It’s been a while since I’ve written.
We moved at 35 weeks. It was planned basically since the positive pregnancy test! But that didn’t make it any easier to curb my nesting instincts 😉
The last few weeks I’ve FINALLY been able to go crazy cleaning, organizing, and unpacking. It’s been great! We moved to a bigger house in a better part of town, closer to family. Baby girl will even have her own nursery!
I’m pretty sure she’s “dropped”. I noticed it on Monday, 37 weeks and 6 days. Richard and I were watching a show and I felt her on my bladder. When I stood up to go to the bathroom, I could hardly walk! Thought I might not make it the few steps to the toilet, she was that low.
It’s been more of the same all week! I went from going to the bathroom once or twice a night to now three times. Sometimes I have to go every 30 minutes, even if it’s not very much. It seems like I can always feel my bladder! My bump is lower too than it has been – no more boobs resting on my tummy 😉
I’m getting nervous and excited and sick of being so big. It will be great to walk and move like normal again!
Apparently your estrogen and progesterone levels drop right before labor – same thing that happens right before your period normally. So maybe that’s why I feel so moody! My pregnancy has been pretty smooth (except a few breakdowns when we were out of chocolate milk…), but today I’ve been super grumpy for no apparent reason. I had a huge cry fest earlier about how hard it is to be pregnant and how badly I want her to be born. It was nuts!
They say the last month is supposed to be so awful you don’t fear labor. Well, it’s working!
This is a blog about being athletic and pregnant, so what have I been doing for exercise? To be honest, not much. We went to the local rec center a couple days ago and I used some of the weight machines. Squats in particular felt great! I also used one of those reverse sit-up machines to keep my back strong, since working your abs directly can lead to diastasis recti (check out the Best Exercises for Your Core during pregnancy).
I stopped running around seven months due to too much “bouncing” and stress on my hip flexors and lower back (even with my amazing Belly Band!). However, elliptical machines are still totally game! I warm up slowly to get my heart rate gradually adjusted to exercise, and generally take it easy. Feeling my heart beating and blood moving makes me feel like myself again after what’s felt like a never-ending nine months. I also have a set of resistance bands that I use to get some weight-bearing exercise from home.
Relaxin increases toward the end of your pregnancy to prepare your pelvis for childbirth (Read: How Does Relaxin Affect your Exercise Routine?) so I’m taking everything pretty easy right now. I’m also big and get tired easily, surprise surprise!
These last couple weeks are just one big waiting game. Braxton Hicks contractions are becoming more frequent and prominent. I hope that means labor will start soon! Can’t wait to see what happens and finally meet our baby girl!
KK 09mar19
P.S. Here are two posts I love on the last weeks of pregnancy:
20 Waiting for Labor Activities
The Five Stages of Waiting for Labor
Adventures of a Preggo 