We are officially reaching our final days of pregnancy and it's safe to say that this little bun is done cooking! According to doctors she's due on the 11th of January but she could come later, either way, we're anxiously waiting for her arrival. We also don't want to set our hearts on the 11th as a date to expect her because she should come at her own time. Anyway, as I've been doing, I thought I'd share a little about how this final hurdle has been.
This trimester has flown by, I've had a lot more midwife appointments, we've been to antenatal classes, my bump has grown so much and my appetite has increased like crazy! During the first two trimester I was not eating as much simply because I was put off by certain foods or I just wasn't as hungry. However, this trimester I've been enjoying food a whole lot more than what I've been used to in my pregnancy but this doesn't mean I've been going crazy - at least I think I haven't!
Throughout my pregnancy I've genuinely been quite small and have had people commenting on how I definitely don't look 9 months pregnant as it was only until the end of my 8th month that I feel like I've popped. This also means that turning around in bed is a great challenge and I need all the help I can get to push me out of bed. I've become accustomed to regular toilet trips during the night as I've been waking up every 2 hours. I guess my body is preparing me for those late night feeds but it also means I've been struggling with my sleep. It's meant that I get tired a lot quicker during the day which results in me being grumpy because even though I try to nap I just can't do it - any tips on how to get some nap time in? I will try to get some final shut eye before she comes as everyone has been telling me to kiss sleep goodbye.
Although my bump has grown we did face a scare as I was measuring 3cm under what I should be and we had the midwife and doctors tell us that I could possibly get induced if baby girl didn't show signs of growth. Doctors told me that the reason for this was simply because I could not stretch any further and she didn't have any space to move around. I began researching and informing myself on getting induced and I was not ready for such a procedure as I want to go through labour naturally.
After 2 long and tense weeks God came through and our prayers were answered when the doctor measured her once again and she had grown enough for her to stay put until she's ready to come out. Luckily, she's been head down since week 28 and hopefully she will stay head down until her big debut.
One final thing about this trimester has to be of course the swollen feet and hands! So far I've experienced it three times, with the second time being the funniest. It was Christmas Eve and we had finished opening up presents and I could feel my feet getting strangely heavy. As I take off my cosy socks, my feet had swelled up and my toes looked like pigs in blankets. Instead of crying or moaning I just began laughing because I thought I had chubby feet to begin with but I am so wrong. What's helped the most with reducing the swelling has been a foot massage (thank you to my sweet husband) or putting my feet up. I have kissed my shoes goodbye and rely on Ugg boots and trainers to keep me moving.
We have our hospital bag ready with her onesies, her little hats, a blanket, muslins, nappies and other essentials that we will need. Of course my bag is also ready with essential bits for myself and I've included things for my husband as well so we're pretty much set for when she comes. We've got our car seat waiting to be used and we have an endless supply of nappies! Diego and I have both been in nesting mode so I find myself going through everything mentally nearly everyday and he's also began moving things around to set the space for her.
We have our hospital bag ready with her onesies, her little hats, a blanket, muslins, nappies and other essentials that we will need. Of course my bag is also ready with essential bits for myself and I've included things for my husband as well so we're pretty much set for when she comes. We've got our car seat waiting to be used and we have an endless supply of nappies! Diego and I have both been in nesting mode so I find myself going through everything mentally nearly everyday and he's also began moving things around to set the space for her.
The final highlight of this trimester definitely has to be the constant movements she's been doing, we've felt her little bones, she's kicked my ribs enough to make it feel as if they were about to snap off and we've been able to get some video clips of her crazy stretches. Lying on my left side means she gets a lot more fluid to her and it means I can feel her little feet and hands wiggle around - it's a crazy feeling and even crazier to explain!
As this is my final week of pregnancy I can tell you that I am ready to meet our baby girl, I'm ready to kiss her sweet cheeks, to kiss her toes and be a family. The excitement has been real, from seeing Diego's expression when he felt her move, to buying little clothes, speaking to her, praying over her life and seeing her move around when we played our wedding song... I'll miss these moments but I can't wait for the memories we will create.
We appreciate any prayers you have for us as we reach our due date and hope everything goes smoothly, even if the midwives, doctors and friends/family tell us otherwise.
We appreciate any prayers you have for us as we reach our due date and hope everything goes smoothly, even if the midwives, doctors and friends/family tell us otherwise.
Hugs x
