Mommy Blog – Page 6

My 38th week baby bump story

38 weeks

How far along: 37 weeks 6 days – Gosh, 14 days to go. Unbelievable!! As of now, I’m in the -14 days time frame where babies are born. As of now, our baby-boy pretty much can decide he wants to meet the world any day. As of now, I probably should be carrying a towel in my purse? Gosh, this is all getting so real!!
How much do I weigh: 60,7 kg (+ 11,9 kg / + 200g this week / 26 pounds in total)
Belly size: The belly is getting harder and heavier and I can feel how the baby is just everywhere. Not much room for him left, room for maybe two more weeks 😉

baby bump week 38 — Baby Bump Week 38 – 37w6d

I normally stand straight for my weekly baby bump picture but this time I thought the photo looks just the same like last week, so I just let my belly hang, just like after eating a big meal.

38-weeks-belly — Just letting my belly hang vs. standing up straight

Belly button in or out: It’s kind of even and a bit of an Outie
Sleep: Pretty good most of the times. I get up once and I can normally fall back to sleep again good, sometimes not though where I just lay there and get up eventually, sit on the couch with my laptop and wait until my eyes get tired again. Seeing I have two boppy pillows (one from my sister and one from my co-worker) I now put one on each side of my body, so if I turn from left to right or right to left I’m all comfortable immediately.
Food (non) cravings: mint-chocolate-chip ice-cream. I drove around the whole town and even went to the biggest grocery store here but zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing! This oh so extravagant kind of ice-cream is not available anywhere! Gah! So I improvised. I bought the only mint candy I know – After Eight – and put it in my Ben & Jerry’s. Next time I’ll buy cheap vanilla ice-cream and After Eight. On Friday eve we watched the movie “Gone Girl” and in one scene Ben went to the freezer to get out ice-cream and what did he get out? A gallon of mint-chocolate-chip!
Symptoms: PMS similar cramps, my lower back is hurting sometimes. I also feel like my boobs have gotten bigger and sometimes I look at my feet and fingers and think they’ve gotten bigger as well. And my face. I don’t think I have a lot of water but sometimes I feel like a water balloon.
Labor Signs: Hm, just the few PMS similar cramps. When I do Yoga I really feel him in my pelvis but that’s not really a labor sign. Did a hayflower steam bath again on Saturday. 20 minutes.
Maternity clothes: I still sometimes wear normal long sleeves at times but maternity pants all the time.
Stretch marks: None
Miss anything: I don’t miss it now but this week I told my bubby that I’m happy to be able to eat yummy Italian ice-cream in the spring again. I bought Ben & Jerry’s cookie-dough ice-cream, it’s good but it’s no Italian ice-cream and also no mint-chocolate-chip. I really want mint-chocolate-chip ice-cream!!
Looking forward to: So close to my due-date it’s either my next OB appointment or the big event itself.
Best happenings this week: Our baby dropped!
I had my OB appointment on Monday and all was good:

How far along: 37+2
CTG: all fine
My Blood Pressure: 120 / 80
Cervix: dilated 1cm and soft
Strep-B: negative
Baby’s weight: around 2,7 kg (5 pounds 15 ounces)
Amniotic fluid: he still has enough, my OB measured 15 (everything over 8 is good)
Placenta: light calcification on the side
Baby’s head: Tight in my pelvis! I’m so happy, if my water breaks, the umbilical cord should not be a problem.

I’m happy his head is tight. When I walked into the OB’s office she looked at my belly and thought it doesn’t look like it has dropped so she was surprised when she checked me. She said she’ll see me in a week but she’s not sure if she’ll see me for my two-week appointment. Well, you never know 🙂 I’m happy my body is getting ready, now we’re just waiting for our baby-boy to get ready. The later the better!
So if our baby-boy is born before the 21st he’ll be a Pisces: loving, sensitive, intuitive, spiritual, idealistic, victimised and moody and if he’s born after he’ll be an Aries: determined, fiery, executive skills, born leader, impulsive, headstrong, opinionated, loyal, physical, driven, ambitious … interesting 😉
Another best thing this week: we got our first baby delivered – our dryer we ordered about a month ago! It’s great and all the dried towels, panties etc. are so soft!
Movement: He’s making Aqua-Gymnastic lots. And he’s sleeping when I’m sleeping. What a good breeding he has haha.
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno, 100%, got that confirmed by three different doctors and we have so many penis pictures!
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! Happy that my body is ready and that he’s all the way down in my pelvis. Happy and relaxed and pretty much ready mentally.
Sports: I did Yoga twice this week. Other than that the regular 30 – 60 Minute walks (as long as my bladder will stay empty) and taking the 50 (59 when I’m coming from the basement) stairs to our apartment sometimes a few times daily.

