Woo hoo, full term! I can't believe it. This also means I can have a home birth instead of going to the hospital at any point that I go into labor.
I'm into the weekly appointments and we had our home visit where she checked out the home and made sure we have everything we need. I overplan so we seemed to be okay. We are renting a tub, which last time I would not have used, but if I end up having a tub birth that would be great. I do not count on anything and did write a little birth plan since they don't really know me. I've warned them that I will probably not want people to do anything to/for me (sometimes they will massage etc) and my birth plan is really like this: I would prefer to avoid needles. I would like lots of skin to skin contact when the baby is here. I would like to be able to play things by ear. Great birth plan ,right? LOL. Part of the play things by ear is I tend to get anxious and worry anyways and I psych myself out when I know needles are coming. So I will just deal with what I need to when the time comes so I'm not anticipating things. And it's stupid to worry about what could happen- there are so many things.
My bones are cracking like crazy. It feels amazing to stretch and try to loosen everything up. Well, everything is loosening up on its own anyways. But yeah I can really feel it in my body at this point. Even when Neil and I sang "If You're Happy and You Know It" we did "Nod your head" and my neck cracked. Sheesh.
Size of baby: A watermelon and measures 35-36 cm or 13.9-14.2 inches, crown to rump length. Head to toe is 19 inches. The baby also weighs 3000-3100 grams or 6.6-6.8 pounds.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I made up for the last 3 weeks (no gain and lost a pound one week) by gaining 3 pounds. I am up overall 17 pounds.
Maternity Clothes: So there is this girl, Elle, on YouTube who has done some hilarious videos while pregnant. (The first one I ever saw was Maternity Pants, which had me laughing a lot- check it out sometime.) I was just perusing them and on one of them she said the labels for maternity clothes should say 0-39 weeks, which is so true! Some of my clothes are now starting to get tight; in particular my two favorite pairs of work pants from Old Navy. I have to admit they were somewhat tight to begin with but now it's getting to the point I can't wear the one pair and the second I'm getting close to also having to retire. This means I will be in exclusively dark pants. (These two pairs are a brown pair of cords and my khakis.) And shirts are getting too short. It's embarrassing when I don't realize until I am AT WORK and can't change. You would think I would learn to look before I leave the house but it's too early in the morning for that. (Plus I think they tend to ride up as I walk sometimes.)
Gender: Boy.
Movement: He still moves around a ton and I don't feel his foot in a distinct place anymore. Where I was feeling it is now his butt, I'm pretty sure. My stomach is rolling visibly at this point, no matter what I'm wearing/layered in. Sweatshirt? Yep can see the movement. Blanket over top? Yep the blanket moves. I know I'm going to miss this afterwards. Hey and knock on wood I have to say that so far he isn't hitting my bladder most of the time. Thank you very much baby!
Sleep: My sleep is sporadic. I know usually this late it's more about the bladder and having to pee. My problem as I said last week is really more about what a light sleeper I am. Man I am really not looking forward to the first few months with a newborn from this perspective. Especially with a toddler running around as well. Bye bye good sleep for quite awhile.
What I miss: I am starting to miss having my own body. I know that's going to get worse as the weeks progress. I still think that's God's way of making us WANT labor.
Cravings: I've been buying candy haha or it would be chocolate. Otherwise no. I am eating more now though, that I'm comfortable at work.
Aversions: Nothing.
Symptoms: Ah most of it is still emotional. I really got off easy most of the rest of the pregnancy from that aspect. I watched a few videos of someone giving birth and it made me tear up remembering having Neil and being excited about having another newborn soon. I can tell I'm tearing up more easily and I'm fighting letting it out. I also am starting to get really tired. Work is interesting- when you start a new job it's a lot of training, reading, and learning. I'm really starting to struggle with that. By the end of the day I'm having trouble not letting my head drop at my desk. Also, on the physical side, my gums are getting worse again. I'm actually overdue for the dentist but since we recently moved and I don't have one I'm hoping to wait until after baby. Maybe this isn't the best decision though. I really should call around and get to one but I know the cleaning will be awful and trying to explain to a new dentist that this is PARTLY pregnancy related, well, I don't want to deal with that.
Best moment this week: We took Neil to Toys R Us and it was really fun to watch him get so excited about all the toys. And he loves the shopping cart/play food we got him.
Looking forward to: Still working on settling in at a new place, finding things, etc. I am looking forward to being more comfortable. We went to a church that definitely has promise and might try to join a small group, which would help. I miss all our friends and having people to talk to.
Same this time: I think the emotions/hormones going crazy is probably similar. Dave would be better able to answer that since he gets to see it. Poor guy.
Different from last time: I have stretch marks. Boo. Not that this was unexpected especially for the 2nd time around. My badges of honor, right?! (This is really a half hearted boo. It doesn't bother me so much. Maybe it will when my stomach starts to go back to normal size but seeing them really didn't make me flinch.)
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| So, right- pulling the shirt tight at the bottom no longer seems to make much of a difference because of how much I'm sticking out now. |
I know you don't feel it, but you look amazing! Pregnancy suites you. And for some reason I had no idea you were planning a home birth. Or I did and just forgot. Anyways that is AWESOME! You're a super hero in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe whole light sleeper thing I can totally relate to. I have to wear ear plugs nightly just to get complete silence. I dread the loss of sleep if/when we have another baby too.
And of course that typo is driving me crazy. Suits not suites! Lol!
DeleteThanks! I definitely don't feel it, but I do think I look better than I did last time (so far) and I'm not having some of the issues I did last time, like swelling. There's more time though!
DeleteThat is the shirt I loved but would always show off my maternity pants band. I wished it was a little longer.
ReplyDeleteso my dentist explained gums bleeding to me while pregnant and said it can take up to a year to get back to normal after too! I didn't have to explain anything to them. Actually I went this last time and my gums bled a tiny bit and they said from t he pregnancy. I didn't want to tell them my gums bleed a tiny bit every dentist appointment.
Yeah it's almost too short now but it did work. Most of my shirts now are showing my maternity band. I'm going to get boring really fast, wearing the same shirts over and over. Plus you saw I think that most of my shirts are really more for warmer weather. (This is also one of my favorites.)
DeleteWell the gum bleeding is pregnancy BUT I also have gingivitis. I hate admitting that actually. I went years without going to the dentist because I had a cavity and they wouldn't use laughing gas on me. Then I found a dentist who would and started going again but the damage was done. So I really should go but I'm scared to find a new dentist and specialist here. It's likely I will need surgery actually and I was putting it off until after baby. My last specialist let it slide but she told me a new one probably won't let me slide anymore. But yeah the amount of bleeding has to do with the pregnancy. Darn it that it might continue for a year afterwards- that's not good news for me to try to convince someone new I don't need surgery.
I thought and also other people said the same thing that when you switch dentists they always "find" something. You may all of a sudden find favorited or just find something that thr last dentist never said was wrong. That doesn't seem good for you either.
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