36 Weeks / PUPPP

I don't have a chalkboard drawing for this week's update because...let's be honest...I'm getting tired. Hahaha! It probably has a lot to do with my itchy belly. As mentioned in my previous post, I've developed this HORRIBLE rash on my stomach, and the itching has been so intense that I've been unable to sleep well at night (not that I've been sleeping well anyway). And no, I do not have cholestasis - thank God! What I DO have is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) - that's just a bunch of fancy medical terms that translate to: super duper itchy tummy skin for future mommies. 

I guess you can consider this my 36-week belly bump photo. You can see the stretch marks, but they don't look so irritated in this picture...but they are DEFINITELY irritated right now!!!

Some women have come up to me and said, "Oh, that's just your skin stretching. It's normal." Ha. Ha. Ha. NO. My stomach looks and feels as if I have hives all over it, more specifically, on my stretch marks - they are red, raised, and have teeny bumps. It's absolutely awful, and there is nothing to relieve the itching. And people have this misconception that my skin is "just dry" and that I "simply need to apply moisturizer", but that's not the case. During this entire pregnancy, I have been applying cocoa butter balm and vitamin E oil to my stomach several times a day (to prevent stretch marks), and this condition appeared out of nowhere within the past couple of weeks...so this is definitely not due to dry skin.

So...nothing has worked to relieve the ITCHING (Aveeno Eczema Therapy Cream, oatmeal bath, cocoa butter, lotion, vaseline, any type of oil, hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl, Atarax, etc.)...if there is anyone out there that has some magical topical ointment/cream to get rid of the itching, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! And yes, I've tried ice packs...but that only provides temporary relief...and I can't sleep with an icepack attached to my stomach all night.

*Sigh* But it will be all worth it. In less than 4 weeks (oh PLEASE, dear God, let this baby arrive on or before his due date), this baby will be here, and all of this discomfort will all be worth it. Here's the weekly survey:

How far along?: 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs
Sleep: What. Is. Sleep?
Best moment this week: Finding a stroller/car seat combo at my door step today - special delivery from my Auntie Gaye. Thank you! We love it!
Movement: Always! He gets hiccups a lot too.
Symptoms: Itchy tummy and an achy back...my back hasn't been a problem ever since I stopped working on the floor, but for the past couple of days, I've noticed this dull pain in my lower back. Also, pubic pain...guess my body is getting ready to push this baby out.
Symptoms I DON'T have: Nausea, sciatica, weird cravings (I just noticed that I haven't had a single weird craving this pregnancy).
Food cravings: This week, I've been eating a lot of salad (specifically Southwest-style salads), Chobani yogurt (Double Chocolate Chunk), cereal, chocolate milk, and *gasp* CHICKEN SANDWICHES!

Food aversions: Guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: So I was reading up on what labor signs to look out for, and I'm pretty much experiencing all of the pre-labor ones. Scary!
Belly Button in or out?: It's really just flat, and I don't think it's going to poke out.
What I miss: Sleep. Just sleep.
What I am looking forward to: MATERNITY LEAVE...whenever THAT is.
Weekly Wisdom: If you have Kaiser, call member services because you may be eligible for a free breast pump once the baby is due!
Milestones: Hit the 8-month mark - 1 more month to go!

January Updates!

Can you believe it's already more than halfway through January?! I SWEAR it was just Christmas! Here's what's been going on the past few weeks:

Doctor's Appointments

Since I am 35 weeks (8 months!), my doctor's appointments will be every other week now. My most recent one was a few days ago, and the doctor said everything is looking fine - he even said that the baby is now head-down! Baby Herrera is getting ready! Here's an ultrasound photo of the baby from an appointment a few weeks back.

The baby got so big that his whole body can't fit on the screen anymore. Can you spot his face, arm, and hand?

Our only concern is that I developed intense itching on my belly, and the doctor wanted to rule out cholestasis, which is a condition in which there's an issue with bile flow (the mommy's, not the baby's). There's no harm to the mommy, but it could potentially harm the baby, even causing a stillbirth. So my doctor ordered another blood test, and if I do end up having this condition, I will be seeing my doctor twice a week to have the baby monitored and will have to be induced at 37 weeks. Hopefully, this is not the case, and my belly is just irritated from being stretched.

Baby Classes

Ralph and I enrolled in a few classes, and so far, we've attended two. The first one (not really a class) was the Maternity Walking Tour, and it's exactly what it sounds like. We toured the hospital and the maternity ward and were given instructions of what to do the moment I begin to have labor symptoms. We are so fortunate that we have Kaiser...the hospital in Irvine is such a beautiful building, and I have no doubt that we'll be receiving the best of care there.

The other class we took was called Baby Care Basics - we learned how to change a diaper, comfort a crying baby (the 5 S's - swaddling, holding the baby on its side, shushing, swinging, and sucking), how to reduce the risk of SIDS, etc. Our last class (breastfeeding) is in a couple of weeks, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep that one...I might pop by then! Haha!

Baby Shower: Part 1

Yesterday, my parents and brother hosted our first baby shower (second one will be in Riverside with Ralph's side of the family...our families are just too big!), and Ralph and I could not be more thankful for all that they have done. My dad told me he started setting up the night before, and my mom was just a cooking/decorating/organizing machine. Thanks, Mom, Dad, and Matthew! A huge thank you to my mom's friends/neighbors for contributing tables, chair, and decorations; and also to my buddy Trang for being in charge of the games. And, of course, to everyone who came and spoiled the baby! Here are a few pictures:

With my parents and brother.

With Ralph's mom, sister, and niece.

Thank you, Trang, for being in charge of games!

My amazing coworkers...thank you so much for coming and for always looking out for me at work. Fatso Peanut is so blessed to already have so many aunties.

I love this photo!

So many gifts!!! Fatso Peanut's room will be stocked in no time...and we still have another baby shower to go to!

And as for work, I AM still working! My company is currently undergoing an EMR conversion, and this could not come at a better time. I am no longer able to work as a floor nurse, so I've been able to help out with data entry/transfer, and I'll be working as operator all next week. And it's a good thing I'm off the floor...it's hard to work with a watermelon for a belly. :)

I'm not sure when I'll be going on maternity leave - I guess it all depends on my blood test results. I would like to work till 38 weeks, but who knows... I think Fatso Peanut wants to make an early appearance. We'll see!

And lastly, the weekly update:

How far along?: 35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs
Sleep: A lot of women say they hit insomnia late in their pregnancies...but believe me, I'm SLEEPY, and I would LOVE to sleep! But, as usual, I'm not getting enough.
Best moment this week: Baby Shower!
Movement: Baby Herrera has run out of room, and I'm totally paying the price. Many times a day, he will push SO far out that it hurts to breathe. Sometimes, he'll even kick so hard that I'd get surprised.
Symptoms: My tummy itches SO much! Vitamin E oil, cocoa butter, lotion, and hydrocortisone cream have done absolutely nothing to relieve my irritated skin. It's like a horrible sunburn that won't go away.
Symptoms I DON'T have: My sciatica is gone! I think this is mostly due to me not working on the floor anymore.
Food cravings: Meat, cheese...the usual. :)

Food aversions: Chicken and guacamole.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Not yet. :)
Belly Button in or out?: It's not really poking out...it's more flat than anything.
What I miss: I guess just doing things normally...without a huge belly in the way or getting tired quickly...lol!
What I am looking forward to: Going on maternity leave!
Weekly Wisdom: If this is your first baby, take classes! Every little bit of information helps!
Milestones: Our first baby shower. :)