39 Weeks

How Far Along: 39 Weeks.

Baby Size: Watermelon

Symptoms: Sore, aching back. Hip soreness and SI joint pain. Lots of "lightning crotch". Bébé seems to be adjusting itself to move down.

Weight Gain: 23 lbs.

Sleep: This week was rough. I was either too hot, too cold, or just couldn't get comfortable. Definitely getting harder to roll over and get out of bed

Best Moment of the Week: The nursery being done. Piano being done. But the best part: I finished all the courses for my Natural Nutrition Diploma. I still have a lot of work to do in terms of case studies and studying for my final late this year, but I reached my goal of having the courses done before baby.

Worst Moment of the Week: The annoyance of pain. It's not really painful, just makes me move much slower.

Any cravings or aversions: Nothing I'm craving or have an aversion to. Just food. I just want to eat.

Wedding ring on or off: Finding it easier not to wear them unless I'm going out of the house.

Belly button In or Out: Out

What I'm looking forward to: Having my body back and being able to sleep more comfortably. I definitely am looking forward to not bumping my belly into things

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably.

Emotions: Definitely feeling like it's time. I will miss my belly and feeling baby move inside, but it's time. Eviction notice is given ;)

Nursery: Done! Check out my previous blog post for photos

Shopping:  Nothing this week.

To-do: Relax. Enjoy the sunshine.

The Nursery

It's done! A few little things left to add here and there, but it's done. 

We've added a dimmer switch for the overhead light. Blackout curtains and I'm still needing a replacement bulb for my salt rock lamp.

This is my favourite feature. The colours are so bright and it makes the room cheerful
The little owl hamper was a gift from Auntie L

Spoiled with stuffies already. 

Gilles restained this glider. It used to be a light wood and now it matches the furniture.
The shelf beside it (hidden a little) he also did in a dark stain. 

38 Weeks

How Far Along: 38 Weeks. Today is the day our doulas are officially on call for us. Yikes!

Baby Size: Pumpkin or Watermelon

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks all the time, but especially after walking. Cramping especially after walking. Sore hips that get worse with the zinger pelvic pain. Get tired quickly. Lots of pelvic pressure, like a heavy feeling. Said this week: "I feel like my pelvis is being pushed apart"

Weight Gain: 21 lbs.

Sleep: Not getting up as often, or maybe I'm just used to it now. I have noticed that my hips and shoulders are getting sore and that's what wakes me up now so I have to switch sides. Definitely feeling warmer at night.

Best Moment of the Week: Gilles being more attentive. After walking with me for a couple days this long weekend and seeing how tired I get during the day, he's started to get me things rather than me getting up for them. Offering to help with hip pain, cross things off MY to-do list. It's been awesome. He's starting to look a little like "omg this baby is coming soon" which is so cute. I think it's starting to really hit home for him now.
Other best thing was the King Crab legs we had for dinner Friday. I ate an entire one to myself and if Gilles hadn't eaten his it would have been mine lol.

Worst Moment of the Week: The annoyance of "you haven't had your baby?" and "you must be so ready". I'm 38 weeks folks. And if you're on the list, you'll know when baby is here. Otherwise you can wait to find out with the rest of the world.

Any cravings or aversions: I'm a continuous eating machine. I want to eat everything. Gilles laughed all weekend because after every episode of TV we watched I got up and got something else to eat. Ate an epic turkey dinner for Easter. Kept eating whatever was around me until it was cleared.
Still loving my nightly fudgesicle. I ran out and had DQ one night. NOT the same. Went the next day and bought another box.

Wedding ring on or off: Finding it easier not to wear them unless I'm going out of the house.

Belly button In or Out: Out

What I'm looking forward to: Holding this baby in my arms.
I had a dream bébé was sleeping on my chest in an adorable orange striped onesie. Rather than wake baby up, I tied a Baby Hawk around him/her and was able to get up and walk around.

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably.

Emotions: Feeling like something has changed. My body feels different now and I feel emotionally like this is the "in-between" Not like labour is imminent, but like my body is now in that last stage of preparations. Love trusting my body knows what it's doing. I feel like I've reached the point of waiting and it's exactly what I should be doing now.

Nursery: The dimmer switch is in for the light.

Shopping:  Didn't shop this week at all for baby. My mom gave us a pair of Padraig slippers for bébé for Easter. They are adorable!
Ended up going to Costco and buying tons of meat. I made 8 freezer meals so far and have another 6 to make this weekend. We are going to be stocked up! 

To-do: One more assignment and one more test. Then I'm officially done my courses. I'm hoping to be done by Friday.

