37 Weeks - A Winter Melon / Watermelon

November 27, 2014

Photo Thoughts: That belly is looking very round! Also, winter melon?  I'm taking that to mean mini watermelon.  In the 3rd photo, I am proudly displaying the practice baby from our Infant CPR class that we got to take home.

How I'm Feeling: I'm starting to get anxious about my quickly approaching due date. I know that around this time, a lot of pregnant women start to feel like they can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore... but I am feeling very much the opposite. I find myself wishing for more time- not because I really want to be pregnant for an extra long time, but more just because I feel SO not ready.  Rather than looking up old wives tales to start labor, I am looking them up so that I can AVOID doing those things.  Does that make me crazy?

Baby: Technically I am full term now, meaning that all of baby's crucial functions are developed and from here on out he's just getting bigger and stronger!

Symptoms: That same lower back/hip pain is still pretty bad. Basic movements like walking, climbing stairs, and turning over in bed can send shooting pain through my lower back. This makes me very limp-y by the end of the day.  Also, if I'm on my feel a lot in the evening (cooking dinner, etc.), my belly starts to feel very heavy, and sometimes gets very tight and crampy. These are most likely Braxton Hicks contractions, because the sensation stops as soon as I lay down on my side.  

Weight: + 0.0 - Holding steady at +27.0 pounds total. I've definitely hit a weight gain plateau, which supposedly is somewhat normal at this point.  Let's see how long this lasts... especially with all the Thanksgiving indulgences.   

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: SO excited to have an EXTRA excuse to indulge at Thanksgiving this year! I made an apple pie just for David and I, but I haven't decided yet if I will share the leftovers.  I also started the effort to stock up our freezer with pre-made meals, so I made a double batch of The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti.  

I met a friend for breakfast the day before Thanksgiving.  Cookies and orange juice count as breakfast, right? Don't worry, I had eggs, too. 

What I'm Missing: At our Thanksgiving dinner, I was really wishing that I could have a glass of wine with David. Soon enough...

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well.  It just takes me a while to get comfortable when I first get in bed, since turning over aggravates my back so much.  But once I'm comfortable, I'm out for the night (mostly)!

Exercise: Pre-Natal Pilates/Barre and a couple home workout videos thrown in if/when I'm feeling motivated. 

Movement: Lots! I can tell he's getting cramped though.  I get lots of kicks way up high, but I've also experienced a few instances of "lightning crotch" where it feels like his little hands must be karate chopping a nerve down there.  Ouch!

Highlights of the Week:

-OB Appointment: I'm still at 1cm, 50% effaced, and -2 position. I was a bit relieved actually at my lack of progress since last week, since I'm hoping he won't be early!  David came with me to this appointment, since he hadn't met the new doctor since I switched.  It was fun to have company during the long wait in the exam room!

-Over the weekend, David and I had our Childbirth Class.  It was Friday evening and then all day Saturday and Sunday.  I didn't really know what to expect, but I think we both ended up being pleasantly surprised with the class.  The instructor was great, and the other couples in the class were really friendly, too.  It was nice to learn about the stages of labor, what to expect, relaxation techniques, ways to cope with pain, etc.  They had us practice several laboring positions, etc., which I at first thought was kind of silly, but it was actually really good to get an idea of what I think I might like/not like to do to help with pain during labor. And plus, they made the husbands do things like massage our backs with tennis balls, etc.  It was a LONG weekend though, and I'm glad that we checked that off the list!

Crazy how all of your insides shift around to accommodate that baby! 

-Since we are procrastinators, we also had our Infant CPR class this week.  This was just an evening class, and we ended up having the same instructor as our Childbirth Class. Each couple got their very own blow up baby to practice on (and take home). It's pretty scary to think about ever actually having to use these skills, but it's good to have the knowledge.  

-TODAY (my 37 week mark, not the day this posts, obviously) is actually Thanksgiving day! You can read more about our Thanksgiving HERE.  A quick recap: we had a very quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving for two. It was SO nice to stay in our pajamas most of the day and not have to be anywhere.