The Long Awaited Pregnancy Update

                         9 weeks vs 29 weeks

I think it is about time I do a pregnancy update here, no? Today we hit 36 weeks! Or rather 36 weeks hit me.

I am very large, very pregnant, and very tired.

Since I was a bigger girl before I got pregnant my doctor and the dietician both said I should be looking at gaining only about 10 lbs. I have gained about 5 so far but I am getting quite large. Clothing has been an issue for a while, I got that pretty much sorted out thanks to some borrowed clothes but now those hardly fit. Not quite sure what I am going to do, you all might have to put up with me walking around with nothing on at this point.

                               35 weeks

This whole pregnancy has felt like a life time. It has just dragged on up until recently. Now, I am in panic mode. I am so close to being done and this little one will be here before I know it.  Really though, 37 weeks is term and that is in a week. I can also officially say I am due this month! I am really excited to hold our new little love but I, regardless of all the pains and issues, like being pregnant. I love the kicks and movement and everything that comes with all of that. I miss it when it is gone and it will soon be gone. Plus, I am getting anxious about labour and birth again now that it is in sight.

No help to some of my own issues (which I will talk about once I find the way I want to get this out) and my low iron I am incredibly tired. I have been exhausted the whole pregnancy but I am to the point where it is hard to do anything. Not only that but I am not sleeping much despite being so tired. I have trouble being able to fall asleep or staying asleep. It is difficult to get comfortable in general but sleeping only on your sides is very painful; things no one tells you about pregnancy, eh?

The last few months has been hectic for us as well. On top of the holidays and our son’s third birthday I have had a couple of problems. At 25 weeks, I ended up in labour and delivery triage to be checked out for contractions a few minutes apart. They checked everything out and were not concerned since the same thing happened with our first but I still carried him to full term (40 weeks). I also got to register for the hospital that week which was exciting to do again.

A few weeks later I did the glucose test which I passed, obviously great news! Let’s face it we all know I would not do well on a restricted diet. I need my junk and carbs, sometimes it is all I can live on these days. I was picky before I got pregnant but this pregnancy food aversions, heart burn, and nausea have been around the entire time. With my first I did not have any issues surrounding food or eating.

At about 28 weeks, my doctor sent me for an ultrasound to do a biophysical profile on baby because I had not been feeling as much movement. They also checked cervical length and his growth to make sure everything was looking good. I was still getting some contractions but mostly just dealing with a lot of cramping and losing some mucus plug. Everything came back fine with that ultrasound.

At about 30 or almost 31 weeks, I ended up being sent to Labour and Delivery Triage again but this time by my doctor from his office. I had been having some spotting, cramping, and losing a lot of plug along with baby not being very active again. He sent me in for them to monitor me and baby, do an ultrasound, a cervical check, and a fetal fibronectin test that would tell them if I was going in to preterm labour.

Ultrasound looked good, everything they monitored was great, they could not find a reason for the bleeding, I am about a cm dilated, and the test came back negative for pre-term labour.

A week or so later the spotting started again and I was losing large pieces of plug. My doctor was not concerned and he says it is normal to be dilate a bit at that point with subsequent pregnancies.

Everything is looking good regardless of those few hiccups. This pregnancy (although still faced with issues like the subchorionic hematoma well into the second trimester) has gone a lot more smoothly than my first. I am thankful for that.  The only thing I need to double check now is that the placenta is away from the cervix enough for a safe vaginal delivery since it was slightly too close to it a little while ago. Aside from that it is just the waiting game for labour to start from now.

Little Mr is excited about baby and often tells me that he loves this little one. It is quite sweet. I cannot wait to see them together.

          Big brother checking out the bump

I think this was a good brief overview of what has been going on lately. I will also update on the YouTube channel in the next couple days. For now, I just wanted to let you all know I am still pregnant, 36 weeks to be exact and I am still here just struggling to be as present as I would like and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest tiny human to the family.