I don't think my belly can grow any bigger!!

A

amynicole

Cathlete
Oh my gosh, my belly has exploded in the past week! It is HUGE and I'm having trouble walking, at 35 1/2 weeks I am much bigger than I was with my other 3 kids even though I have gained less than 1/2 the weight. Maybe everything is stretched from them. I even have these bright red strech marks when I though it was not possible to get anymore.

My 16 month old still is not walking independently and carrying him up and down the stairs is KILLING me.

Anyway, I just thought I would post and whine a little bit to a group that I know understands how uncomfortable the end is. On the bright side, only 19 more days until my induction!! (I'm being induced because my first 2 came FAST at 38 weeks so the Dr. is afraid to let me go into labor on my own and that I may not make it to the hospital on time. I was induced with number 3 and it was great) Anyway, It can't get here soon enough. I can barely walk anymore because my back hurts so much and I'm so off balance. My DH looked at me tonight and commented that my belly looks bigger and lower so I looked at my profile in the mirror and realized the baby dropped in the past day or two. No wonder I am having to pee evey 30 minutes!

My face is so swollen I don't even look like myself and my fingers look like swollen sausages and actually hurt!!

I have not been able to workout in months (Drs orders due to bleeding early on and too many contractions) and I am SO looking forward to 6 weeks postpartum and being able to workout!!)

OK, thanks for listening to me complain here :)
 
3 kids and 35 1/2 weeks pregnant - I think you have every right to whine! I'm only 14 weeks along and have a 19 month old and I'm ready to collapse.
Good Luck! Sounds like it will be over soon!
 
Hang in there! I think that the final few weeks of pregnancy take forever. I tend to become very weepy and full of self pity because I am sooo miserable. It won't be long though until you are holding that sweet bundle of joy.

take care and keep us posted!

Maggie
 
Oh Marci....you are so very close, WHINE AWAY, that's what were here for!!!! I have to ask you if your having problems bumping into things too (not to make you any more miserable and depressed). I keep running into things and I know it must be due to the "imbalance" associated with a huge belly....things I normally breeze past all of the sudden jump out and get knocked over, I nearly took out my 13 year son the other day when I went to turn around and he was there and he went flying, and he's not that little. I'm feeling really clutzy, and let me ask you, do you have any baby gates that you need to step over? When I go to lift my left, it's like it doesn't lift quite the same if you know what I mean. I find this amazing as I can workout in the morning, but stepping over baby gates is an immense accomplishment. :) :) :)

Just had to add a few things to the list!!

Briee
 
Yes Briee,
I am totally bumping into things, including my kids heads LOL! I keep misjudging spaces and bumping into my 4 year old and 6 year olds with my belly. Nothing to make you feel big and clutzy when you bump into your own child with your yet to be born child LOL!

Have you developed the pregnancy waddle? All of a sudden I can't seem to walk like a normal person, I'm just SO off balance I find myself kind of waddling.

As for the baby gates, funny think is that I'm installing 2 this weekend because my 16 month old does NOT listen to the word no and keeps getting into stuff he should not be getting into to!! Plus I figure they will be good for when the new baby starts to crawl they will already be up. My 6 year old was 3 1/2 when we bought this house so we did not need them and my 4 year old was 1 but I never needed gates with her because I said no and she listened!! I did have baby gates to step over when I was pregnant with my second and those can be tough. I remember falling a few times from losing my balance. Be careful!!

You are almost done too!

Oh, and I know this feels silly, but it seems like every single human being I come into face contact with greets me not by name anymore but with "How are you feeling?" For some reason that question is just really irritating me.

Maggie, Yes, yes, yes, I am totally feeling sorry for myself and very quick to cry. I'm not normally a crier but for some reason lately the smallest little thing makes me cry. My sweet DH has been so patient and he knows that this will pass a few weeks post partum and I'll be myself again.
 
I can sympathize with your swelling. My face and ankles were so swollen. I look back at the few pictures taken of me and I want to burn them - my face looks so fat! In fact my ankles were swollen so much that last month that women would say they thought I had toxemia and should go to the hospital right away!

Go on feel sorry for yourself! We all feel sorry for you! Nevertheless, your little girl will be here in no time!
 
