How, how, HOW is it possible that I’m wrapping up week 35 of pregnancy right now?! Stop it, time! Or actually — keep going, because 4 more weeks seems like an impossibly long stretch to be THIS pregnant.
Baby
We had an ultrasound at our doctor’s appointment this week and they confirmed that our little guy is officially stuck in his birth position: head down, butt firmly tucked into my right side. Which explains the hilarious movements that dominate that side over the left. He’s already 5 lbs, 14 oz according to the estimate – which if true, means we’re looking at a solidly 8.5 lb baby if he trends about a half pound a week. The idea of getting a big baby out scares me, but on the other hand, I’m glad he’s going to enter this world nice and strong.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve completely changed my opinion on what the “front runner” for his name should be. We have three now that we really like and I told Jason that he can be the one to pick in the hospital if we don’t agree right away. I’m glad J wouldn’t let me lock it in too early!
Physical
All in all, I’m feeling pretty good these days. I’ve been walking or doing easy-ish cardio workouts, and the back pain from earlier in the pregnancy has vanished, somehow. I have weird Charlie-horse type pains in my legs once in a while, and I definitely feel very heavy at the end of the day and slow moving. Oh, and the need to nap is back with a vengeance. But these things are all pretty minor because mostly I feel energetic and pretty darn good for this late in the game. Just another example of reality totally defying expectations – if someone had told me in my first trimester that I’d be lovin’ life at 9 months pregnant I probably couldn’t help but laugh in their face!
My weight has totally stabilized following the rocket launch that was the number on the scale during the first trimester. I haven’t gained much weight in the last month, keeping me right under the recommended limit. The doctors confirm that our little guy is growing on track and that everything looks great, so I’m really happy that I’ve gotten things under control. I’ve been focusing on eating healthy, whole foods which of course, keeps my appetite stable too. My only real pregnancy craving continues to be fruit – bags and containers of it at a time! I’m still loving mangoes but also VERY into sour summer cherries at the moment. Ironically, pineapple does not sound particularly good to me but I think I should be giving that a go over the next few weeks as it’s said to encourage labor.
Emotional
Most of the time, I’m feeling incredibly happy and excited. I love having something to look forward to (though in the past it was never anything this big – it was usually a trip!) and this is pretty much the ultimate “thing to look forward to.” Thanks to my nesting, his nursery is almost done save a few pictures on the wall, and I feel like he could come and we’d be ready – or at least as ready as we’ll ever be.
I’m so thankful I’m physically feeling good because I’m still able to enjoy dinners with Jason and this ridiculously beautiful Chicago summer we have on our hands – and I’m trying to be really aware of how fleeting and special these last moments are of just him and I. I still get a little sad over that sometimes because things are SO GREAT, how could I want that to change? But I just know that our life is going to be even more filled with love than I’ve ever imagined… which seems impossible, because there is a lot of love in this condo!
The one thing that is kind of plaguing me mentally is breastfeeding. This is another one where the rhetoric around it baffles me a bit – women in blogs and forums keep saying, “no one tells you how hard breastfeeding will be!” And I agree, I hadn’t heard that much before being pregnant but I also wasn’t asking around. But now that I AM pregnant and crawling those godforsaken forums like it’s my job most nights, it’s more like EVERYONE just tells you how hard breastfeeding will be. We’re going to a class in two weeks that I think will put my mind at ease or at least help us feel a bit more prepared, but I’m also trying to educate myself in the meantime. Jason and I discussed last night doing some research on formulas that we’d feel comfortable with if we need to supplement in the early days. I think having a backup plan would help me feel relaxed, which can only benefit the situation as a whole. I know how great I feel eating whole, natural foods, so if I can give that to my little one, I’m all in. But I also think that there’s a lot of people on this earth walking around and living pretty great lives who were formula fed (pretty sure that includes myself!) so I’m trying not to head into this like there’s only one way that will work for us.
Whew. The one-month countdown to the due date is on!