27 Weeks Pregnant - Start of the 3rd Trimester, Exercise during Pregnancy, and some cute baby stuff we got

So I am 27 weeks pregnant and now I am officially in my 3rd trimester! So exciting! However, a lot of people told me that the 3rd trimester is pretty tough because you get so much bigger, exhaustion comes back, leg cramps etc. I am excited because I feel like now that I am in the 3rd trimester, I am in the home stretch and baby Spiegelman is almost here.

My goal is to try and stay pretty active during the 3rd trimester (without harming the baby of course). I am hoping that it will help some of the common ailments during the 3rd trimester and it will help during birth. I was very active prior to conceiving but I was not that active during the 1st trimester due to morning sickness. I basically just survived the 1st trimester. I became more active during the 2nd trimester but I still only worked out like twice per week plus random house stuff like gardening and walking to and from the bus which is about 15 minutes per day. I also did squats at home but not that many.

I want to workout 3-4 times per week during the third trimester but incorporate more yoga and stretching along with my cardio and strength-training routine. I want to focus on exercises that prepares the body for birth. I was told at my prenatal class that walking upstairs sideways starting at 32 weeks is great, so I will do that. 

Speaking of exercise, Mitch and I just joined the Athletic Club this week which is a fabulous new gym near us. They have two other locations in Ottawa but one just opened up near us, so we joined. I am super excited. We went once over the weekend and it was super nice. There is a coed section and a women's only area, two pools, basketball court, cardio room, huge spinning room, a hot yoga and regular yoga studio, plus an aerobics room with aerial yoga. There is a huge variety of classes that I am interested in but I won't be able to take a lot of them until baby Spiegelman is born. I plan to take some of the regular yoga classes in the meantime and maybe try an aqua-fit class. Swimming and exercising in the pool is supposed to be good during pregnancy!

We still have our memberships at Goodlife which are good until the middle of September so I plan to go to Goodlife during the week since it is easier to get there from work and we plan to go to the Athletic Club on the weekends.

I am actually really excited to take baby Spiegelman swimming too! They have free mom/baby swim times and free family swims for ages up to 3 years old so I think we will bring baby Spiegelman a lot if he likes it! The Athletic Club also has a daycare and other programs for kids when they are older which I am happy about. Mitch is super happy that they will be starting a basketball league in the fall as well, that is included in the membership price. He used to be in another league and had to travel across the city so this location will be a lot more convenient.

Fitness has always been really important to both Mitch and I and I think it is important to maintain a decent fitness level during pregnancy. Even though I haven't been working out as much as I planned to originally, I still feel that staying relatively fit during my pregnancy has helped me have a relatively smooth pregnancy.

Besides squats, are there any specific exercises that you would recommend during pregnancy??? I would love to hear suggestions!!!

Oh yeah...we were blessed to get a couple cute baby outfits and a pair of shoes from some friends and my sister this week. Baby Spiegelman is already getting spoiled! Here is a picture of the new baby outfits we got this week:

And a picture of my 27 week baby bump:

My bump measurement (waist measurement around my babybump) is 36 1/2 inches. I wish I kept track of this measurement starting earlier on in pregnancy but I will be keeping track for the rest of my pregnancy. 

I haven't had a weigh in this week because I only use the scale at Goodlife and I haven't been there in a couple weeks because we started going to the Athletic club instead. 

26 Weeks Pregnant - Bumbleride Purchase and Last vacation as a Couple

So I am 26 weeks pregnant and my symptoms haven't really changed over the last couple weeks. There are some nights were my legs feel restless and I can't really get comfortable but I found that if I am active during the day (ie. go to the gym or for a walk) it helps. Maybe because it improves my circulation...I'm not really sure. Anyway I still feel pretty good so I am grateful for that!

