A Real-Life Pregnancy: Week 23

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Photo Credit: Dean Lipoff

The little grumblings that I thought might be indigestion turned out to be my wiggly baby.

What's Going On In There?

I think I've got the baby's schedule figured out. Mornings are pretty quiet, afternoons get some activity when I eat, and around 5 PM to the end of the night there is happy hour and a dance party. You can see all the activity on the outside now, and others are noticing!

Feeling this little person inside me, it's a difficult sensation to explain. I mean, it's surreal to think there's all this movement going on in my belly that I have no control over. The first couple of times I felt my baby start a major dancing routine, I grabbed my husband's hand so he could feel the movements. Of course, as soon as his hand touched my tummy, the baby stopped moving! We sometimes spend minutes just watching my belly for the kicks and jabs that happen at random times.

This has been a nice and relaxing time with my baby. I'm not as hungry. I've increased my exercise. I've even started to plan and think about life after the baby is out of my belly. I haven't been "nesting" really, but have been pretty amazed by the amount of baby stuff we've accumulated. I haven't even had the baby yet and we seem to have quite the stash of baby stuff friends have given us (nice to have friends who are done having babies and want to pass along all their gear). I'm finding that baby products can be, well, expensive. I think manufacturers know parents want the best of everything for their babies and we're willing to pay for it.

Baby Shower and Traveling Nerves

So, I am having a baby shower—or someone is planning a baby shower for me—and I'm making sure I have the etiquette down. I already registered with a local and major store (I wrote about this experience a couple of weeks ago). Now I'm beginning to wonder what goes into a baby shower. Just like a bridal shower, it involves a lot of people doing something nice for you, and you, the center of attention, sitting back and enjoying it all. For some of you out there, this is a wonderful experience. For others (me included!) this can be a challenging time.

I'm also traveling on a plane to get to the baby shower. I already checked with my OB-GYN to make sure I'm good to go. I'm not going on an international flight (oh well) but I will be on the plane for a couple of hours. I'll also be traveling alone, so I've been thinking about ways to make my trip as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

When I booked the tickets I put in a request for a seat assignmnent. I want to make sure that I have an aisle seat so that when I need to get up and use the bathroom (and I'm sure I'll need to more than once) I won't have to be stumbling over the other passengers next to me. I can't even imagine how I'd get by them with my big belly!

I know being pregnant can be frustrating at times. I don't know about you, but I get tired and sometimes overwhelmed easily, so I'm trying to pack smart too. I'm trying to fit everything into a small rolling carry-on to stash in the overhead compartment, then I can sit back with a bag of goodies to keep me happy on the plane. I would love to be able to pack tons of bottles of water to keep me hydrated—but that is another no-no these days. I'm sure the flight attendant will be rolling her eyes by the end of the flight after she sees how many times I've had to get up to use the bathroom. Oh well.

Traveling is fun, having a baby shower is lots of fun. Although I don't like being the center of attention, I'm going to try to sit back and enjoy everything. I'm going to accept all the wonderful gifts and positive comments others have for me with gratitude. I'm going to wear a great dress that makes me feel proud of my large baby bump. And I'm going to beg to switch seats with someone if I'm stuck next to the window! Here I come, baby shower!

Sarah's Stats

Waist measurement: 40 inches
Weekly weigh-in: 162 pounds
Pregnancy symptoms: Lots of activity down there, but not much else.
My pregnancy advice for the week: Buy, buy, buy! You can't have too much baby stuff!
Pregnancy "first" of the week: Getting ready for travel during pregnancy.
Doctor's visit: Nope.

About the Photo: The above picture of the author was taken during her 23rd week of pregnancy by Dean Lipoff.

Read the next installment: week 24