How many weeks today: 36 weeks today. I am combining 35 and 36 weeks because I was lazy at my 35 week mark and didn’t get around to skipping my nap to update the blog. Also, after 30-something weeks, I have sort of stopped caring….. what is one more week? 35 and 36 have basically been the same symptoms, same attitudes, but everything is getting slightly worse. Wooooohoo!
Baby is the size of: Some melon… Crenshaw melon?
Total weight gain/loss: As of yesterday, I was 14 pounds over my starting weight, which means I have not gained any weight the last few weeks…. Well, not weight that is sticking. Weight from holidays maybe, but if I did, it is already gone. Overall, I am extremely pleased!
Maternity clothes: I cleaned our closet out and got rid of so many clothes and washed ALL laundry and really got organized…. Which made me realize how many maternity outfits I have, and I love my options!
Cravings: UGH! I have discovered a new low of mine… I am now a picky eater. It just started this last week, and I don’t mean I’m actually picky….certain foods just don’t sound good to me at all. Actually, most foods do not sound good. If Conner asks what I am in the mood for for dinner, I have to really think about it, and it’s usually Mexican food or Italian food. Last night, I only wanted fruit. I swear my hormones are back in the first trimester. I ended up eating a small container of mixed fruit from the produce department, then some leftover pasta with lots of veggies and chicken in it (we shared), and then pizza (we shared). I still love breakfast, still love spicy stuff but am trying not to eat anything heavy or acidic before bed, and I have been loving sweets…. Chocolate, ice cream, donut, cinnamon roll. I literally cried over a cinnamon roll on New Year’s Day. Not cried tears of happiness- cried because I wanted one and I wanted Conner to go to the store and get me one, because way too many people on Instagram were posting pictures of THEIR cinnamon roll breakfast and I thought it was so unfair. I didn’t just cry for one. I actually folded my arms like a two-year-old and said, “I haven’t asked you to go get me ANYTHING this entire pregnancy so far, all I want is a f***ing cinnamon roll!” and I laid the guilt on. He knew what to do…. As bitchy as that was of me, he went to the store and bought me a tube of bake-at-home cinnamon rolls (I specified that I wanted to cook my own so that I could smell them, I did NOT want a pre-made one from the bakery) and even two chocolate donut options. What a guy, right? I did apologize for my bratty and demanding attitude.
Aversions: None really.
Baby is the size of: Some melon… Crenshaw melon?
Total weight gain/loss: As of yesterday, I was 14 pounds over my starting weight, which means I have not gained any weight the last few weeks…. Well, not weight that is sticking. Weight from holidays maybe, but if I did, it is already gone. Overall, I am extremely pleased!
Maternity clothes: I cleaned our closet out and got rid of so many clothes and washed ALL laundry and really got organized…. Which made me realize how many maternity outfits I have, and I love my options!
Cravings: UGH! I have discovered a new low of mine… I am now a picky eater. It just started this last week, and I don’t mean I’m actually picky….certain foods just don’t sound good to me at all. Actually, most foods do not sound good. If Conner asks what I am in the mood for for dinner, I have to really think about it, and it’s usually Mexican food or Italian food. Last night, I only wanted fruit. I swear my hormones are back in the first trimester. I ended up eating a small container of mixed fruit from the produce department, then some leftover pasta with lots of veggies and chicken in it (we shared), and then pizza (we shared). I still love breakfast, still love spicy stuff but am trying not to eat anything heavy or acidic before bed, and I have been loving sweets…. Chocolate, ice cream, donut, cinnamon roll. I literally cried over a cinnamon roll on New Year’s Day. Not cried tears of happiness- cried because I wanted one and I wanted Conner to go to the store and get me one, because way too many people on Instagram were posting pictures of THEIR cinnamon roll breakfast and I thought it was so unfair. I didn’t just cry for one. I actually folded my arms like a two-year-old and said, “I haven’t asked you to go get me ANYTHING this entire pregnancy so far, all I want is a f***ing cinnamon roll!” and I laid the guilt on. He knew what to do…. As bitchy as that was of me, he went to the store and bought me a tube of bake-at-home cinnamon rolls (I specified that I wanted to cook my own so that I could smell them, I did NOT want a pre-made one from the bakery) and even two chocolate donut options. What a guy, right? I did apologize for my bratty and demanding attitude.
Aversions: None really.
Mood: I am leaving this blank for now. At least until my mood improves. The end just sucks, emotionally and physically. I am sure anyone reading this can tell exactly what my mood is like. Skip ahead to “Labor signs”. Go ahead!