37 Weeks

How Far Along: 37 Weeks. According to the Canadian definitions, I'm considered "full term". The US has changed theirs to consider me "early term". Either way. I'm happy if bébé stays in there until at least 39 weeks. The more brain, lung and immune system development the better.
21 Days to go. Seems like such a short time left.

Baby Size: Winter Melon

Symptoms: Phases of nesting, high energy and being tired and in need of relaxation. I'm taking the high energy days to get stuff done and allowing my body to rest on the others. It's frustrating, but I figure there is a biological reason for the shifts.
Lots of pelvic pressure, braxton hicks (some that make me feel nauseous) and period-like cramping.

Weight Gain: 21 lbs.

Sleep: Woke up once this week at 4am STARVING. Got up, ate, went back to bed and slept. I hate waking up hungry.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting a sneak peek at our maternity photos. I can't wait to see the rest of them. We had them done by Amber Holt Photography. She is amazing and I'm so excited for her to do our newborn photos as well. The number of props and outfits she has is crazy!
Gilles is feeling my belly more since you can actually see limbs sticking out. Love it!

Worst Moment of the Week: Having a couple more of those days where I'm super low energy and can't function much. 

Any cravings or aversions: Subway

Wedding ring on or off: Finding it easier not to wear them unless I'm going out of the house.

Belly button In or Out: Out

What I'm looking forward to: 

What I miss: Walking at a good pace

Emotions: Feeling like I'm exactly where we should be. I had an overwhelming sense of "I love my life" this week. Very satisfying. I'm finally done piano lessons now so I feel like I can finally give my full attention to studying and feeling ready.

Nursery: Liner for my diaper pail came in. Bassinet mattress came in. Got another glider from my oldest sister for the basement.

Shopping: Bought arnica for after labour. Calendula oil to make some padsicles. Rockin' Green detergent for my cloth diapers. Diaper pail liner.

To-do: Almost finished my last test. Hoping to have it done by next week!

Why the rush?

I'm in a group online and I'm starting to see a trend. Moms to be are so excited and uncomfortable they want to have their baby RIGHT NOW. Some of these ladies are less than what is considered Early Term (37 - 39 weeks) and definitely not Full Term. They are now considering 39 weeks to be Full Term, and 41 - 42 Late Term in case you thought 37 weeks was it.

I get that we're uncomfortable. I get that we're excited. I'm right there with you. Pregnancy is 40 weeks for a reason. The average is actually 41 weeks and 3 days. Our babies are still developing up until the time they start labour. Let me repeat that last part - THEY START LABOUR. Not you. Babies come when they are ready. Sometimes that fits our schedule, most of the time it doesn't. Sometimes it doesn't fit the medical schedule either and we're "overdue". When they are early for whatever reason - sometimes it's in our control, most times it's not - there are higher risks of problems arising (not saying it always happens but the risks are greater). Lungs aren't developed properly, the immune system isn't finished, breastfeeding can be more of a challenge and the list goes on. Why wish that for your baby just to ease your comfort? Suck it up.

There are definitely things like exercise, teas, massage, etc that can help labour, but they won't start anything unless your body (read: baby) is ready. This may be me being naive as a first time mom and not having reached 40 weeks yet. I am uncomfortable and I know it will get more uncomfortable as the weeks go by. My comfort will mean nothing and seem incredibly selfish if bébé is born and has problems somehow. It's not about you anymore.

I'm a firm believer that my body and baby know what their doing. I believe that when it's time, it's time. Am I going to book an acupressure appointment for 40 weeks and a few days? Absolutely. Am I going to book it at 37 weeks? No.
Will I ask to be induced medically or have a membrane sweep at 38 weeks? No. I don't think that intervening early is necessary. It opens you and baby up for complications, higher risks and infection and issues after birth. Could intervention be something I consider when I'm nearing 42 weeks? Possibly, but that's another conversation at a later date if it's needed.

Let your bébé bake. They will arrive when they are suppose to. And if you're late according to the medical system, there's a whole different conversation to have at that point.

36 Weeks

How Far Along: 36 Weeks - I feel like I JUST wrote my 35 week post. Time is moving fast and slow at the same time.
4 Weeks until my due date.
1.5 weeks until I'm finished teaching (most of my students. I'm keeping a few of my adults going for another week)

Baby Size: Honey Dew

Symptoms: Heartburn acts up depending on what I eat. With all the movement bébé is doing I feel rolling waves of nausea somedays. Sharp shooting pain straight down my cervix area. Lots of Braxton Hicks. Tired more through the day than I have been. Still a huge lack of concentration.

