39 weeks and 6 days today and tomorrow is the baby’s original due date! I’m seriously hoping this is the last update I need to post because isn’t it the wish of every pregnant person to be done at this point! The last few weeks have been slightly nerve wracking since I’ve been dealing with precursor symptoms for preeclampsia including one pretty high blood pressure reading that almost sent me to the hospital. Luckily for me, things have settled down and it’s not as big of a concern right now though it’s still being monitored. I was nervous because for a while my OB was strongly suggesting an induction which is not my preference as long as myself and the baby are doing ok.
Otherwise things are headed the pretty typical route – I’m exhausted, swollen, and so so ready to meet my baby boy.
40 Weeks – Pregnancy Update
Size of Baby
At 40 weeks, baby is now 20.2 inches, about the size of a pumpkin and weighs around 7.6 pounds. The OB did a rough estimate at my appointment on Friday about what she thinks his size will be and she’s guessing that he’s about 6-6.5 pounds so we’re excited to see once he’s here!
Weight Gain
Currently up around 40 pounds.
New Developments/Symptoms
Nausea – I threw up the morning I headed into the doctor to find out if they would need to induce because of preeclampsia. Brady had to leave work quickly to come with me because they thought it was pretty likely I was going to have to go straight to the hospital. Things were ok enough to not have to go in that day so it ended up becoming a date afternoon for us which was nice. We went and saw Mamma Mia 2 which was insanely emotional for so many reasons! My mom and I went on a date to see the first one – just the two of us – and we both really loved the movie and the songs. Now that she’s gone and I’m about to have this baby, there are so many parallels that made this movie so much more emotional for me (not spoilers because it’s all in the trailers!) I really enjoyed the movie and highly recommend it!
Heartburn – I can tell space has really gotten tight in there because I have more issues with heartburn now especially at bedtime. If it’s really bad, I basically have to sleep sitting up.
Speaking of uncomfortable sleeping, my pelvic pain is quickly becoming unbearable when I’m trying to sleep. I toss and turn a lot because there just isn’t a comfortable position any longer.
I have a lot of stress going on in my hands from the extra fluids and it feels like I have arthritis in all my fingers – especially in my right hand. The carpal tunnel gets flared up while I’m sleeping so that’s fun too.
Just when I think I can’t swell anymore in my legs and feet… I do. My entire legs, feet, and (non-existent) ankles look like an elephant’s leg. I’m more used to the discomfort of perpetual swelling now but I am dreaming of the day when I know what regular feet and legs feel like again.
Since I’m not sleeping comfortably any more and waking frequently throughout the night (every 60-90 minutes) to use the bathroom, I’m constantly feeling exhausted. I wake up and feel like I can barely stay awake even when I’ve only been out of bed for about 60 minutes. Last night, Brady and I were in bed before it was even 9 pm because I’m just so tired. He’s probably getting less sleep as well between my tossing and the contractions that I’ve started dealing with in the middle of the night.
About a month ago, I started having light menstrual-like cramps from time to time but they were never particularly painful and had no pattern to them. Then, a couple weeks ago, I started having short periods of light and frequent contractions that never lasted too long. Last Wednesday afternoon I had somewhat steady contractions from about 1 pm until 7 am the next morning but they disappointingly fizzled out. It’s been a pretty similar trend since then and a couple times we’ve started to get a little excited. I know it’s all a good sign that we’re headed towards the end but it isn’t fun dealing with the pain and anticipation without a real end in sight. We found out at my most recent appointment on Friday that I’m about a centimeter dilated, soft and 50% effaced – so the contractions are doing some work!
Food Aversions/Cravings
Asian food was a pretty big craving for a couple weeks and the night before we thought we might have to be induced we went out on a date to our favorite local Thai restaurant. I’m not craving it quite as much any more because oily foods are sitting really hard in my digestive system right now. I’m still enjoying fresh veggies that I’ve been picking up from the farmer’s market – especially zucchini and squash. We picked just over 20 pounds of peaches just after my 37.5 week appointment because I have been craving fresh picked peaches all summer! It was a really hot day and walking back up the hill after picking was exhausting but still worth it for the delicious peaches. I made a peach pie that weekend and the rest were sliced and frozen – ready for more pies, crisps, and jam.
Exercise
It feels like death outside. There are some days where just walking to the car feels like I’m moments from suffocating. It is so humid all hours of the day so not much is going on outdoors. We drove out to the mall twice this weekend for no other reason than to get some indoor walking in. We popped into a couple stores for a quick browse and grabbed some food but we’re really just trying to walk this baby out. While I’m at home, I’m periodically doing some squats and spending a lot of time bouncing/rocking on the exercise ball.
Maternity/Baby Purchases
A couple weeks ago I went and did a large shopping trip to prepare some frozen meals that we can eat once the baby gets here. Brady and I spent a Friday afternoon preparing 3 of the soups and then last week my sister helped me with a few more of the recipes. So far I’ve made:
Lentil Soup – my own recipe and so addicting.
Chili soup – adapted from Cooking Classy to be a vegetarian/vegan recipe.
Chicken noodle soup – my own recipe.
Stuffed pepper soup – my first time making this one out of my head but tastes delicious and very filling.
Vegan Lasagna – adapted from Hummusapien to be a regular lasagna with a few added ingredients of my liking.
Spinach Pies – adapted from Picture the Recipe. I mostly follow this recipe but I use extra onion and add about a tablespoon of pesto sauce because it adds a depth of flavor that these pies were missing. I love these pies because they’re the closest thing to a good savory Aussie spinach pie. I have some ideas on making these pies vegan that I actually think will be fantastic whenever I get the chance to make these again.
My sister-in-law and father-in-law have also been so kind as to make us some foods for our stash as well so we have about 20+ dinners for the 2 of us that I’m hoping will last us over a month.
Overall Feelings
As much as we’re looking forward to the end, we have to make the most of the time we have without getting too anxious because a watched pot never boils…? lol. I’ve been getting a few messages a day from friends and family checking in to see how the baby stuff is going which is nice because I know that I have so many people who love us… but at the same time it makes me feel like a pressure cooker that’s about to explode! I’m feeling the pressure to get this baby out and trust me, I’m trying but baby isn’t going to come until baby’s ready to come!
I go through rounds of feeling impatient and then calm and relaxed. I hope that I can stay calm leading into this whole process but it is getting increasingly hard. I know I can confidently say that we really are at the end whether it happens today or in another week so I am excited about that! I can’t believe our little rainbow baby is almost here!
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