Physical symptoms: I think this sums it up perfectly….. Kelly was feeling my belly, waiting for movement, and I was telling him how to push down a little, and he pushed down, and I yelled out, “Don’t push hard! It hurts my butt!” Yes, I feel him EVERYWHERE. My ribs and lungs are quite content for the most part. My hips and pelvic bone have seen better days. Really though, the pelvic bone separation is so excruciating and so unbearable sometimes… walking is painful, sitting is more painful. Climbing in and out of an Astro van is downright ridiculous! I have some days when I experience what many women refer to as “lightening crotch” haha. Fast, jabbing, stabbing sharp pains in my cervix when Corbin is just torturing me and head-butting me, or wiggling a fist in there to punch me. It’s sort of evil! My lower back is now in constant aches and cramps. My Braxton Hicks, though no longer regular or painful, have started up again. Menstrual-like cramps are pretty regular for me now. There is so much pressure and pain in my lower nether-region that I sometimes don’t know if I have to poop, pee, or get ready to catch a baby. It all feels the same. (For some reason, a common occurrence for many women at this point is accidentally peeing themselves. I am proud to say that I haven’t lost control of anything… yet.) It’s pretty crazy how gross and miserable the third trimester gets in the end, compared to how pleasant and wonderful the second trimester was! There are so many symptoms that people don’t tell you about. Ahhh another new one for me this week…. Upset stomach, swollen fingers, and my throat has been swollen for three days. It isn’t sore, just swollen like I am having a slow allergic reaction to something. And it’s not continuing to swell, not struggling to breathe, I don’t feel the urge to rush to the ER for them to clear my airway or anything…. It’s just swollen. My ankles are slightly swollen, fingers are only slightly swollen and I notice it when I make a fist. I go back to my doctor on Friday, but in the meantime, Dr. Conner is going to take my blood pressure tonight.
Miss anything: While I do not miss it YET, I have started to get a little sad that my pregnancy will soon be over. Feeling Corbin move will be over…. Pushing on his protruding knees and elbows and having him elbow or knee me back will no longer be a game of ours. OTHER people will get to hold him and will want to hold him and I will be left with an empty belly. :( I have been wanting to share exactly what I have been feeling with Conner for awhile now, but not with the rest of the world, haha. I want him to be OUR baby. I want him to stay safe n warm and cozy inside me. I want to continue to get a nice big round belly and lose weight in my face and legs. I want strangers to ask me how much longer, or if I know the gender, or if this is my first baby, and then congratulate me. I want sympathetic smiles when I go to the grocery store and waddle around trying to balance a basket of groceries when I should have just grabbed a cart in the first place. I want strangers to hold doors open for me and not hesitate to let me cross the street before they continue driving….. But on the other end, I can’t wait until he is out! I can’t wait to hug him and kiss him and love all over him and share him and show him off and dress him in tiny little boy outfits and feed him and read books to him and bathe him and rock him to sleep and pat his butt and back the way I have done ALL of those things with all of the kids I have ever babysat for since they were tiny infants. Except it will be different… Corbin will live with us, Corbin will grow with us, we get to raise him and discipline him and pay for his expenses and take him on vacations and when he cries or hurts himself or isn’t feeling well, he will cry for us. We are Mommy and Daddy, and there is no replacing Mommy and Daddy. And I am so happy about that!
Showing yet: Of course! And I am even bigger! Wow!