I have a question for you Marci....I want to know if you are any more comfortable now than when you gained 60 pounds with the other three. I had all these complaints and more when I gained 60 with each of the first four...I was soooo miserable by the time I was at 34 weeks, I had to stop wearing my wedding ring around 3 months cause my fingers were so fat, I had heartburn, and every complaint imaginable (except vericose veins - I never had that). I definitely had the waddle early on. BUT, the last two pregnancies I gained much less (always less than 30 pounds) and I don't have those complaints. I must admit I went vegan so I think this may account for the lack of heartburn and any swelling. My wedding ring is still so loose it almost falls off and I really feel good currently. I think I felt worse for the first 6-7 months than I do now, just felt like throwing up all the time and major tired. I'm getting this burst of energy now (which could change at any time I'm sure). I feel a lot more "mobile" now compared to the first four - I felt like a beached whale through most of those pregs. Just wondered how it's comparing - any thoughts????

Every pregnancy is so very different!!!

Briee
 
Marci--hugs! You have every reason to feel sorry for your self. And thank God for patient husbands. I am a very emotional person anyway, and all these hormones (pregnancy, post partum, nursing--whatever:p ) just make it worse. I think my hubby will be eligable for sainthood for putting up with me:D .

take care,
Maggie
 
:) Maggie, my DH deserves sainthood for putting up with me!! I am pretty moody lately and he is just being so sweet and nice to me.'

Just yesterday, the doorbell rang at 1pm and there was a flower delivery guy, my DH sent me flowers just to be nice :)

Briee,

I would have thought I would feel better for so much less weight but I don't. Well psychologically I feel SO much better and know I will bounce back much quicker but for some reason my face and fingers and ankles/feet are still swelling. As of this morning I'm up to 22 lbs. I seemed to have had a jump in the past 2 weeks due to water retention. My back is killing me. My Dr. told me that part of this is due to the fact that this is my 4th baby in 6 years and my baby was only 8 months old when I got pregnant so my body did not have a chance to fully bounce back.

I will say though when I gained 65 lbs with EACH of my first 3, not only did I feel bad physically but I was just panicked near the end of how I would lose it all. I never fully lost all the weight and lost anywhere from 45-55 per baby so I still have about 40 lbs left from my pre-motherhood weight. So if you think about that, 40 left from the first 3 plus 22 this time I'm about where I was at the end of my first pregnancy weight wise.

Gaining so little this time though has given me the confidence to know I have the self motivation to get ALL the weight off and get back to my pre-motherhood weight- or less!!

Don't you feel so much better having gained less?? Its such a great feeling to have stayed in control this time. Do you have trouble getting enough protein on the vegan diet?? What protein sources do you rely on? Vegan diets have always interested me and my DH will not eat red meat and would not miss poultry much. Do you spend a lot of time on food preperation?
 
Marci, you have done so well and I'm sure with all the new Cathe workouts, you'll get the weight off quick as a bunny. Your children are much closer than mine. I gained 60lbs with my first four, actually I've always been right around 100 pounds and with the first I delivered at 160 (I'm a hair under 5'3), I went back to 105 after the first, BUT it took 2 years and a full two years I might add. With the next three I went right back up to 160 and usually got most of the weight off, but a few times I may have only gone back to 115 or so. With baby number 5 I had 3 full years to get back to preprego weight so I was right at 100 again, but this time I only went to around 135 at delivery (vegan diet) and it was soooooo very much easier. The difference of not carrying so much weight when you are in your 9th month is like night and day. I was wondering if this was why shopaholic had such an easy time, I think she is pretty thin and then doesn't gain much while pregnant. I was soo soo soo soo miserable at 160 pounds and felt like a beached whale. I took measurements (no wonder I was depressed) and my tush grew like 8 full inches, along with everything else (I do not have big babies, so I can't use this as an excuse)!!

This time I'm right at 129 (I think I was around 105 right before I got pregnant) and I'd be happy if I don't gain any more, but I'm sure I will gain a few more pounds before this is all over, I don't think this baby is near ready to come out any time soon. You sound very close. This child will be the closest in age to my next and you're right, I think it's harder on the body when they are closer together!!

As far as protein....I do drink a soyfree veggie protein shake in the morning after I workout (22 grams). I drink barley green and spirulina prior to workout. Then I usually don't eat until lunch and most times its a homemade tortilla with refried beans and lots of spinach on top, avocado if I have it. I have added some eggs in sometimes, but they make my tummy sick so not often. I guess most of my protein comes through beans and nuts, I snack on nuts and make sesame balls with nuts and sesame seeds. It's been a strict diet, but I feel so much better while I'm on it. For me it works, but I'm sure it's not for everyone. I ate a LOAD of protein with the first 4 and realized it made me very weighed down, literally (I craved protein). I'm used to cooking meals for the family and eating salads while they eat, but it took a while to get used to. My dh is now eating lots of fruits and veggies and is feeling better too. Sorry this got so VERY long!!!

Please keep us posted, any more signs?????

Briee
 
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