39 weeks!

Getting close!
My mom made it to Oregon in the Great Race Against Babelet 2012 so now it's fairgame for Babelet to arrive. Oh, if only it was that easy.

On Wednesday I ended up at the dr office again because I thought I was having a little less movement and on Tuesday night it took forever to get my 10 kicks on the kick counter. They did another growth ultrasound and Babelet is still exactly in the 33rd percentile so growing steady! This dr decided that she couldn't even reach my cervix so I must not be dilated. Bummer lady, not what I wanted to hear.

On Thursday and Friday I used some accupressure to cause contractions. After my massage on Friday, I immediately started getting cramps so that was a positive sign. I'm going to go again on Tuesday. I know it only works if my body is ready but it was reassuring to feel immediate cramping. My mom also watched a youtube video of some of the pressure points, we might try it later on.

At this point, I'm pretty uncomfortable- my hips and back are super sore and I get tired easily. My mom and I have been walking a lot- about an hour two times a day. I'd really like to hold this baby in my arms and be done with pregnancy. Mentally I can handle going to my due date, it's the overdue that gives me anxiety!

appt update: on monday i visited my midwife and i have made some progress! WOOHOO. Baby's head is engaged and "right there" which means I could go into labor any time between NOW and 2 weeks. Way to be specific huh?

Natural Labor Induction

OK so there's all the wives tales and suggestions for natural labor induction...
Here's an article on 40 Natural Ways to Induce Labor
So far, I'm trying the Red Raspberry Leaf tea (started around 35 weeks), Evening Primrose Oil capsules (started around 37 weeks), foot massages (went for a pedicure and going for a foot spa), prenatal massage (will have them "stop" avoiding the pressure points at 39 weeks), bouncing on the ball, lots of baths, planning to walk more, chiro to keep alignment nice

I know nothing will cause labor but once my body is ready a bunch of these things can make it go smoother and I'm all about that since I'm scared out of my mind. The RRL tea is supposed to make your uterus stronger for more effective contractions, the EPO is supposed to soften the cervix to help it out, the accupressure is supposed to cause contractions, bouncing on the ball is supposed to open the hips, walking helps the baby get into position and the chiro keeps my hips and pelvis aligned for a smoother delivery.

OK, I'm ready for you Babelet. Comeout comeout whenever- (ps i'd rather sooner than later!)

38 weeks!

I survived one week of relaxing maternity leave with ample pampering- prenatal massage(s), pedicure, facial, lunch with friends, science museum outing and dinner at one of my favorite pizza places... it was a pretty successful week I'd say

Now I'm just getting super uncomfortable and honestly pretty cranky. I can only walk for about 15 minutes before I'm in excruciating pain that lasts for hours. I've spent a lot of time lying around. It's not as glamorous as I would've hoped. I would be very happy having this baby around 39 weeks. My next midwife appointment is Monday morning, I'm looking forward to hearing what they have to say. My mom will be here Wednesday night - after that anytime is fair game- hear that babelet?

I spend a lot of time wondering what Babelet looks like, if babelet is a girl or a boy and in turn what its name will be... I can not wait to hold my baby in my arms and bring it home. Dave is getting really excited and I'm looking forward to him as a dad. I know he's going to be an amazing dad and I can't wait to witness it!

The pampering plans for this week include: lunch and shopping with friends, mall walking with Dave (and maybe a new computer for me), nice dinners out, going to see the Hunger Games, spending time just the 2 of us (before Judy shows up), getting the carseat installed, starting my natural labor induction techniques, lunch and spa with mom and Erika, maybe getting my nails done and possibly a prenatal massage... I think I can handle those plans!

total weight gain: 8.4 lbs
waist measurement: 42.5 inches
fundal height: 36 cm

I don't even think I look pregnant from behind!

37 weeks! Full Term and False Alarm

So I finally reached full term- I've been patiently waiting and now it's here I'm not ready to have a baby yet!
I also started my maternity leave which is very welcomed at this point but I think I overdid it the last 2 days of work trying to finish up.
I've been saying that my goal is to work until 37 weeks, rest for about 2 and enjoy the time to myself (while finishing preparing the nursery, etc) then anytime after 39 weeks (or once my mom arrives) I'd be ok having the baby. And since I've had no contractions or signs of labor so far- that was my plan.

So I wake up the first morning of my maternity leave- also the day I hit full term - to some more cramping. I now remember that it actually started Thursday and Friday I did complain to dave that it hurt but it wasn't consistent enough to register that these might be contractions... Saturday am by the time I started timing them, I was contracting about every 7-10 minutes for over 4 hours. Super scary, I've never been in such uncomfortable pain before and nothing would help it. Finally after about 4 hours I took a bath and was able to stop them but I was thinking I might be having my baby early! The dr office says call them once they are 5 minutes apart for an hour so that's what I was waiting for. It was very stressful and Dave was at work which didnt help either. I'm very relieved they stopped and guess I need to take it easy for the next few weeks.