Labor signs: OMG yes…. So many! I am done looking stuff up online because it is only frustrating me. And you read the disclaimer in the beginning about how detailed I am going to get with my symptoms…. Well here goes…. I think it’s easiest to just list them, and then I will explain my thoughts on each one. I have tried so hard to play the middle and not get overly excited but also not ignore my symptoms. All along, I have learned to trust my body, and listen to my body. After all, it was my body that originally told me I was pregnant when many were doubting. It was my body who said, “Nope, it’s a boy” even though I so badly THOUGHT I wanted a girl and was thinking he was a girl. The human body is an amazing thing…. And there are actually symptoms that many women experience before the onset of labor. NOW HEAR ME OUT…. I did not say that I’m in labor. True, it can be called “early labor”, but early labor can last for weeks. Symptoms of labor can last for weeks. I am so sick and tired of people asking me how I am feeling and then when I start talking about it, they quickly jump on the idea that “OH WOW LABOR IS SOON! You are definitely going to have him before ________” (insert any date). Or even worse, “Ah I was that way…. You could still have him at 42 weeks.” To those people, I just want to scream at them, “PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP! Nobody knows when I am having this baby. NOBODY. You can guess all you want, make all the bets you want, write your guess on a calendar, fine…. But nobody KNOWS. Not even my doctor, and he has delivered many many many babies. Probably more than you have.” And on that note, I should also mention that I am tired of talking to men about anything pregnancy-related. The next MALE who tries describing contractions to me or tells me, “oh you will know when it happens”, is going to get a swift kick to the junk, because that is what they have…. Not a uterus, not ovaries, not fallopian tubes, definitely not a baby, and not the sensations that I am feeling. I know that this is what I signed up for…. I know that once you even mention the word “pregnant”, everyone becomes an expert and everyone has their stories to share, and while it can be extreeeeemely helpful and I do welcome it, I am now at the end…. The bittersweet end that is mostly bitter and not-so-sweet (at least until he is in my arms), the bitter and painful and uncomfortable and impatient end. I have heard everyone’s opinion on my early symptoms of pregnancy and how weird I must be for having a happy and healthy grand ol’ time, I have heard opinions on the end result and when he might arrive and how gigantic he must be, and I have also heard opinions on HOW he will arrive. “Just get the epidural!” “Just ask for a c-section!” “I don’t understand why you have to hold him the first hour…”
Showing yet: Of course! And I am even bigger! Wow!
Labor signs: OMG yes…. So many! I am done looking stuff up online because it is only frustrating me. And you read the disclaimer in the beginning about how detailed I am going to get with my symptoms…. Well here goes…. I think it’s easiest to just list them, and then I will explain my thoughts on each one. I have tried so hard to play the middle and not get overly excited but also not ignore my symptoms. All along, I have learned to trust my body, and listen to my body. After all, it was my body that originally told me I was pregnant when many were doubting. It was my body who said, “Nope, it’s a boy” even though I so badly THOUGHT I wanted a girl and was thinking he was a girl. The human body is an amazing thing…. And there are actually symptoms that many women experience before the onset of labor. NOW HEAR ME OUT…. I did not say that I’m in labor. True, it can be called “early labor”, but early labor can last for weeks. Symptoms of labor can last for weeks. I am so sick and tired of people asking me how I am feeling and then when I start talking about it, they quickly jump on the idea that “OH WOW LABOR IS SOON! You are definitely going to have him before ________” (insert any date). Or even worse, “Ah I was that way…. You could still have him at 42 weeks.” To those people, I just want to scream at them, “PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP! Nobody knows when I am having this baby. NOBODY. You can guess all you want, make all the bets you want, write your guess on a calendar, fine…. But nobody KNOWS. Not even my doctor, and he has delivered many many many babies. Probably more than you have.” And on that note, I should also mention that I am tired of talking to men about anything pregnancy-related. The next MALE who tries describing contractions to me or tells me, “oh you will know when it happens”, is going to get a swift kick to the junk, because that is what they have…. Not a uterus, not ovaries, not fallopian tubes, definitely not a baby, and not the sensations that I am feeling. I know that this is what I signed up for…. I know that once you even mention the word “pregnant”, everyone becomes an expert and everyone has their stories to share, and while it can be extreeeeemely helpful and I do welcome it, I am now at the end…. The bittersweet end that is mostly bitter and not-so-sweet (at least until he is in my arms), the bitter and painful and uncomfortable and impatient end. I have heard everyone’s opinion on my early symptoms of pregnancy and how weird I must be for having a happy and healthy grand ol’ time, I have heard opinions on the end result and when he might arrive and how gigantic he must be, and I have also heard opinions on HOW he will arrive. “Just get the epidural!” “Just ask for a c-section!” “I don’t understand why you have to hold him the first hour…”
New response: Because I want to, dammit. Or, because I don’t want to. Because it’s MY decision. True, it’s OUR decision, but ultimately even Conner understands and respects that it’s MY decision and we have agreed on many things, we are open to many things, and we are against many things because of extensive research. Moving on…..
Symptoms that started within the last week and a half, or have worsened in the last week and a half:
-Corbin dropped at about 31 weeks we think. It happened before, but was confirmed at a 31-week appointment, and then he dropped even lower about two weeks ago. I don’t know this by the many people who look at me and say, “he dropped!” I know this because he is physically LOWER. I have more room to breathe, I can put my hand between my chest and the top of my bump, and because an ultrasound showed his low bigass head.
