How Far Along: 38 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs (or 35 from my lowest low)
Baby Size: Pumpkin (Average size: 18.9-20.9 inches, 6.2-9.2 lb.)
Baby might have an inch or so of hair already.
Her head is now about the same circumference as her abdomen.
Maternity Clothes: Comfort is key nowadays. We are making it just fine - I stay in pajamas most of the day, which I'm sure Neil loves. Ah what a glamorous wife he has ;)
Gender: We are having a Girl!
Movement: Movement seems to have slowed down some. I still feel her quite often throughout the day, but she is more sluggish than before. Hardly any sharp kicks, just lazy rolls (and hiccups). She is running out of room!
Sleep: Sleep is a little more uncomfortable. My stomach is so big that when I lay on my side, it curves in where my waist used to be (aligned with my rib cage), and then bumps back up an inch or two where the baby is. I guess there isn't any room for her to press down into the bed, so she gets hoisted up into the air! So there is the stomach bumping, and the night time bathroom visits (about 2 per night), the weird dreams, & random cramps and aches - usually in my stomach. I also can't roll over without a lot of conscious effort, so anytime my body is tired of laying in one position, I wake up automatically to hoist myself over to the other side! I will enjoy sleeping on my stomach again one day :)
Cravings: I've started craving fruit again - big time. Strawberries, bananas, pineapple, peaches - they all sound delicious! I want some fruit salad! I read this week that pineapple can help induce labor, but that it contains so little of whatever causes the inducement, that you would need to eat about 7 whole pineapples before it affected you :)
Other crazy symptoms: Before I was pregnant, I had no idea how much your core muscles just don't function like they used to when you are pregnant. Its so hard to get up off the couch or out of bed. I always assumed, when observing pregnant women in the past, that it was due to the amount of weight they had gained, and the big ball of a belly, that prevented them from leaning forward to stand up easily. Now I know that your stomach just doesn't work! I have to use my arms and legs and rocking motions to swing myself up!
I've started having a bit of swelling. If you didn't know what my feet used to look like, you probably wouldn't notice, but I sure do. They tingle at the end of the day, and my shoes are even tighter than last week. It seems like my left side swells a little more than my right. I used to have visible tendons on the top of my feet and now they are just puffed right over.
Best Moments this week:
I went to the Dr yesterday and he said everything is looking great! He confirmed that I am 80-90% effaced (my cervix has thinned way down), and the baby's head is very low already, so all that is left is dilation. He said this should help my labor to go faster (who knows how much faster) because a lot of the work that some people do in labor is effacement - and I've already got that done! Hurray!
Neil's parents are coming up tonight to be here for the big day! I can hardly believe it is almost time! It seems so surreal. Neil and I fluctuate between extreme excitement and extreme nervousness. Say a prayer for us if you think of it :)
And just for fun - here is a little side by side of my pregnancy progression: 15 weeks, 28 and 38 weeks!
15 Weeks
28 Weeks
38 Weeks
There is a chance this could be my last bumpdate! Neil and I are tentatively expecting the baby to come on Tuesday (Oct 30th) for three *scientific* reasons:
1. There is a full moon on Monday
2. Karen's baby this summer was born about 5 days early, so we may be a couple days early
3. Neil said most 1st time moms go into labor in the 39th week.
So we shall see! We may just as likely be 2 weeks late as 3 days early, but we're trying to be prepared either way :)
No comments:
Post a Comment