39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a watermelon - She is able to flex her limbs, and her nails may extend past her fingertips. Her brain is still developing rapidly.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: Contractions and false labor. It is really screwing with my head and making me a generally unpleasant person to be around. I just want to curl up in a pile of pillows and blankets and not talk to anyone.

 

Weight gain/loss: My weight seems to be leveling off at 25 total gain. Some days it's more, some less, but that seems to be the average at this point.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I'm actually starting to lose my appetite a bit. Nothing ever really sounds appealing at this point.

 

The baby belly: It's lower and sticks out in front of me like a shelf. I've become quite good at balancing food and plates on it while seated.

 

Movement: Lots of strong kicks and wiggles, but that internal clawing feeling is mostly gone. I'm hoping that means she turned around and is really in position for birth now.

 

What is freaking me out: I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever. I hate the unknown of not knowing when, or being able to control, going into labor. I'm uncomfortable and exhausted, and the false labor is extremely discouraging.

 

What I'm totally loving: When I do venture out of the house, I love being asked "When are you due?" and legitimately being able to respond with "Any day now." People panic. You'd think I told them I was crowning at that exact moment.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Getting this child out of me. Pregnancy was wonderful, and mostly easy, but I'm done. Time to have an outside baby and have my insides back to myself again.

 

38 Weeks

 

How far along: 38 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a pumpkin - She may have up to one inch of hair by now, and is slowly shedding the vernix caseosa from her skin.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: Pressure and general discomfort. I'm actually starting to feel like my symptoms are slowly disappearing.

 

Weight gain/loss: Up another pound for a total of 25, but it fluctuates.

 

Food aversions/cravings: If it's a carb, I want it. I feel like I'm back in first trimester with my carb craving.

 

The baby belly: Some days it's low, other days it looks high. Size-wise, it's pretty consistent at this point: Massive.

 

Movement: She still moves a ton, and gets hiccups very frequently. I still have the feeling of her trying to claw her way out with her fingernails, which makes me wonder if she's facing out, instead of facing my back.

 

What is freaking me out: While my loss of symptoms is great, it's also mildly unsettling. Just how long is she planning on staying in there?

 

What I'm totally loving: Being able to walk again. Wherever she is in there, she's off of my sciatic nerves and it makes all the difference in the workforce.

 

What I'm looking forward to: As usual, my next appointment... which will be at 39+6 and one day before my due date. At this week's appointment I was up to 2cm and soft, but baby still wasn't fully engaged.

 

37 Weeks

 

How far along: 37 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a winter melon - She is practicing inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping, and blinking.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: Pressure. So much pressure! Baby flipped (thank, God!) and almost all of my horrible back pain disappeared. It has now been replaced with all of this downward pressure, but I'll take it!

 

Weight gain/loss: Up another pound for a total of 24.

 

Food aversions/cravings: Ice cream. I can't get enough of it. I've gone through a shameful amount of ice cream bars and cones from the package we brought home from Costco this week.

 

The baby belly: She has definitely dropped. No question about it this time. I think she still might have a little further to go, but she is down there.

 

Movement: Movement has changed dramatically. It is still very strong, and hurts at times, but where I'm feeling things is completely different than last week. It makes me wonder how long she had been breech without me realizing it.

 

What is freaking me out: I just need baby girl to stay head down. That's it for right now. I'm incredibly worried that she is going to flip herself back into breech, and we'll need to go down the potential path to a c-section.

 

What I'm totally loving: That for right now she is head down, and all is right with the world. She is only partially engaged, but I'm dilated over 1cm and everything is softening down there.

 

What I'm looking forward to: My 38 week appointment. Hopefully we'll get confirmation that she's still head down, lower, and maybe I'll even be dilated a bit more. I'm fairly certain I lost part of my plug, so that's a good sign on the dilation front. The pressure and pelvic pain get more intense everyday, so hopefully that just means she is dropping lower and lower into position.

 

36 Weeks

 

How far along: 36 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a honeydew - Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid. Her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: I feel like a cripple. Between the contractions and horrible nerve pain in my back, it's getting harder and harder to walk or drive.

 

Weight gain/loss: Up one more pound for a total of 23.

 

Food aversions/cravings: Nothing is really standing out this week. I think the pain in my back is just overruling all other aspects of my life right now.

 

The baby belly: I thought she was moving down, but it feels like she's up again. My lung capacity is still better than before, so let's go with the bump has slightly lowered itself.

 

Movement: Movement is all over the place and really, really strong. I think I know what body part is what, but could be totally wrong.

 

What is freaking me out: Well crap... We just found out that baby is frank breech. That clearly explains all of the painful movements. Apparently she's trying to turn, which is causing the contractions I've been having, which then holds her in place. I've been told to rest, do what I can to ease the contractions so she can flip, and go back for another ultrasound next week. After that we'll talk about doing a version/induction or a c-section.

 

What I'm totally loving: I guess I love that I haven't dilated at all? I'm pretty overwhelmed with her being breech, but without being dilated it means she still has time to turn herself. She is also weighing in at just 5 lbs, with plenty of fluid and space for movement. Fingers crossed! She looked great on the ultrasound, other than her positioning, and we watched her putting her hands and feet up by her mouth. She even had hair!

 

What I'm looking forward to: My 37 week appointment and, God willing, finding out that she managed to work herself into the proper position for her big arrival.