39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks tomorrow. 

 

Symptoms: A big uncomfortable baby in my belly.  Not exactly a symptom, but dang it can be uncomfortable when she punches, kicks, and moves these days.  Her breech position is especially crazy... she has one leg up and one leg down, so I get kicks and stretches all over the place. 

 

Weight gain: 2.5 pounds during the last three weeks and 23.5 pounds overall.

 

Fetal Movement: Always.  There was one day that Jason and I thought she was trying to flip into a heads down position.  (That or trying to claw her way out of the top of my belly.)  She was going crazy in there.  Arms and legs everywhere.  She still gets hiccups every few hours as well. 

 

Prenatal care: Even though I'm scheduled for a C-section with a doctor in the practice, I've continued my weekly appointments with the midwives.  They midwives have been great so far.  My last three visits have mostly consisted of checking my weight, urine, fundal growth, and position of the baby, as well as answering any questions and discussing any concerns we've had about her breech position and the C-section.  Today I had my pre-op consultation with the anesthesiologists.  Looks like we're all set for the operation.

 

Nesting: Just continued putting up our shower gifts and making sure the house is nice and tidy for when we bring her home.

 

Worries: While we've warmed up to the idea of a C-section, I'm still nervous for the actual procedure and the recovery afterwards.  Sounds like the immediate recovery from the operation could involve nausea, migraines, and shaking.  I'm not looking forward to feeling hung over in my first moments with our daughter.  But, I'm mostly just hoping that Matilda is healthy and doesn't have any complications at birth.

 

What I'll Miss:  I've really enjoyed being pregnant.  Of course, being nearly symptom free (no nausea, not-so-terrible aches & pains, no significant swelling, etc.) the entire time has helped.  It's been fun having her grow and move in there.  I've also enjoyed not feeling guilty about a little extra ice-cream and sweets here and there. 

Just incase you forgot what I looked like just a few short months ago and how far I've come, here's a reminder:
 

Looking forward to: As much as I've enjoyed the adventure of pregnancy, I'm looking forward to the adventure of parenthood.  I cannot wait to see my daughter for the first time, hug and kiss her, and make sure she is okay. 

On a lesser note, I'm looking forward to all the luxuries of not being pregnant: sleeping on my stomach (eventually), not peeing what feels like every two minutes, sushi, deli meat, beer & wine, greater quantities of caffeine, etc.  After a few weeks of rest, I look forward to working out again and eventually running again. 

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this week!