1. Feeling her move deep down in my pelvis
2. Playing with her feet, which are usually on the left side of my belly
3. Having people stare at my large size - for some reason it feels validating!
4. Always being in flip flops and not caring a bit
5. Imagining how it will be to dress her in all her cute cute clothes
Even though the due date is April 20th, at this point I wouldn't mind if she went over, which is something she'll probably do anyway according to statistics for first time moms. The reason I'm more than happy with a later due date is because of a little scare we had on Tuesday. Before I go into what happened, it's important to know that Todd and I are planning on having a home birth with our midwife, Diane. We also took a Hypnobabies class in January which we absolutely loved and if you're curious about it, I very much recommend learning about it here. I woke up Tuesday with an achy, sore lower back and, after a hot shower, promptly got sick. A lot. I felt fine before and after, it was just really sudden and random. I kind of freaked out afterwards, knowing that your body sometimes will do that when it is preparing for labor. I didn't feel ready!
The whole rest of the day my mobility slowed drastically, I couldn't eat anything more than a couple of tomatoes (one in the afternoon and one at around 8pm), the pain in my lower back increased and I started having contractions (pressure waves) which, looking back, were probably Braxton Hicks since they didn't hurt. Nothing seemed to hurt except for my back. I ran to Wal-Mart with a friend for last minute supplies I needed that I had been putting off for the birth. After getting home at about six, I was in tears, mostly because I was panicked rather than the increasing pain I was in. I went to lie down on the couch, put on some Hypnobabies tracks and immediately was able to focus a lot more.
At this point I had called Todd and told him to come home from work and our amazing friends (we'll call them the Js) stayed to fix dinner and to make sure I wasn't alone. I had also let Diane know what was going on and she told me to tell her when my contractions were 5 min apart and about 1 min long. Since I couldn't really tell when the pressure waves were starting or stopping because of my back pain, I finally just called her at around 10:30pm, panicking again. I had NO CLUE what was going on with me! She said she'd come over and check me, which I was sooo relieved to hear.
The whole rest of the day my mobility slowed drastically, I couldn't eat anything more than a couple of tomatoes (one in the afternoon and one at around 8pm), the pain in my lower back increased and I started having contractions (pressure waves) which, looking back, were probably Braxton Hicks since they didn't hurt. Nothing seemed to hurt except for my back. I ran to Wal-Mart with a friend for last minute supplies I needed that I had been putting off for the birth. After getting home at about six, I was in tears, mostly because I was panicked rather than the increasing pain I was in. I went to lie down on the couch, put on some Hypnobabies tracks and immediately was able to focus a lot more.
At this point I had called Todd and told him to come home from work and our amazing friends (we'll call them the Js) stayed to fix dinner and to make sure I wasn't alone. I had also let Diane know what was going on and she told me to tell her when my contractions were 5 min apart and about 1 min long. Since I couldn't really tell when the pressure waves were starting or stopping because of my back pain, I finally just called her at around 10:30pm, panicking again. I had NO CLUE what was going on with me! She said she'd come over and check me, which I was sooo relieved to hear.
When she got there, we found out that I had not dilated, but that the baby had descended to a -1 station. At that point, instead of being upset that the entire day hadn't resulted in dilation progress, I was so exhausted and tired that I was happy I could just go to bed and rest!
The next morning when I got up I was surprised to find that the back pain had completely disappeared, and in fact, everything was back to normal. I was tired but back to my normal self. Aaaaand that's how it's been since! I'm pretty sure I would have been fine had my birthing time actually started that day, but honestly I am so grateful for the chance to enjoy my pregnancy for a little longer, be it one week or three. Todd and I have been enjoying time together, time with friends and family and just hanging out before our precious little baby arrives.
The next morning when I got up I was surprised to find that the back pain had completely disappeared, and in fact, everything was back to normal. I was tired but back to my normal self. Aaaaand that's how it's been since! I'm pretty sure I would have been fine had my birthing time actually started that day, but honestly I am so grateful for the chance to enjoy my pregnancy for a little longer, be it one week or three. Todd and I have been enjoying time together, time with friends and family and just hanging out before our precious little baby arrives.
And now. The stats!
How far along? 38 weeks 6 days! (We'll just say 39 weeks)
How big is baby? Probably around 7 ish lbs, if not more.
Maternity clothes? All that I wear these days, and some don't even fit anymore.
Stretch marks: YEP! I wanted to test and see if I could prevent them by oiling and lotioning my belly often since early in my pregnancy, or if it really is just genetics. Well I am here to tell you it is GENETICS! I never had a chance..haha
Sleep: I get up at least three times every night, but I am able to sleep surprisingly well. Thank goodness...I'm gonna need the rest for after she gets here.
Best moment this week: I have honestly had so many amazing moments this week...my mom coming over to make sure I was ok, friends staying for dinner (or overnight!!), date night with my cousin and her husband. Quiet moments where it was just me and baby. Being with Todd and feeling like the luckiest person in the world for having him as my husband.
Movement: More movement than usual! It's like she's really excited to finally see what's going on around her instead of just hearing it! I love love love playing with her feet, which I know I've already mentioned but it is so fun and I really feel like we are bonding.
Food cravings: Jalapeno Cheetos, pineapple and Life cereal...
Food aversions: Sugar...always sugar. :-(
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: Absolutely nothing other than whatever was going on on Tuesday. Other than some Braxton Hicks here and there.
Symptoms: Feeling a lot of pressure and discomfort in my pelvis, very crazy dreams, feet swelling up
Weight gain: 45 lbs!!! Not sure why I'm so excited to share that all over the internet...
Belly Button in or out? Half and half! Mostly out though.
What I miss: Sleeping on my back, wearing my wedding ring, eating ice cream
What I am looking forward to: Being able to lean back on a sofa or chair and not have to struggle to breathe, being able to bend down without feeling like I'm going to pull something
Upcoming appointments/events: I have a midwife appt on Monday, I went to a bridal shower today (which was so perfect!!) and my cousin is speaking in her ward tomorrow morning. I don't think I have anymore commitments after that. I'm excited.
This was a mammoth of a post and if you're still reading, thank you and sorry for the grammar mistakes!
Pictures taken this morning:
Compared with two weeks ago, I've gotten bigger:
Spending time with my sister and my adorable niece:
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