9 Months (37 Weeks = Full Term)

I’ve finally made it to the beginning of the end. As of yesterday I am officially 37 weeks, which means my baby can come at any time between now and the next 4 weeks. We think our little Miss is going to come early. She has already seems to be trying to find her way out from the side of my stomach. As cute as it is seeing my belly move like a lava lamp its also getting a little big painful. I’ve finally reached the uncomfortable stage of the pregnancy. Braxton hicks contractions, being hot all the time, swollen feet and ankles, never getting in a comfortable position, being violently kicked from the inside out . I now know why a lot of women talk about just wanting the baby out as this stage. Although to be honest I am a lot better off then other heavy pregnant girls I’ve seen at my classes. I don’t have any pelvic pain, my back pain is mild and my swelling goes down after putting my feet up for a couple of hours.

Marco and I are now really on edge and madly trying to get everything ready for our imminent bundle of joy to arrive. I’ve spent most of this week washing all the baby cloths, cloth nappies, sheets, blankets, baby carriers, toys, wraps, etc. I have also started cooking large portions of food to start freezing, so Marco can quickly whip up dinner in the first few weeks while I’m resting. I still haven’t packed my hospital bag yet. I don’t really know how long I will be at the hospital so I’m thinking maybe a 1 day bag and then a backup. At the birth centre we can be discharged after 6 hours if all is well with the baby and me, so I’m not really sure how many cloth nappies and cloths I’m going to need for her or how much food I should pack from myself. My midwife did recommend that I bring my own food since the hospital won’t be able to accommodate for my diet. I’m not to worried though since after the birth I will probably send Marco down the road to pick me up some Guzman y Gomez for a veggie burrito. I’m really hoping my baby doesn’t react to beans and legumes though. Which reminds me I still have to make a large broth soup for my first few days out of hospital which is easy to digest for both of us. That’s a job for next week.

Something else we finally got around to organising before the baby comes is going on our babymoon. Tomorrow we are off to the Sunshine Coast for a few days. I can’t wait to swim in the ocean pregnant. It’s something that I really am excited about doing since I have avoided my pool all summer due to the risk of chemicals in the water (yes I’m that paranoid). I have only been to the beach a couple of times since the pregnancy, but only got to dip my legs in. So I’m hoping its not to cold so I can enjoy the salty water and cool down my body temperature.

Here is the most recent photo that I took last week. I still don’t feel as big as I look and I’m still convinced that camera has added a little bit extra, which Marco assures me is not the case. Either way I am noticing that my belly is starting to get in the way, when I’m cooking and washing dishes. I actually burn my belly on the oven door the other day because I didn’t realise how close I was to it when I was opening it. Luckily it didn’t leave a mark.

36 weeks & 4 days

This week I’ve also work on my Pregnancy Journal. I’ve been putting all my photos together to accompany the writing I’ve being doing every month of how I’ve been going through this journey. So here is the last 8 months.

Month 1

These a a few photos we took just before we got pregnant. We were away at Byron Bay for my 28th birthday. As you can see it’s was freezing in July so I’m all rugged up. I was still grieving at this stage and was meant to put off getting pregnant. Oppps! Oh well, I think it was actually the best thing for me at the time to shift my focus to a positive new future.

Month 2

By month 2 we found out we were pregnant. You can see how happy we were. Although I’m still looking a bit worse for wear since I was still a little sad and going through terrible morning sickness along with a host of other early symptoms.

Month 3

By month 3 I am still sick with morning sickness so I didn’t take many photos. But I did get these photos taken with Marco by a family friend. So we finally got to announce to the world we were pregnant. Not that most of the family didn’t know by this stage since no one could keep a secret. At this stage we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl. So I was a little scared to start buying much. Well I was scared but I still did buy a fair bit in whites and blues. I did also invest into some maternity cloths by this stage which have seen me all the way through. Although I could still fit into my jeans back then. Hoping I will again one day.

Month 4

By this month 4 (2nd Trimester) my morning sickness has passed, my skin has cleared up and I am starting to show a little. Although Marco says I still look like I’ve eaten a big lunch. I feel great and I am starting to enjoy more foods. Up until this point I was living on avocado on toast and really craving meat. Anything with beans or greens made me want to chuck. So now I am eating more but I still have this strange food avoidance still which I am trying to push through. This was an exciting month as I got to feel the baby kick and hear the baby’s heart beat for the first time.

Month 5

By month 5 I am really starting to show. I am really energised and enjoying the pregnancy more and more. I still can feel my ribs at this stage, but they are about to be swallowed up whole. I am starting to get more emotional and a little more fiery. Highlight of this month is that we found out that we are having a baby girl.

Month 6

Month 6 was an exciting month when we had a our big party to celebrate the baby shower, Marco’s 30th, our belated house warming and our even more belated engagement. New years was a lot different this year, since I was in bed by 11pm. I also got to travel to Melbourne for the last time. I’m still feeling really energised and baby has also become increasingly active.

4 in 1 Party Extravaganza

Here are some photos from the party. I can’t believe I tried to cater most of it myself. It was a really busy day and even busier night. But it was so worth the extra effort, since everyone had a great time. This was the first time I got swollen ankles. At the time I was told that I was done for and to get use to having enormous feet for the rest of my pregnancy. Luckily they went down within a couple of days. Still didn’t learn my lesson about wearing high heels. But getting swollen feet and ankles again for a few days after wearing heels in 43 degree heat I learned my lesson and turned back to my flats.

Month 7

Marco informed me by month 7 (3rd trimester) that there is now no denying that I’m pregnant, since there is no way I could eat a lunch big enough to fill out that belly. I’m still feeling pretty good. I’m doing pilates, yoga and enjoying cooking. There was some concern at this point that I was not measuring large enough and that the baby could be underweight. But after an ultrasound we found out it was a false alarm and baby in higher percentile of growth. I don’t think I look small though, although I think we both had a big growth spurt by week 30.

Month 8

Month 8 was a busy time for buying baby equipment, starting pregnancy aerobic at the hospital and going to birthing classes. We learned a lot and Marco is feeling confident. I however start to get more nervous as the time gets close. I’m really starting to worry that I can’t do this birth naturally like I intended or at all. But its too late now, she is coming whether I like it or not. I also start getting early contractions and belly is getting in the way.

Something else I starting thinking about over the last month was designing a nursery. I do have the Bednest Co sleeper for the first 6 months, but then I still have to get a cot. I told Marco that I wouldn’t do a nursery since I intended having the baby in our room for as long as possible. I don’t think I will be ready to move her at the 6 month mark. Unfortunately I can’t find a co sleeper that would last longer then that either. But I still need a nice room to change her and feed her at night while Marco is sleeping. So here is my design inspiration.

I absolutely love Angela Liddon’s nursery (top pictures) in grey, white and pink. So I am thinking of doing something similar. Our walls are already grey so I will just accessories with white furniture and pink accessories. I am going to try to do as much diy projects myself. So hoping to get that organised over my last few weeks of pregnancy or over the first 6 months. All I know is that I need a nursing chair, so we are still negotiating which one we will buy. I really like the Nursery Works Sleepytime Rocker but it is extremely expensive in Australia. So I may go with the Replica Eames Rar Rocker instead. Not sure how comfortable it will be though. We don’t have a recliner, just Marco’s old leather couch that is a bit slumped in places. We have looked at so many lounges but its hard to find flame retardant free at a price we can afford. So I think a good quality nursing chair is a good compromise. Anyway still working on convincing Marco, so we will see how we go.

I hope you enjoyed my pregnancy journey so far. Hopefully you will hear from me again soon after my babymoon with some vegan eats from Sunshine Coast.