So I am so excited that I got my bumbleride stroller! Ever since a former co-worker recommended it as a great jogging stroller (and a great everyday stroller) I really wanted it. My mom got it for me as a gift so I am really grateful for that. I got the Seagrass color which is a green and aqua color. It comes with a car seat adaptor and I also got the rain cover. I don't think you can jog with a baby in it until the baby is 6 months but since it reclines all the way down, you can use it for newborns from the start WITHOUT the car seat. However, a lot of people still use the car seat adaptor for convenience. It is easy to click a sleeping baby in its car seat into the stroller. I can't wait to use it!

So we left on Sunday to go to Toronto for the Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox game which was Monday night. It was probably our last little getaway as a couple. We were just gone for two days Sun-Tuesday and stayed at the Double Tree Downtown Toronto. We have stayed at the Double Tree in Syracuse several times and also in NYC and we actually really like it for the price. However, we did have a couple issues with the Double Tree in Toronto. When we arrived we had a complete ditz at check-in. She didn't register our car properly so we got a ticket the next morning, asked me for my drivers licence when it was right in front of her and then gave us the crappiest room. We used Hotwire which we usually do so maybe that is why we got a crappier room but she gave us the smallest room on the 17th floor right next to the elevator. It was so noisy and I mean it was small. It only had a queen size bed too. Mitch called and requested another room which we got right away. It was down the hall from the elevator and had a king size bed. However, there was a decently large size red stain that looked like pasta sauce on the side of the duvet. So we called again and requested them to either give us a new room or change the bed. She said housekeeping would be up right away but of course that wasn't true. Housekeeping didn't come within a half hour so we called again and finally the lady came to change the bed.

The parking garage was also bad. First of all, it was super expensive and it was super small and narrow. It was impossible for two cars to pass each other which often made it difficult to get out. 

Aside from out hotel itself, our stay in Toronto was pretty good. We went to a nice restaurant called Pizza Rustica on Sunday night and then saw the new movie Sex Tape, went to the gym then downtown for lunch and shopping Monday afternoon, and then to the baseball game Monday night. The actual game was pretty crappy cause the Blue Jays lost 14-1 against the Red Sox but they had the best hotdogs with all these great toppings so that made up for it! Haha!
Here is a pic of baby Spiegelman's first baseball game which is quite fitting because we are planning on doing a baseball themed nursery and Mitch definitely wants to take him to baseball games each year!

Tuesday we left early because quite frankly Toronto annoys me. I hate how busy and dirty it is and the driving downtown is awful. Anyway it was a good trip but a bit bitter sweet that it was probably our last little trip alone before baby Spiegelman gets here!

Here is a pic of the baby stuff I bought at H&M. They are all made of organic cotton which I am really happy about!

25 Weeks Pregnant - Test results from midwife appointment, bikini during pregnancy, spare room makeover

So I am 25 weeks pregnant and I have been feeling great since my last update when I mentioned the spotting and the trip to my midwife. I got back the test results and they were negative for any type of infection and the midwife stated that some women are just prone to it a bit during pregnancy and since it stopped, it is nothing to worry about. Since the results came back negative and it only lasted about a day or so, I decided not to schedule another ultrasound at this point. I think I mentioned it in my last post but since I saw my midwife last Thursday, my appointment for this week was cancelled and my next appointment is not until August when I am 28 weeks. In the meantime, I need to decide if I will be doing the glucose test, which is done around 28 weeks. I also need another standard blood test to check my iron levels which is often done at the same time as the glucose test. I have heard of people, especially crunchy granola people, opting out of the glucose test but I think I will take it just in case. I will keep you posted on my final decision in the upcoming weeks.

So what are people's thoughts on wearing a bikini during pregnancy??? I went to Calypso, which is a huge waterpark, for my sister's 26th bday last Friday and wore a bikini. Oh and before anyone worries, I didn't go on any slides. I just sun tanned by the pool, went in the lazy river, and played a bit with my niece in the kids area...So back to the bikini issue, I had a tank top covering up for most of the day but I did take it off to go in the lazy river and sun tan. At first I was a bit hesitant but then I kinda got over it and decided to flaunt my baby bump! I was unsure about how Mitch would react to me wearing a bikini with a 6 month baby bump but he didn't care at all. What are your opinions on women flaunting their baby bumps in bikinis? Do you find it offensive?

