my most recent discovery... Sciatic Nerve Pain.
Walking around the Zoo one day I started to have rather severe pain in my right thigh and butt cheek. For me, it felt like I had pulled a muscle... but then it went away. and came back. and went away. So at my next Dr's appt. I asked about it. Dr. Judd informed me that it was Sciatic Nerve Pain (Sciatica). He said it's very common during pregnancy and is caused by the baby's head putting pressure on your sciatic nerve.

So... how do you know if you have sciatica?
1: It can feel like a pulled muscle, your leg is falling asleep, or just plain hurt.
2: It is most likely only on one side, and is probably your right side (95% of the time anyway)
3: It comes and goes - not constant pain
4: It can range from uncomfortable to debilitating.

And.. how do you make it go away?
-You don't. But here are some tricks to find relief
1: Lie down on the opposite side of the pain to relieve pressure
2: Soak in a warm bath, then put a cold compress on the pain. The heat will relax your muscles, and the cold with draw away any inflammation.
3: Get a prenatal massage/chiropractic adjustment
4: Wear a maternity belt

When do you worry about it?
-You don't. It is not harmful to you or the baby, it just sucks.

Next on today's list... Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
Lying in bed one night, I went to roll over onto my other side. After attempting to swing my legs over and experiencing bone shattering pain... I decided something was wrong. After lots of research I found that I had PGP and that I was fine... it just sucked. (seeing a theme here?)

So... how do you know you have PGP?
1: The pain will be generalized in your back and pelvis.
2: It's JOINT pain, not muscle pain
3: It will probably be accompanied by pain in your back and hips

And... how do you make it go away?
-You don't. You can try finding relief by...
1: Acupuncture
2: Place a heating pad on it
3: Wear a maternity belt when you'll be standing or walking - (this one worked GREAT for me)

When do you worry?
1: When your Dr. tells you to. If you have or think you have PGP let your Dr. know. He/She can monitor the pain and let you know if it is PGP or something else like Symphsis Pubic Disfunction. PGP is nothing to worry about, but SPD could be.



No matter the pain you're feeling, my best advice is to TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Every woman is different. Every pregnancy is different. It's better to call and ask about it and find out it's no big deal than to not ask about it and realize all too late that you have a real problem. Most problems - if addressed in a timely manner - can be handled and treated safely.

If you happen to be reading this blog and have questions about something going on in your pregnancy that you'd like more info on, let me know. Or if you think there's something pregnant women should be more educated on, I'd be happy to share what I know and find some more credible resources for you to check out as well!

37 weeks - Full Term Baby!

Today we had our 37 week appointment! Here's what my insides look like right about now. Gettin' kinda squishy in there!

At 37 weeks most Dr.'s consider you to be "full term" and it's safe for the baby to arrive any time now. So they tell you that and get your hopes all high in the sky that your little miracle could be here any day and then they bring you right back down with a "but 80% of first time moms go past their due date... so prepare to be pregnant a while longer. We'll check ya next week and see where we're at." Awesome.

The Dr.'s appt. today went a little like this...
I peed in a cup. Again.
I weighed in at a whopping 148 lbs - that's a gain of 32 lbs!
Blood Pressure - Still Normal
We got our results from the Group B strep culture - Negative! Woohoo! No need for antibiotics during delivery!
We listened to her heartbeat - Down to 126bpm
Dr. Judd felt around my belly and said she's still head down and in a great position!
Dr. Judd explained that what I thought was muscle pain is actually Sciatic Nerve Pain. And it'll only get worse as she gets heavier.
and
We scheduled our pelvic exam for next Monday. (at that point the Dr. will let us know if she looks like she's coming early or late or whatever. We're hoping I take after my mom and she decides to make her grand appearance at least a little early. As long as she's healthy.)

So there's the run down! Later this week: More on Sciatic Nerve Pain... and maybe we'll address other things that can scare the crap out of you but are really no big deal... and maybe some things that look like no big deal that you should really be concerned about. Oh the joys of first time moms!

I'm outta here for now! If you need me... you can probably find me on the trampoline ;)

35 weeks

Update on Baby...Baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at about 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug, she's not really doing somersaults anymore, but she's still kicking and moving quite frequently. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks just putting on weight.

As for me...

