Up until now, I swore I never had any Braxton Hicks. It turns out that when I thought I was just feeling baby pushing really hard inside of me, thinking it was just her moving in there, that was actually a BH contraction. Now that I know what they feel like from the fetal monitoring, I have been noticing them---it really feels like a sudden tightening in my belly---like the baby is balling up and pressing hard...and then it releases. I'm also noticing a feeling of more pressure lower down in my abdomen (basically it makes me have to pee all the time), especially when I'm walking.
I was surprised to hear about the contraction during the NST. The nurse told me my OB will probably do an internal exam at my 36 week appointment (where I'm also having an ultrasound to check baby's position and growth) to check for any dilation. I'll also have NST every Tuesday until I hit 38 weeks.
The baby is still in a transverse lie. I've been doing inversions and I also got on all fours the other night with towels to cushion my knees and crawled around on our hardwoods for 20 minutes to try to get the baby to move positions. My OB recommended I crawl around like this---haha, it definitely felt awkward but if it helps her turn I'm all for it. Of course I had to make this time as productive as possible so I totally got a Swiffer duster and dusted my floors as I was crawling around. Might as well, right?
I think the NST made me kind of have more of a sense of urgency when it comes to preparing for the baby. Suddenly I felt like I had a really long to-do list.
So these last few weeks I'm just really focusing on getting items off of the to-do list. I'm going to wash the newborn and 0-3 month clothing, organize the closet by clothing size, start packing the hospital bag...etc. Just preparing/nesting. I did organize the baby's dresser over the weekend with dividers I got at IKEA so that is pretty much all set. The nursery also still needs most of the artwork hung but that doesn't take long at all and I'm still waiting for a few pieces to come in. The nursery is looking great though so I know it will be done pretty soon. I've also been ordering all of the final items we need for baby online and those have been arriving at my doorstep.
We took our infant CPR class last week and next Friday we have a class on breastfeeding followed by infant care the week after. I really hope to be able to breastfeed so I think it's great to educate myself as much as possible. There are also excellent lactation consultants at the hospital---I hope to see one shortly after I deliver to ensure baby has a good latch, etc. I feel fortunate to have those wonderful resources available to me. My H is also very supportive so I think it will be good for him to come to the class so that he too can learn about the challenges and learn to be a good cheerleader for when times get tough (because I've never known one woman who said "breastfeeding was a cinch!" so I know the extra encouragement and support will be much-needed).
How far along? 34 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I'm actually 35 weeks today). Just FIVE more weeks to go!
Total weight gain/loss: Probably around 25 lbs now I'm guessing? I will find out for sure at my 36 week appointment. The baby feels heavier now, it feels a lot harder/more uncomfortable to move around these days.
Maternity clothes? Like I mentioned last week, I'm really content just rotating a few outfits---my favorite being my GAP maternity skinny pants, a long tank and a fitted blazer. It just works for me and it's comfortable. On weekends it's either Lululemon gear or maxi dresses. I thought I'd really be into styling myself during pregnancy, but the truth is that it's easier to just stick with the same outfits. I think it will be fun to re-discover my closet when I go back to work after my maternity leave since I haven't worn a lot of my clothes in so long. Mostly, it's just me being lazy though. I have a ton of tops I could wear that still fit me...but it's just so easy to throw on the tried and true in the morning that I don't even think to look in my closet anymore. I also pretty much always wear flats now.
Stretch marks? Surprisingly not yet---I say this because my belly button, especially where the holes from my piercings are feels super tight and stretched out. I have a feeling the holes could just stretch any day now (BTW I don't have piercings in them now and haven't in years, but the holes haven't closed completely). I'm continuing to use Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil, Mamma Mio Tummy Rub and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation.
Symptoms: Still rib pain on the left side, tiredness, occasional lower back discomfort and at night before bed I will sometimes have cramping sensations that radiate down to my thighs. I also feel a lot more pressure and have BH contractions daily. Also---the leg cramps---OMG the leg cramps. I have leapt out of bed many a night yelling profanities and jumping onto my leg to stretch the muscle out which is the only thing that provides relief. Charlie horses= not fun.
Sleep: I am sleeping okay---I do wake up sometimes at 4, 5 or 6 a.m. and just can't get back to sleep. I usually end up getting on my iPhone for a bit and trying to read something to make myself sleepy again. I'm also still getting up to pee about 3-4 times a night.
Best moment this week: Getting to hear baby's heartbeat on the fetal monitor and finishing up a few art projects for the nursery.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Just being able to sit comfortably at my desk and just be comfortable in general.
Movement: She has been pretty active lately. I would say she has more active days than non-active. She is much bigger now so her movements are much different than the little kicks and popcorn popping sensations I used to feel. I also notice she seems to be having hiccups more often.
Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios with milk, Subway, cookies n' cream ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely!
This was actually taken at 35 weeks
Belly Button in or out? Outie but flat.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been emotional...and happy...and just anticipating everything to come...
Looking forward to: My maternity photos next week!
Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) I also welcome everyone's advice and comments about pregnancy!
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