Last Pregnancy Update: Weeks 33-39
How Far Along: 39 weeks and ready for this baby boy to make his arrival.
Size of Baby: A pumpkin. Basically it looks like I'm smuggling a basketball under my shirt.
Weight Gain: 23 pounds.
Does Baby Have a Name?: Yes he does and I know our family is very eager to be able to call him something other than "baby boy." We had two names that we love and were kind of debating between but we were pretty sure it would be the one over the other and we've finally committed. I can't wait to introduce him to you!
How I'm Preparing for Labor: I read and re-read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth throughout this pregnancy and honestly feel like it has put me in just the right mindset going in to labor and equipped me with really practical tools to deal with the intensity of the day (or however long it takes). I feel like it has helped remove all my fears and anxieties surrounding labor and delivery and I mostly just feel excited and eager to experience it and see what my body is capable of-what it was made to do. The first half of the book is just positive real birth stories and that is mostly what I have chosen to focus on during my pregnancy. It seems that tv and movies love to make birth look like the most traumatic thing ever and a lot of people love to share their horror stories with expectant mothers but that's not necessarily the norm and it's not the way it has to be. I watched tons of natural birth vlogs on youtube and read countless blog posts of moms sharing their real birth stories and feel like I now have a whole library of knowledge on all the ways birth can go. I'm not so naive to think that it will be easy by any means, but I do have evidence that birth isn't all cussing at nurses and screaming in agony. Some of my favorite vlogs that I've watched are: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5.
Aside from saturating myself in positive birth stories, I am also preparing for labor physically by walking (waddling) every day. I bounce on my exercise ball and swivel my hips instead of just sitting on the couch while watching tv. And I've started drinking red raspberry leaf tea which may totally be a load of crock but supposedly it helps strengthen the uterus which makes contractions more effective and could mean a shorter labor.
Symptoms: Baby boy thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy so I am hustling to the bathroom all day and night at this point. I am also having braxton hicks contractions which aren't painful just uncomfortable mostly because I usually have to pee immediately after one comes on. Also, "lightning crotch" (who comes up with the names for these things?) which is quick flashes of pain from the baby pressing on nerves and my cervix.
Best Moment this Month: Finding out at my 38 week appointment that I was already 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced! This was super exciting and encouraging since I was making progress without having to deal with any real pain!
Looking forward to: Uh duh! I am going to have a baby any day now! Like he could come tonight or tomorrow or this weekend and that is just CRAZY exciting!!! Come on baby boy, your mama is ready to meet you!!
T.J. and I went on one last date night last Thursday, just the two of us, before becoming a family of three. I can't wait to see him become a dad but this time of anticipation is so sweet.
Size of Baby: A pumpkin. Basically it looks like I'm smuggling a basketball under my shirt.
Weight Gain: 23 pounds.
Does Baby Have a Name?: Yes he does and I know our family is very eager to be able to call him something other than "baby boy." We had two names that we love and were kind of debating between but we were pretty sure it would be the one over the other and we've finally committed. I can't wait to introduce him to you!
How I'm Preparing for Labor: I read and re-read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth throughout this pregnancy and honestly feel like it has put me in just the right mindset going in to labor and equipped me with really practical tools to deal with the intensity of the day (or however long it takes). I feel like it has helped remove all my fears and anxieties surrounding labor and delivery and I mostly just feel excited and eager to experience it and see what my body is capable of-what it was made to do. The first half of the book is just positive real birth stories and that is mostly what I have chosen to focus on during my pregnancy. It seems that tv and movies love to make birth look like the most traumatic thing ever and a lot of people love to share their horror stories with expectant mothers but that's not necessarily the norm and it's not the way it has to be. I watched tons of natural birth vlogs on youtube and read countless blog posts of moms sharing their real birth stories and feel like I now have a whole library of knowledge on all the ways birth can go. I'm not so naive to think that it will be easy by any means, but I do have evidence that birth isn't all cussing at nurses and screaming in agony. Some of my favorite vlogs that I've watched are: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5.
Aside from saturating myself in positive birth stories, I am also preparing for labor physically by walking (waddling) every day. I bounce on my exercise ball and swivel my hips instead of just sitting on the couch while watching tv. And I've started drinking red raspberry leaf tea which may totally be a load of crock but supposedly it helps strengthen the uterus which makes contractions more effective and could mean a shorter labor.
Symptoms: Baby boy thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy so I am hustling to the bathroom all day and night at this point. I am also having braxton hicks contractions which aren't painful just uncomfortable mostly because I usually have to pee immediately after one comes on. Also, "lightning crotch" (who comes up with the names for these things?) which is quick flashes of pain from the baby pressing on nerves and my cervix.
Best Moment this Month: Finding out at my 38 week appointment that I was already 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced! This was super exciting and encouraging since I was making progress without having to deal with any real pain!
Looking forward to: Uh duh! I am going to have a baby any day now! Like he could come tonight or tomorrow or this weekend and that is just CRAZY exciting!!! Come on baby boy, your mama is ready to meet you!!
I had one last baby shower on Sunday and now there is nothing else on my calendar except have a baby!
I think your mom has her blogging friends ALMOST as excited as she is for this child to be born!! I have really enjoyed your updates, Shannon!! Keeping you in my prayers and wishing you only the best!!
ReplyDeleteI'm one of your Mom's readers. Been following you for many years via Joyce. Congratulations to you and your Hubby! <3
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you snuck one more in before he got here : )
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for sharing this nice article
ReplyDelete