Pregnancy diaries || Week 40 & 41 - The Waiting Game

Week 40

We have reached 40 weeks so it's time for an eviction notice! "You're 40 week lease is past due. You are hereby requested to vacate the premises within the next two weeks. Failure to cooperate will result in an induction. Other living arrangements have been made and eagerly await your arrival."

This week consisted of stretch and sweeps, dilation checks, red raspberry leaf tea, hot curries, long walks and bouncing on my Swiss ball for hours on end.

On Thursday (40+1) I had my first "stretch and sweep" which can help bring on labour if baby is ready and in the correct position. My midwife said that my cervix is soft but only 1cm dilated.
Later that day Mum arrived to visit for a few days. We took lots of walks around the neighbourhood to try get labour going and just to get some fresh air. It was nice having her around and she helped me organise a few last things around the house before everything changes.

We went down to Point Chevalier beach at sunset and took some mother-daughter photos. As it was her last night with us and I wanted to capture this special moment in time with her.

(TMI warning) I lost my mucous plug the following morning, which is a snotty mucous mass that sits at the entrance to your uterus and helps protect and block it from infections. When this is lost it is a good sign that my cervix was further ripening after the sweep. No further progress though. 


Mum went home the next day, and I went to get my second stretch and sweep. I was still only 1 cm and soft so nothing had really changes and baby wasn't ready, but she was pleased to hear that my mucous plug was continuing to come out.


I went on to have my third stretch and sweep with Midwife, still no dilation change. I had started feeling a lot more back pressure and twinges in cervix though.

On the 17th, Chris an I spent a good amount of the day trying to turn baby into good position. Using "Rebozo" technique, of me being on all fours and Chris standing behind me with a large scarf suspending my bump, sifting it from side to side. This was to turn baby from an OP position to an Occiput Anterior (facing towards my back) position, which in the ideal way to birth. Supposedly the reduced pressure on the pelvis and change in gravity can help babies get into their optimal position for birth. I also spent a lot of time with my knees up on the couch and my head down on the ground. Again, getting gravity to help me out a bit. It was all quite technical, exhausting and somewhat un-dignified for me, but let's face it. What part of pregnancy is dignified at this point.

How far along?: 40 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, no way around it now

Stretch marks?: Yes

Belly button in or out?: It looks like a volcano sometimes, so is that my version of an outie?

Sleep?: Getting harder. Found it difficult breathing properly a few nights ago

Best Moment of the week?: Hanging out with Mum

Worst Moment of the week?: Getting uncomfortable stretch and sweeps with no change

Miss anything?: Being in control of my own body

Movement?: YES! She's got a good set of strong legs on her that's for sure.

Cravings?: Nutrigrain, Mandarins (like 6 per day) and Dark chocolate

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one and hopefully getting labour started before induction.

Mood/emotional state?: Impatient

Early Labour Signs?: Mild Contractions and losing my mucous plug

Week 41

I had scheduled a 41 week ultrasound in advance just-in-case we got this far, but was hoping I would be able to cancel it prior to this week arriving. Unfortunately, here we are, 41 weeks and still waiting. I went in for my ultrasound on Thursday morning (41+1) and the ultrasound tech was acting different than her usual bubbly self. She was concerned about baby's growth rate and stomach size. After taking all of her measurements and plotting them along her previous growth chart (where she was 50th percentile for everything at 36 weeks) she found that her growth rate had dropped significantly and her stomach size had gone from 50th percentile to only the 5th. So she was very concerned.I got my results and went to my midwife appointment that evening.

My midwife had received the news by this point by phone call, which is unusual, as the ultrasound tech said that had deemed it urgent enough to give her the news straight away. My midwife had already consulted with the hospital next door to her clinic and they were happy to do some fetal monitoring on me then and there. So we took an un-expected visit to Waitakere hospital to get baby checked out on the CTG monitoring machine. She was happy and healthy with a good heart rate and movements. They could also track the mini contractions I had been having on and off for the past week. I had another thorough stretch and sweep and was advised to come back the next morning (41+2) for an induction.

How far along?: 41 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, and now hospital gowns

Stretch marks?: Yes

Belly button in or out?: It looks like a volcano sometimes, so is that my version of an outie?

