Whoo-hoo! I’ve finally made it to the full-term mark of my pregnancy!! Baby can come at any point now and technically be “on time.” What that means in terms of symptoms, is that things are definitely getting a bit tougher with the extra weight and pressure on my lower stomach! I’m a major waddler and just need extra help getting up from sitting or sleeping (either from a table or my sleepy hubby). In terms of these pregnancy updates, I’ll have to play it by ear, but I’m not sure how many more I’ll be tracking from here on — this one pretty much sums it all up!
- How far along: 37 weeks. 4 days.
- Total weight gain: I actually lost 1 lb since last week…but total weight gain has been near 50 lbs! Guess I needed to put on the weight for baby!
- Sleep: Wow. Sleeping comfortably is simply a distant memory. I wake up with extreme pressure on my bladder, a rock hard stomach and my back pain is simply excruciating…upper, middle and lower :(.
- Best moment this week: Celebrating my 2nd anniversary married to my love!
- Movement: Less movement these days, but I guess that makes sense with cramped conditions in the womb. Although if I cease to feel movement, I will definitely be in touch with Dr.!
- Symptoms: Pressure on my stomach, back pain and mini contractions…especially at night!
- Food cravings: I just feel super dehydrated! Need to keep filling up my water bottle!!
- Food aversions: Not too much these days…mostly just the smell of raw or bland meats.
- Labor Signs: Those Braxton Hicks contractions and pressure on bladder.
- Belly Button in or out? Neither. Flat belly button :p.
- What I miss: Working out, eating fresh-made deli sandwiches and being able to move around at my leisure.
- What I am looking forward to: Finally meeting this little man :).
- Weekly Wisdom: “All I know is that you come into the hospital with a baby in your stomach and come out with a baby in your arms.” – inspiring words from sister’s mid-wife on the miracle of birth.
- Major Milestones: Baby is full-term!
Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.
The 38th week is a time to prepare mentally for the big day, although no doubt you’ve been preparing for a long time already. Studies show that only 5 % of women give birth on their due date, so try to stay flexible and make sure that you have your cell phone on and charged. The Braxton-Hicks contractions have probably ramped up by now. It may feel like labor, until you’ve actually started labor, and you realize the real thing is far more intense