like I did with baby boy Luca, I’ll be doing monthly pregnancy recaps to document the progress of this pregnancy and hopefully relate to some of you who are pregnant as well or interested in becoming pregnant! in this week’s recap, I’ll be recapping week 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37. I’m currently 38 weeks pregnant.
the recap, weeks 33 – 37
well folks, we’re two weeks out! two weeks until my official due date of June 20, although we all know how unreliable due dates are! I was 5 days late with Luca (five verrrry long days) and I’m secretly hoping this baby girl comes early, because being 38 weeks pregnant with a toddler is no joke. I’m so blessed to be growing my family, and I feel bad complaining, but none of my mom friends with multiples warned me that it would be this hard, so I feel like more of us should talk about it so we’re more mentally prepared for it! it’s just tough running around after a toddler, entertaining a toddler, picking up and putting down a toddler, cleaning up after a toddler, and doing basic mom things.
my body is big, my energy levels are low, and I find the mom guilt building up the closer we get to the due date. I feel like we haven’t had enough one-on-one time, I haven’t been as fun as a mom because I’m so big and uncomfortable, and I’m opting for screen time instead of playing time, because I just can’t do it! I know this is all normal, but it’s still hard, when you’re used to being such an active mom. even going to the park to play with him seems like an impossible feat!
other than that, things are good! we’re logistically ready for the baby girl to come – the nursery is completed (did you see my nursery reveal post?!), our stroller is setup (we went with the Bugaboo Donkey2 Duo for many reasons, which I talk about in this post), the hospital bag is packed (full list here), and work is finished. right now, the work I’m doing is non-essential, it’s housekeeping items I’ve been putting off for awhile. I’m trying not to start any big projects in these next 2 weeks and try to make time to relax, but the nesting mode is on real hard, and I find myself antsy when I try to relax. oh, I can clean out the freezer! oh, I can clean out the pantry! oh, I can freezer meal prep! oh, I can organize that Tupperware cabinet!
my goal is that by 39 weeks, I’m doing nothing but taking walks, getting a massage, and reading outside by the pool. I feel so guilty doing this when I have a nanny, but then I realize…. Luca is going to have more fun with the nanny than me, at this point – and it’s better I save up my energy and relax before the baby girl comes. you can’t pour from an empty cup, right? luckily, my mom will be in town from Florida, so we can spend some quality 1-on-1 time as well.
the last major update is that I had a labor scare in mid May (May 18th). if you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen it. basically, Lu and I went on a date night to see a magic show in NYC. after the show, I peed, and then we left the venue and started to walk to dinner, which was only a couple blocks away. when I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I had a gush of liquid flow out of me. I completely soaked my underwear, the pad I was wearing (#incontinenceproblems) and the back of my romper. I went into panic mode (I was only 35 weeks at this point) and started shaking. I called my mom, told her my water broke, and we called the doctor, who told us to go to the hospital immediately. luckily, our hospital is in NYC, so we were only a 10 minute cab ride away.
when I arrived at the hospital, they tested my pad with a strip stick test and it came out positive for amniotic fluid, meaning my water had broken. the nurse came back in and said, “we’re going to do another test just to make sure!” which meant the speculum test, which is more painful than labor, seriously. like, sharp painful. AWFUL. it tested negative. however, I was having contractions 3 minutes apart (weird) and I was 2cm dilated (which isn’t really anything.) so, they kept me for another 2 hours and tested again (the painful speculum test) and it came out negative again, so they attributed it to being dehydrated and sent me home. needless to say, I was a little shook.
since then, I haven’t had any other issues and it has been business-as-usual. I have my 38 week appointment tomorrow, where I think they start to check dilation, so we’ll see!
note: this will be my final recap of this pregnancy! since I only have 2 weeks left, the next “recap” will be the baby girl’s name reveal and birth story! thank you for following me along in this journey.
other fun updates
- swollen fingers: I never had this with Luca, but there are only certain days I can wear my wedding rings, and that’s usually on days when I haven’t eaten and sugary or salty foods the day before. otherwise, it’s game over – these fingers are chunky!
- lightning crotch: yup, this is happening – little lightning bolt pains (very quick, fleeting) in my crotch, that sometimes shoot down my legs. it catches you off guard! apparently this happens more as the baby drops, in preparation for labor.
- hard to get comfortable at night: I wasn’t sleeping well this pregnancy, because my dreams were crazy and I constantly had to pee, but now, it’s because I’m just uncomfortable. my hips hurt from sleeping on my side, and whenever I do need to adjust, it’s a struggle.
- breathing difficulty: sitting is a chore! I have to arch my back so that I can clear my airways, because otherwise, it’s hard to breath because of all of the pressure.
- nesting: I noted it in my recap above, but it’s truly amazing how true ‘nesting mode’ is – you just literally can’t relax, you feel like you HAVE to clean, organize, and set things up. luckily, I don’t have that much left to do, but something tells me that I’ll find things to do.
- exercise: I’ve toned this down a lot, I’m really only going 3, maybe 4 times a week. it’s just a lot for me and leaves me very, very exhausted by 3pm. I’m going to start taking more walks after this week. I think my 38th week will be my final gym week!
- colostrum: I was in the shower and noticed there was a kind of crust (I know, gross) on my nipples and I picked at it and it flaked right off. I realized it was crusted colostrum! I gave my nipples a squeeze and sure enough, my boobs are already producing colostrum! I’m really hoping to be able to breastfeed again, so fingers crossed it all works out!
- pelvic floor pressure: I remember this with Luca too, but it’s definitely happening sooner and I feel like it’s worse. I can’t walk very far distances, I become so sore down there and there is just so much pressure, it feels like that baby is going to slide right out!
maternity favorites
here are a few things I’m loving right now:
- these maternity tanks: as the weather has warmed up, I’ve basically been living in these tanks.
- favorite workout leggings: I’m always asked this question, so I figured I’d highlight them here in this final recap post. these are my favorite, they’re the most supportive!
- belly mask: I did this belly mask, and it made my skin feel so luxurious – during and after! just a nice treat.
for more favorites, follow me on @inspiralizedali on Instagram, and check out my Pregnancy Favs highlight icon!
and that’s it! see you after the baby girl’s born! can’t wait! I’m so ready 🙂
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