28 Weeks: 12 to Go!

Maybe it's been an "off" week or maybe I am still recovering from a trip to Maine last weekend? All I know is that I have more complaints this week than I remember from my entire first pregnancy. I still maintain that I am very lucky to feel (and have felt) as good as I do and I promise that I still love being pregnant. However, I could live without the following things:

- Swollen ankles (appeared this week)
- Swollen fingers (mostly when it's warm; also appeared this week)
- Acne
- Constant lower back pain
- Heavy pressure in the pelvic area (sorry if that's TMI, but I am pregnant and I think that entitles women to talk about the most disgusting things imaginable)
- Fatigue
- Protruding belly button (it's almost completely there now... sigh)
- Weight gain (okay, that's not a reasonable complaint but I still don't love that part)



I went to the doctor on the 15th. That morning was my glucose test, which came out fine except that my blood work showed low iron. I now need to take a supplement along with the Fish Oil and Prenatal Vitamin I take. What's another pill, right? My weight gain is still climbing but I am hoping it begins to plateau soon. My doctor assured me that I still looked fine and I shouldn't worry much, except that I really shouldn't gain more than 10 or 11 pounds before my due date. My belly measured at around 27 1/2, which was exactly where it should be and the baby's heart rate was 146. Now that I am in my 3rd trimester, I will be back to the doctor every 2 weeks.

While I avoid the pregnant "waddle" and try to ignore the fact that my center of balance is off, no one else can deny that this baby (and I) are growing all the time. Oddly enough, I have people ask both "are you due soon?" and "you must not be that far along yet?". Is black slimming even when you have a giant belly?