For the ladies from my blogroll who are currently expecting (and for any new readers - join in!), I'm curious about two things:
1. How's your belly button doing?and
2. How's your blood pressure/heart rate?On my end, it's a mixed bag. Consider this:
My belly button seems to have developed a tongue. I'm not kidding! There's a little flap in there that is starting to protrude out that looks like a tongue! Bunny's sticking her tongue out at me!
That started almost a month ago, when my total weight gain was in the 15-18 pound range. Some days it's there, some days it's not.
But I really have a feeling that this innie is going to be an outie before too much longer. I actually considered that little "keep your belly button in" device I saw at the maternity store, but decided that it was a hoax. I mean, what's it going to do? Spit a dart into my stomach and anchor my navel to my spine or something? Um, thanks, no. Ha, ha!
On the blood pressure and heart rate side of things, I posted a little last night (ok, early this morning!) that both are a bit elevated right now. It doesn't seem like a momentary thing...they've been creeping up steadily since I stopped taking my beta blockers at my endocrinologist's command.
I'm seeing three doctors a month, now: my endocrinologist, my perinatal specialist, and my OB/GYN. And since I can't seem to get them all lined up nicely and neatly to hit two or more in one day and save myself 30-mile trips from Fort Worth to Dallas, they're all in different weeks. Since they're so spread out and since they all check my vitals, I'm pretty confident that if the heart rate or BP reach danger zone kinds of ranges, it'll be caught quickly. I also monitor my heart rate daily, but I've stopped using the BP machine that's in my office - it makes my dang arm go numb!
With another 4-5 months to go (we all know that 40 weeks just ain't happening with this body!), I'm just hopeful that the ascent of my BP and heart rate remains gradual...fingers crossed! Four weeks to go until that magic threshold to viability!
Hey, I know! Maybe I can buy one of those stay-in-place belly-button thingers and anchor it to my heart, instead...both problems solved at once? HAHA!
Looking forward to hearing how all of your belly buttons and BPs are doing!
Love,
~FM~
5 comments:
love the new look!!!
I love the list of pre-pregnancy and current stats! I am all about numbers. My blood pressure has been fine so far, but the swelling has started. So, look forward to that!
I am beginning to think my belly button doesn't have an end. I have been threatening to poke out since around 19 weeks. It now resembles a volcano. The edges of it stick up and out, but it still goes in. Very strange looking. I just don't want it to pop out completely.
I check my belly button multiple times daily, trying to make sure my innie is still an innie. P checks too. At 26 weeks, still an innie. But it's definitely getting shallower.
As for the heartrate and b/p, my heartrate is definitely higher than it was, but it was low to start (usually around or slightly below 60), so now it's more normal. My b/p has fluctuated a lot, but always within the normal range.
My belly button is getting wider, that's for sure. I can now fit a nickel in it (yes, I find strange things to occupy my time). As for my BP, it was 120/70 last time.
SO GLAD you've made it to 20 weeks and the halfway mark!
Im 12 weeks today, slowly creeping up to the second trimester! :) It's still early for me to have blood pressure or bellybutton isues. But I had severe pre-eclampsia with myfirst pregnancy, so theyve monitoring me very carefully, and Im trying to prepare myself, because it's very likely to happen again.
Hope your bp doesnt get too high., I know how scary it can be.
Take care of yourself! :)
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