Things you should’t say to a pregnant me

During my first pregnancy, there have been a few comments from others that worried me or just made me think “WTF?!”. Here are some where I just nodded and smiled (or not).

I hope you’ll have a girl
That’s sweet, but why would you hope that and what is so bad about having a boy?
Girls are so much less complicated
Thanks, we’re having a boy, what do you know about them?
Aw, you’re having a boy? Well maybe the next one will be a girl.
I don’t know but I felt this is a rude thing to say. It’s like “yay, you’re pregnant, oh but damn, you’re pregnant with a boy, that sucks, I’m sorry you’re pregnant (with a boy).
Wow, your belly is huge
What size should it have?
When I was as far as you I was much smaller
That’s nice for you. I’m about two feet smaller and totally different built than you, so I guess every woman’s body may be different?
You’ll never get your old body back
That word never, how much I dislike it!
Anything concerning the way or what I eat
Let’s just keep it simple – I know I don’t have to eat for two and I know always eating healthy is the best thing you can do.
Did you run up the stairs? Are you running?
This goes to my bubby. No, I did not run up the 50 stairs to our apartment and no, I’m not running for a walk. I’m just carrying about 25+ more pounds than usual which makes me breathe harder than usual. Why do you always ask me that?!

To be continued, maybe…

My 37th week baby bump story

37 weeks – Full Term!! No preemie anymore!

How far along: 37 weeks! 21 days! 3 weeks to go!! Can’t believe it! And today is Sunday, March 1st! It’s Baby’s birth month!! So amazing!
How much do I weigh: 60,5 kg (+ 11,7 kg / + 25.8 pounds), same as last week
Belly size: Circumference 102cm, Top to Bottom 45 cm

Baby Bump Week 37 - 36w6d — Baby Bump Week 37 – 36w6d

Belly button in or out: Hard question. Even and a bit out on the top, so, an Outie I’d say.
Sleep: Good, I’m so happy! I get up once and that’s it. It takes a while for me turning from one side to the other but that’s not worth mentioning.
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special, I try to eat less sweets those last weeks. I don’t buy any sweets when going shopping, my sweet snack in the evening is a fruit yogurt. I spent a day in the city this week and walked passed Starbucks and I mean really, as a high pregnant woman you can’t just walk passed a Starbucks knowing they have so good yummy sweet stuff, so I went in and got a blueberry muffin. Yummy! The last time I visited Starbucks was in Paris 1,5 years ago, so come on!
Symptoms: Not that many actually. I get bruised when I lay on one side too long, it feels like my skin/meat just falls asleep. Breathing is still a bit difficult. My butt starts hurting when I sit too long. It’s amazing, if I figure out my current BMI I’m still normal weight. Yet normal things like sitting or laying on one side start to hurt after a while, I’m out of breath faster than normal. When I do yoga my knee-bones make scary sounds. My lower back starts hurting again, mainly after I get up from the couch.
I don’t feel so good after I eat at night. I already eat less but I feel like a ton afterwards, it’s very uncomfortable. When I eat too late I get a heartburn at night which I’ve done twice this week. I should know better by now 🙁 Maybe I should just skip the evening dinner?
When I come home from the cold outside I get very red cheeks and ears and I just feel very hot for a long time. That’s new.
Can’t believe I’m carrying +12 kg around with me every day. Wow.
Labor Signs: None. I started a hayflower steam bath the first day of my 38th week. It’s not as relaxing as it sounds like, I took 1 liter of boiling water and added three tablespoons of hayflowers. Seeing the pot was too small to put into the toilet and sit on it, I put it on the floor and kneed over it and just let the steam go “into me” (TMI, I know). This method should loosen your pelvic muscles.
I also still do a perineum massage daily or every other day for five minutes and drink two to three cups of red raspberry leave tea daily.
Maternity clothes: Yes please! Panties a size bigger without a rubber band are the best thing ever!
Stretch marks: None
Miss anything: Getting up from the couch with ease
Looking forward to: My next OB appointment tomorrow. As I assume our Baby-Boy will be born in March I made a list of cool, easy to remember March birth dates (although I hope he arrives in the week from the 21st to 28th of March):

03.03.2015 (I already have plans with a friend there though)
05.03.2015 (I have an appointment for a foot care there though)
15.03.2015
19.03.2015 – Two months after my birthday
21.03.2015 – Baby’s Due Date
25.03.2015
27.03.2015 – 5 months before my bubby’s birthday
30.03.2015

Let’s see if he decides to come on one of those.
Best happenings this week: On Monday I had my first prenatal acupuncture at the hospital where I’m planning on delivering our baby-boy.

