33 Week Bumpdate

FIVE WEEKS LEFT

You know that you are getting to the end of your pregnancy, when someone asks you “how long?” and you automatically answer with how many weeks you have remaining rather than how many weeks you are in your pregnancy. I remember being five weeks pregnant, and now I am five weeks away from delivery! How did that happen?

This Week’s Midwife Appointment

This was the first appointment in the last eight weeks, that I haven’t cried all the way home. So, that’s a win in my book! We went over what a C-section will entail again, and I am so grateful that the hospital that we are delivering at is gentle-Caesarian friendly! They automatically do skin-to-skin after the C-section, allow hubby to be there the entire time (even during the application of the spinal), won’t restrain my arms during the c-section (which would be scary), offer a clear drape so we can watch (um, no thank you), and the surgeon will put in double sutures (which will give me a better chance at a VBAC in the future). We, also, talked about whether I wanted to get the whooping cough vaccine, and all the choices for baby’s vaccines/eye gel/etc…

At our next appointment–35 weeks–Hubs and I will get to sit down with the doctor who will be performing the C-section. She is a woman, which is pretty neat, and I am really excited to be able to talk with her about the operation. I am hoping it is a helpful meeting, and not an end-in-tears meeting.

Receiving a Check from Christian Healthcare Ministries!!

We are members of Christian Healthcare Ministries. We upped my coverage before I got pregnant, so that it would cover my pregnancy. With CHM, almost 100% of my prenatal, delivery and post-natal bills will be covered. This seemed to good to be true, but I had heard so many great testimonials, that we decided to go with CHM over traditional insurance.

But I’ve still been really nervous. Every week, I’ve submitted the bills we’ve received, and waited. Well, this past week we received a check in the mail for over $3500! My prenatal bills are all paid for already, even though most of them haven’t even been billed out yet! My delivery isn’t paid for yet, but I am just so relieved and excited that the money is starting to come through.

How far along: 33 weeks.

Due date: August 29 is my due date. My scheduled C-section is set, but the date is a surprise!

Gender: It’s a surprise! You’ve got a month left to place your bets: do you think Baby L is a girl or a boy?

How big is baby? This week, Baby L is as big as a pineapple! I just happened to have a pineapple around, because it was in one of our gifts at the baby shower my aunties threw for me this past weekend. Nestled in amongst a bunch of baby safety items was a pineapple and a coconut for Saia. So sweet! Baby L is around 4.2 pounds and measures about 17.2 inches—and may grow up to a full inch this week. Wow!

I asked my midwife this week if Baby L will be that much smaller since he/she will be born at 38 weeks rather than 40-42. She said there would probably be half a pound difference, but she is estimating that Baby L will be about 7 lbs, just an average weight. She doesn’t think I’m measuring large or small. So we shall see!

This week, baby: is keeping his/her eyes open when he/she is awake! We saw baby with his/her eyes open at our 22 week ultrasound, and it was such a surreal experience. Baby was just blinking away, staring at the walls of my tummy. Baby’s little skeleton is hardening up, and he/she eating by swallowing a few cups of amniotic fluid every day. Baby is thirsty!

Exercise: No exercise for me, because of placenta previa, but I’ve been stretching which has helped my poor sore back.

What I’m googling: “C-section birth plan” and “what to pack in hospital bag for c-section”. I finally did all the research about the vitamin K shot, the eye gel, and various other birth decisions, and wrote down my birth plan! I mostly used the Mama Natural birth plan template (which is SO easy to use!) and modified it by writing out a few sentences pertaining to the c-section. I, also, read a bunch of articles, and made a list of everything I need for my hospital bag, hubby’s bag, and baby’s. Thank goodness for Pinterest. 🙂

