We are so close to meeting this baby and the anticipation is real. I know in my last update I mentioned how I was feeling better. Well basically the second I posted that I felt like I got hit by a bus again. Needless to say, the home stretch has been rough. I’m crossing my fingers this 38 weeks pregnant post will be my last baby update because we are more than ready to meet this little person and find out who it is. My first was born at 38w3d and my second was born at 39w1d so hopefully this babe will follow big brother’s leads.
Symptoms:
Nausea is back in full force. It got so bad that I even ended up vomiting a few times. After crying multiple times a day for three weeks straight because I felt so terrible, I finally broke down and asked my midwife for a Zofran prescription. It’s made a drastic improvement in my quality of life. I’m actually able to function and enjoy time with the kids which has been a relief. I have never experienced nausea to this extreme with either of my other pregnancies and let me tell you, it’s not fun. I felt like I was dying. Truly. I was miserable.
Indigestion for the most part has gone away. I think that is due in part to the Zofran working its wonders and also that the baby has dropped. That being said, I still have to be careful about what I eat. Coffee, unfortunately, is still a no.
In the last week I have started feeling so much pelvic pressure and just weird sensations. I don’t even know how to describe it. Towards the evenings I will feel this weird tingling sensation almost like I need to pee. It also just feels like there is a LOT of pressure down there. My hips and pelvic muscles in general just feel achy. At my 37 week appointment my midwife had mentioned that the baby’s head is fully engaged and locked into place so I guess that probably explains the pressure.
Lots and lots of contractions. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve had contractions for pretty much this whole pregnancy. Nothing consistent of course, but they’ve definitely gotten more intense. I seem to experience them daily now and some days are more intense than others. At this point it’s just a waiting game of when will they start to get closer together and turn into the real thing.
Also, nesting has been in full force. I’ve been obsessed with having my house perfectly clean, I want laundry to constantly be done, I’ve been organizing random cupboards and drawers. I’ve got everything ready and set up for baby and find myself constantly looking at the teeny little clothes in disbelief that I’ll have a baby so soon.
Weight gain:
31 pounds. Baby is very low in my pelvis so hopefully that means he or she will be here soon.
Sleep:
Sleep has been a bit rough. I have third trimester insomnia so which is not fun. I’m tired in the late afternoons and but yet I don’t fall asleep until closer to 12:00. That’s also probably due to needing to pee 10x a night. I usually sleep petty solidly from 12-6 and only wake up once to pee, but I’d love a few more hours. It also doesn’t help that Theo has had a cough he’s been fighting off for the last few weeks. Every night he comes into our room in the middle of the night and his cough just keeps me awake. Hopefully we can kick that before the baby gets here. I have been taking an afternoon nap a few times a week and feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to do so.
Activity:
My activity level has definitely slowed down during the third trimester. This is partly because I feel so sick and partly because it’s so hot here. I still try to walk around 2 miles 4-5 days per week, but I usually go in the evenings when it’s not so hot. Unfortunately, evenings are also when I have the most pelvic pressure and contractions. I’ve just been taking it day by day and doing what feels good to me. Shifting my focus to stretching and less on strength training these past few weeks has felt right. I’ve been doing the Spinning Babies stretches to help get baby in the optimal position for birth. You can find the daily exercises they recommend here. I shared the maternity support belt and compression socks that I am using in this post, they definitely help me feel more comfortable while I’m walking.
Prepping the kids for baby:
We have been talking about the baby so much and both boys are so excited. Theo keeps asking when the baby will be here and Archer keeps tapping my belly and demanding “baby out now”. I haven’t done a whole lot in terms of prepping them. We’ve got a big brother book we all read together and Theo loves to talk about the different ways he’s going to help with the baby. They both love babies and kids and I honestly think they will be just fine with the adjustment. Theo is still confident the baby is a girl and talks about his baby sister all the time, so we will see if he’s right.
Funny story, a few weeks ago Theo asked me how the baby is going to get out. I froze up for a second (was not prepared for that question haha). I finally asked how he thinks the baby will get out. His response was “will it come out of your bum?” and I asked if that’s how he thinks the baby will get out. Then he laughed and I laughed and nothing more was said lol. Not sure if I handled that correctly but I think it went just fine and the fact that he quickly moved on from the convo was a relief. I wasn’t fully sure how to explain the process to him in 4 year old terms just yet.
Delivery Update:
It’s safe to say I’m getting nervous. There’s just so much anticipation and buildup. I could have the baby tomorrow or it could be 3-4 more weeks! The unknown is such a strange feeling. I’m also getting nervous about the delivery process in general. I’m not going to lie, birth is HARD! It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done and knowing my body is going to be doing it again soon is a big deal. I just keep reminding myself that I have done this twice and I can do it again. Also, I just can’t wait to find out who this little human is and hold him or her in my arms. I have been wavering back and forth on whether I think boy or girl and I just can’t wait to find out! If birth stories are your thing, I shared Archer’s birth story and Theo’s birth story.
Some things I’ve been doing to help prep my body for a smooth delivery include:
- Spinning babies stretches that I mentioned above
- Walking
- Bouncing and doing hip rotations on my exercise ball
- Mother’s Cordial tincture (talk to your Ob or midwife about the benefits of this)
- Red Raspberry Leaf tea
- Evening Primrose oil (another one to ask your Ob or midwife about)
You can read my last pregnancy update with this baby here and my 38 week update with Archer here. It was the last update I wrote before he was born.