My uterus - which was entirely tucked away inside my pelvis when I conceived - now reaches up under my ribcage. (ouch!) If you could peek inside, you'd see that there is now more baby than amniotic fluid in there. My ballooning uterus is crowding my other internal organs too, which means I have to pee a lot more often, have heartburn all the time, and struggle to yawn or take a deep breath.

From my Monday appt on out, I'll be seeing Dr. Judd every week. Monday he'll do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B Strep (GBS). GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. According to babycenter, 10%-30% of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't even know it. Dr. Judd says it's no big deal. If I test positive for GBS, they'll just give me IV antibiotics during labor which will prevent passing it on to the baby. 

Stresser #1 for me... a birth plan
Originally the plan was make it to the hospital, drug me, get this kid out. Now I'm realizing that I need something a little bit... more.

babycenter offered this form to help. I think it just made things worse. Seriously... Look at it. 

It asks who you want to me there, what type of pain meds do you want, would you like birth props (huh?), is it okay if nurses, residents, and/or students enter your room, and lots of other things that I never even thought of... or thought I had a say in.

I think I know who I want there, but idk who wants to be there... and who's going to be offended when I tell them they aren't invited to the big party? Do I even bother caring?  'eh.

Things I still need to do before baby gets here... in no particular order:

• buy bottles, a breast pump, and warm clothes in itty bitty sizes
• figure out and install the car seat properly
• set up a nursery
• pack mine/tiave's hospital bags
• train someone at work to take over for a while
• chill. 

I promise I'll figure this all out one day and I'll be a helpful, comedic inspiration to other pregnant woman all over... just like the lovelies over at http://www.pregnantchicken.com and http://lifecraftsandwhatever.blogspot.com

Until then, we'll just have to stick with learning together... one week at a time! 

34 Weeks

Every week I get an email from  http://www.babycenter.com/  updating me on what my baby is doing, how she's developing, what to expect, and lots of other fun facts and thoughts/advice from other woman expecting around the same time as me. I love it. 

Here's what they had to say at 34 weeks...


How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing:

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable.
Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.
If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short).

Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem.

Slide your way to slumber "In the third trimester, turning over in bed is a nightmare. The solution? Big satin pajamas and even satin sheets — the slipperiness of satin helps tremendously!" — Carrie

Pretty spot on for the most part. Dr. Judd says she is more like 4lbs right now, but it's hard to tell for sure. She is head down and ready to go, but no sign of her arriving early... yet. 

As far as me... they always get it perfect. 

Next Dr. appointment is October 8th. They'll test me for group B strep at that vist, then we're on to weekly appointments to make sure we're on top of things and are ready for her when she's ready to come.

A word of advice to my pregnant friends... sign up for emails from babycenter. Go here to register. It's free. You'll get a weekly email like the one above, links to learn more about things like PUPPP and preeclampsia, assurance that you aren't crazy and that what's happening to you is normal, and the option to send the email to your significant other so that he can better understand what you're going through. Truly a brilliant set up. 

The Crib Project... Stage 1

We started our Crib Project last night...

Let's just say... I think I'm in over my head.

Here's the crib before we did anything to it. Just to give you an idea of what we're working with...

Beautiful right? what you can't see is the Permanent Marker writing on the side and the bite marks on the rails. But there's a lot of detail and it will be wonderful when we're done!

We started with a paint/varnish stripper. The instructions say "Spray thoroughly, let sit for 15 minutes, scrape off." Sound easy right? 

Well... Tiave sprayed once, I sprayed over it... we assumed the thing was just about as soaked as it was gonna get. 

Issues we didn't foresee....

1) How the heck are we supposed to scrape those round bars with all those tiny grooves after getting it all sprayed? Goopy Mess.

2) After sanding this all by hand.... our hands just might fall off. 

Oh well. I'm determined that it will be worth it. I love this crib!

Here's what it looked like after we quit for the night...

We had one side rail completely sanded and about a bar and half done. If anyone has the urge to sand something in the near future, hit me up. We've got plenty to do.

I'm really excited to continue working on this with Tiave and get it all done and put together! It's a great way for us to enjoy each other and build something for our little one. I worry that we might not finish on time, so if anyone has any tips that would make it easier, or more time efficient, it would be greatly appreciated! 

