32-33 weeks

not much to report on. i haven't gained any weight the past two weeks, and i'm measuring the same too -- just 29 centimeters. in two weeks at our next appointment, if i am still measuring 4 cm away from what is average (i am about 33 weeks along so i should be measuring within 4 cm of 33; with river i always measured the same number of weeks i was along in my pregnancy) my midwife is recommending an ultrasound. i asked her if the smaller measurements could have anything to do with my low iron and she said it could -- i need to up my iron so that my body isn't working so hard at just keeping me going, and so the placenta is receiving enough oxygen and nutrients, etc. she said it's not a bad thing, or dangerous... but it could be better. she said baby girl feels smaller than what she remembers river feeling like in the womb. i'm not worried, but i do understand the importance of being consistent with my iron these next two weeks. :\

OH, and, i have been feeling her practice making breathing motions! i never felt river move around like that. it's a pulsating, like her little body is taking breaths in and out. so cool! she's getting ready to meet her mama. :)

:edit: she is also very low, already making her way down into my pelvic area.

30-31 weeks

- my iron has gotten lower! it's at a 9 (whatever that means) and it should be at an 11 to be on the very low end of healthy, preferably a 14. (seriously, what does that mean?) i am in my 32nd week, which means i really need to be consistent with getting it up. every day i need to take chlorophyll, yellowdock, and vitamins C and B, and then in a month my midwife will draw my blood again. sigh. i'm thinking of taking floradix like i did with river, because it worked so well, but it's about $50 for a bottle (taking two tablespoons a day), whereas chlorophyll is $12 for a tincture (about 40 drops a day).

- my esophagus is so messed up, i can tell what will give me heartburn as i'm eating it. chocolate, salsa, peanut butter -- if it burns going down, it burns coming up.

- i'm weighing less and measuring smaller than i did with river at this point in my pregnancy. i'm hoping this doesn't mean i'm not as far along as i think.

- insomnia is annoying, but i can live with it as long as i don't have anything to do the next morning. i can fall asleep okay, but i'll wake up three hours later and not be able to fall back asleep, sometimes for a few hours. then when i finally do, it's that dozing kind of sleep, where you feel like you've been awake the whole night. by seven, i can usually fall back into a good sleep, but then river's ready to get up a couple hours later.

- the baby is now moving around just as much as her big brother did... she was so quiet for so long, but the past month i've been thinking she's trying to rip her way out of my uterus. that, or she's hosting dance parties.

- this pregnancy has given me three more stretch marks. with river, i got two teeny stretch marks on my stomach in the LAST WEEK of pregnancy. these showed up a couple weeks ago and are getting longer. whatever.

- cravings: beef and dr pepper. i have had a lot of burgers lately... normally i never eat beef!