Sleep?: Getting harder. Found it difficult breathing properly a few nights ago

Best Moment of the week?: Seeing my baby on the ultrasound for the final time

Worst Moment of the week?: Being super anxious that my baby might not be growing properly

Miss anything?: Being in control of my own body

Movement?: Yes, movement felt and also detected on the fetal monitors

Cravings?: Mandarins and Dark chocolate

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one

Mood/emotional state?: Anxious, nervous, excited and scared

Early Labour Signs?: Mild Contractions and losing more of my mucous plug

Pregnancy diaries || Week 36 - Final ultrasound & at home photoshoot

Week 36

We had our final ultrasound this week to check babys measurements and position for birth. The midwife had noticed that it seemed like she was laying transverse (horizontal) across my belly rather than head-down, bums-up ready for birth. By the time our ultrasound appointment came around though, she had moved into a much better position for birth, which is comforting to know. The technician also re-measured and checked various parts of her body. Revealing that her weight is bang on where it should be 5lb 15oz according to her measurements, although they often over estimate. She has a slightly larger than average skull, I blame her father, as Chris has a large head and mine is practically child size. Her heart and stomach look perfect, and her femurs (leg bones) are just a little shorter than average, but not abnormally so, she will most likely catch up in another few weeks with the average measurement.

We saw her moving around, sucking her hands and feet. We got a good view of her profile (like in the anatomy scan) and also a few good shots of the front of her face too. She is big enough that we could see details like her ear and her finger pointing around the place.

Side profile and hand

Front view of her face

Ear and shoulder

Sucking her finger

Foot and leg pushing against the womb

 This weekend we organised more of the nursery and washed all of her clothes (my clothes line has never been so pink) it's starting to feel real, although I don't feel ready quite yet.

We made the most of a lazy Sunday afternoon by having an at home DIY photoshoot with our new camera. I saw a few photos on Pinterest that I really liked and we tried to replicate them. I'm pretty pleased with the end result, although a little self conscious about my body as well. This is by far the heaviest I have ever been, but it is the most body confident I have ever been as well, as I love my baby bump and how my body has changed to accommodate her.

Baby "name removed"

We went for a walk up Mt Albert later that evening and watched the sun go down. We are trying to soak up these last few weeks with it being just the two of us but we are also so looking forward to becoming a family in the near future.

How far along?: 36 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, no way around it now

Stretch marks?: Yes, and my belly is itchy again so I'm keeping a close eye on them

Belly button in or out?: Hasn't changed, still looks like a pouting pair of lips.

Sleep?: Mostly pretty good, but I do get more tired throughout the day than I used to.

Best Moment of the week?: Seeing our baby again and seeing how much more developed she is now

Worst Moment of the week?: Being tired at work

Miss anything?:Yawning to maximum capacity. I get to a certain point in the yawn and then have to stop abruptly because my lungs won't expand past my bump and it hurts. Very unsatisfying since I am yawning a lot these days.

Movement?: YES! Movement all day, where my belly visibly undulates when she pushes against it

Cravings?: Peanut butter on muffin splits (just like I did as a teenager)

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one in only a handful more weeks

Mood/emotional state?: For the most part I'm very happy and positive

Labour Signs?: None so far, not even Braxton hicks (practice) contractions as far as I can tell. As far as I know, Braxton hicks are meant to feel like a non-painful tightening of your belly, but since my bump is rock hard and tight most of the time I don't think I can tell.

Pregnancy diaries || Week 35 - Taking our own maternity photos

Week 35

It has been another good week. Lots of people at work are commenting on how big I am getting and have been asking how I have been. They are often surprised when my response is "Good! Quite good surprisingly, just a little tired" as I have very little to complain about at the moment. Yes, my sleep is a bit disrupted, but not too bad, and yes, my hips sometimes ache, but that doesn't stop me from doing anything major and really isn't that bad either. I'm feeling very fortunate with how pregnancy has been for me so far and grateful for every day that passes without fear or pain. I'm pretty chill about birth and can't believe how quickly the time is passing. 5 weeks to go!!! (or so)

My belly is getting itchy again so the stretch marks might be getting worse but I'm not too fussed over it. What will be, will be. Still, my bedtime routine is to take my vitamins and slather my belly with cocoa butter every day/night. This means that I have also received a few complements that I smell really nice, or that I smell of chocolate from the Cocoa butter I use. Haha, an unexpected bonus I guess.

