Week 36 Questionnaire

I think we have all the main things ready for Little Miss BB's arrival. I keep reading everything I can on natural intervention-free labors and am feeling confident (to a point of course). I think I'm feeling more nervous about actually meeting our baby girl. How will I feel? How will I react? On top of all the mess and exposure that labor can bring. I know they are things that I won't be worrying about at the time but thats the type of person I am.

I woke up this morning (36 weeks + 6 days) and feel that I look like I may have dropped a bit, I can feel her moving lower and there does seem to be more pressure. I am hoping to make 38 weeks, so she is has healthy as can be and I'm as ready as I can be!

How far along? 36 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed in a few weeks because the doctors have told me not to be to worried as I'm 'all baby' but last time I checked which was +15kgs at 33 weeks. I'm still fitting in to size 12 maternity clothes so I'm not to worried.
Maternity clothes? Yes, jeans, leggings and singlets. And larger sized tops. It's winter here and very cold so I am struggling to find warmer clothes in my wardrobe that fit.
Stretch marks? Yes. Definitely got my Mam stripes! They are on the sides of my hips, so looking front on you can't see them which I'm pleased about, I do have them going down one of my legs as well which is odd - I've been using my oil every night though so hope that once I'm back to my normal size they will be barely visable.
Sleep: Oh sleep, how I miss thy! I am so uncomfortable! I am getting about 2-3hrs before I have to get up to the bathroom, however every time I roll over I wake up because my belly is just so heavy! My hips are killing as well which does't help.
Best moment this week: This week? Well I'm getting to the uncomfortable, get this baby out stage so right now I'm just happy to be smiling! The best moment is finishing up the business and putting myself on maternity leave, which means I need to force myself to rest - which is very new to me.
Have you told family and friends: The whole world knows!
Movement: She is still a wriggler! However she is running out of space so her kicks are more squirms and stretches. These can be very painful for me at times but I can only imagine how little space she has in there now.
Food cravings: I still don't feel like I'm eating enough. When I do eat its mainly chocolate! Anything that has sugar and dairy I want it!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm still really struggling with chicken, the smell, the taste and the look.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, yes and yes! I am massive!
Gender prediction: Everything is pink and we have been calling her a girls name for months so she better be a girl :P
Labor Signs: Not yet. I have had braxton kicks contractions since 26 weeks so they are getting more frequent. 
Belly Button in or out? It is only just still an inny! So close to popping!
Wedding rings on or off? I don't wear my rings everyday anymore because I do get swollen fingers (and feet). 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Considering I could pop at any stage now, I am strangely fine. I'm excited and scared! But I know it will all be worth it in the end! 

Week 35

We are almost there - as I type this I am exactly 36 weeks. And I'm feeling so many emotions.

Tired and uncomfortable do top my list though.

So! This weeks midwife and doctors antenatal appointments were alot better then last weeks. 

I knew I should have just gone with my gut feeling regarding babies position - I knew how she was sitting and I was right. She is NOT posterior! A week of crazy stress for nothing! She has her body on my right side and limbs on the left and the doctors says the chances of her turning posterior a very low. She is head down and they predict will lock in and be engaged in the next week - she's almost ready to go! Both the midwife and doctor were amazing, probably the best appointments I've had so far. I feel so much better. I feel like I can do this, naturally and I have options for pain relief. The doctor told me her exact position - he was great, he said he could stand back and see exactly where she was which was amazing! He also put a guess of around 7lbs in which sounds perfect but still so tiny! 

Time is running out to get my ever growing list of jobs done with has created some stress for me. I am getting very tired and finding it harder and harder to do things so it's a struggle. We're still down to the one car so my mum has been helping me with all my jobs outside the house. It has made for some long days though with hubby on lates at work, so dropping me off at mums at 10am and picking me up around 7pm, then having to come home and do all the things I usually do during the day. 

I am trying my best to finish up all business things this weekend - I have a mountain of orders as I've had a few releases before planning on closing for maternity leave on Wednesday. I'm just so stressed about having any lose ends. So need to get moving to get it all done ASAP so then I can relax! 

Doctor and midwife said that I'm to rest from now on (once I get all business stuff finished of course) and start preparing for labor and baby. My next appointment isn't for another fortnight so 38 weeks but they were sure to tell me all the signs of labor, what to do and check that I've packed my bags and everything - just in case.  

I have to keep todays update short because I have so much to do today and the day is almost half over. I need to remember to eat more as well! So much on my mind! Hang in there little girl, give me a fortnight to get everything finished and time to rest up for you!

Week 34

I have an early update this fortnight, thought it was time to try and go back to weekly updates now that we are getting close to full-term. Not to mention a stressful week!

Yesterday I had my midwife appointment and long awaited appointment with the anesthetist. All that didn't go the way I was hoping and in all the waiting time took 4 hours at the hospital - very long day and ended with a phone call from my husband to say he'd had a minor car accident and his car was un-driveable but thankfully he was ok. 

Where to start? The midwife appointment started out normal as usual, arranging to get my whopping cough vaccine whilst I was there, blood pressure all normal... then I was measured and the nurse felt my belly. I'm measuring one week small all of a sudden and her reasoning was, which is the really clincher... Little Miss BB is posterior! My biggest fear with my back! It's the reason she is so active, Because all I feel are her hands and feet! So she needs to MOVE! and soon!

Next I got my whopping cough vaccine which thankfully was simple, easy and as a person with server needle phobia, drama free! 

