 |
| 35 weeks! |
One more week closer to meeting Zoie, we're getting so excited! We have all the baby gear we need, we've practiced installing our Britax car seat, and we've completed all the newborn education classes at the hospital. But really... are we ready for the responsibility of another human being? AHHHH!!!
I've been reading some good books about newborn development, childbirth, and parenting styles. One of my favorites has been "Natural Hospital Birth" by Cynthia Gabriel - she gives great advice about how to work with your medical team to achieve a natural birth experience. I'm feeling pretty good about heading into labor - what an exciting thing my body was designed to do! I'm prepared for it to be more painful than anything I could imagine, but I want that amazing drug-free feeling of our baby leaving my body and entering the world. The best advice on how to make this happen? Labor at home for as long as you can - go to the hospital at the last minute!
Pregnancy marches on. I'm starting to really look forward to Zoie being out of my belly! Sleeping is growing more uncomfortable, and I'm starting to feel more tired during the day. Nothing compared to the sleepless nights we'll face after Zoie is born, but still - it's annoying when your own body won't give you a break!
No one told me that getting out of bed gets very awkward towards the end of pregnancy. I actually fell on the floor trying to roll out of bed - the book on my nightstand slipped off when I tried to support my weight in standing up, and I crashed down on my butt! Pretty alarming for James in the middle of the night...
Unquenchable thirst is also something relatively new. I always have my water bottle with me, and drain 20oz throughout each night as I'm waking up every hour. I don't even like drinking water! But feeling parched isn't any better.
At 35 weeks, our Zoie is getting so big! Here's what she might look like:
How far along are you? 35 weeks - only 2 more weeks until she's considered full term (at 37 weeks, she wouldn't technically be considered premature if she was born - her lungs and organs are strong enough to survive the outside world!) and 5 more weeks until her due date!
How big is Baby? Zoie is gaining about half a pound per week, so right now she should be about 5.25lb. She should measure just over 18 inches long - about the size of a honeydew melon.
Weight Gain? My mid-morning weight was 152. I'm feeling quite heavy... total weight gain = 20.5 pounds!
Gender? Girl!
Maternity Clothes? Oh yes. And all those big unisex T-shirts from college and events that I keep for working out? They actually fit me properly now. Belly is getting huge.
Sleep? Sleeping is definitely getting more uncomfortable... hips get sore (even with a pillow between my knees), belly hangs heavily on whatever side I'm sleeping on, congestion makes breathing awkward, frequent heartburn (I keep Tums on my nightstand), thirst, and several bathroom trips. I sound like a mess! However, no calf cramps this week! My dad recently mentioned that pointing your toes when stretching out your legs can trigger a cramp - and so far he's right! I've stuck to only flexing my feet to get a good stretch, and no cramps yet. Yay!
Movement? Still lots and lots of movement. Especially right when I wake up in the morning, after dinner, and when I lay down for the evening.
Food Cravings? Nothing new this week. We had a BBQ get-together yesterday, and indulged in many delicious foods! Chili dogs with onions and cheese, mmmmm...
Labor Signs? No Braxton-Hicks contractions that I'm aware of. I do suspect Zoie is starting to descend lower in my abdomen though - I can feel her wiggling really low in my belly sometimes and she's putting more pressure on my bladder. We'll get to see how she's positioned next week at our 36 week ultrasound.
Belly Button in or out? It might be about as poked out as it will go, which isn't terribly far. It's noticeable when wearing t-shirts, but it's not as bad as I predicted!
What I miss? Beer, and feeling more energetic. I can't wait to shed this weight!
Best moment(s) of the week? We didn't end up going to Omaha (James had to work on Sunday), but this weekend we went to our local Sunset Zoo! I loved it - they had a 4 month old baby chimpanzee! And otters. And a... bald eagle? I mean, I see them everywhere in Washington, but hey that's cool. James and I also saw Man of Steel on Friday - definitely worth seeing!
What I am looking forward to? This Saturday, James and I are visiting one of my best college buds in Kansas City! It's gonna be a great weekend.
Cheers,
Martha
No comments:
Post a Comment