My mom is super worried now and trying to decide if she needs to change her ticket to come earlier than 38.5 weeks. I'm waiting until my dr appt on Tuesday to see if these contractions caused any progress.

36 weeks- getting close!

wow, only 1 week left until full term and 4 weeks left until my due date. Only time will tell whether this month will fly by or be the longest of my life.
Since I'm starting to get a little more uncomfortable - my body is done being pregnant. The good thing is mentally I'm still ok with it because I know it's best for Babelet to grow inside for a few more weeks and I still have a lot I want to do (including sleeping and pampering myself!)
This Friday is my last day of work and although I'm a little sad, I'm really excited to be finished for the year!
We have our professional maternity pictures today! It's a rainy day but I hope they come out nice.
This week my goal is to efficiently tie up all the loose ends at work. The baby to-do list will have to wait until Friday afternoon :)

Weekly Stats:
Total Weight Gain= 8 lbs
Belly Button Measurement= 42.5 (YAY for babelet growth)
Fundal Height= appt on Monday

The last 9 months...

I've been hoping to make a post of my belly pics through the months. Here ya go!

4 weeks 15 weeks

17 weeks 23 weeks

28 weeks 32 weeks


34 weeks 36 weeks

to be continued :)

How to put on a front...

I'm cranky and I don't like it.
Basically, I'm 35 weeks pregnant with a body who does not like being pregnant. I'm exhausted and in a lot of pain. Not to mention that I can't eat without being sick and usually I'm too nauseous to consider eating to start with. I'm sick of my bed but can't do much else. BLAH.

Then people ask me how I'm feeling. I know they ask because they care- but do I tell the truth and sound whiny and ungrateful or lie a little and sound like a normal pregnant lady.

I wish it was easier to put on a front, feel like myself, be happy and have fun.
Easier said than done, that's for sure.

35 weeks!

it's been a crazy week around here- I had a lot of tests done, cut my work hours, spent a lot of time in bed but overall I'm feeling a lot better. I can't believe it's getting so close. Spending so much time in bed has really increased my online shopping- woops.
I really want to start getting the nursery organized a little more, I've been putting off washing everything, opening things and putting things away. I felt like I didn't have any clothes but the drawers are filling up and I think we have enough now! My registry lists are almost all taken care of - I just have a few things left to pick up.
TO-DO:
__write thankyous
__ buy blinds
__ wash all the clothes
__ wash sheets, towels, blankets
__ prep cloth diapers
_X_ going home outfit
__ pack hospital bag
__ buy stroller
___ buy little stuff for the baby

How far along? 35 weeks! Only 2 more weeks until full term- that's a scary thought. Just 5-6 weeks until I meet my babelet!

Total weight gain/loss? my weight was up and down this week. As of today I'm up 8 lbs but just yesterday it was closer to 6...

Belly Button Measurement: 41 inches
Maternity clothes? I can not wait to add some variety to my wardrobe but lately it's been a lot of pajamas.
Stretch marks? OK the nasty blood vessels on my stomach are now stretch marks. I'm not happy about this at all. They are gross.

Sleep? I've been sleeping A LOT and laying around even more. It's getting pretty uncomfortable and my hips are sore from being in bed so much.
Best moment last week? It's been a pretty great week so there were definitely a few best moments... one is that I started my half days at work and only worked 20 hours this week. What a huge difference that makes. I also had a baby shower at work which was really nice.

Movement? Babelet is moving a lot- mostly rolls versus kicks. My stomach changes shapes constantly and the feeling inside is so weird. The movement keeps me up at night though too!

Food cravings? Still not able to eat much. My diet is consisting of bread, cereal, caprese (no clue why this works for me), pizza and I've been super thirsty.
Symptoms: At my midwife appointment this week I expressed concern about my lack of nutrition, weight gain and if the baby is actually growing. She took blood and ordered a growth ultrasound which was a huge relief. All my levels are fine (somehow I'm not anemic) and the baby is growing. Babelet is only in the 33rd percentile so smaller than average but not a concern. The baby is also about 5 lbs already. I'm supposed to be in bed whenever possible to conserve energy for the babelet to grow- I've spent a lot of hours in bed this week.
Gender? This week I'm really clueless to what gender I think. Dave is convinced it's a she but I'm not sure. I had my first "it's a boy" dream last night. It was so odd since I haven't had any of those the entire pregnancy. We'll see what I continue thinking all week.
Labor signs? None yet! But the pressure is getting pretty bad when I stand up. Therefore, I'm spending A LOT of time in bed or sitting.
Belly button in/out? still in but dave says it's getting shallower. NOOOOO I do not want to lose my innie.

What I miss: Feeling like myself. I'm cranky and hormonal and tired.

What I am looking forward to: Not being pregnant anymore. Not being in pain. Being a mom. Holding my baby and seeing Dave be a dad. (he's getting really excited)

Milestones According to BabyCenter: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that it's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, baby isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. Its kidneys are fully developed now, and its liver can process some waste products. Most of the basic physical development is now complete — just spending the next few weeks putting on weight.