Waiting to Exhale

The babies are fine, thank goodness. All that stress and worry for nothing this time. My friend Molly recently emailed me that pregnancy is like 40 weeks of holding your breath until you give birth. It is so true. I’m sure a new type of worry takes its place after the babies are born, but for now, I am looking forward to exhaling.

The babies are measuring 2 pounds 13 ounces and 2 pounds 15 ounces. That seems extra chunky, though the doctor says it’s just fine (and there’s always room for error). One’s heart rate is 142 and the other’s heart rate was 150. In exciting news, Baby A is now head down! Go Baby A. Baby B is still breech, but it looks like she is thinking about putting her head down too, like her sister. Also, both babies are kicking each other. Most amazingly, my cervix is measuring 3.9. The doctor was impressed with this and asked if I was on bed rest. I admitted that I was just lazy and like to nap. Well, that and I don’t work, like 90 percent of the other women who are pregnant. So that means there is a lot of time when I am off my feet. If not working is helping to make healthy babies, then I am very happy to not be working.

I have a new nausea trigger: Laying on my back. Earlier today, in need of distractions before my appointment, I got my eyebrows waxed, which required me to lay prone on a hard table while a woman poured hot wax on me and ripped it off. Now that is painful enough, but literally after a couple of minutes I started to feel like I was going to throw up. I got that ping: I don’t know how to describe it, but it is that moment when you have crossed the border between “I don’t feel right” and “Get me bucket.” I suddenly sat up, much to the now-tweezing woman’s chagrin, and started stuttering I’m sorry’s and I feel sick. I had broken out in a cold sweat. It was awful. I was weighing my options as to the best place to aim, but after sitting up for a minute I suddenly felt better. I chalked it up to a random thing (the smells of the salon and all that) and went on with my day.

So on with the day and distractions. I went to Central Park for a nature fix and then to Whole Foods for lunch. Then I went to my appointment. Turns out the laying-down nausea wasn’t random: Laying on the table for the u/s (complete with pushing down on my abdomen) made me want to throw up too. The technician was more than accommodating and allowed me to take breaks, even positioning the craftmatic adjustable table up so I didn’t have to use my non-existent stomach muscles to raise myself to a non-flat position. She explained that it is because the babies and my uterus are putting a lot of pressure on al my internal organs. Whatever the reason, I won’t be laying on my back any time soon.

Nicole is off to Boston tomorrow and I am gong to stay at my brother’s. Their nanny is away for a few weeks so I am watching my niece and nephew two days a week as the pinch-hitting nanny for the next three weeks. I figured since Nicole was gone I might as well stay there, since I get ridiculously lonely when she leaves and why come home to an empty apartment? I go through major separation anxiety, and, as I have said before, I don’t really need much space in our togetherness. When she is gone I just pad around the apartment till it’s bedtime, and then I have to check all the closets and the shower for interlopers; get the Mag-light/battering weapon and put it under the pillow; turn one of the hall lights on; double lock the door; leave my cell phone under my pillow and slip into bed for a restless night sleep.

Thanks, everyone, for your tremendously reassuring comments on the kicking concerns. Turns out you were all right. Once again, experience trumps Google.

Pictured above is what I wish I was making to eat for dinner: Tomato-corn-avocado salad. It just says spring to me. Intstead we are having tomato-basil-mozzarella on spaghetti, which also says spring. And is less labor-intensive.