Prenatal Acupuncture - 36 weeks — Prenatal Acupuncture – 36 weeks

You normally have four sessions. One each week until you hit 40 weeks. It’s the first acupuncture I’ve ever had.
Reasons I decide(d) to spend 20 EURO each session for something which isn’t scientific proven:

I believe in it (they say it may shorten labor)
I tend to do the things they say make giving birth easier
It gives me a chance to “meet” the hospital, driving there, knowing where to park, knowing where the delivery room is located
It gives me a chance to meet some of the midwifes

The first time I got three needles in each lower leg. One right by my ankle, two on the outside of my legs right under the knee. It takes 20 minutes. While I was there I’m pretty sure at least one woman was in labour. I heard her breathe the “aaaaaaaahhhh” with every contraction she had. Oh, and I also found a 10 EURO bill on the street! I never found so much money, I was all excited 😀 (although I was undecided at first if 10 EURO are worth bending all the way to the floor but yes, they were)
On Tuesday I had an appointment with an anesthetist who explained me everything about the epidural (PDA). I filled out a bunch of questions, so that’s one thing I don’t have to do when I’m in labour (I hope) and decide I want an epidural. I’m not planning on one but you never know. After the appointment I walked through the city a bit and treated myself to a blueberry muffin at Starbucks. Nom. I also bought some little stuff for our Baby-Boy’s room, like a heart-shaped picture frame and a little elephant magnetic-frame.
Other than that I had a pretty relaxing week, met with a friend and her daughter, met with my sister and her daughter, had a lovely dinner with my bubby, my parents and my sister and her family on Saturday eve with yummy Schnitzel and Dampfnudel 🙂
Movement: Still a lot and he still has the hiccups regularly. He pushes himself against my butt-hole a lot (or maybe those are his arms) and it feels like, well, I’ll keep the details to myself.
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, relaxed, very excited. I have my off-days every now and again where I feel left alone and unable to cope and that people still expect everything from me, forgetting that, so close to birth, I might have other things on my mind, also if I don’t show. That’s always the problem of someone “strong”, people don’t think that there might be phases where you just can’t take things so easily, they will not ask you “how are you doing” or “what are your concerns” because they think that everything is always fine with you.
Sports: I started yoga for pregnant women. Wow, doing yoga with 10+ kg more on my ribs ain’t easy, just the regular things! Never thought so. The Sun Salutation – uff! It’s getting better/easier the more I do it though. I plan on doing yoga two times a week.

You nicely see the scar where I had my belly piercing over my belly button. And my crooked Linea nigra.

Baby in Action

It is really really hard to catch our Baby-Boy on video. I’ll sit there, for ages it seems, hold the camera and just wait for him to move. As soon as my arm starts hurting from all the camera holding I’ll turn it off and put it down and then he moves.
I did catch some movement though, can you see it?

Baby-Boy rockin’ to My Girl 🙂

My 36st week baby bump story

36 weeks

How far along: 35 weeks 6 days – 1 month to go – 4 weeks to go – 28 days to go 🙂 I’m officially starting my 10th month (and I’m 8 months pregnant)
How much do I weigh: 60,5 kg (+ 11,7 kg / + 25.8 pounds) *cries* that’s a gain of 2 kg in one week. I decided I shouldn’t care anymore, my BMI before birth was 18,7 which means I’m “allowed” to gain between 11,5kg to 16 kg (25lb to 35lb). I’ve had big meals for dinner this week and I always notice them on the scale on the weekend, pregnant or not.
As long as I can still walk the stairs easily without my boyfriend pushing me up I won’t worry.
Belly size: I have the feeling I’m getting fatter and fatter, not just my belly but my legs as well because my maternity clothes are getting tighter and tighter. Can’t wait to go jogging and to the gym again, especially with our Jogging stroller and our Baby-Boy! I’m really happy we bought the stroller we bought and I hope it will motivate me to go out lots.