Purchases I’ve made/nesting update: My back pain has been aggravating enough, that I finally ordered this ice pack that straps around your back. Also, I’m still in the throes of nesting, so I’ve been buying organizing items for the apartment. Ever since my family helped me de-clutter my closet last week, I’ve been doing some thinking about how to solve the lack of storage-space in our apartment. I used up the last of my Target gift cards (from our wedding two years ago!!) and purchased two six-foot bookshelves. I, also, snatched up this set of organizational cubes when they were on sale on Amazon’s Prime day this week. I plan on using the cubes to organize all the stuff in our big closet, get rid of the headboard that has been standing in as a table behind our couch/bookshelf and have Saia rearrange everything to accommodate the new bookshelves. We have so many books, that I know having those bookshelves will solve a lot of our clutter problem! I, also, have a new plan for our bedroom–so I’m going to have Hubs rearrange that as well. Poor guy. Ha ha!

How are you feeling? Physically: I know it could be worse, but I am becoming more uncomfortable every day. Emotionally: I am always so worried about this placenta previa thing that I am ready for this pregnancy to be over! However, at the same time, I am going to miss the sweet parts of this journey, and I cannot believe that it is drawing to a close already! Basically, I am feeling ALL of the emotions right now. Spiritually: I am practicing trusting God with all the unknowns. This pregnancy has done a doozy on the type-A, control freak side of me. There is just no controlling this crazy pregnancy!

Maternity clothes: After getting used to only having two pairs of shorts, three pairs of jeans, about eight shirts, and two dresses–I have decided that I LOVE capsule wardrobes. I love every piece of my wardrobe these days, and it gives me so much peace of mind to just have a few, well-loved items. I am definitely going to purge my wardrobe once I go back to non-pregnancy clothing.

Sleep: Sleep is starting to get a little more difficult. I’ve slept so well this entire pregnancy, but I knew that the day would come when it would get tougher. It now takes me approximately six pillows wedged around me to get comfortable, I have to switch sides constantly due to my aching back, and the moment I DO achieve a comfortable position I need to roll myself out of bed to use the restroom. Oy.

Best moment this week: my aunties threw me the sweetest baby shower!! It was so wonderful to see a bunch of friends, and family–catch up with people I hadn’t seen in awhile, and open pretty baby gifts! Thanks to the shower, we now have a basket full of kid’s books (yay!) and a big stash of diapers (double yay!). I received so many sweet, thoughtful gifts.

Worst moment this week: I’ve been fairly uncomfortable, and tired this week. But every week that this baby stays cooking is such a blessing!!

Miss anything? I miss my ache-free back. 🙂

Movement: It really feels like Baby is stretched up inside of my ribs. His/her little feet are always pressing, and scrabbling against the sides of my stomach. Sometimes he/she will press so hard that my stomach gets so tight and hard. It really is a feeling unlike any other!

Cravings/Eating: Drinking LOTS of water. I am always thirsty. I tote 2-3 bottles/jars/tumblers of water to work every day for my 6-hour-shift, because I know I will easily drink them all.

Symptoms: Overheating: I have to keep myself from turning the A/C up at work. Headaches. Rib pain (feels bruised). Back pain. Clumsiness. Hips hurting, ankles aching (say that ten times fast).

How’s Daddy doing? He’s SO excited for this baby to get  here. He is such a baby guy to begin with. He visited his brother, sis-in-law, and their four boys (under 5!) this past week, and it just made him even more excited about Baby L getting here! He’s still been cagey about baby names–sigh–but has promised me that he will sit down this week, give it some thought, and come up with a list of names. So we can both sit down with our lists, and figure this thing out. Did I mention there were only 5 weeks left?!

Looking forward to: Meeting Baby L for the first time. 🙂

To-dos this week: pick up the dresser from my parents’, rearrange our bedroom, sort through baby clothes and organize, build and fill the bookshelves, get rid of the couch table, and make those pesky phone calls I’ve been putting off.

Well, I do believe this is the longest bumpdate I’ve ever written. What can I say? I get wordy in the last days of pregnancy. 🙂

What are YOU looking forward to this week?