21 weeks... and some weird pregnancy symptoms

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 1 comments
Well, on Tuesday I reached the 21 week point, and along with it, I have been feeling much bigger movements from baby. While that is, in and of itself, a weird, although well-known pregnancy symptom, I have also been noticing some other strange symptoms.
First of all, for many weeks now, when I have my back flat on the bed (or ground or sofa...), my right leg falls asleep.
OK, so I know that pregnant women aren't supposed to lie flat on their backs after the first trimester, but this has been happening to me since about 12-13 weeks! I try not to spend a lot of time on my back, but sometimes you just can't help it and end up on your back while sleeping. My left leg has never fallen asleep, though, it's always only my right leg.
Another strange pregnancy symptom?
Very weird, elaborate dreams- which are most commonly nightmares. From what I've seen on the internet, these are fairly common, and often include cheating husbands and the like. In my case, (although I do recall Mauri kissing an ex girlfriend in one of them) they have been more commonly about being chased or being trapped somewhere- usually someplace very strange, but the strange thing is that I even make up creative names for the stores I visit in the dreams, etc. Now, I'm wishing I had written a lot of it down. Maybe I've just been watching too many episodes of Lost lately. :)
Maybe this is a bit tmi, but another strange symptom, apart from feeling like Maxi Mounds (who was, ironically, born in the same year as I was- feel free to google her if you don't know who I'm talking about), is strange anatomical changes in my, well, mounds. You do, of course, expect your breasts to get a little bigger (although, perhaps, you don´t expect them to feel like they weigh about 20 kilos each), but you don't expect them to get so sensitive or have strange changes in nipple size and color. I'll leave that one at that.
Another weird symptom is feeling my pulse throughout my entire body every once in awhile. I lie down, becuase it tends to accompany feeling a bit dizzy or tired, and I can hear/feel my own pulse all over. It pulses at my ear (the one I'm resting on), my tummy,...basically everywhere. I guess this one has to do with the times that the body is making more blood to accomodate for the extra person growing in there. It tends to last a couple of hours, and then goes away.
Then, of course, there are the cravings. Those, though, I guess, are also expected. I've gone from tangerines, to pickles (one day- when I ate like 6, and now have the rest of the jar in my fridge because neither Mauri nor I eat them usually), to days when I only want fried foods (last Thursday I had to have fried plantains, after not having eaten them in years), to days when I only want to eat fruit, and fried foods make me want to gag.
Then, there are the days when food doesn't sound appealing, followed by a day that you just can't stop eating!!
I suppose I could go on and on... but I won't. I'll just say that I guess the weirdest symptom is still having something moving around in your belly.
At times it's funny, at times it's comforting, at times it's a bit disturbing. It's a strange sensation that, I guess, you just have to get used to.
Well, even though I'm getting nearer to week 22, I'll post the info from the week 21 email:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

Actually, this week, the Spanish version was so much better (more complete), that I'll add it too (skipping the part about "if your baby is a girl..." These emails, as you can see, seem obsessed with the fact that my baby should be a girl or something- always calling him "she"):
En estos días no para de moverse, como puede que hayas notado. Según algunos estudios, un feto se mueve más o menos 50 veces cada hora, ¡incluso cuando está durmiendo! Todos esos movimientos sirven para estimular su desarrollo físico y mental. Quizás durante el día no sientas las patadas, vueltas, estiramientos y toda la gimnasia que tu hijo hace, pero por la noche... ¡parece que se está entrenando para ser futbolista! Pero, ¿por qué espera a que estés descansando para moverse tanto? Lo cierto es que durante el día también se mueve igual, pero tú sientes menos toda esa actividad que cuando estás descansando sin moverte.

It's true, I do feel most of the movements at night, or when I'm resting.
As for the rest of the email, I have to say, I'm lucky to have the symptoms I do have, and not to have the majority of those that the emails always write about. It's not to say that I haven't gotten the occasional pimple, but, if anything, my skin is probably in better shape than usual:

How your life's changing:
You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

That's not to say you won't have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don't take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.

You're also more prone to varicose veins now. As your pregnancy progresses, there's increasing pressure on the veins in your legs; higher progesterone levels, which may cause the walls of your veins to relax, can make the problem worse. You're more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. Also, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

You may also notice so-called spider veins (a group of tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin), particularly on your ankles, legs, or face. They may have a spider- or sunburst-like pattern with little branches radiating out from the center, they may look like the branches of a tree, or they may be a group of separate thin lines with no particular pattern. Though they may be a bit unsightly, spider veins don't cause discomfort and usually disappear after delivery.

Well, I guess I'll go back to painting baby's room, and, yes, I'll have to get some pics of the room so far for my next entry.

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