Belly button in or out: Still in / even
Sleep: Not complaining. Sometimes I have problems getting back to sleep after I’ve gotten up to go to the bathroom, but not every night
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special. I just like to eat and I’m more hungry. I used to eat a yogurt with fruit as a snack, I still do, but I’m very hungry one or two hours later, esp. if I went for a walk in the meantime. Well ok and I have to admit, I love anything sweet! Pastries, Cookies, Cakes, Chocolate. Gimme!
Symptoms: I woke up on Tuesday, brushed my teeth and had quite some teethridge bleeding. Then I blew my nose to find quite some blood in my tissue as well. So I guess my mucosa was a bit sensitive that day. I hate hate hate having a bloody nose though, I get sick seeing the chunks of blood. I get dizzy and it feels weird in my tummy. Plus I’m scared to blow my nose. Those symptoms luckily only occurred on Tuesday.
The baby is getting bigger and bigger so some of his movements hurt and if I have a weird feeling in my pelvis or if I blow my nose or sneeze I touch my panties to see if the water broke 😀 Luckily every pregnant woman so close to the due date writes the same, I’m happy I found lovely blogs online. It makes me not worry so much (sometimes) (I’m also relieved to see skinny girls gain just as much or more than me). Especially when he stretches against my bottom left body it really really hurts and it’s a possibility for me to train my breathing. I wonder what he squishes down there (my uterine or pelvis artery maybe?)
All in all though I feel really good, I can walk the 50 stairs to my apartment easily, I’m not super tired, I feel like I can do almost everything still. When I go for walks I just walk slower or stop if the pressure on my pelvis is getting too intense. I still can cut my toenails and shave my legs, too.

Maternity clothes: Pants, Leggings, Undies, Tops – anything. I wear the same clothes pretty much every day
Stretch marks: Nope
Miss anything: Nope
Looking forward to: March!
Best happenings this week: Had my 8th (?) check-up at the OB on Thursday. My mom came with me, seeing examinations of pregnant women were quite different around 30 years ago. She enjoyed seeing / hearing the heartbeat of the baby during my CTG and seeing the baby on big screen during the ultrasound 🙂

How far along: 35+5
CTG: all fine
My Blood Pressure: 110 / 65
Cervix: closed and medium soft
Hepatitis B: negative
Baby’s weight: around 2,4 kg (5 pounds 5 ounces)
Amniotic fluid: he still has enough
Placenta: light calcification
Baby’s position / Fundal height: costal arch – there’s no more moving up, only moving down into my pelvis now (hopefully)
Baby’s head: Not in my pelvis yet, which means, if my water breaks I need to be carried to the delivery room lying. I hope he’ll be down next time I go to the OB which is on Monday, March 2nd 2015.
Baby’s lungs: He’s making breathing exercises already meaning, the lungs are done!

On Sunday my bubby and me made a first-aid course for babies and toddlers which was very informative. We’re both very happy we did it and I recommend everybody to take part in a course like that before the baby comes or (shortly) after.
I had my last prenatal class on Tuesday, it was a partner evening so my boyfriend came with me. We learned how he should hold me during labor, how he can massage me and how I need to breathe.
My midwife came by on Wednesday to give me a “course” on how to breastfeed. We used my Minion as example for my baby-boy 😀
Friday we had such lovely weather, it felt like spring! I put on shorts, a tank-top and a bunch of sunscreen and sat on our balcony and felt so good, I would have loved to put on flip-flops and run around the city and get ice-cream 🙂 Of course it was only 10°Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) but on the balcony it was hot! I wish for the weather to be that way four weeks from today and that our baby gets born on a lovely spring day!
Movement: Lots, his back & butt is on my right side when I look down
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno, for sure!

35weeks5days_BOY — The white thingy is not his arm…

The ultrasound sessions are always good for a laugh because he always shows us how much man he is 😀 If I tell my bubby to touch my belly to feel how our Baby-Boy pushes his butt against it he only smiles and says “that’s not his butt” haha.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and a bit worried that he’ll come too early. It’s probably because I read on a bunch of websites that “the baby is pretty much done and can come any time now” which scares me a bit. I asked my OB if the light calcification of my placenta may lead to an early birth and she said “no, it’s all normal, why should he come early?” and I only answered “I don’t know”. I guess what scares me is the fact that I kind of fixate on the due date the doctors figure out and that I don’t feel prepared if the labour signs would occur now.
What keeps me calm a bit is the fact that my mom had me and my sisters: 11 days late, 4 days late and right on due date, that my oldest sister had her baby one week early with a planned c-section and my middle sister had her kids: 3 days early, 1 day early, 4 days early with a planned c-section. So no baby in my family came way too early. My boyfriend came two weeks early but that’s the other side of the family 🙂
Sports: Around 1 – 1,5h walks

36 weeks baby bump. It looks smaller than last week but maybe the angle is just different

