Weight Loss/Gain: I'm currently at 138.5 so that's a total gain of 23.5lbs!
Stretch Marks: A few on each hip. I'm not worried about them though. They're pretty small and they'll fade over time and I'll always have proof that this sweet babe belongs to me!
Sleep: Still having a hard time getting comfy enough to fall asleep. Once I'm down, I'm out... that is until I have to wake up to pee (like every 5 minutes). I can usually fall right back asleep though so that's good. Oh, and sleep masks? Who ever invented those is a GENIUS. I regularly sleep until 9:30-10am. I haven't even re-hung our curtains in the back because I'm lazy the sun doesn't bother me!
Movement: Still moving all about! Loves to dig her feet into my right side. The past couple of days she's been putting some pressure on my pelvis as she moves further down to make her way into this world!
Cravings/Aversions: Ugh. I'm SO TIRED of thinking about food. I just want to eat whatever I want to eat and not think about it or have it taste weird. I'm ready for things to go back to tasting normal.
What I Miss: Not really missing a whole lot right now. Just the fam! Oh! And being able to put on shoes without it being a serious struggle.
Mood: Oh boy, I've been a cranky little monster lately. Ben will most definitely agree with that. Between hormones, finishing school early, submitting my application for grad school, and just the everyday grind I'm so beat and I tend to take it out on Ben. Hopefully things start to settle down soon so I can relax and not be such a crazy lady!
Milestones: Baby's lungs are fully developed. She's pretty much ready to go any time now, she'll keep packing on the fat until she makes her debut. I'm hoping she decides to cook a little longer than estimated so that I can have some down time between finishing my fall semester and meeting this sweet babe!
Side Note: today a random guy told me that I was "the cutest pregnant person ever." That made me feel so good! It's one thing for a woman to say it, but for a guy?! Huge compliment!
A few weeks back my midwife let me know that I started out with a great iron count but that it had dropped significantly as my pregnancy progressed. She reminded me to keep up with my prenatal vitamins and she let me know that if my iron (which was currently at 10.7) dropped below 9.5 I wouldn't be able to birth at the birth center. They only take low risks pregnancies and an iron deficiency would mean that I had a higher risk of loosing too much blood during delivery. She wanted to re-check my levels at my 36 week appointment but we both forgot. At my appointment today, we did a finger prick test and found out my levels were at 9.0. DESPITE the fact that I had been religiously taking my pre-natals (even adding an extra one in there) and eating red meat (full of iron & probably why I've been craving steak).
It turns out the tums I've been taking to battle this wicked heart burn totally sabotaged me! They interfere with your body's ability to absorb iron properly (wouldn't that have been great to know?). The midwife told me to stop the tums, take an iron supplement, increase my intake of chlorophyll and eat foods full of iron so that I can try to get that number up by my next appointment (which is in one week!) so that I'm able to birth at the birth center instead of having to go to the hospital. I WAS SO BUMMED. All this time I've been envisioning my birth at the birth center and I just cannot deliver her in a hospital. So off to Whole Foods I went to visit friends and pick up everything I needed to get these iron levels where they need to be. I am determined to have this baby in a tub in the place that I have been thinking of for months now.
So I'm currently taking a triple dose of a food based iron supplement called Floradix (it tastes so ew). I also picked up a wheat grass supplement, some raspberry leaf tea to tone the uterus, and evening primrose oil in case we start getting too close to that 42 week mark and I want to try inducing labor naturally to avoid being sent to the hospital. Oh, and apparently a shot of apple cider vinegar is a natural way to get rid of heart burn. So we're about to become besties.
On to more exciting things: the birth bag is ready to go! I looked at a million pins and blogs about what to pack to take with us once I go into labor. I also read a bunch about what to actually pack in a diaper bag. Oh my gosh why was it so much fun to do this?! I decided to share everything I packed. I've kept things simple and I hope it helps someone somewhere decide what's important and what's not!
(& duh it's from Target)
I knew I was going to use this as a diaper bag/purse combo so I didn't want it to look like a diaper bag. I literally bought and returned three other bags before I decided on this one - but I'm in LOVE! It has pockets on the front, back, and three on the inside which is super handy. I also knew I wanted something that I could carry on my arm or over my shoulder so the dual straps are perfect. I went with black because it's so versatile and I'm getting to that point in my life where almost everything I own is black. It's a problem.
The other thing I love about this bag is how much I can fit in it - so much crap. It's amazing.
Here's a full list!
+ diapers & wipes (hello)
+ diaper cream
+ changing pad
+ wet/dry bag for soiled diapers
+ disposable & washable nursing pads
+ soothies gel pads for boobies
+ nipple butter
+ a little "mama's things" bag that holds goodies like lip gloss, a pen, & body spray
+ baby lotion
Ps. there are not enough travel size baby lotions out there. I took from my big bottle of Baby Bee by Burt's Bees and filled up that pink travel container!
+ hand sanitizer
+ burp cloths
+ pacifiers
+ swaddle blanket
+ outfit for a baby under 7lbs
+ outfit for a baby over 7lbs
(I was 8lb 9oz, Ben was 6lb 13oz so who knows what size this little one will be!)
+ baby headband
+ planning on packing water & a snack for future trips!
I'll be taking the diaper bag to the birth center (I feel like if I keep envisioning myself there I'll be able to birth there) when I go to have the babe but almost everything in there besides the outfits is really to be used on outings in the future!
My actual bag for labor looks like this!
Birth Bag:
+ towel/trash bag to lay on the seat in the car in case my water hasn't broken
(I can't imagine cleaning amniotic fluid out of car interior is any fun at all)
+ nursing bra to wear in the tub for delivery
+ robe to wear after for easy skin to skin contact
+ my favorite pillow
+ Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray
+ Belly Bandit
+ deodorant
+ dry shampoo
+ hairties
+ chapstick
+ phone charger
+ big comfy underwear
+ socks
+ going home outfit
Mamas:
+ What do you wish you had during labor?
+ What's your favorite item in your diaper bag?
My Mom is going to be in charge of a playlist for me to hear during labor. She's really good at that & I know she won't be offended if I tell her to turn it off! I love that the birth center has essential oils to be diffused while I labor. They also provide "padsicles" which are pads frozen in witch hazel and are supposed to feel amazing after birth. I plan on making a few to use when I get home!
I feel so ready for this babe but at the same time I'm totally okay with her taking all the time she needs - as long as it isn't over 41+6 weeks!
I can't believe how close we are to meeting our little girl!
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