~ Week 40 ~

 

Babys Coming!! Hopefully before Week 41 !!

 

 

~ Week 39 ~

Hallelujah! We have a watermelon! Week 39 and baby is now about 6 1/2 – 8 lbs in weight and probably won’t get any bigger than he/she is now but that little brain is still developing rapidly. It’s a bit surreal to think we are nearly there!

I have read that there is a decrease in fetal activity now due to the lack of space in there, but  I must say baby is still pretty strong with the kicks, jabs and wiggles and everytime I stop moving around and sit down (even on public transport) those antics start up again. Baby still hasn’t ‘dropped’ yet and with tomorrow being D-day (December 15th) and no Braxton Hicks at the moment I don’t think baby will be making an appearance just yet. Not that you can tell these things….but I think I feel too good to be about to go into labour!

So if there is no show over the weekend,  it’s off to the hospital Monday morning for anti-natal testing to check everything is still okay with baby and if there is still no sign by the 23rd (Robins birthday!)  then an induction it will be.

I really don’t think I will have to wait that long (here’s hoping) but I am happy to hang on as I am still enjoying being pregnant even with these full term aches and pains and swelling and getting fatter by the week! ^_^ Speaking of getting fatter (I’m 195lbs now!)  It’s interesting how people like to share their own opinions- even strangers – on ones size during pregnancy! Now I am carrying a full term baby,  I am ”SO big” (the cheek!) and sometimes it is the opposite and Im told it’s very neat.. (I really think I’m just average – afterall I am only 5ft 3inches tall and ready to give birth!)   If it were any other situation though, those kind of remarks would be just plain rude…SIGH … why is it okay in pregnancy for people to get over familiar and opinianted…perhaps I should start to have a smart answer like ‘Not as big as your arse or nose’. Then blame the auld pregnancy hormones *wink!* The other thing that is becoming a tad testing,  is this being able to tell from the shape of your bump etc. Every single culture seems to have their own theory and each one contradicts another yet they all are right (!)  It’s very simple. You can’t tell! The odds of the guessing is 50/50 so you have a pretty high chance of guessing it right. But it really is just that! A guess!!

Anyway, we will see soon enough if baby is big ‘un and a boy or girl! (SO exciting!!!)

But judging on how I feel right now,I will leave it up to baby to ‘decide’ when to arrive ..as they say only baby knows when it’s ready to be born!

 

Bump Progress!

 

 

 

~ Week 38 ~

Our little pumpkin is now the size of a pumpkin! Week 38 has gone pretty much the same as the last. I don’t feel any difference physically, nor has baby ‘dropped’ just yet. I kind of expected it to happen this week but sometimes it doesn’t until labour begins either so I guess I will just have to wait and see.

My Oedema is a little bit more under control and bearable as long as I sleep on my left side with my feet propped up a lot.  Not the most ideal sleeping position but it means I can wear my flip flops each day which means I can go out (Unless it rains again!)

Baby continues to get bigger and stronger! I have gained quiet a good bit in the weight area these past few weeks and currently am a whopping 190lbs which probably means baby has packed on the weight a bit too (I hope – it can’t all be me !! O_O )  I continue to have a lovely waddle going on, a lot of the time but it’s to be expected now and all a good sign that D day is nigh. I see my OB weekly now too just to check babys heartbeat, my blood pressure, weigh in and measure my ever growing bump.

So he / she  is pretty much ready to be born…and we are as ready as we are going to be too!

 

 

~ Week 37 ~

Woohoo!! Baby reached full term this past week and is now the grand size of a wintermelon! This means he/she is fully developed but is in a ‘refining’ stage and getting healthier, stronger and gaining about 1/2 an ounce per day and I should probably more freaked out by the melon comparison!!

At this stage I’m pretty much waddling my way through each day, and biding my time. I can’t move about as much as I’d like to, mainly from the pressure of babys head in my pelvic area – this discomfort can come and go when I move and even be so sharp that it stops me in my tracks. My lovely swollen ‘cabbage patch’ legs and feet are still on the increase too, so now I have one choice of footwear  and this week it actually rained! It hardly ever rains here so it was a bit tricky getting out and about esp to my OB appointment which I have on a weekly basis now until December 15th. All looks well with baby and I gained 3 more lbs in the past fortnight and the size of bumpo increased by 2 cm but baby hasn’t ‘dropped’ yet and honestly I don’t want to think about how much more pressure I will feel once that does happen which I expect can be any day soon now  O_O

And now that I am ”big” – I don’t think my bump is that big personally – AKA  9 months pregnant!  The boy / girl guesses seem to be leaning more towards a boy with many old wives tales and cultures helping people in their guessing.  [ a Fillipino lady in Walgreens who physically looked about 10 years old herself told me I was ” very big so it had to be a boy” – the cheek! }

I guess it’s part of the fun of it though!  I have no idea and no ‘feeling’ and I love the surprise and excitement of not knowing… we will all know soon enough though!  ^_^

Bump Progress!

