I keep meaning to write more about this amazing experience... but I'm just so tired and busy getting everything ready for their arrival. Also, part of me hasn't quite believed it's really happening - that something will go wrong and it will all be taken away. Now that I'm approaching 26 weeks, it's becoming more real.
I have been feeling movement for a while now. Little kicks and jabs. We even saw them hitting each other on the ultrasound! Then last week D finally felt it from the outside for the first time. He is still a little freaked out by the whole idea, but he has voluntarily touched my belly a few times since so I think he might be coming around.
This weekend I finally saw my belly moving! I haven't been able to stop staring at my belly since. I listen to TV, but watch my belly. Yesterday I was in first aid training all day and when they started moving I even had a co-worker watching my belly for movement. It was much more interesting than the instructions for treating wounds... Today they started moving during a meeting and when I said something, everyone stared at my belly for the rest of the meeting.
My two biggest pregnancy complaints right now are heartburn and carpal tunnel. The heartburn is really bad in the evenings and at night. My midwives said it was fine to take several Tums as needed throughout the day to help relieve the burning. I've got an extra large container by my bed, another in my office, and a small travel pack for my purse. I went to my naturopath today and she gave me some marshmallow root tea. I should make some now to see if it makes a difference.
About two weeks ago I noticed my fingers started to feel like they were asleep and numb. Also, my wrists kinda hurt. I suspected that I was developing carpal tunnel so I brought it up to my midwife at my last appointment - at that point it had only been going on for about 3 days - her response was "ya..." So apparently there isn't much I can do about it. It should go away after the boys are born, but until then, I kinda have to suffer through it. It's caused my fluid creating pressure in my wrists and compressing the nerve that runs across my palm, up my index, middle, and half of my ring finger ( that is a weird feeling... one half of my ring finger, the side closest to my middle finger, is asleep, but the half next to my pinkie finger is fine...). The naturopath gave me some homeopathic remedies to help with the water retention and told me to alternate hot and cold compresses. I've also bought wrist braces to wear at night, but so far, nothing seems to be helping :(
For now, I will hold my hands above my head trying to get the fluid down while watching my TV-tummy as my boys duke it out inside!