Weight Gain: 19 lbs.

Sleep: Still getting up frequently. Some nights more than others. Hip pain here and there but mostly still sleeping as well as I can be.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting compliments from random people about how great I look.
At our prenatal class this week, we did a "labour rehearsal". Basically our teacher gave us a card of how our "labour" was going and called out Contraction! and we had to get into whatever position made sense for what we were doing at that point in time, be it walking, squatting, in the bathroom, relaxation, etc. It seems silly, but I think both Gilles and I found it really helpful to put what we've learned into a practice. Nothing can prepare you fully, but at least we both feel like we're more ready for it all.

Worst Moment of the Week: Having to leave church after 30 minutes because I was going to pass out. I felt SO sick from low blood pressure and sugar. I got up twice in the first half hour and then couldn't do it anymore. Drove myself home and laid on the couch for the rest of the morning. I've had a couple mornings like that. I'm hoping they don't increase in frequency

Any cravings or aversions: Anything dairy. Milk definitely. Fudgesicles are fantastic right now

Wedding ring on or off: Opting for my wedding band now. Still take it off to sleep.

Belly button In or Out: small outie now

What I'm looking forward to: Setting up more baby stuff around the house. Once Saturday comes and goes I'll be able to. Piano lessons and the recital are nearly over.

What I miss: Running and bike riding. Won't be able to do either of those until August.

Emotions: Feeling like I want to be done teaching but at the same time I know it's good for me to have the distraction and something to do. I'm irritated with my energy levels and not being able to clean my house more

Nursery: Picked up a diaper pail from my sister. Just need to put a new liner in it and buy a new charcoal filter. 

Shopping: Bought a bassinet mattress. We got a bassinet handed down to us, but it needed a new mattress. Should be here next week! 

To-do: Finish another assignment for my courses. You'd think writing a resume wouldn't take long but I haven't started yet.

Fun comparison shot from the week we found out to 36.

35 Weeks = 35 days left!

How Far Along: We've hit the milestone of 35/35. 35 Weeks Pregnant. 35 Days left.

Baby Size: Coconut

Symptoms: Hips and knees are sore. Low back is sore when I lay down to sleep. Starting get a 'zing' in my cervix area every once in a while. I had some period-like cramping but nothing to be concerned about.
Bébé is moving around a lot still but has firmly positioned himself/herself with head down in my pelvis.  My OB this week said baby's head is very low.
Love seeing his/her little bum move back and forth across my stomach. Starting to be able to see feet stick out my side which is very uncomfortable at some points. Alien!!
Definitely experiencing pregnancy brain. Having a hard time concentrating on anything for more than 15 minutes. Good thing is, I work for a bit on something and then switch to something else so I'm not bored.

Weight Gain: 18 lbs.

Sleep: Because my hips get sore when I lay on either side, I wake up from that, then have to pee. Past couple nights have been up 4 times. I've had a couple people say "Oh, that's like having a newborn". Yes and no. The number of times I'm up maybe, but blindly going to the bathroom and back to bed is not the same as getting up, feeding our bébé for however long it will take and then going back to sleep. The time I'm up will be drastically different.

Best Moment of the Week: My OB appointment. I asked about eating at the hospital during labour. She said absolutely, as long as there is no risk of a c-section at that point in time. So unless I'm induced, or there is some reason for a section, I'm able to eat/drink what I want. This is great news because of my low blood sugar.

Worst Moment of the Week: More and more heartburn is coming back. I've tried to watch what I'm eating to trigger it, but I'm starting to think it's just pregnancy at this point. Not bad considering I've done without heartburn for the majority of it.
I also had a few days with morning sickness again. Not fun, but it seems to have subsided

Any cravings or aversions: Still craving sugary foods. Trying to combat that with fruit rather than junk. Definitely able to eat more at a time which is great.

Wedding ring on or off: On during the day again. Swelling a little at night so I take it off before bed.

Belly button In or Out: Definitely flattened.

What I'm looking forward to: Post-pregnancy: Laying on my back.

What I miss: Spring. It snowed every day this past week. I'm so tired of it!

Emotions: Nesting instinct is in full swing. I'm starting to feel worried about post-partum and my emotions. There's not much I can do now but prepare as much as I can and get a support team in place.

Nursery: So close to being done. A couple more things left! Here is a sneak peek at the decal. I love the colours so much. Makes the room so much brighter.

Shopping: Amazingly enough, nothing! 

To-do: Try out meals from my "freezer meal" list.