Well, still here, still pregnant! As of today I'm officially 36 weeks and 5 days, which makes me full term on Monday. The baby dropped about a week or so ago and the contractions are revving up in intensity and frequency,* it's taking about three times as long to walk (waddle) anywhere, and we're getting really excited about having this baby in our arms.
The third trimester has really been peaceful and good for the most part. Yes, you're uncomfortable much of the time, really tired, and moving is painful, but I would take nine months of this over the PUPPPs rash at its worst in the summer (which only really bothers me at night, and I now know how to handle it), constant nausea, and horrific allergies. I'm not experiencing many of the common third-trimester major annoyances, such as heartburn (the only thing that gives me heartburn is oatmeal, which I now avoid), inability to get comfortable to sleep (thank you pregnancy pillow,** my hero), peeing-of-the-pants (not ONCE has this happened! I'm ecstatic about this), weepiness, ridiculous food cravings, hemorrhoids... And this is all good.
I'm also not nervous about labor. My co-worker tells me this is because I haven't been in labor before and I really should be panicking (thanks for the encouragement!), but I'm going to attribute it to my fantastic midwives who are encouraging and supportive and a vast list of women-positive books talk about how labor is a natural, healthy process that our bodies are designed to do with no/few interventions necessary.
As we are living in a one-bedroom apartment, the baby has a wall of one side of our room for her crib, changing table, and the dresser all three of will share. We have everything necessary except the baby's mattress and a changing pad and cover at this point. The baby's clothes are washed and waiting to be sorted and put away. The only projects that remain are making the labor/birthing playlist(s) and hanging the curtain in our bedroom. The idea was this - hang some curtains across the bedroom to create a sense of privacy/separation for us, and to create a hallway that goes to our bedroom (inspiration from Ikea.com, of course). We found a steel wire that we plan to drill into opposite walls, and some fantastic curtains to hang up. The only big problem is that we have no tools and very little mechanical abilities, so we'll see how this actually works out! It will look really nice once it's done... but the getting there will be something of a journey. It will most likely involve the throwing of some tools, lots of root beer and junior mints, much stomping around the room from Ian, and some coaxing from me.
Love from New York!
*My pregnancy books told me that as I enter the last month of pregnancy I may experience Braxton Hicks contractions but that they will not be painful. Bullshit.
**The pregnancy pillow is a large pillow that is U-shaped and oh-so-cushy. Ian and I call it "second husband" because it takes up so much room in the bed and I cuddle with it now instead of Ian.
The third trimester has really been peaceful and good for the most part. Yes, you're uncomfortable much of the time, really tired, and moving is painful, but I would take nine months of this over the PUPPPs rash at its worst in the summer (which only really bothers me at night, and I now know how to handle it), constant nausea, and horrific allergies. I'm not experiencing many of the common third-trimester major annoyances, such as heartburn (the only thing that gives me heartburn is oatmeal, which I now avoid), inability to get comfortable to sleep (thank you pregnancy pillow,** my hero), peeing-of-the-pants (not ONCE has this happened! I'm ecstatic about this), weepiness, ridiculous food cravings, hemorrhoids... And this is all good.
I'm also not nervous about labor. My co-worker tells me this is because I haven't been in labor before and I really should be panicking (thanks for the encouragement!), but I'm going to attribute it to my fantastic midwives who are encouraging and supportive and a vast list of women-positive books talk about how labor is a natural, healthy process that our bodies are designed to do with no/few interventions necessary.
As we are living in a one-bedroom apartment, the baby has a wall of one side of our room for her crib, changing table, and the dresser all three of will share. We have everything necessary except the baby's mattress and a changing pad and cover at this point. The baby's clothes are washed and waiting to be sorted and put away. The only projects that remain are making the labor/birthing playlist(s) and hanging the curtain in our bedroom. The idea was this - hang some curtains across the bedroom to create a sense of privacy/separation for us, and to create a hallway that goes to our bedroom (inspiration from Ikea.com, of course). We found a steel wire that we plan to drill into opposite walls, and some fantastic curtains to hang up. The only big problem is that we have no tools and very little mechanical abilities, so we'll see how this actually works out! It will look really nice once it's done... but the getting there will be something of a journey. It will most likely involve the throwing of some tools, lots of root beer and junior mints, much stomping around the room from Ian, and some coaxing from me.
Love from New York!
*My pregnancy books told me that as I enter the last month of pregnancy I may experience Braxton Hicks contractions but that they will not be painful. Bullshit.
**The pregnancy pillow is a large pillow that is U-shaped and oh-so-cushy. Ian and I call it "second husband" because it takes up so much room in the bed and I cuddle with it now instead of Ian.
