Hospital Bag #3: bringing our baby home

I love those cute little clothes for our Baby-Boy Bruno, they are just too adorable:

Clothes for bringing our Baby home
Clothes for bringing our Baby home
As we assume our Baby-Boy will be born sometime in March and as we know the weather here can be either sunny and warm or snowy and cold, we need to prepare.

I packed a few body suits, two caps, tiny tiny socks and “shoes“, a blanket to wrap him in (if he wants), cuddly pants and a cuddly jacket. If it’s really cold (or if we are being told we need it) we’ll put him in the snow suit.

He’ll be wearing the cute little romper suit which says “Thank heaven for little boys”

Thank heaven for little boys
Thank heaven for little boys body suit

My 39th week baby bump story

39 weeks

How far along: One week away from my due date, holy sh**!!
How much do I weigh: 61,7 kg (+ 12,9 kg / + 1 kg this week / 28 pounds in total)
Those last few weeks I’ve been gaining and gaining (well, quite constant, it’s just weird to see the scale showing higher numbers each week).
I wonder how long it will take me to get rid of my extra weight but I’m not that worried because up until now I’ve been quite disciplined when it comes to losing weight. Never tried to lose pregnancy weight though. And never thought I’d gain so much in the last 4-6 weeks. Yet, one morning I’ll weigh myself and the next morning I’ll weigh 1 pound or 1 kg more, then the next day I’ll weigh a pound less again. I’m pretty sure I’ll hit the 30 pounds, maybe even 15 kg?
Belly size: Circumference 102cm, Top to Bottom 43 cm

Baby Bump Week 39 - 38w6d
Baby Bump Week 39 – 38w6d
Belly button in or out: It’s even/out now ๐Ÿ™‚
Sleep: Still not complaining! Getting up once. After my bubby gets up for work though (around 6 am) I couldn’t get back to sleep anymore two days this week, the rest of the days were just fine.
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special. I have a big appetite though, especially after I’ve been running around. So close to birth I’m thinking I better give my body what it wants so that it can store the glycogen I need for the big day. Just like athletes do before they run a triathlon… I eat a lot of fruits (bananas, apples, mangos, blueberries, blood oranges), cereal, yogurt, veggies, bread with vegetarian spread and cheese. I just can’t get enough of cereal with milk, but that’s been a craving of mine before pregnancy as well.
Symptoms: a lot of pelvis and popo pushing. It feels weird and I wonder if it’s possible that a baby breaks the water with its fingers and not the hormones ๐Ÿ˜‰ *jk* Other than that, heartburn and a sore body when sitting or laying.
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions sometimes. Ok, since Friday, 38w6d I have them quite often, especially in the morning. So I guess my uterus is practicing for its big event.
Maternity clothes: Pants, for my last two weeks of pregnancy I bought a maternity t-shirt which I can wear the next few months as well. It’s getting too warm here.
Stretch marks: None
Miss anything: Nothing this week
Looking forward to: That moment when I know “I think I’m going into labor”. Still hoping our baby-boy will be born in the week from the 21st to 28th, but actually I’d love to have him here now already.
Also looking forward to the OB visit (it will be the last with my gynecologist), wondering what she’ll say about inducing and when I should see the gynecologist who will be delivering our baby.
Best happenings this week: My OB appointment on Monday (thanks Mom for coming with me)

  • How far along: 38+2
  • CTG: all fine. In the beginning he was sleeping so his heartbeat was a bit low, but then I had to drink water and the doctor’s assistant gently shook my belly and then he was more active and everything was fine
  • My Blood Pressure: 110 / 70
  • Cervix: wasn’t checked
  • Babyโ€™s weight: around 3 kg (7 pounds). He’s getting chubby cheeks already ๐Ÿ™‚
  • Our Baby-Boy rubbing his eye at 38 weeks 2 days
    Our Baby-Boy rubbing his eye at 38 weeks 2 days
  • Amniotic fluid: he still has quite a good amount
  • Placenta: light calcification
  • Babyโ€™s head: around 34cm

Other than that the weather was lovely and I even got a bit of tan.
I met with two of my colleagues for lunch on Tuesday and visited some other colleagues afterwards and went to a bazaar on Wednesday with my sisters and bought some tops for our baby-boy. 95% of the clothes for newborns / half year old babies were PINK! Only girl’s stuff! Afterwards I called the hospital to see if I could come by to get my third prenatal acupuncture, the midwife said yes so I drove there then.

Baby Clothes
Baby clothes I bought for 6 EURO
Tonight, Saturday, we’re going out for Running all-you-can-eat non-fish Sushi one last time, looking forward to that.
Movement: Still doing his gymnastics regularly
39 weeks baby bump
39 weeks baby bump

Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and excited that he can come any time. We are all sooooo nosy to know when he’ll come ๐Ÿ˜€ Actually I’m happy I didn’t go into labor on Friday the 13th. I don’t believe in that but still.
Sports: Just the regular getting things done in the city and stairs. On Thursday for example, I washed two loads of laundry and walked 454 stairs! The washer and dryer are in the basement, so down – up – down – up – down – up… Did Yoga on Friday.
Pregnancy Yoga
Pregnancy Yoga
I also did some gymnastic for pregnant women and now I have a sore back. Maybe I shouldn’t start with new exercises in my 40th week…

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 ๐Ÿ™‚ 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.

36-weeks
Baby Bump Week 36 – 35w6d

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 ๐Ÿ˜€ 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.

The big 3-oh weekly baby bump
The big 3-oh weekly baby bump

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 ๐Ÿ™‚

  • 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 ๐Ÿ˜€
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 ๐Ÿ™‚ Of course it was only 10ยฐCelsius (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 ๐Ÿ˜€ 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 ๐Ÿ™‚
Sports: Around 1 – 1,5h walks

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