I have cut down my hours at work a little bit, just a few hours here and there. This has made a big improvement to my energy levels, just being able to start a little later and finish at the normal time, rather than working late, like I was before.

We decided to make the most of a beautiful Saturday sunset by taking some photos of my bump down at Western Springs park. We have recently got a new Sony A5100 digital camera as an early birthday present for me, and so we wanted to try it out. Here are a few of my favourite shots.

Bluebelle Maternity Dress

How far along?: 35 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, no way around it now

Stretch marks?: Yes, but they haven't got any worse lately

Belly button in or out?: It looks like "a pair of lips" but hasn't popped yet

Sleep?: Mostly pretty good, but I do get more tired throughout the day than I used to.

Best Moment of the week?: Spending a beautiful evening taking photos

Worst Moment of the week?: Being tired at work

Miss anything?: Mulled wine.

Movement?: YES! Movement all day, where my belly visibly undulates when she pushes against it

Cravings?:Not really

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one in only a handful more weeks

Mood/emotional state?: For the most part I'm very happy and positive
Labour Signs?: None so far, not even Braxton hicks (practice) contractions as far as I know

Pregnancy diaries || Week 34 - Baby shower

Week 34

Only 6 weeks until my due date, where did that time go? Ahhh!

We had our baby shower this weekend. Which meant squeezing 24+ people into Mum's living room. It was a blast, with some fun games and lots of good conversation. We received such lovely and practical gifts from our friends and family.

An added surprise for our friends was that we revealed our baby's gender, which we had been keeping private up until that point. As this pregnancy has progressed I have realised that I am a terrible liar and have such a hard time using equal he's and she's or his and hers when talking about the baby, so we may as well celebrate her in style. We did this by popping a big black balloon to reveal our baby's gender with pink glitter confetti (which managed to spread throughout the entire house on peoples feet). I have a lot of friends who have baby girls so they were very excited for me to join the girl gang. It's going to be fun when all of our kids get older and play together.

 

 

 

How far along?: 34 weeks!

Gender?: Girl, and now our friends finally know!

Maternity clothes?: Yes, dresses and maternity leggings are my saviour!

Stretch marks?: Yes, but they haven't got any worse lately

Belly button in or out?: It looks like "a pair of lips" but hasn't popped yet

Sleep?: Mostly pretty good, but I do get more tired throughout the day than I used to.

Best Moment of the week?: Revealing the gender of our baby to our friends

Worst Moment of the week?: Being stuck in a car for 4 hours between Auckland and Taupo. Fortunately I won't be doing that again before baby gets here, it's too far away from our midwife and just plain uncomfortable.

Miss anything?: Mulled wine. As the weather gets colder it would be really nice to wrap my hands around a nice warm mug of it.

Movement?: YES! Movement all day, where my belly visibly undulates when she pushes against it

Cravings?:Not really

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one

Mood/emotional state?: For the most part I'm very happy and positive

Pregnancy diaries || Week 28 & 29 - First stretch marks and friends wedding

Week 28

Woohoo! Hello Third Trimester! Only 12 weeks to go! You know it's getting close when you start counting down rather than up. Random, I know, but we weighed my boobs tonight, yeah don't judge me haha. They aren't even particularly swollen at the moment but they weight 1.8kgs each! So I have 3.6 kgs of boobage to carry around with me every day! I wonder how much heavier they will get when my milk comes in.

The first of the dreaded stretch marks have started. They are faint and dark blue, I actually thought they were just veins at first. They have started on either side of my bump, near my hips. I think in generally they are determined by genetics and how big you end up getting so there's not a lot I can do about them. I will just try to stay hydrated and moisturize as much as I can, but I am kind of resigned for them to get worse. Oh well. It's only skin deep.

How far along?: 28 weeks

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes and it's practically all I can wear these days

Stretch marks?: *sigh* Yes, here we go.

Belly button in or out?: It looks like "a puckered pair of lips" rather than an innie like it used to be

Sleep?: Some nights are good, others not so much. In general I am more tired though.

Best Moment of the week?: Just reaching the third trimester feels like an achievement.