Then the big appointment that has been booked for months and I had to wait over 2 hours for, the anesthetist. She was lovely but didn't really give me much confidence with anything. Apparently my back has me in a grey area when it comes to the epidural and a spinal. An epidural that up until I heard the words 'your baby is posterior' I didn't even want as an option but knowing that it means a longer and more painful labor would like for it to be at least on the table. In short she is happy to give the me the option of an epidural or spinal if a c-section is needed but can not guarantee that either will work. So in the end I might go through the trauma and pain of trying to get either and still end up with a general anesthetic. Plus what if that anesthetist isn't on when I'm in labor and I get one who isn't willing to 'give it a try'. I feel like there could be more trauma involved with having them as options then not. 

So I walked out of the hospital stressed, overwhelmed and not feeling any better about labor- I actually felt better about it before I went in! 

And to top off the day we are now down to one car til my husbands car can be fixed and out of pocket the excess on the insurance, all with 3-6 weeks before Little Miss BB arrives! I can't help but stress over anything and everything after a day like that. I am worried about my husband and the stress he is under which is making me stress and now worrying that Little Miss BB won't turn has me terrified! 

We are slowly being able to cross more things off the to do list but I feel my anxiety is making me feel like things aren't getting done soon enough and I am struggling to do things physically these days. Sleep is not something I have had in a long time! Being uncomfortable is becoming the new norm which I'm really struggling with. Pain and tiredness I can handle but discomfort I can't. 

I have my mental health midwife visiting on Friday which I think couldn't have come at a better time. Especially after yesterday! I've also got a few other fears and concerns with family and things that might happen when BB gets here that are really playing on my nerves, daily. 

All I know is it will all be worth it when we finally meet our baby girl - its just getting to that part thats the struggle at the moment. 

Week 32/33 & Hospital Bag

Well talk about growth spurt! I feel like a beached whale! 

The weather has turned very cold and very much winter here now so I've taken to staying home alot more. We did have a Maternity photo shot at 32 weeks though which I'm nervously awaiting the photos from - I would never have the confidence to do that sort of thing but the photographer was a friend of my husbands and offered to do it for free if she could use the photos for advertising so I really hop they look alright - so nervous!

We had our Breastfeeding Class last week as well, and well that was an experience. I feel overwhelmed by the whole thing. The midwife who took the class was very intense and I do feel alot of pressure to 'perform'. I know that I need to trust that my body will do what it's meant to have I hope I can feed my baby girl the best I can for the amount of time that feels comfortable to me and her. The pressure to breastfeed well after 1 year old is very overwhelming for me. I have in my mind the goal of at least 4-6months if all goes well. So yes, very confronting sort of class that made me feel rather uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before but we do have a name for our precious little one. We announced it to friends at the baby shower in the form of a custom nail polish. We still reserve the right to change our mind but I am very doubtful we will. I've been calling her by her name for a months now and its just perfect. 

Next week is the anesthetist appointment to discuss my options with my previous spinal surgery. However I have got my heart set on and have been preparing (my mind) for a natural birth with little intervention as possible. More then happy to take the gas & air. We've researched warm compression as well which I hope to use if needed. As well has the usual active birth needs, yoga ball, music, and a tens machine. I want to meet my little girl and give her the best chance in this world.

The vivid dreams, leg cramps and braxton hicks contractions are making sleep a very rare thing these days. In turn making me slighting emotional and very tired. I worry about things I shouldn't. My business, money, money and money - I worry so much. My goal was to have my credit card paid off before she was born however I think my dreams for my business being more successful clouded my usual rational mind when it came to how much getting ready for a baby would cost as well as trying to keep my business going and getting the house prepared. So my credit card doesn't look much better then it did 6 months ago which really gets me down alot. I worry alot! 

I did have alot of worry last week and a totally irrational fear of going in to labor early. I think the lack of sleep does get me when it comes to certain fears because it feeds them.

I am starting to feel extra uncomfortable though! 

33 weeks VS 32 weeks

I did (out of the early labor fear) get around to packing my hospital bag and I have almost finished packing the baby bag (I don't think the nappy bag will be quite big enough so going with a small weekender bag).

I did a lot of online research and even asked alot of friends on Facebook as to what to pack in my hospital bag, which at times I got so overwhelmed with. I think it was more the fact that with the bag packed, its really happening.

So here's whats in my bag:

• 2x Packs of Maternity Pads

• 6x Granny Undies (cheap and black)

• A Nursing bra (a size up from what I have been wearing - but I go with the this style so size isn't to much of an issue)

• 2x Draw string light long pants

• 2x Nursing Singlets

• 1x Light weight Cardigan to wear for visitors

• Long Dressing Gown & Dark pj maternity pants

• Long sleeve, button down Nightie for easy breastfeeding

• Socks & Slip on Slippers

• Bathroom bag: Dry shampoo, moisturizer, body wash, hand sanitizer, tooth brush/paste, hair ties and lip balm 

•  Large Oversized Tshirt (for labor) 

•  4x Face washers (to use for hot compression if needed)

I know I'll probably add more to this but I feel pretty happy with whats in the bag at the moment. I do want to make sure I put a spare phone charger in there so we don't have to rush around and try and remember it when things start getting serious.

If anyone reading can think of anything else I might need please feel free to comment.

Well thats one big long update - I guess alot has been going on this fortnight. 

Between the braxton hicks contractions, lack of sleep and irrational worries, I'm doing alright!