So we finally got started on the spare bedroom makeover. This room was originally Mitch's office but he moved his office to the basement so now it is going to be the spare bedroom. So far we painted the room a nice bright teal colour and put up a nice crystal looking chandelier. We still have to freshen up the baseboards and paint the bed frame white which hopefully will get done in the next few weeks. After that is done, we will move the bed into the spare bedroom (which is currently in the room for the nursery) along with all the other baby stuff so we can start working on the nursery. Originally I was going to use the current duvet cover, which is beige and white, but now I am debating getting a new one. I want either white or maybe a purple and accent it with the teal. I will post a picture of the room progress so far. They are just pics of the chandelier and the paint color. Sorry if they aren't the best quality.

24 Weeks Pregnant - Viable, 2nd Prenatal Class, some little baby things we got, and a another little scare (TMI warning)!!!

So I am 24 weeks and 4 days pregnant which is super exciting. I am feeling pretty good and I have been sleeping better too! I can't complain about my symptoms at all! I weighed in at 133lbs a couple days ago but today I only weighed in at 131 lbs. so I am down 1 lb from last week and up 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight overall.

I am excited because apparently at 24 weeks the pregnancy is now considered "viable". At this point the baby is supposed to have a slightly higher than 50% chance of surviving if it was born at this point. Obviously I do not want the baby to be born for a few more months but it is still reassuring to know that I have reached this mini milestone!

Last weekend we had our 2nd prenatal class. It was 2 days and 9:30-4:30 each day. I was thinking it was going to be super long but I found the course really interesting and the time went by really fast. It was taught by a Doula and it is offered through http://www.ottawacea.com. We took the prenatal class for "midwifery clients". The class was held at the new birth centre and we got a tour of the birth centre as well. 

The class was considered a "prenatal" class and was on topics such as the labour positions, stages of labour, pain management, breastfeeding, and it asked the parents to think about their needs after the baby is born. I found it really informative. I liked learning about what to expect during the different stages of labour, the different coping mechanisms, when to call your midwife, when to go to the birth place (if not a home birth), and what to expect from different pain relief options. I also really like how the course was presented. As I mentioned above, the course was taught by a doula who happened to mention that she had home births but she taught the course in a pretty neutral manner. Discussing hospital births, c-sections, and epidurals. I also felt that she didn't really present the information in a biased way or make you feel bad if you were considering having an epidural or hospital birth. 

As I mentioned the class was for midwifery clients so I felt that more time was spent on natural methods such as natural pain relief versus narcotics or epidurals but that was because that is what the students were interested in. The school also offers regular prenatal classes (for those not with a midwife) as well as the Bringing the Baby Home class that we took a couple weeks ago. Overall, I really enjoyed the class and I even found out stuff in regards to where my husband stands on certain topics. I took lots of notes and I really think I will use the information later on during my pregnancy and during labour.

As I mentioned above, we took a tour of the birth centre and it is so nice. I love the rooms. They are like giant hotel rooms with a giant bath, shower, bed, sling hanging from the ceiling that you can use for different labour positions and even a nice living area with a fireplace. You would definitely get the "home" feeling without having a home birth. I also got to meet a couple of the birth attendants. They are there to help the midwives with getting tools and anything else they may need. In order to birth at the birth centre, you must be registered with a midwife and you also must pre-register ahead of time. I discussed it with my husband and we are now considering having the baby at the birth centre but there are a few things I want to discuss with my midwife before we make our final decision. We already pre-registered at the Civic hospital over the weekend so at least that paper work is done. I will talk to my midwife about also registering at the birth centre. Just because we register at the birth centre doesn't mean we are obligated to have the baby there but at least we will have the option.

