Southern Exposure

How Far Along: 35 weeks

I didn’t read a lot on what to not do when pregnant when I got pregnant. I had knowledge of a few things to avoid that of course were just logical. Hot tubs for example are breeding ground for bacteria and can give you a UTI pregnant or not. I also knew no more Krav Maga class where I get drilled in the stomach by grown men. So I used my head and avoided activities I felt could harm me or baby. 

Babycenter put out this list “What activities I should avoid during pregnancy” and I figured I’d share since I’ve seen some people concerned about what activities they participate in during this exciting and challenging time of our lives.

You can find the full article here but here are some of the highlights:

• Amusement park rides:Waterslides and other rides at amusement parks are a no-no, since a forceful landing or sudden start or stop could harm your baby.
• Bicycling:Cycling isn’t a good idea for newbies, but experienced riders may be able to continue until their second trimester, when a shifting center of gravity affects balance and can make cycling dangerous.
• Contact sports:Soccer, basketball, and hockey put you at a high risk of injury from a ball or puck, a collision with another player, or a fall during play.
• Downhill skiing:ACOG advises against downhill skiing anytime during pregnancy because of the risk of serious injuries and hard falls. If you choose to ski, stick to gentle slopes and be aware that you may have problems with balance as your belly expands. A safer choice is cross-country skiing, which is also much better for building cardiovascular fitness. Avoid skiing at altitudes above 6,000 feet, where there’s less oxygen for you and your baby.
• Gymnastics:Same risk of falling and increased chance of trauma to your abdomen.
• Horseback riding:Even if you’re a good rider, it’s not worth risking a fall.
• Post-sport tubs and saunas:Soaking in hot tubs and Jacuzzis or sitting in a sauna can be dangerous to your developing baby because overheating has been linked to birth defects.
• Running:If you weren’t a runner before you got pregnant, now’s not the time to take it up. Otherwise, it’s fine in moderation. From your second trimester on, when the risk of falling increases, you should run with caution. As with all forms of exercise, avoid becoming overheated, and drink plenty of water to replace fluids lost through sweating.
• Scuba diving:This is an absolute no. As you surface, air bubbles can form in your bloodstream, which can be very dangerous for both you and your growing baby.
• Snowboarding:Same risk of falling and increased chance of trauma to your abdomen.
• Surfing:Same risk of falling and increased chance of trauma to your abdomen.
• Tennis:A moderately paced game of tennis is okay if you played before you became pregnant. But you may have problems with balance and sudden stops, so watch your step. Most women find that it’s hard to keep up their game as their bellies get bigger in the second and third trimesters.
• Waterskiing:Another activity that puts you at risk for falling and increases the chance of trauma to your abdomen.

Most of these make a lot of sense. My main rule is to stay hydrated and not get over heated. 

Okay so maybe it’s not that great but when I became pregnant I started drinking 2% milk and eating dairy. Normally I shy away from dairy except for the occasional scoop of sour cream or shredded cheese on a taco. After having been an avid soy milk, then almond milk enjoyer I switched to the “real” stuff. I like to think it helped me gain weight since there was a bit of a struggle with that for a while and also I haven’t needed any iron supplements. So something was working.

Unfortunately my husband was extremely allergic to dairy when he was born. He was ill, irritable and has seizures. So I made the conscious decision to quit dairy again this past weekend. I wanted to cleanse my system and have my milk be free of dairy enzymes. I did some research and in no way did me enjoying dairy during my pregnancy give my son an allergy. It’s more of an if he gets it, he gets it kind of thing. 

I also see cutting out dairy as a good foray into my really healthy eating habits I had pre-pregnancy. Not that I went hog wild but I did enjoy a little extra carbs and cheese but then again I stopped eating chicken, cold cuts and all the fish that I loved.

Luckily my husband grew out of his dairy allergy so I figure it can’t hurt to cut out something I used to live without and give my son a nice healthy start. I can’t control everything but I can try to control some of the little things.

Through out this pregnancy I’ve been so much more of a klutz. Lately it’s getting far worse. I’ve been dropping my lunch on the way to work. Breaking dishes. Burning my finger tips when I cook and oh today I closed my hand in a drawer at work.

I know this is typical but what kind of instinct is that? I should be more nimble and prepared to run and hide from lions not trip and drop stuff like in the movies.

I guess I’ll take being a klutz over the whole forgetful thing.

I’ve been having nightmares about random things for this entire pregnancy rather then then baby dreams.

Lately it seems to be every night but last nights was just weird. In one part I had to wrestle my mom to the ground because she was threatening me with wall paper? The next I was lost at some weird party and I was so sad and then Mark Wallberg aka Marky Mark was there and wanted to carry my pregnant ass around the party.

What does this all mean? My son is playing sneaky little hormonal tricks on me while I sleep. Wallpaper and Mark Wallberg (sp). Hmmm…

I had my 34-35 week appointment yesterday. Everything looks great and my midwife only had a few things to go over with me. The next appointment is my Strep B test and then we go over when to call when labor begins and all that fun stuff (here is a link if you want to know more about the Strep B test).

Seriously where has time gone? I feel like it was just September when I started smelling everything and wanting to sleep all the time.

So lately my body has been doing some preparatory exercises (that’s what I like to call them). I’ve had an increase in Braxton Hicks and some pelvic pressure among other things. With these developments I thought it was the perfect time to pack my hospital bag, little man’s bag and half packed my husband’s bag. We just have to try and remember to grab pillows when we head out the door and our shower kits.

I made lists and lists trying to figure out what I wanted to bring with me to the hospital besides my “birthing kit.” Finally I pushed aside the list and tried to pack smart.

Baby was easy. He has his two kimono style t-shirts, one in NB and one 0-3 months. Those are great for their healing belly button rather then smooshing it with a onesies right off the bat. He also has his coming home outfit (0-3 months) from Grandma and a backup NB romper with hat just incase he’s smaller. I packed mittens and two receiving blankets one for him and one for the dogs. I stuffed his baby book in their as well so I could get some footprints. 

The car seat base is installed and I’m just chomping at the bit to put the actually car seat in the car with his sweet blankie Grandma made. But I wait for two reasons. If you happen to get in a car accident before hand there goes the integrity of the car seat and well I work in downtown Atlanta. I could just see my car being the lucky winner of theft (we were robbed within the first few months living here). 

Being a natural over packer, packing my own bag was something that was a bit of a challenge. Luckily I managed to pack minimally.

Of course I packed my shower stuff and travel hair dryer. I packed some cozy breast feeding friendly dresses for the hospital stay along with New Mary Jane slippers I picked up at Target. I opted to use a cozy wrap sweater rather then a robe since it will be June in Atlanta (it’s already hitting 90ºF). I packed a nursing cami and a long maternity dress to wear home. Despite my usual lack of informality when getting dressed I did pack a pair of comfy pj pants just incase I never get to shave my legs which, let’s be honest is a good possibility.

I am still toiling with the idea of bringing my lap top to watch movies and hulu on. The hospital has free wireless and while I promised myself I’d completely disconnect before, during and after labor I guess I need something to entertain my husband while we recoup. 

Other then that stuff I have my water birthing kit in the car already and my certificates for water birthing and hypnobirth along with my brief birth plan are packed as well. Snacks will be brought by my good friend, and both in Labor and Delivery and Postpartum we have a fridge for our food so yay! 

It’s nice to have these tasks out of the way and I’d love to not have to have my husband run home for anything since we do live 45 minutes away from our hospital. Now to just make solid arrangements for the fur kids.

Oh oh and I packed a ton of hair ties, pins and headbands since I’ve got quite the mane going on (and it’s not going anywhere).