39 weeks...

Well, the time has come and the official day count is on!
Kai and Si both graced us within the next few days of this week...will this little baby be a 39 week-er too...or fashionably late. As I am sure all could guess, I am hoping the entrance into our world is sooner rather than later ;)

Every twinge...every "sign" I am finding myself wondering, is this it.
Will baby's decided arrival come in the form of my water breaking, or contractions?
Will they begin when Ryan is home, or will he be blessed with my frantic phone call at work?
Will I be home alone with the kids, or out working?

All the thoughts that have been circling in my head...
No, there is nothing planned about the arrival of your little one (if you are not having a scheduled "C").

I am off for an afternoon pedicure with my girlfriend. An early birthday present...cause who knows where I will be on the 10th!
Friend time, pedi and taking my mind of this baby for a few minutes...just what this gorgeous Sunday calls for!

Happy Sunday!

39 weeks- courtesy of thebump.com

Are we there yet? You’re probably feeling like you want to get this baby the heck out of you. We’re not sure, but the impatience and discomfort many moms feel around 39 weeks (and beyond!) might be nature’s way of getting you mentally prepared for delivery. Remember how freaked out you used to be about it? Now, at week 39 you probably don’t care what you have to do, you just don’t want to be pregnant anymore!

Your baby's the size of a watermelon!

Baby keeps growing, despite being so crowded in there. He probably weighs around 6.2 to 9.2 pounds and measures about 18.9 to 20.9 inches.

Share this with family and friends

your baby at 39 weeks

• He's probably able to flex his limbs now.
• His brain is still rapidly developing -- he's getting smarter by the week!
• His nails may extend past his fingertips.

9th Month Tea...

Who knows if this stuff actually works; but if it helps at all, why not!
This tea goes by a few names: 9th Month, 37th Week, Labour Tea. All the same thing.

The tea contains different herbs that are are said to help begin contractions... an example being Red Raspberry. Another theory of the tea is that with the different ingredients in it, it helps thin the cervix (therefore also aiding in contractions beginning), and can therefore help in a quicker and possibly easier labour. I am definitely all for the latter! And the first for that matter.

I drank the tea a couple of times daily at the end of my first two pregnancies...and so here I am again. Why not, right!?
Both kids were a few days early...Si's labour once she decided to make her appearance was very short.

Really who knows if anything REALLY helps induce labour or not. There is a long list of things that some say "put them into labour."

I must say, I do most of the things on the list...and not just to "induce" but because they seem to be everyday happenings around our house.

Stay Active- yep
Walk and keep moving- impossible not to with our kids!
Vacuum- check
Spicy Foods- have started adding chili flakes to dinner!
Sex- sorry, that's a little personal to be sharing here ;-)

These in "theory" have been reported to help. There are many other items on the list. But again, who is to say what works and IF any even do at all!

For now, I am going to finish my cup of tea, take the kids outside to play..and then enjoy an evening with some great ladies... Moms Club Night!



 

No rest for the weary... but for the pregnant, yes please!

Creeping on 37 weeks. The week that marks the ability of being "any day." A week that stands for full term, before the actual due date arrives.

I'm not gonna lie...lately I haven't been feeling the best. Aside from wanting this little being out of me and into our arms, I have been getting slightly more uncomfortable as the days progress.
Funny how being active, smaller weight gains and keeping busy don't always keep your body (and baby) happy.

My sciatic pain left a long time ago. It is slightly back now that baby is moving on down. I had a doctors appointment today. Baby is head down, not engaged however...and I am dilated 1.5cm. Really, that means next to nothing as you can literally walk around this way for weeks to come.
I was relieved to have my appointment today however, to settle some nerves, and mind!

Last night was the worst night I have had. After two pregnancies...this third has brought an entirely new set of symptoms along with it. I guess this baby doesn't want to be left out!
I have been having mild swelling, major headaches and some shortness of breathe. With these feelings increasing before bed last night, my mind would not rest; which made for a night of little sleep. The doctor assured me all is fine; so here is to a restful night tonight!

Aside from the usual aches and pains at this point in the game, the Doctor says to rest.
Right. Rest.

Two problems here.
1) I am a Scorpio...i don't know if we know how to rest!
2) I am a married mother of 2 toddlers, a career, a dog, a house and a baby inside of me that wont stay still.

Likelihood of rest...slim to none. But I will try.

Anyways. An update for the "journal" of baby number three... when will we be meeting you?

~Last Sunday @ 36 weeks~

Another Week Closer...

Sunday post...a day late ;)

33 weeks today! Another week closer to meeting the little one inside of my belly. Hard to believe~
When you think weeks...that's 7 more till due date. 49 days!
4 weeks till baby is considered full term. Both kids were a few days early.
Kai's labour was 13 hours...4 hours active.
Si's labour...by the time we were at the hospital, she was out 2 HOURS later.
Needless to say, I am beginning to get a little nervous. I am not nervous about the birth itself...been there done that, lol. I am nervous about the time this baby decides its coming out. Where am I going to be? Will it be day time/night time...a weekend or week day? Will I be at home with the kids alone, or will Ryan be there...
2 HOURS for Si and she was here...the nerves are getting me because the Doctors have been saying, in general, labours/deliveries are faster than your last.

