I am 36.5 weeks along in this pregnancy. Christian and I are SO ready for this baby to come! I keep telling myself things like:
"Maybe today is the day" or "Better be prepared if he comes today"
36 weeks prego in this pic
I know I'm torturing myself by thinking those things, but what else am I supposed to think about?! The waiting game is pretty dang hard during the last trimester.
Anyways... I was complaining in my head this morning about the woes of being pregnant, and I thought I'd share the things I did NOT expect during pregnancy. Fair warning: some things that I say might be a little much for some people... I'll try to keep it G rated. :)
-Being uncomfortable literally ALL the time. I knew going into this pregnancy that I would be uncomfortable...but I totally underestimated this. Sitting down in a comfy position, then you can't breathe. Cramps in legs. Achey feet. etc. The uncomfortableness varies in severity, but the WORST for me has been not finding a comfortable position to sleep in. My nights go something like this:
-lay down: pure happiness to be off my feet
-lay on left side...hip/butt muscle cramps
-switch sides
-lay on right side...baby pushes on my ribs (he doesn't like my right side)
-lay on back...can't breathe
-go back to left side
-process starts over again.
-Pepto Bismol Song... We all know the song. Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! Yeah...had all that. :) It's mostly been the nausea and heartburn for me. Tums usually makes it go away pretty quickly, so this one's not too bad.
-How much stuff a baby actually needs. Holy cow...so much stuff. Can I just say THANK GOODNESS FOR BABY SHOWERS! There is no way Christian and I would be able to afford this stuff. Stroller, crib, car seat, clothes, DIAPERS, DIAPERS, DIAPERS, wipes, bath, towels, blankets, hats, bedding, bottles, pacifiers, carriers, monitor, etc. You get the picture.
-Mood Swings. All I have to say about this- I am so lucky to have such a loving, kind, "go-with-the-flow" husband. He is a great man to still love me after all the mood swings.
-How much my body changed. For almost my entire life, I've lived an incredibly healthy and active lifestyle. I've almost always had defined muscles and an athletic build. These things are now replaced with cellulite and stretch marks. I'm slowly learning that this is a different kind of beautiful. The stretch marks are almost like badges of honor. It's amazing what a female body can do. Our bodies were made to grow and birth a human. That's pretty amazing. I'll take a few funky looking lines on my sides and belly to have a beautiful baby. :) I know I've changed a lot on the outside, but I can't imagine how smashed up all my organs must be right now! haha.
-Appetite Changes. It's pretty simple. I'm starving one second (so I eat a ton) and absolutely stuffed the next (to the point of nausea). There's rarely an in between. I get hungry and full very quickly.
-Potty Breaks. I don't need to write much about this one. I've never counted how many times I go to the bathroom and pee in a day... But I'm 100% positive it's in the double digits now. I mean, an 8 pound brick is sitting on my bladder. I think that's justified.
-Sleep, sleep, and more sleep. I have always been a pro sleeper. But this past month I will take a solid 2-3 hour nap every day. I'm not upset about this though, because it's obvious my body needs it. It's hard work to grow a human!
-How great of a support system I have. I am so lucky. I knew before that I had a great family and amazing friends. But sometimes you don't really recognize it until you need them. So many acts of kindness and understanding, gifts, hugs, advice... it's all been so great. I'm a very lucky person, and I know this baby will have so many people loving him!
Look at this chunky monkey! Chubby cheeks!
This post wasn't about me wanting to complain, so sorry if it came across that way. It was just me looking back on my pregnancy and these things stuck out to me. Maybe they'll help somebody or someone can chuckle and relate to this. :) I know all of these things are important and are a part of pregnancy. I'd go through all of these things again ten-fold to have this baby.
Next up: LABOR AND DELIVERY. Bring it on.