We'll keep you updated on how it goes and how it turns out!

32 weeks!

Only 8 weeks to go!

Today was our last monthly appointment! We'll see Dr. Judd again on Sept. 24th, and October 8th, then weekly until she arrives sometime around Nov. 4th!

She weighs about 3.5lbs right now and Dr. Judd estimates she'll be about 7 all cooked and done. 7 is good :) She is also head down and in a great position, so things are going just grand! She has fingernails, toenails, and real hair! (or at least some respectable peach fuzz)
As for me... I can't bend over very far, and I have heartburn all the time... This pic should explain why:

Yeah... my stomach has been flattened like a pancake, and everything is just a lil... squished. But other than that I really am feeling great! I'm blessed to be able to still be working full time, and still have energy at the end of the day to play a little bit. We'll see how long it lasts. She's supposed to double in size!

Projects coming up in the near future:

We got one of those old fashioned cribs from my Aunt for FREE! Yes, it's used. But it's sturdy solid wood and much better than any one we could find at Wal-Mart. We'll be sanding it down, and refinishing it. It'll look brand new when we're done, and I'll be satisfied with it to keep my little one safe and secure while she rests her little head. Now we need to find a bassinet.

Also, we have a prospective home in mind. If all goes well, we'll need to move in, set up the nursery, and get settled before she arrives. :/

Baby Shower will be September 29th for friends AND family. If you would like an invitation, please get me your address. If I already got it from you, don't worry about it. Yes, this counts as a project. Trust me.

Much Love to you all!

P.S.  we went camping last week and the leaves are changing all over the mountain! Prepare to welcome FALL! It will officially be upon us in 12 days!

2 down, 1 trimester to go!

We had our 7 month check up today!

Baby Girl is doing great! She's growing growing growing, her lil' heart beat is at 161bpm, and she's definitely a dancer like her daddy. Sometimes I can sit and watch my belly move with her kicks and wiggles for like 30 min at a time. Especially if Daddy is talking to her... or even just in the same room. She loves the sound of his voice.

We got tested for gestational diabetes this morning. They made me drink a thing of sugar water, then drew my blood. They'll test it at the lab today and we'll have the results by tomorrow. They said no news is good news so let's keep our fingers crossed that we don't get any calls from the Dr.'s office tomorrow.

Also, I have a nasty head cold. The kind that makes you feel like you swallowed a rock and your head is stuck in a balloon that's about to pop + a pounding headache. Awesome. Here's what I think of that.

1: Pregnant women should be exempt from getting sick. period. Aren't we dealing with enough already?
2: I wish people hadn't freaked me out so bad about taking meds when you're pregnant. I went in to see the doc today and told the nurse I had a head cold and she asked if I'd taken anything and then scolded me when I told her "no." She agrees pregnant women shouldn't get sick, but the fact is, because our bodies are so busy creating a little person, they sometimes forget to fight off illness and we get sick anyway. Worse than normal. And it sucks. She advised me to go home immediately and take some tylenol and sudafed. I did. I'm feeling much better.
3: Don't think that because of number 2 I'm suddenly going to pop every pill I can think of every time I sneeze. No. Pregnant women should still consult their Dr. about any and all medication they take. Just don't be scared to ask! If you're sick, and herbal remedies aren't working, it's better for you to take the medicine and kick it than run the risk of it getting worse and affecting your baby/pregnancy.

Today Dr. Judd. put a jump start on my anxiety (something he usually avoids,) but he made me realize that  this baby girl is going to get here sooner than we know it and I'm terrified I won't be ready. As far as appts go... we have 1 more 4 week appt, 2 - 2 week appts, and 4 - 1 week appts until she get's here. I'm told once those 2 week appts kick in, time just flies by. And since I already feel like time's been flying... I think we're about to jump into light-speed here. Wish me luck!

6 Month Check Up

Today was our 6 month check up with Dr. Judd and we got to see our little girl again! She was much more cooperative and we were able to get this cute little profile picture of her:

1 lb. 7 oz.

13 inches from head to toe

48th percentile

and still a precious little girl.

Things discussed and learned today:

1: Weight Gain! I have gained 16lbs so far. 4 months and 9lbs to go to reach my goal.

