35 Wks: Pregnant Belly Shots and Low Iron

 I'm at just over 35 weeks and feeling much better than I was even a week ago.  I was feeling lousy.  Really tired and short of breath.  I'd complained of these symptoms a couple appointments ago, but basically was told that those are "normal" pregnancy symptoms - lung compression, creating a human, blah, blah, blah.  So I tried to just suck it up.

By the next appointment I was much more emphatic about these complaints.  I know I'm quite pregnant, and I know that I'm overweight - but I am crazy exhausted and get out of breath walking to the bathroom.  This also happened to be the appointment where they checked my iron level and it turns out I had VERY low iron - like a point lower and I wouldn't be able to deliver at the birth center.

I think my bellybutton officially popped

According the BabyCenter the symptoms for Anemia during pregnancy are:

• Exhaustion
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Paleness
• Rapid Heartbeat/Palpitations
• Shortness of Breath
• Headache
• Irritability
• Trouble Concentrating

I was nine for nine.  Yikes.  A little scary, but also such a relief that there was a fix for how I was feeling. So I've been on iron supplements for a little over a week and I'm already feeling much better.  

 I am still easily tired and still having trouble sleeping because of breathlessness - but I feel like I can function day to day again.  Such a relief.  With "only" a little over a month left, I was dreading how I would feel at 38 weeks.

In other news, my bellybutton seems to have popped - that never happened with Leo!  I'm measuring a little ahead, but not too much.  Still, makes me think that bug will more likely be early than late.

Too much?  Too late.  Sorry.

  Leo is making my heart explode with how excited/cute he is anticipating bug's arrival.  Some of my favorite moments:

• Looking at some of the baby clothes we are getting out.  Holding up a tiny shirt: "Oooooh!  This is cute!  Bug wear this!" as he lays it over my belly.  
• Spinning around swinging a toy he accidentally hits me in the belly.  "Ouch, Leo!  You hurt me.  What do you say when you hurt somebody?"  Turning to me and rubbing my belly: "Sorry, bug."
• Randomly requesting: "Put cream on bug now?" and being so happy when I let him rub oil or lotion on my belly.
• Seeing a newborn on my computer screen: "Look Mama!  That's bug!"

Picture by Sherry Aikens www.superexhausted.com

I do hope that the excitement and happiness about having a little brother/sister outweighs the tougher parts of the transition.  I guess, I hope that for all of us - and I really think it will.  Not fooling myself that it will be easy - but so worth it.

Picture by Sherry Aikens www.superexhausted.com