Life Right Now [July]
Hello friends! It’s been a minute since I have written a life update. Pregnancy has a way of making regular habits to fall by the wayside; you know, like sleeping on your back, being nice to people that annoy you, and writing blog posts to just name a few.
So before the main event – baby #3 joining our family – I figured I better try and get one more life update published. Because let’s be honest, once postpartum hits, I am going to go from not remembering to write to not remembering to brush my teeth.
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Top Highlights from February – June
Skiing
Madic lost his first tooth
Swim lessons: Madic can officially swim and Emma is now jumping off the diving board and coming up to a back float
Baby Animal Days
20 week ultrasound: We didn’t find out the gender of our baby. The baby measured big (90th percentile) and they casually asked me “Do you typically have 9 to 10 lb babies?”. What do you think we are having?
Trip to Sedona, AZ
Madic graduated from kindergarten
July
This month has been a bit of a whirlwind as we get ready for our trip to Switzerland in August. Here are the highlights.
We have been trying to soak up all the summer vibes while we can: hikes, ice cream, parades, etc.
Emma and her frequent head traumas. Emma has been to the ER twice for head trauma. Once for being knocked down in a gym and hitting her head. The other time from trying to do a headstand on my bed and head planting it into the ground. This month she hit her head again. She sat on a chain that was blocking a driveway and lifted her feet. She swung backward and smacked her head on the asphalt. I think she did get a minor concussion but she didn’t throw-up like she has with the last two so I just watched her. Unfortunately, the impact did break the skin. She is giving me a run for my money on keeping her alive until puberty.
Another ultrasound
Since I am old, Maternal Fetal Medicine scheduled me for another ultrasound at 32 weeks. We found out that the baby still measuring at the 90th percentile but I also have a mild case of Polyhydramnios which means I have extra amniotic fluid. You should be at about 24 AFI and I have 26 AFI. There are different reasons why you may have extra amniotic fluid. They have ruled out all of those causes (swallowing difficulty, cleft lip, etc.) so they are just going to monitor it. The bummer thing is with the big baby and extra fluid it made me extra big (measuring 36 weeks along at 33 weeks). I think I look bigger (or as big) as I did when I was ready to deliver Madic and Emma. What do you think?
After that appointment they wanted to schedule me for a non-stress test every week. I told them that I was leaving the country for two weeks and asked if that would be a problem. The receptionist went and spoke to the doctor and his response was “Is she wanting to have her baby in Switzerland?” Other than that he said it was fine for me to travel. What do you think are we adventurous or crazy for traveling abroad with me being so pregnant?
Celebrated Emma’s birthday early. It was especially fun because we had cousins in town to help us celebrate.
Getting ready for Switzerland. A lot of people have been asking me where we are going in Switzerland. We are doing Rick Steves’ 15 day itinerary. That covers the following cities: Appenzell, Ebenalp, St. Gallen (this is where Dustin’s ancestors came from), Luzern, Lugano, Gandria, Pontresina, Zermatt, Lausanne, Gimmelwald, Murren, and Bern.
We are also doing the following scenic train rides: the Golden Pass which goes from Montreux to Interlaken, the Gotthard Panorma Express which starts with a boat ride across Lake Luzern and then a train ride from Fluelen to Lugano, the Bernina Express which combines a bus trip through Italy with a train ride up into the mountains to Pontresina, and the Glacier Express which goes from St. Mortiz to Zermatt and crosses 291 bridges and goes through 91 tunnels.
And we are doing the high alpine lifts to Jungfrau, Klein Matterhorn, and Gornergrat, if the weather cooperates.
Things that I am packing in my pregnancy survival travel kit
Period Underwear: I typically wear panty liners when pregnant. I thought these would be more convenient and also help with sweat absorbance. I can also then use them during postpartum once my bleeding gets lighter.