~ Week 36 ~

 

 

Week 36 has flown by and without too many changes from the last, with the exception that now baby has officially reached full term and me the 9th month of pregnancy.  These last weeks are not really about me anymore but all about getting those last vital bits n’ pieces together for babys arrival!  I am trying to take everyones advise and rest as much as possible, but I find it hard to stop some days and do just that when there is still so much to do.. Now that the nursery is finally coming together I think I might be able to relax a bit more about it all. *sigh*

Physically I am doing well, apart from Oedema  which has been my only major pregnancy complaint (My Mum tells me, she had this too in all her pregnancies)  and also pelvic pressure which is really a good sign for baby, but an absolute b**ch to deal with daily for me.  But I will keep waddling on for the next 21 days! Emotionally we are so excited now and I am trying not to dwell on labour and pain too much.

Bring on the pain relief is all I can say!

 

 

Bump Progress from Week 36!

 

 

 

 

 

~ Week 35 ~

 

 

 

Week 35 recap!! *Squeel!* Baby reached the size of a coconut (This is weight wise methinks as I am definately carrying more than a coconut in there!) and is technically full term or ‘late pre-term’. Reaching the full 40 weeks is very important though for brain development which is still going strong.

This past week went really fast! Maybe it’s because we are nearly there, I think time is going faster that normal and I am in nesting overdrive at home. There is still lots to buy and do and I really want to have my hospital bag ready just in case! The Nursery isn’t finished just yet but we are nearly there with all the essential bits n’ bobs so I can

I had my  OB check this week too, which included an ultrasound, weigh in and measurement of bump. It had been four weeks since my last check up and I gained 10lbs in that month! O_O  Which was a lot in such a short space of time even Doc said, but this is the weight gaining time and baby is fully grown in length  just getting plumper and plumper til D-day. I blame Hallowe’en and all the left over choccies mostly! Also the fact I’m not really exercising like before as when I do move it’s just too slow and waddley to count. Lots of my maternity clothes are even getting too small and tight now but it doesn’t feel worth it to invest in some more at this stage.

The ultrasound showed that baby is turned the right way around and descended down  {which I knew from the pressure that’s there all the time and loo trips every 30 minutes like clockwork} but my bump is still very high so I am still getting kicked in the ribs.  Everything is right on track though and Doc thinks that baby will arrive on the expected due date of December 15th.

Now if only we could decide on names..

Bump Progress Week 35

 

~ Week 34 ~

Another recap/update this week as I have been so tired but I am going easy on myself as the weeks edge nearer to D-day and just keeping up with this project of mine at all,  makes me happy.

– Week 34 was the size of a Butternut Squash – very seasonal ! Baby is still getting fatter – I can feel heavier each week that passes and slower! Sometimes when I catch sight of my own reflection in a shop window I am surprised at how much larger bump looks and even though I don’t forget I am pregnant it’s still a shock for a split second ^_^ This past week I was able to breathe slightly easier again but trips to the loo have increased due to pressure which means baby has begun it’s descent lower into my pelvis. Speaking of trips to the loo, baby is now passing up to a pint of urine daily! That extra pressure ‘down there’ has added to the attractive pregnancy waddle and some days can feel very uncomfortable and pinchy.It’s a hard one to describe!

All the reading sources say that baby can recognise simple songs I am singing to him/her which is endearing. I like the idea of our baby being born with a familiarity of musicals, traditional folk ballads and Indie rock!

Back aches, Oedema,Braxton Hicks and fatigue are the main complaints I have now,  sometimes all at once, and will probably continue to have until D-day. Shoes/boots are a no-no, and I can just about manage to wear my chucks on the cooler days (every other day it’s flip-flops – thank goodness I am in a climate that allows summery footwear I must say!) really loose and only  if Robin ties my laces for me. I tried one day to do them by myself and after much huffing, puffing and straining followed by being nearly close to tears I gave in and called himself to take over. All in all though, this last trimester is going really well for me. It is hard to believe the end is nigh! This has been the fasted 8 months of my life.

Over the past few months, thoughts on pregnancy in general have popped into my head randomly – nothing unusual about a pregnant lady thinking of pregnancy, I know! But I really am loving the whole experience and thankful for it too. I think I may even miss being pregnant once it’s all over. Nature is mind blowing and this reminds me of how much so, daily. To be able to grow another person and go through so many physical and emotional changes in a reasonably short space of time, is in itself mind blowing!  I can understand the whole ‘miracle’ references now. I suppose it feels like that in a sense, especially the end result – a healthy baby, another person who is an extension of both of you.. Maybe this is just the hormones talking, but hey I’m allowed to sound a little bit high on life I reckon.