-Stomach issues: picky and particular about foods in the last week, plus on/off upset stomach (translate that out of whatever end you want), sudden waves of nausea that occur randomly at midday or make me shoot straight up in bed in the middle of the night. There is no predicting them. And it lasts only for a brief amount of time.
-Cramps in the last week and a half, but BAD cramps since Friday (1/4/13). Cramps that feel like my period is coming any second. Cramps that have me wanting to take hot baths and lay down with a heating pad and drink more Diet Coke and eat hot comfort foods. On Friday, and all weekend long, and still today, they are mostly on my right side. I feel them in my hips and lower back as well. They are usually constant, but I have had some short periods of time when they come in waves. So of course, after learning about back labor and hearing how contractions started off like menstrual cramps, I got the idea in my head that I was soooo close to labor. Turns out cramps can last for a couple of weeks.
-Lower backache. It’s not a backache like I pulled a muscle or like bones are hurting really…. It’s a deep, radiating ACHE that nothing seems to help. Laying down makes me feel so much worse! And accompanied by menstrual cramps really made me think back to learning about back labor in our childbirth class. Again, a symptom that can last for a couple of weeks. As it gets worse, yes, contractions usually follow…. But not always right away. I am still in pain today.
-Sinus pressure and congestion…. But then again, I work underground in a big room where EVERYONE has been sick. And we have had some windy days lately, and I get really bad outdoor allergies. So I blame it on my allergies. I still take Zyrtec regularly, but it has not helped me in the past week.
-Hips and thighs aching… probably linked to Corbin being so low and also to the cramps and pressure in my lower back. Sometimes I amaze myself when I sit at my computer at work and waddle up and down the halls, and yes, even when I take the stairs. I feel like I am constantly in pain, but it’s tolerable. I would much rather be in bed or at least home on our couch, or sitting in a hot tub…. Ooooooh a hot tub….
-Increased Braxton Hicks…. BH’s have become a regular routine now. At about 32 weeks I had a few days where they were coming every five minutes, lasting for a minute, and peaking. They never got painful really, just uncomfortable, and they never WORSENED. Now that I am an old pro at the BH’s being regular (every day all day now) and they usually come consistently, I know to just watch for them to worsen in intensity and become painful before I worry that it might be the real deal.
-Increased pressure on cervix, tailbone, sciatic nerve, hips, butt, etc…. it’s all feelin’ it! My pelvic bone still screams at me, but is one pain that seems to have lessened a little. Maybe it’s done separating. Maybe not.
-Overall feeling of achiness and sniffly flu-like symptoms. ‘Nuff said.
-Irritability…. Maybe that’s just what happens at the end. Maybe the aches and pains are enough to send me into a screaming, bitching, moaning, whining hurricane. Quick story about a security guard at work that I now dislike and go out of my way to avoid: This man is very very friendly! He’s polite and fun and talkative to every employee who walks through the back entrance, and he’s great at chit-chat. Always always always positive. So when he first started asking me about my pregnancy, I didn’t mind so much. I think that was not too long after I started working at the location I’m at now in Simi Valley. His questions started getting more and more intimate. Not intimate as in they are inappropriate really, but it’s like he suddenly found the courage to ask a new question, and soon “Is this your first baby?” turned into him asking if I was hurting in certain areas. Haha I really did not mind! But I swear, he has asked me at least once a week if I know the baby’s gender. He first asked sometime in late October and I told him I am having a boy and he congratulated me. He has asked almost every week since then. I really wonder how many pregnant women this location employs… but fine. The man sees a ton of people every day and I can understand losing track of who’s got what going on in their life. From walking around though, I am pretty sure I’m the only big heavy duty prego who is waddling the halls. I saw one woman who looks like she might be slightly behind me, but then again, she could be ready to go into labor any moment. Okay so two of us are pregnant heffers. It doesn’t even bother me when people ask me for the Nth time what my baby’s gender is. It’s when I tell them that I am having a boy, and their next questions or statements refer to HIM as “IT”. This man calls our baby “IT”. Does It move? Do you think you will give birth to It early? You think It is going to be a big baby or a small baby or average? Why bother asking the gender then? And I know this is pregnancy irritability…. I think. I don’t know if I would normally be as annoyed by something so small when IT stops to ask me questions about HIM.
-Nesting….. I have nested almost all that I can nest. I spent any spare time I had last week and this past weekend fighting the urge to wash ALL laundry, pack hospital bags, clean out everything from our bedroom that I don’t want anymore (I was trash-happy and throwing so many things away, it felt amazing!) and reorganizing our closet and scrubbing the bathroom and even assigning chores to Conner. I tried to fight those urges, and I lost. But I am ready to move into our condo (we have been boxing things up, slowly but surely) and I am almost ready to welcome Corbin into our tiny little home.