My 35th week baby bump story

35 weeks

How far along: 34 weeks 6 days – 5 more weeks to go (Due Date: March 21st to 26st I’d say)
So, 35 weeks pregnant, 35 days to go
How much do I weigh: Haven’t weighed myself yet but I think I made it to the 10kg mark, let me see… *goes to weigh herself* … 58,7 kg .. that’s +9,9 kg (around 22 pounds)… I could cheat on that 0,1 kg but I’m not gonna 😀
Belly size: I’m a buman – half ball, half human

Belly button in or out: Still in / even
Sleep: Not complaining, only getting up once at around 2am (I go to bed at around 23:00) and then I sleep until my bubby’s alarm goes off at 6am. I stay in bed and mostly fall asleep again until around 9am. Right now it’s Saturday, I got up at 4am to go to the bathroom and couldn’t go to sleep after. It’s 6am now 🙁
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special, anything with carbs (but I also fancy Krapfen, which are typical for the carnival time in February here)
Symptoms: For around a week now, things aren’t so “easy” anymore. Our Baby-Boy is growing, he’s gaining, when he’s moving it sometimes hurts and I’m sometimes not sure if all the feelings I have are normal or not, I guess so though. I’m pretty sure I have Braxton Hicks contractions every now and again but luckily not that often. They feel like PMS cramps and I mostly have them in the morning or at night.
Yet it’s different every day. Some days I “forget” (not really) that I’m pregnant. I’ve gotten used to the few aches I have and am not scared anymore that he’ll come earlier. I think/hope he’ll come some time in mid March 🙂
So all in all I’m still doing very well.
Maternity clothes: I went out on Monday to buy some new clothes – also if I have only a few less weeks left, I just can’t take it that my pants are getting tighter each day. I bought some leggings because they seem to be the most comfy pants I can wear now. Now I really don’t care if I’m wearing jeans or just running around like I’m going to the gym all the time. I also bought some bigger panties which hopefully will not rip into my belly and a nice pullover. I’d love to just not wear any bottoms at all.
Stretch marks: Nope 🙂
Miss anything: On Monday, while going shopping for maternity clothes, I saw the cutest non-maternity summer clothes. I would have loved to try them on but oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait until May or June or even July to try on and buy my normal size again.
Looking forward to: My next OB appointment on Thursday, February 19th
Best happenings this week: Had a pretty relaxing week

Sunday: As a Christmas present I gave my mom a one-night-stay at the Best Western Hotel in a town nearby. Including a night for myself, too. We met Sunday at 11:30 am for a big Jazz Brunch and “ate” until around 15:30. Then we relaxed in our hotel room, went for a walk afterwards and spent some time at the “Wellness-Oasis” after. Very relaxing. We went to the hotel restaurant in the eve to grab a bit to eat and then just relaxed in the bed, watching TV and reading.
Monday: We had to check out before 12am so we had a lot of time in the morning to shower, pack and eat breakfast. After we checked out of the Best Western, Mom and I drove to a mall nearby and I bought some new maternity clothes and some boots. My bubby picked me up afterwards and we had a relaxing afternoon.
Tuesday: I slept through the whole night! I didn’t get up ONCE! I went to bed at around 23:00 and woke up with the alarm of my bubby at 5:45. Wow! I stayed in bed until about 09:30, got up and just had a relaxing day until my prenatal class in the eve. We learned about breathing during contractions (with exercises), baby care and what to pack in the hospital bag. Afterwards all the girls went out for dinner – 16 pregnant ladies 🙂 It was very nice and I got to chat to some nice girls and me and two girls were the last ones to leave at around 21:45. I also signed up for a post-pregnancy back-formation class starting in June.
Wednesday: Got up at 8am, went to the butcher and bakery, IKEA and a baby store to pick up a car seat. It felt good to get everything done in the morning / at noon time.
Thursday: Went for a 1 hour walk and just did some things around the house. I made a big lasagne for dinner.
Friday: Visited a friend who had a baby-girl in September 2014 and ate Krapfen 🙂
Saturday: Valentine’s Day! Celebrated the 20-year existence of my period (NOT) haha

Movement: I feel him moving around very intense. I’m not sure but I think he “turned” on Sunday. I thought his butt is right in the middle of my belly (I used to feel it sideways before) and he is facing towards my back. It feels different from day to day though and now I think his butt is on my right side again. I wonder if he dropped or not. I have my next appointment on February 19th, so I wonder what the OB will say.
Sometimes it feels like he wants to push something through my butt hole (which, I know, is anatomical impossible). Very weird feeling.
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and relaxed. My clogged nose (which I only have at home! Must be the heater and the dust) is still bothering me though but it’s gotten better.
Sports: No gym, which is ok for me. I should maybe start my DVD about yoga in the pregnancy. Just going for walks.