A couple of months ago we signed up at the honest company for some free samples. In order to get the free samples I needed to sign up for their monthly package. I got the diaper and wipe package as well as a home care package. Anyway, the free samples came as expected but I was unable to cancel the package in time so the package I signed up for in order to get the free samples was sent the next month and of course I was charged for them. The thing is, I totally intended to cancel after the free samples came but of course you can't cancel online and the call centre is only open 9-5pm when people are at work. Stupid. Obviously people can't call when they actually think of it and then get distracted and forget about it. That is why I hate these type of scams. I really need to cancel before next month. I like the products but I find it way too expensive. Plus I plan to cloth diaper so I don't need all these disposables. I wanted a few for the first bit and to use maybe overnight or when we are out but I don't want all of these. Not to mention, when I ordered the free samples didn't know the gender so I got half girl and half boy diapers. Now I have 4 packages of diapers that are very girly. 

I called to see if I could exchange them for boy diapers but the shipping fees and the international surcharge I would have been subject to made it way too expensive to exchange them. I have a friend who said that she would buy them off of me for a discounted price so I am happy that I will hopefully get some of my money back. Here are some pics of the diapers and wipes we got down below. The diapers are pretty cute!

I plan to keep the wipes, plain white diapers and the diapers with the orange and blue balloons but the pink diapers with the hearts and the chevron diapers are a bit too girly! 

I also finally decided on a glider for the nursery. Originally, I really wanted one from Pottery Barn Kids but that was super pricey. Then I was thinking of one from Babies R'Us but I didn't love it and I couldn't find it in our local stores so I couldn't try it out in person or see the color in person. 

Then I tried looking at Kiddytown because a friend found hers there but again the only one I liked was really expensive. Finally, I got an amazing tip from a friend who had a baby last year. She made a rocker out of an Ikea armchair. She got the idea from a blog and she forwarded me the blog post with the instructions. I love the look of the chair. It is super similar to the rocker from Pottery Barn Kids and so much cheaper! She said hers turned out good and it only took about an hour to make. I have a pic of the Ikea chair on my registry along with the matching ottoman which you can check out if you like. I am so excited about this project. I probably won't start it until after my baby shower in August but I will keep you posted on my progress!

So last Thursday I was at work and noticed a bit of spotting and it threw me into a bit of a panic. It happened right before lunch and I was in training that day. Anyway I tried calling my midwife clinic because I didn't have her pager number on me at work. The receptionist must have been on lunch because there was no answer for over an hour. I was talking to Mitch and decided to have him pick me up. He came right away but it is about a 1/2 drive from our house. By this time it was about 1:45pm. He offered to take me to the hospital but I decided to try my midwife again. I finally got through but the receptionist stated that my midwife was in a meeting until 2pm and could call me back later. Mitch decided to drive me over to the clinic. We got there slightly after 2pm and she saw me as soon as she was done with the client she was currently seeing. I was unsure of what she would do but she took the time to explain what could be causing the spotting and the various tests she could do. She checked for various infections, such as a UTI, did a full exam and listened to the babies heart rate on the doppler.  Based on her physical exam and the heart rate she thought everything seemed fine. She also gave me a requisition for an ultrasound that she recommended I get this week coming up. I feel a lot better now so I am unsure if I will get the ultrasound...I feel like I have already had a few ultrasounds and I just don't think it is necessary at this point. Plus I know that the placenta is not on top of the cervix since that was confirmed at my 20 week ultrasound and she also confirmed that the cervix hasn't dilated...I will keep you posted on what I decide. 

Overall, I was so happy with the level of service I got from my midwife. I was seen so quickly and I was glad I didn't have to wait at the hospital for 12 hours. I honestly feel that if I had an OB she wouldn't have seen me so fast because even if I did go to her directly instead of the hospital, there was supposedly a 1 1/2 hour wait for your usual appointment so I can imagine how long you would wait with NO appointment. 