Liquid IVs: The best way to deal with jet lag and altitude change is to be super hydrated. To help with that I bought some liquid IVs. I will mostly be using them for the day before and the day of our flights. However, when we are in Zermatt we will be doing some high altitude lifts and I will be using them on those days as well.
Heating Pad: This is actually designed for period pain, but my sister suggested getting it for lower back pain. It has three heat settings and three massage settings and you can wear it like a belt. Given that my lower back tends to give me problems when sitting for a long period of time it seemed like a worthwhile investment.
Wedge Pillow: The pillow is actually designed to prop up your belly while in bed, but I mostly use it for lumbar support while sitting. I am planning on bringing it on the plane to hopefully make the long journey more comfortable. I can then also use it while sleeping as a knee pillow.
Extra Strength Tylenol: This pregnancy has actually been pretty pain free. However, when I sit for long periods of time I get really bad lightening crotch (sorry…TMI) when rolling over in bed. My midwife said the largest dose I can take of Tylenol at one time is 1000 mg which is the dosing for extra strength Tylenol.
Prunes: I am sure I could find prunes at the grocery store in Switzerland, but for sake of convenience I am going to bring my own. I usually take Metamucil to increase my fiber intake but it has been giving me heartburn. My midwife suggested eating 3 prunes a day and it has worked like a charm.
Tums and Pepcid: Chocolate always gives me heartburn and you better believe I plan on eating my fair share of Swiss chocolate while we are over there so I am coming prepared with all the things.
Tide Pen: We are only bringing enough clothes for 5 days. Since I can’t seem to make it through a meal without spilling on my belly I am bringing a tide pen to see if I can get by longer without having to wash my clothes.
Note from Midwife and complete pregnancy medical history: Air France’s airline policy is that you can fly until 37 weeks. To be on the safe side I got a note from my midwife stating how far along I will be when traveling and that I have been cleared by them to fly. They also recommending I bring a print out of my pregnancy medical history, just in case I do need to go to the hospital.
Stretch Mark Lotion: I have used this lotion with my last two pregnancies and didn’t get any stretch marks. Whether it was the lotion or just luck, I am still dedicated to using it this pregnancy, especially since I am measuring big.
European SIM Card: My sister also recommended I get a European SIM Card for my phone. This one gives me 10 GB of data and unlimited local calls and text. The main reason I got it is so we can look things up and use maps if we need directions. There are also some apps I would like to access like the train schedule. And given that I am very pregnant I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a way to call a doctor if needs be.
Compression Socks: For the flight my midwife suggested I wear compression socks and get up and walk every 1-2 hours. My sister-in-law was nice enough to give me hers from her last pregnancy.
What would you add if you were traveling at 34 weeks pregnant?
Book Recommendations
It is summer which means I am trying to read all the books. Here are a few I have read recently that I liked.
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
This one is a tear jerker, but overall I really liked it. It is about a woman that is a widow and her story of putting her life back together.
The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay
This is a historical cold war novel. I have never read anything from this era and found it super fascinating. It is about a girl that finds a secret stash of letters from her father whom she presumed was dead. This leads her on a journey of learning the truth about her past.
This is a personal finance book. As you can tell from the title there is definitely some language in the book. That wasn’t my favorite; however, I did find some of her thoughts on building personal wealth intriguing. For example, she stated that if you own a home and your interest rate is 5%, but you can earn 7-9% by investing your money it would make more sense to invest your extra cash vs. putting it toward paying off your home early.
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
It’s about a girl that wakes up in Paris with no memory. There are some really bad people after her and a good looking stranger that is willing to help her get away. It is a light hearted rom-com that had me laughing out loud at least a few times.
The First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
This book is hard to describe, but it is in essence about a girl that takes on fake identities to steal things for her employer. This is one of those books that pulls you in right from the beginning.
Until Next Time
We are headed off in August. I hope to post some updates on our Switzerland trip on Instagram. If you would like, you can follow along at @adventures.after.kids
I hope to provide a full recap when we return. Until then, happy adventuring!