Worst Moment of the week?: Getting stretch marks

Miss anything?:Fitting into my old clothes, I am rather limited in what I wear these days

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement

Cravings or aversions?: Tacos! and Lemon water

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Visiting family and friends next week

Mood/emotional state?: Wonderful, for the most part I'm very happy

Week 29 

We went to Taupo for ANZAC day holiday which we extended until the weekend. We spent a lot of time just hanging out with family, and going Op shopping with Mum for good second hand baby gear. We found lots of nice clothes and cloth nappies from Facebook Buy, Swap, Sell and got some pretty awesome deals. I'm not the biggest fan of pink, but as we scored such good deals on the bits and pieces we found I don't mind that her wardrobe will consist of mostly pink for her first few months. She has the rest of her life to wear the rainbow. 

We went to our friends wedding, ate some amazing food and spent the night dancing. It was great to have a chance to talk with my "mum friends" about everything baby related. The good, the bad and the cringe worthy. We also went to Paige's (our friends baby) first birthday which was super cute. 

We came back to Auckland with a car load of pink baby gear, picked up my new prescriptions of iodine, iron and ascorbic acid (vitamin c).

My belly button is pushing out a bit further but still looks like a pair of lips are opposed to an "outie" as it hasn't "popped" yet. I still sleep quite well and can't really complain as the aches and pains aren't too bad. I mean, I did spend all evening dancing at our friends wedding (in heels) with no problems, so I count myself lucky. Every day that I feel well I count as a blessing, as everyone keeps on reminding me that now I am in the third trimester it will only get worse and that the bad symptoms may hit me at any time. So I'm living in the moment and so far enjoying it. 

How far along?: 29 weeks

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes and it's practically all I can wear these days

Stretch marks?: Yes, they are gradually spreading further and getting darker

Belly button in or out?: It looks like "a pair of lips" but hasn't popped yet

Sleep?: Mostly pretty good, but I do get more tired throughout the day than I used to.

Best Moment of the week?: Spending time catching up with friends and family

Worst Moment of the week?: Seeing my stretch marks spread and knowing that I can't do anything about it.

Miss anything?: It would have been nice to enjoy a glass of champagne at the wedding

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement

Cravings or aversions?: Meat, anything meaty sounds pretty good right now

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Starting antenatal classes

Mood/emotional state?: Wonderful, for the most part I'm very happy

Pregnancy diaries || Week 25 - Easter weekend and anniversary photo

Week 25

So my uterus is the size of a soccer ball, and it shows! My belly button mole is officially on the outside of my belly button (it used to be deep inside) and my stomach is starting to feel rather tight and stretched. My boobs are leaking more frequently but only a little at a time. My brother (Lee) and his girlfriend (Holly) came to visit this Easter weekend. They took our anniversary photo (even though it's well past our anniversary date) as a tripod and timer just wasn't going to cut it this time. And they both felt the baby move. We went swimming at Bethels beach in my new bikini and I felt quite confident rocking the baby bump.

I have been starting to get occasional sciatica after sitting, lying down or overdoing it for too long. It seems to go away with movement though which is a relief. I hope it doesn't get worse because it means I can't walk or stand up properly, and leaves me hunched over like an old lady. We measured my bump size while my brother was here at his request and it is 105cm round at the belly button.

How far along?: 25 weeks

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes and I love them.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: Starting to look like "lips" rather than a cavern.

Sleep?: Some nights are good, others not so much. In general I am more tired though.

Best Moment of the week?: Hanging out with family.

Worst Moment of the week?: Getting sciatica after sitting for too long

Miss anything?: Being as active as I used to be

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement

Cravings?: Hot Cross Buns and chocolate (it is Easter after all)

Queasy or sick?:No

Looking forward to?: Feeling my baby get stronger.

Mood/emotional state?: Wonderful, for the most part I'm very happy

Pregnancy diaries || Week 20 & 21 - Baby's first kick

Week 20

I have been feeling so much more movement from our baby this week. It started with me feeling harder and more frequent kicks earlier in the week and then by Friday I felt baby's first proper kick from the outside. It was quite a shock to be fair, I hadn't expected it to be so forceful. Our baby has strong legs! I was so excited, and then later that evening Chris held his hand on my belly while we were watching a movie and he felt it kick too! It was such a special moment and I am thrilled to be able to share more of the process with him. We both had tears in our eyes being able to experience this together. I think this pregnancy and becoming parents has become more real for him now that he can feel the baby rather than just me telling him that it's moving. From Friday onward baby has stepped it up a notch and is moving, wiggling, squirming, kicking all over the show.

