My Midwife is Not a Doctor

My midwife is a lovely, warm person, skillful in the ways of pregnancy, birth, and infant care. But she is not a doctor and is starting to get on my nerves.

I have a blood disorder called alpha thalassemia that makes my red blood cells smaller than normal and lowers my blood count to the point where I show up as anemic on all blood tests. This is a genetic disorder and has nothing to do with iron intake.

I have told my midwife this many times and even had my genetic counselor write her a letter saying that all the iron supplements in the world will never fix my blood count. I could eat a railroad tie for breakfast every morning and all that would happen is that I would get nauseous and constipated.

Yet, at every appointment, my midwife bugs me about taking more iron. I just got another message on my answering machine telling me I should be taking 3 iron supplements in addition to my prenatal vitamin. She knows that I have had detailed genetic counseling and a full review of my iron levels (which are perfectly normal), but she just won't let it go. She thinks I am being stubborn and ignoring her advice, but she refuses to assimilate any new information regarding my specific condition. Grrr.

/rant

Etsy Boobie Beanie

I may have to get me one of these. The seller says she can make them in other skin/nipple colors.

Symptom Update: 25 Weeks

As my second trimester enters its final weeks, I have been blessed with some new symptoms and the return of some old symptoms. At this point in my pregnancy, I am enjoying:

• strong kicks/punches in groups of 10-20 about 5 or 6 times per day (more at bedtime and in the early morning when I am lying down)
• belly visibly moving during aforementioned kick sessions
• leaky boobs (especially at night)
• 1-2 bathroom trips during the night
• alternate bouts of ravenous hunger and total lack of appetite, lasting 1-2 days at a time
• inability to walk more than 2 miles comfortably (round trip to work is 3 miles — I attempted it today and only got halfway home before I regretted pushing my luck)
• infrequent heartburn — not too bad, only once a week or so
• random numbness in my left hand due to pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome interacting with my old surgery scars
• general lack of graceful movement

Still, no vomiting and only occasional swelling of the legs and feet. I'm fairly physically comfortable as long as the temperature stays below 80 — if it is over 80, I have to get out of the house to somewhere that has air conditioning. In all, I'm doing pretty well.

Weekend Getaway

Last weekend, FB and I spent three whole days packing boxes, moving furniture, and getting the house ready for Snapdragon. This weekend, at FB's suggestion, we decided to get away and have some uninterrupted, no-work, alone time.

We drove up to Newburyport on Friday and spent a lovely weekend playing board games, walking by the water, and eating ice cream. I especially enjoyed the whirlpool bathtub in our hotel, which did wonders for my sore hips.

It was wonderful to have such a relaxing extended date. I love you, FB!

My New Favorite Snack

I have never liked dried apricots before, but now I cannot get enough of them. I have to make sure to remind myself that they are dried and will expand in my ever-more-compressed stomach, lest I eat more than a dozen at a time.

Ovarian Cyst Update

We had another ultrasound this morning. Snapdragon looks great — heart rate of 152, wiggling around vigorously, etc. Her skeleton is much more defined than it was a month ago — every bone lit up bright white and her spine and limbs looked much more robust. No wonder her kicks/punches have gotten so strong!

My ovarian cyst is about the same size, but now it has a little node in it. Up until this point, it has been perfectly smooth, but now there is a little bump about .5cm x .5cm on one side of it. The doctors didn't really know what it was, so I'll have to go back in two weeks. If it is the same size, they won't do anything other than check on it regularly, but if it is growing, I will have to have an MRI to try to figure out what is going on.

I have felt pretty calm about this cyst all along because it is most likely benign and not a threat to Snapdragon. It's more annoying than scary. Still, I am glad that Snapdragon is over 24 weeks now. If they find that the cyst is malignant or if it starts causing problems in any other way, there is a chance that she could survive if she had to be born early. Her odds get better every day, which is a great comfort to me.

Happy Viability Day, Snapdragon!

Snapdragon is 24 weeks along today, meaning that she would have a 50-50 shot at surviving if she were born today. We would prefer not to see her for another 15-16 weeks, but from here on in, her prognosis gets better every day.