I have a direct drive to the hospital the minute this baby feels like the appearance is immanent!

I had a check up last week and all is going well. But in the last few days...it really feels like this baby is making its way down... doing lunges and squats, not to mention sometimes just walking, feels like the pressure is getting lower...and the waddle walk slowly begins (well, i am hoping not! lol).

I haven't had too many complaints as of late. My sciatic pain seemed to have really lightened up the past few weeks; I am not sure why...maybe I should have been re-arranging furniture and moving boxes a long time ago! But somehow, despite all the moving, my back has been pretty good!

The legs, well, they are the same. I wake up with major veins, and the fade gradually throughout the day. They are LESS apparent the more idea...again, another anomaly the doctor doesn't understand. I don't know if I will post a picture of these unsightly things or not... Not quite there yet!

I guess my overall complaint has been fatigue. The past few weeks I have been pretty exhausted. With getting things done, working, the kids...and the kids joining us in bed in the middle of the night, it has not made for the best of sleep-filled nights! To add to it having bronchitis last week, so a double whammy of not being able to breathe (combined by the weight of the belly), sleep pretty much, sucks!

I guess it is just an over-rated factor in life...

Your Pregnancy: Week 33

You are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Distract yourself with an exercise in blind identification. Try to distinguish between baby's feet, fists, knees, and elbows -- all doing some major pushing and nudging inside of you.

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." Unknown

Pain in the...

I'm not going to lie, these veins on my legs are becoming a real pain in the ass. Not only are they unsightly (in my eyes at least!), they are actually beginning to become more painful. At night, after a long day, they throb. They occasionally feel as if they are on fire. And yesterday in the shower when I attempted to shave, even running a razor over them brought discomfort.
I got the call from th pharmacy yesterday, my perscription pantyhose compression tights are in. Hot. Not only am I sure these things are going to look sexy as heck, I am sure now that summer has finally hit...that they will literally be hot as well.

I have been noticing however that after a workout...a run or hike, that the appearance lessens. Boding true to the theory of increasing circulation aids in helping these things.

Groupon, or one of those sites had a special on vein treatment yesterday. It doesn't expire for a year...I bought it for back-up. Hoping I won't need it, but better safe and saving!

Another point, at the cabin on vacation, it is pretty rustic and not much "to do" so to speak in terms of a gym, town, restaurant etc. It is what makes it so peaceful and relaxing. It really is great. But with me having not been running, with nothing much else to do for exercise, I began again. Surprisingly, I have been able to. Nothing long. A run anywhere from 20-35 minutes. But hey, it's still a run! By the end I have broken a sweat, and the ligaments are a little sore if I push too far. They body tells me when to stop. It has been feeling great :)
Ryan and I even hiked the mountain that sits above the lake the other day. It was beautiful up there! We took the camera so when I am home from this vacation, there will be some major picture posting!!

Anyways, the kids are sleeping, Ryan is packing, and I am going to go sit in the sun fror some quiet time.

Any one with suggestions on venuos pooling/vericose veins in pregnancy, please pass along...my ears are open and my legs will thank you!

The unsightly side effects...

I am experiencing a side effect of pregnancy that I did not experience with my first two. A symptom that occurs in some, and a symptom I am not in any way a fan of. Venous pooling / varicose veins.
"Veins are the blood vessels that return blood from your extremities to your heart, so the blood in your leg veins is already working against gravity. When you're pregnant, the amount of blood in your body increases, adding to the burden on your veins. And your progesterone levels rise, causing the walls of your blood vessels to relax." ~babycenter.com

I find for me, they are the worst in the morning, after a night of lying still and sleeping. They progressively fade through the day as I am moving more...but never fully go away. I have done some reading, and for many they do disappear after pregnancy. And for some, they don't. I am hoping I am a lucky one!

Not only are the a bit unsightly, through the night or first thing in the morning, they can actually throb and hurt a bit. And throughout the day, my legs are definitely "heavy".

Apparently some ways to help prevent them are to exercise and refrain from being sedentary, sleep on your left side, and stay within the healthy weight range through pregnancy...all of which I do and am doing. I think if exercise and movement actually had a part in preventing them, I would have the most attractive vein-free legs you have ever seen, lol. I move daily. Through work, two kids and a gym workout I have no excuse not to! So, I am chalking it up to possibly " they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you get older."
Sure, why not!
Who knows, maybe its the way the baby is lying: the way I am carrying: or, just because!

Anyone had or have them through pregnancy? What was your secret? Did you find something that made them less or more prominent?

I am off to the store to make an investment...compression stockings for bedtime. Sexy I know. My husband is going to love me...