I have been craving Chinese dumplings ever since Chinese New Year (16th Feb) so we have started making them at home, and they are delicious!

How far along?: 20 weeks

Gender?: Unknown, but we might get to find out next week! If baby cooperates...Eeeek!

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Not bad, but need to pee a lot during the night.

Best Moment of the week?: Chris feeling the baby kick for the first time.

Worst Moment of the week?: None that I can remember

Miss anything?: Not really

Movement?: YES! It has been a dramatic increase this week

Cravings or aversions?: Craving dumplings and orange juice

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Our anatomy scan next week

Mood/emotional state?: Happy and excited

Week 21

We are meant to be having our gender/anatomy scan this week and I can't wait! I am desperate to know more about this little baby, gender included. Not that it matters either way, but saying he/she feels much better than it/the baby. Chris would prefer a surprise at the birth but isn't worried, either way he will be happy. The deal we came to was that if we can find out the gender at this scan then we will. Which is not a guarantee, as some babies are shy and keep their legs closed, so we might not be able to see anything for sure. If that happens then I am happy to wait until birth and won't go getting additional scans just to satisfy my curiosity. Even though I am going crazy with wonder.

I have been feeling a tonne more movement this week and my work mates are starting to comment on my bump as it is becoming more obvious, even in my loose work blouses it now shows. I have had a mole in the depths of my belly button since childhood, and now it is almost on the surface, so that is a pretty decent indicator of how stretched my naval has become. It shouldn't be too long before my belly button "pops". Chris is constantly commenting on how soft and smooth my skin has become and I haven't really been using any lotion so I guess it's all pregnancy related. Not bad as far as pregnancy symptoms go. I haven't had a single pimple yet either.

We went for a long 30km urban bike ride with our adventure group this weekend. I did a lot better than I was expecting considering that my exercise levels have dropped right off since the morning sickness hit all those weeks ago. Sure, I still go for evening walks, but nothing like I used to. I don't have the energy anymore. It was a wonderful day out with one exception. Near the end of the ride I hit a sharp curb wrong, lost my balance and came off my bike. My mummy instincts kicked in and I completely went into protection mode and sheltered my bump from the fall. This in turn lead to me sacrificing my hands and knees which are heavily skinned now as it happened on concrete. The baby was moving a tonne before and after the incident so I assume all is still well with little one.

We went to the Chinese Lantern festival which was lovely and then to the Incubus concert the next day (baby's second rock concert). So it was a rather busy week for a 21 week preggo.

Wahhh! Our anatomy scan got cancelled on the Monday which was hugely frustrating as they only told us when we arrived at our appointment and so wasted a morning off work etc. So it has been re-scheduled for next Monday now. I am SO gutted.

I am feeling really well otherwise, with no insomnia, no swelling, no heart burn, no constipation, and no head or back aches. The only unusual symptom I have noticed is that I do get a bit of bleeding gums when I brush my teeth but they are still healthy, so I guess it's just an increase in my blood pressure/having more blood in my body.

How far along?: 21 weeks

Gender?: Unknown, but we might finally get to find out next week!

Maternity clothes?: Yes but just maternity jeans and shorts at the moment.

Stretch marks?: No

Belly button in or out?: In

Sleep?: Not bad, but need to pee a lot during the night.

Best Moment of the week?: Doing normal things like the Lantern festival and music concerts. I'm glad I am feeling well enough to do the things I enjoy.

Worst Moment of the week?: Falling off my bike and having the ultrasound appointment cancel at the last moment.

Miss anything?: Sushi, it's a very popular lunch option in my office so I constantly want it while at work.

Movement?: YES! Lots of movement for most of the day.

Cravings?: Dumplings! Orange juice and Hot Cross Buns.

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Our anatomy scan next week... finally!

Mood/emotional state?: All of the emotions. Happy, scared, frustrated and excited.