My Dr. advised me that for my height/weight/age/overall-health I need to gain 25lbs for this pregnancy. Right now having gained 16 and the baby only being 1lb 7oz... you're probably wondering where the other 14ish lbs are coming from. Here's a breakdown of the weight you gain when you get pregnant and how it's all supposed to add up to 25-35lbs at the very end.

• 7-9lbs of baby
• 2lbs of placenta
• 2lbs amniotic fluid
• 4-5lbs increased blood volume
• 2lbs uterine enlargement
• 3-4lbs of fluid in maternal tissue
• 1lb breast enlargement (to prepare for breastfeeding)
• Any remaining pounds are a general deposit of fat required by the body for breastfeeding and energy stores. (though if you've gone above what was recommended by your Dr., chances are it's just plain old fat you don't need.) 

2: Pelvic Girdle Pain. The pain in my pelvis that feels like I'm straining a muscle every time I move. It is perfectly normal and will only hurt more as this pregnancy progresses. 

Explanation? your uterus is a lot like a trampoline, and during pregnancy your joints are really loose, so when your baby is hanging out on your uterus, those springs are stretching down and pulling on your loose joints causing pain. The heavier the baby gets, the more it hurts. And no, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. 

3: Heartburn and Acid Reflux. This is apparently also very common.

The cause? Heartburn occurs when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus are unable to prevent the stomach acids from passing back into the esophagus. Pregnancy can increase the frequency of heartburn and acid reflux because the hormone progesterone causes the valve to relax. This allows the stomach acid to pass into the esophagus and irritate the lining. Aside from being extraordinarily uncomfortable and obnoxious, if you have acid sitting in your esophagus too long, it can cause some pretty serious damage. The Dr. suggested a few OTC medications to keep it under control. Also I should avoid eating chocolate and Orange Juice and other delicious foods high in acidic content. Boo.

What we get to look forward to:

Sometime in the next few weeks I get to pick a day to have a blood glucose test. How it works:

You're given a bottle of slightly flavored, colored, sugar water that you have to drink in about 5 minutes on an empty stomach and after you drink it, you don't get to eat or drink anything else. An hour after ingesting this tasty drink, you get to go to the lab at the Dr.'s office where they will draw out your freshly sugary blood and test you for gestational diabetes. Test results are done within 24 hours of the blood draw.

After that, our next check up is scheduled for the morning of August 13th. We'll be 7 months along and it should be a fairly routine visit. They'll weigh me, take yet another urine test, and hopefully keep telling me everything is A-okay!

And The Winner Is...

It's a girl!

And we couldn't be more excited!

Names that we are debating...

   * Savannah Renae Tuputeata Matagi

   * Rachel Victoria Asiannah Matagi

   * Aislynn Marie Matagi

And just in case we are still surprised with a bouncing baby boy, we are prepared with...

   * Aiden Tiave Matagi

   * Trysten Viali Matagi

I imagine we'll probably think up more over the next little while, but so far, these are our favorites.

And, because we kept our ultrasound to just us... here are some pics for all of you to see...

We're looking at her sideways in this picture, right at her face. The little spot on the top left is and elbow, and to the right of it is her hand. Her hand is right next to her ear, so the little black spot below the hand is an eye socket, and her othe hand is covering her other eye. Yes, her mouth is open. We caught her mid-yawn. Too Cute.



Close up of her little foot.



This is a view of her bum and legs from behind. The two lines the arrow is pointing at are girl parts... just in case someone is doubting she's really a girl.

We are scheduled for our next appointment on July 16th and we get to have another ultrasound then, so more pictures of our precious princess to come!

Baby Bets

6 days until the big ultrasound. Tiave says "I feel like its gonna be a little girl to smite me with the home grown love that my wife has poured in to her little heart... but hey, thats just me :)" I think it'll be a boy to smother me with love and slobbery kisses, just like his daddy.

We've had lots of input on facebook...
Jonathan J. Madsen I call boy :D
Leilani Matagi I'm thinking GIRL!!!! and i'm likinthe name madyson renae matagi!! LOL!!! Just my thoughts!! LOL..... or Rachel Madyson Matagi.... they both kinda have a ring to it eh???
Pua Matagi Garcia Ps, I guess I'll have to be the one to break it to you guys.... But youre havin a girl, it's just how it goes, we all gots girls first, ain't no thing, you need them good women to teach the younger siblings!