I have many sleepless nights and my mind is in over-drive but I feel happy and excitment is building now for both of us! We can’t wait to finally meet our baby and know if it’s a boy or a girl.

Gender guessing continues especially from strangers. Even the barista guy in my local Starbucks had his guess this week too – he reckons it’s a boy as I am looking more ”round” now. His words, not mine.

50/50 must seem like very tempting odds,  not so sure about risking calling any woman ’round’ though!  * smile *

Bump Progress!  (I hope to have our ‘real’ camera back next week -yay!)

~ Week 33 ~

Week 33 baby reached the size of a Durian fruit. I know what the hell is a Durian?! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

Okay so that’s that sorted.  During week 33 babys bones were hardening more ( except the skull) and he/she was undergoing major brain development. I am so aware of how cramped it has gotten in there too some days the position can be very uncomfortable for me for a good few hours with my ribs being squashed and kicked! I can see my entire bump moving as well as feeling it now too, It’s not so obvious that Robin finally got to enjoy that one too! Very ‘Alien-like’  indeed.

Overall I still feel good, but now my feet are so swollen that nearly all my shoes except my flip flops and Jesus sandals, don’t fit me right now. It’s annoying and uncomfortable and kinda gross. I miss my ankles but I know it’s not a permanent thing so I shouldn’t moan too much. From reading up on Edema (swelling during pregnancy) I shouldn’t stand when I can sit or sit if I can lie down.. I need to follow this advice more..and have more  Espsom Salt soaks!

The crazy pregnancy dreams are back again but this could be down to having a lot on my mind with my never ending list of things to get for baby. We aren’t doing too bad but I would like to have all the basic necessities stocked up on soon just for my peace of mind. Though it’s not just an over active brain that’s disrupting my sleep but bump too. As much as I love being pregnant I am thoroughly looking forward to sleeping on my stomach and back again…comfortably ^_^

Bump Progress (Another crappy pic as Canon is off being repaired!)

~ Week 32 ~

By 32 weeks it really seems not long now until we get to meet baby! All my reading information tells me that baby should have turned into the head-down position and ready for the descent! As he/she is bigger each week I can feel how cramped movements are and now I am getting kicked in the ribs too. Braxton Hicks I have felt a few times this past week, but nothing painful – phew! Only a tightening sensation that starts at the top of my bump and spreads outwards. Another indication that D-Day is nigh!  The list of things to get for baby is still long but getting a little shorter each week. Still not enough to ward off those crazy pregnancy dreams which are back again. People tell you to get as much sleep before baby comes – which I get! I do!

BUT! It is hard , when lying in bed isn’t as comfy as it used to be cos baby bumpo is in the way  or your dreams are so weird it wakes you up! sigh…

Today we had our ‘Intensive Prenatal Class’ through UCSF (the hospital I will deliver at)  which was very informative and the teacher was very quirky and fun. I knew we would have to watch a few DVDS on labour and birth  and C-sections but luckily it wasn’t anything too graphic or gruesome (for Robins sake!) I think I have seen (and learnt) more in that way, from watching ‘One Born Every Minute’ on telly!

If we learnt anything from yesterday is that anything can happen – when we turned up for the class, which was near where we live, the building it was meant to take place in was locked so we had to move to another location downtown! This delayed the day by 90minutes and parking was then an absolute nightmare and the car park we went to had a broken payment machine so  then we couldn’t pay which left us at risk of being towed,  Robin decided then it best to move it and just drive around and find street parking which ended up in finding a spot eventually not to far from the class but also a flat tyre (!)  Yep. Anything can happen.  And we will remember that for D-Day!

Bump progress

~ Week 31 ~

At week 31 baby is the size of a pineapple! He/she is now their birth length but still steadily gaining weight until D-day.

This past week I have experienced a variety of those symptoms that are typical to the third trimester of pregnancy.  I get out of breath so easily now as baby is taking up so much more room in there and pubic bone pain strikes many times during the day.  The cankles too are back with a vengeance and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and I have the trademark pregnancy waddle going on –  so an attractive combination eh!

Tiredness and crappy memory is something I am struggling with a lot now too esp as I don’t sleep through the night anymore (also explains my lateness at posting this week!) Both take getting used to esp the ‘Mummy brain’ part as I normally have a really good memory and now I just struggle to think of simple words (!)

Project Nursery is back underway again and this week we managed to get our Arms Reach mini bassinet that baby will sleep in the first few months and will help with nursing feeds during the night as I won’t even have to get out of bed. I have even started on my hospital bag. The car seat is ready to be installed now too and we are slowly building baby’s wardrobe which has led to the realisation that we need a chest of drawers for the nursery too. ^_^  I hope to have at least all the basics sorted by week 35 just in case! Who knew such a teeny person would need so much stuff!

I really would like to do more of an update, but as I already mentioned, these days I am just too deprived of zeds … zzz

 

 

Bump Progress!