A New Level of Pregnancy Hell

Weight gain? Meh, that'd probably happen anyway over the Winter. Stretch marks? I don't usually make a habit of showing people my tummy. Limited mobility? Who wants to be able to pick something up off the ground anyway? Heartburn? Terrible, BUT I can manage with my now ever present Tums. Pelvic pain for the last 5 weeks? That's beginning to stretch my limit, but I enjoy laying down as much as possible these days regardless.

However, something that does cross the line and is completely unacceptable in my book: insomnia. THIS is NOT okay.

I have read about late pregnancy insomnia. I figured there was NO WAY this would affect me as I have always been a champion sleeper. I sleep and I sleep heavy. I can sleep through my alarm going off in the morning right by my head. I can sleep through Mark getting out of bed, showering, getting dressed and being completely ready to leave for work. I can sleep through our HOUSE alarm going off! I'm a seriously heavy, deep sleeper and I really enjoy that sleep.

Now, I wouldn't say that I'm experiencing extreme insomnia, but sleep issues of any kind are foreign to me. Not to mention, I'm already exhausted all the time! I really need my sleep here! However, my body seems to feel otherwise. For the last week or so I've begun the fun practice of only sleeping for short periods of time.

I sleep for an hour and then I have to get up and pee for the billionth time. I get back in bed, struggle to get comfortable and then sleep for another hour, then I'm up and needing to flip over because my hips are hurting from laying on my side. Flipping over doesn't just involve a brief motion like it used to. Nooooo. It involves me having to lift myself up off my tummy if I want to go that way, or if I want to chance the longer way and roll to my back first it involves lots of groaning because as I shift around my hips and pelvis get hit with sharp pains. THEN I have to drag my body pillow over to the other side (which by the way, the body pillow is pretty much the best thing in the whole world right now) and get that all positioned without accidentally smacking Mark in the head with it or smothering him in the process. By the time I'm situated I'm fully awake, kind of have to pee again, and Mark is also up from all my groaning and moving and such. I repeat this process probably every hour or two now. It doesn't make for a sound night's sleep and it's not something that's appreciated in the least.

I have decided that the last few weeks of pregnancy are biologically formulated to be so uncomfortable that by the time your body is ready for labor you want to actively participate in getting this relatively large parasite OUT of your body. Further, once the baby is back home your body is already used to having to get up every 2 hours so you'll be all ready for those night feedings! I can vouch for the fact that this little trick is mighty effective.

In happier news our baby shower is this Sunday! I'm so excited!