And our parents have given their insights
Mamma Walters thinks boy
Papa Walters thinks boy
Mamma Matagi thinks boy
Papa Matagi thinks girl

Any other guesses ya'll wanna throw in there?
We'll find out soon enough!

Baby thoughts/update

At our first ultrasound the nice nurse lady warmed up the goo before she put it on my tiny tummy and let me see and hear my little baby for the very first time. I am convinced she is an angel.
At our following appointment the nurse put cold goop on me with no warning before she used the doppler moniter to let me hear my little one's heartbeat. Rude. But forgiven because my mom came with me and she heard that little heart racing and she covered her face and squealed, "I can hear it's heart beeping!" Totally made it worth it. She is going to spoil this child like crazy. 
Today we went in again and my sweet hubby was able to come. After I got over the shock of the once again cold goop, I got to hear that magical sound that makes my own heart flutter. Today we are at 156 beats per minute. Deadly to a normal person. Perfect for a growing infant. The doctor poked around my belly and determined that there's a head by my right hip, and a bum by my left. I hope the tiny little one is comfortable.
We get to find out if we're baking a little boy or a little girl on June 18th at 1:30pm. That same day we will also be officially half way done! I'm happy to see the nice ultrasound angel again. I think we'll make a day of it and get lunch with our parents before or after. After that, I suppose I'll make some kind of public announcement so that you can all share in our joy.
I know you're just as excited as we are.

Coming Soon...

Our little baby is 11cm from bum to head. That's about 4.5 inches.
It's feet and hands are crossed over it's little gummi bear-like body.
It's little heart is thumping away at 174 bpm.
It’s still too early to know if we’ll be having a girl or a boy, but I’ll start taking guesses if anyone’s interested.

We have been pretty lucky in our first trimester. I was really sick for about 5 days, but we seem to be past that yuckiness and we haven’t come across any other issues.

We learned so much at our first Doctor’s appt yesterday! Our awesome OB/GYN Dr. Judd busted and verified some of the big pregnancy dos and don’ts and really made me feel comfortable with everything. With all the craziness, it’s hard to know what is true, and what is paranoia. Here are just a few things we found helpful/interesting.

“You can’t lift anything more than a gallon of milk” –BUSTED. You use your abdominal muscles, your lower back muscles and your biceps to lift and carry. In no way is your uterus in use at this time and the baby can’t even feel what you’re doing. If you have the muscle strength for it, you can lift/carry it.
 “You can’t eat fish” – BUSTED. You can’t eat MERCURY! Mercury is found in things like swordfish and shark. Who eats swordfish or shark? You can still have sushi and tuna fish. But just like EVERYTHING else in this world, do so in moderation.
“You can’t hot tub or take hot baths, because you’ll cook your baby” –BUSTED. In order for your baby to be affected at all by the heat from a bath tub or hot tub, you would have to have major burns on your body first.
 “You can’t take most medications.” –TRUE. Any medicine you may need should be discussed with your Dr. Things like ibuprofen and aspirin thin your stomach lining and could be really harmful to your pregnancy. Most medicines, even OTC, have the possibility of having an adverse affect on you and your baby.
“Now you’re eating for 2”-FALSE. When pregnant you only need to eat about 300 extra calories per day for your growing baby, and you only need about 30 fat grams in the same time. FYI, 30 fat grams is about 1 scoop of Baskin Robin’s ice cream.
“You’ll want to sleep ALL the time” –TRUE. With no effort, the baby takes up 25% of your energy every day. Most people operate on about 80% energy on a daily basis anyway. Take 25% away from that and you’re stuck trying to work full time, and take care of yourself and your family on 55% energy levels. The sad part is, it doesn’t matter what you eat or how much you sleep, the tiredness doesn’t go away. And it won’t until after 22ish weeks.

2 sayings to live by to have a fun and happy pregnancy…
“I can do anything I want as long as it’s not harmful to me. I can’t harm this baby without harming myself first”
“Now is the time to play, go out with my husband, and do the things we love, because in a year, I’ll have to find someone dumb enough to babysit if I want to go out.”

We are so excited for this chapter in our lives and are so thankful for the support of our friends and family!