twenty-seven weeks pregnant

27 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy day 189...91 days to go!

Baby is now 14.5 inches long and weighs about 2 pounds. Wow - 2 pounds of baby are in my tummy, that's insane! 

I am still feeling great. Other than the symptoms that I posted about the other day here (which are more of a nuisance than a genuine problem), I feel fantastic and have much more energy these days. I have definitely expanded again this week in the tummy region, don't you think?...and I gained over 2.5 pounds this week alone -eek! 

I have my 28-week midwife appointment this coming Friday, even though it's actually at the end of week 27. The midwife wanted to see me early because I have a Glucose Tolerance Test next Monday and she wants to chat to me about it before then. I will update you about these 2 appointments after I have them, no doubt. 

Emotionally I am coping pretty well. It helps that this weekend was a 4-day weekend here in the UK, allowing me to take a break from work which was much needed. Have I mentioned that work is sooooo stressful at the moment for me? Sometimes for no reason? I think I have. This Wednesday they are having interviews for the person to cover my maternity leave which makes the end seem nearer. 

Baby has been extremely active this past week; he likes to kick me more or less throughout the day now. I must admit, I kinda love his little kicks, even when they are uncomfortable.  I think we might have an active little boy on our hands in a few months!

things i never knew about pregnancy

Before I became pregnant I thought I knew what pregnancy would be like, how it would feel and what symptoms I would have. I thought I knew it all! I thought pregnancy was about morning sickness to start, some back-ache, peeing a lot at night and then feeling uncomfortable and waddling at the end. But there are so many things about pregnancy that I never knew... 

For one, I never got morning sickness - never had that stereotypical nauseousness that everyone talks about. Instead, I felt completely exhausted in the evenings for the first 3 months. I barely had time for dinner before involuntarily nodding off with the plate sometimes still laying half-eaten on my lap. 

Some other  pregnancy symptoms I have that no one ever told me about: 

• Bleeding gums - My gums are crazy at the moment. Every time I brush my teeth it's like a blood bath in the sink. I have tried brushing softly, not brushing directly on the gums, and, well, nothing is working.
• Numb legs - I spoke about this in my 26 weeks pregnant post. It's most likely caused by my uterus pushing on my sciatica nerve and, for the record, is very frustrating. The only thing that helps is being lazy and sitting down.
• Nasal congestion - My nose is constantly stuffy, for no apparent reason. What's up with that?
• Hair and nail insanity - My hair and nails are growing at an insane rate! I swear, it feels like I cut my nails before going to bed and when I wake up they are long again. 
• Heartburn - Man, heartburn has really hit me hard the past couple weeks. It hurts when I drink, when I eat, when I lie down. So far the only remedy has been drinking lots and lots of milk.
• Clumsiness - Basically I stumble and drop things. All. The. Time. It's embarrassing.

Who knew?