I’m 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant today (although 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant in this photo) and our baby girl will be here any day now. This part of pregnancy is so surreal. It’s weird playing the waiting game knowing that your life will change drastically at any time, yet you don’t know when it will happen. Plus you never know if your water will break (mine did last time) or if it’ll be a slow start with waves of contractions while you labor at home before heading to the hospital. I’d kind of prefer that my water breaks because that’s the situation I’m most familiar with, and I’m praying it happens in the morning this time so that I can get a full night’s sleep before hand. We’ll see though! I know it’s all out of our hands. All we can do is prepare as much as possible, and now that our home is ready and my dad is here to watch Jack once we go to the hospital I think we are all set. The doctor says that they will induce at 41 weeks but Jack was born right on his due date so I’m hoping baby girl will have a similar schedule. Tom and I have tried to spend as much quality time with Jack as possible before his sister gets here, so we’ve had daily pool trips and in the afternoons Tom and Jack go on a long walk and kick the soccer ball around for a while. I’m anxious about adjusting to two under 2, but this is what I’ve always wanted and I’m so excited for her to get here!
Here are a few updates on the topics I’ve discussed in past pregnancy updates:
WORKOUTS: Pretty much nonexistent these past few months, other than walking. I try to go on daily walks with Jack, and typically they end up being 2-2.5 miles long. I’m moving pretty slowly these days and get Braxton-Hicks contractions frequently so our pace is not quick! It’s good to get moving though. I’m so ready to go on a run and get back in shape. All this down time has been a little rough on my brain and my body!
FOOD CRAVINGS: I’ve been on an ice cream sandwich kick lately and these Key Lime Ice Cream Sandwiches (from Walmart!) are surprisingly delicious. They have a few other neat flavors that I want to try too. I’ve also made quite a few batches of muffins in the past few weeks. They’re yummy to snack on plus I always sneak fruit and veggies into them so I consider it a win because Jack loves them too.
BABY MOVEMENTS: She is head down (woohoo!) and kicks up into my ribs all the time. She still moves a lot but I know she’s running out of room. Last week the doctor felt my belly and estimated that she’s about 6 pounds. I find that hard to believe because they guessed Jack was 7 pounds and he turned out to be just under 9 pounds. I hope she’s closer to 6 though because that will make delivery a bit easier if the VBAC is successful!
MY BODY: Oh gosh, this pregnancy has not been as easy. I’ve gained 43 or so pounds and have sprouted lots of stretch marks on my lower belly. My belly itches because the skin is stretched so tightly and I am ready for her to get out! I’ve been having these sharp pains down the inside and outside of my legs that kind of make my legs buckle. I also feel downward pressure sometimes and it makes me think there is going to be a “pop” and a big water gush any minute. I’ve had lots of contractions but I think they are all Braxton-Hicks, rather than real ones. My feet are pretty swollen now and I can tell in my face and neck that everything is getting puffy. I have no clue if I’m dilated or effaced or anything, but I think they will check at my appointment tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed for a VBAC this time, so we’ll see. I really don’t want another C-section because I felt so helpless and slow to respond that first week. All that really matters though is that she is healthy and ends up safely in my arms, so whatever happens happens.
CLOTHES: Nothing fits. I’m living in dresses and ready to burn all my maternity clothes because I’m sick of them. I’ve bought some new nursing tops, bras and dresses recently so I’ll do a post on them once I’m able to try them out. I have already started wearing this maternity sports bra and love it! I never bought one last time and I don’t know why. The little ring at the back does squeak though, but it doesn’t bother me. Also, this is my favorite nursing bra because it has no underwire, is flattering, is very comfortable and is a great price. I even wore it once I weaned Jack because I liked it so much. I have it in “mochaccino” and “black.”
Thanks for following along on my pregnancy journey! Hopefully I will have baby news soon. Be sure to follow me on Instagram because that’s where I will share the news first 🙂
I'm playing the waiting-any-day game now too, and I'm getting so anxious. My water broke with my first too, which was so nice, but I read that it's rare so I'm betting it won't happen again, just hoping! Good luck with your VBAC!
Katie! Can't wait to see you're precious girl. Love the nursery! Instagram doesn't work with me…the link says: Site doesn't exist (in German as I am in Germany)…any clue what I could do? I really miss your Instagram feed…
I love these updates. Baby girl will be here soon and I'm so excited for y'all. Can't wait to hear about her arrival.
Do you sleep in the nursing bra that you posted above or do you have another one for night time?
I'm playing the waiting-any-day game now too, and I'm getting so anxious. My water broke with my first too, which was so nice, but I read that it's rare so I'm betting it won't happen again, just hoping! Good luck with your VBAC!
Yay! You're so close to meeting that precious girl!
Thank you so much! I like to sleep in the Medela or Gilligan & O'Malley sleep bras. They're more comfortable for overnight. Hope that helps!
The waiting game is so tough, isn't it? I hope you get to meet your new baby sooner rather than later! And fingers crossed for water breaking!
We are! Can't wait to have her in my arms!
Katie!
Can't wait to see you're precious girl. Love the nursery!
Instagram doesn't work with me…the link says: Site doesn't exist (in German as I am in Germany)…any clue what I could do? I really miss your Instagram feed…
Good luck for the upcoming whirlwind of things!
Thank you Simone! If you go on instagram and search lifewithadashofwhimsy you should be able to find me! Hope that helps 🙂