-Decreased fetal movement… yes, he’s a big guy (we assume) and yes I am 36 weeks and yes the skin and muscles and all that encompass him are making things very tight in there, BUT Corbin is still pretty active most days and he is great about responding to my pokes, especially when I lay on my back. Saturday and Sunday, he wanted nothing to do with it. He slept. He slept lots. He slept so much that I thought for sure I was being a bad mom by ignoring his lack of movement and something MUST be wrong with him, so without being too panicked, we did go to L&D on Sunday night (after two days of giving him a chance to be active again). All I really wanted was for them to monitor his heart rate, and they did. It has dropped a little but isn’t low at all…. It dropped even lower when I had a contraction, but I was not in active labor and he was doing just fine. Just resting! And now today he is back to his crazy self, dragging his limbs across my belly and adjusting to get more comfortable. He’s doin’ juuuuust fine. And so am I, emotionally, and that is what those quick trips should be about. Peace of mind. I hope to keep it at ONE quick trip total for our pregnancy.
Other than those…. Not much else going on. We are both on standby, but trying to not be overly excited or overly negative or overly anything. We both understand that Corbin COULD come any day. We also understand that he could come five weeks from now. If he waits that long though, I don’t know what I will do!
Baby movement: See above.
Wedding rings on or off: They are on my chain that I love so much!
Items purchased for baby this week: I bought a couple of options for his going-home outfit, and for hospital outfits so he doesn’t have to be wrapped up in hospital gear. Not much else. Ooooh I did buy 12 oz of a leafy herbal mixture that looks more like a bag of weed, but does very different things for a postpartum body…. It has Comfrey leaf, Uva Ursi, German Chamomile, Shepherd’s Purse, Lavender, sea salt, St. John’s Wort, Echinacea Purpurea, Yarrow, Sage… all have different healing powers, minimize swelling and inflammation and bleeding and what not. Since right before getting pregnant, I have sort of embraced my inner herbalist. I am not way into it yet, but I can appreciate the power of herbs for medicinal purposes, and I am NOT talking about smoking anything. I love teas and bath soaks, and I was recently researching natural ways to care for the baby’s umbilical cord stump. (No, not with rubbing alcohol!) and the latest suggested way is to wash/rinse with warm water and let it dry naturally…. But in my search, I also found some midwives’ websites that sell or provide the recipe for various postpartum herbal sitz baths. The recipes seem simple enough, but I won’t need a ton of it unless I plan on selling it or something (I’m sure there is a market out there…) so instead of buying herbs in bulk, I ordered a 12 oz. bag to try it out for a few baths. The herbal baths are safe for mom and baby to both enjoy (yay bonding in the bathtub!) and many midwives and moms claim that the infants benefited from the baths by relaxing, some even smiled haha! And it helps their cord stump fall off in as little as three days with the healing powers of those crazy herbs. Definitely worth the purchase….okay, I am hoping. I can’t wait for mine and Corbin’s first bath!
How is Daddy doing: Right now, Daddy is very happy with how Sunday went. His Seahawks won, I didn’t go into labor, Corbin continues to bake, we were reassured that he is doing alright, and we are very excited about his arrival, whenever it may be. Up until yesterday, I didn’t think Conner was really thinking about Corbin possibly being born soon. Then before we decided to go to the hospital, I was sitting on my birthing ball trying to alleviate some back cramps and I noticed he was checking his pulse in between cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, giving the dogs fresh water, and hurrying to get a load of his laundry done. He had not even packed a hospital bag but then decided to yesterday “just in case”. Once we were at the hospital, he was fine, calm, and making jokes while I was hooked up to monitors. When we came home, he put his best Daddy Face on and continued to clean, organize, made me dinner, stayed on top of telling me to SIT DOWN and put my feet up and refilled my ice water many times. He’s nesting now. :)
Favorite moment this week: Probably this morning…. I am 36 weeks, I look like I have a nice big healthy round belly, and Corbin started moving around while I was sitting at my desk. That makes me pretty happy.
Looking forward to: The next five weeks, whatever they will be like. :) And looking forward to my baby shower this coming weekend, and a visit from Betty Ann and Laura! And also looking forward to reaching “full term”, which I don’t define as when a baby is ready or not, but it is a textbook milestone so we will go ahead and celebrate it.
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