Anyway, again this makes me so thankful that I chose a midwife over an OB. My midwives are so amazing!

23 Weeks - Last Couple of Baby Items to add to Registry Car Seat & Stroller

I am 23 weeks pregnant. As for my symptoms....they are pretty much the same as last week. I think my crazy dreams have been going away though which is good. I do get uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time. We went to the movies and that was pretty uncomfortable. Other than that, I have been feeling pretty good. So good in fact that I have been getting back into my gym routine. 

So this past weekend I got a chance to go out and look at strollers and car seats and try them out in our car. I would definitely recommend trying to see if they fit in your car before registering for them or purchasing them. It was a tip I read online and I am certainly glad I did. 

As for car seats, I was really struggling with the decision to buy a convertible car seat right from the beginning and skipping the whole bucket car seat or getting travel system (bucket car seat and stroller together). There are pros and cons to each. First the bucket seat...PROS: it is easy to transfer babies to and from the house while they are sleeping and if you are having a winter baby, you can bundle them up in the car seat with extra blankets before you bring them outside, they are smaller and fit in more cars, and a lot of strollers require the car seat when the babies are small as they don't recline enough to use without it. CONS: the baby grows out of the bucket seat so fast. They state they can be used up to 30-35 lbs but a lot of babies grow out of them length wise first so it is an extra expense because you will still have to buy a convertible car seat soon enough. It also might not be used too much in the stroller if you intend to babywear often too. Convertible car seat: saves money because you can use 1 seat from birth to childhood. CONS: They are huge and too big to go in my car rear facing.

My decision: go with the bucket car seat because the convertible car seats that I was considering didn't fit in our car when it was rear facing. Our decision ended up to be quite easy after we actually tried them out in our car and I was surprised to find out a lot of car seats, including the bucket seat I originally wanted, did not fit in our car when it was rear facing in our back seat. We have a Kia Forte and the back seats are slightly curved at the sides so it was a tight fit to get the Graco snugride 30 in our back seat. We originally wanted the Graco snugride 35 because it got such good reviews but it was too long to fit in our back seat so we are planning to get the Graco snugride 30 which is still a great car seat and a bit lighter too. There is only one spot in our car that the car seat will really fit and that is behind the passenger seat. Mitch is pretty tall so he needs his seat pushed back and we can't have the car seat in the middle section because we have cup holders in the back that come down. Apparently, if we were ever in an accident the cup holders would fly down in the baby's face if we were to put the baby in the middle seat. I am planning to go shopping with my mom in the next couple days because she is buying the car seat as a gift.

As for strollers, I love and really want to get the Bumbleride Indie stroller. It is a great 3 wheel stroller that can be used on all terrains and as a jogging stroller. Yet it is sleek enough to fit in our trunk and is super easy to maneuver. I was thinking of this stroller or the BOB but the BOB is heavier and bulkier. A friend of mine who is a marathon runner swears by the bumbleride for jogging and after going to the store to check it out, I am in love with this stroller. The only problem is that it is a bit more price wise than we were hoping to pay. It is about $600 +tax. However, it comes with the universal car seat adaptor which you often have to buy separately for other strollers. It is also not available at a lot of stores in Ottawa. The only stores I found it at were Fab baby gear and Kiddytown. The new model is coming out soon so hopefully I can find it for cheaper. 

The last thing on my list to pick out is a glider/recliner for the nursery. I really liked this glider from Pottery Barns Kids for $949 +tax but there are no stores in Ottawa. I called and they will deliver from the Toronto store to Ottawa but that means that I won't be able to try it in person and see how comfortable it is. So I decided to check some out at Babies R'Us tomorrow. They are a completely different style but they are only $500 compare to $949. 

My official weigh in for 23 weeks is: 132 lbs which is up 5 lbs from my starting weight.

Thanks again for reading this blog and sharing this journey with us!