baby bump – Page 3

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.

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.

My 34th week baby bump story

34 weeks

How far along: 33 weeks 6 days (Babys lungs might be done!! Only six more weeks!)
How much do I weigh: 57,8 kg (+9 kg = 19.84 pounds)
Belly size: It’s getting bigger, I feel it due to my normal panties getting tighter

Baby Bump Week 34 - 33w6d — Baby Bump Week 34 – 33w6d

Belly button in or out: Still not out
Sleep: Getting up once a night, I wake up when my bubby’s alarm goes off (or before). Sometimes I have trouble going back to sleep. I still can’t complain though 🙂
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special
Symptoms: I’ve started drinking raspberry leaf tea, I’m not sure that it will shorten my labor but I like it and I need fluids anyway, so I might as well drink raspberry leafs. I’ve also been doing Perineal Massages for a week now… yeah…

I’ve got a clogged nose which is quite exhausting
Trouble breathing
I don’t know if this is a pregnancy symptom or just my eyes in general but I can’t see things far away too good. I see them blurry, it’s quite bad.

Maternity clothes: Always. Everything seems to be getting tighter now though, everything on me seems to be getting bigger now. I think I need to go shopping again.
Stretch marks: Nope
Miss anything: I miss warm weather, because then I could just wear comfortable dresses. Everything I put on now is too tight, it seems. I’m already wearing my nightdresses which I actually bought for the hospital but they’re the most comfortable at the moment.
Looking forward to: A nice big brunch today with my mom and a live Jazz band.
Best happenings this week:

Sunday: went for a one hour walk with my bubby and then drove out to my parents.
Monday: had an OB appointment. Blood, urine and blood pressure are fine, CTG is good, my cervix is closed and the neck of my uterus didn’t shorten (yay) and is still at 3,8cm. I should still go easy on myself for the next two weeks and then, the doctor said, I can pretty much do what I want to do. My little man weighs around 1990g and is doing just fine.
Wednesday: Cleaned the kitchen for hours (really cleaned it), worked a bit, continued packing my hospital bag(s). Wrote my birthplan. My bubby went for a few drinks that night so I made rice (we have sooo much rice!) with a pumpkin-sauce. Squash Risotto actually.
Thursday: Cleaned the oven and fridge. In the eve we went to the civil registry office to father my bubby 🙂 (a lot of papers to fill out when you’re not married)
Friday: Cleaned the dishwasher. Now it’s all shiny again. Didn’t feel that good due to my clogged nose and watering eyes and all the sneezing. We had pumpkin-soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. It’s the first time my bubby had a grilled cheese sandwich. We both had two 😀
Saturday: Had coffee and breakfast and relaxed, then went for a walk and drove to friends at 18:00 to have raclette. Got home around midnight.

Movement: Lots and as he is getting bigger his movements start to hurt at times.
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and sometimes moody (due to all the sneezing and nose running and eye tearing)
Sports: No gym. My OB doesn’t really want me going to the gym for another two weeks. So my plan on going to the gym until the end of my pregnancy is obsolete. I’ll pause until April 1st for now because I’ll probably be scared to go to the gym after my 37th week anyway because I’ll always be scared that my water will break while I’m on one of the machines 😀

My 33rd week baby bump story

33 weeks

How far along: 32 weeks 6 days (only 7 more weeks!)
How much do I weigh: 57,5 kg (+ 8,7 kg)
Belly size: I don’t think it grew too much the last week

Baby Bump Week 33 - 32w6d — Baby Bump Week 33 – 32w6d

Belly button in or out: It’s not sticking out, well, maybe a little on the top, especially after I’ve eaten.
Sleep: I get up once a night and then I have trouble falling back to sleep. I wake up when the bubby gets up for work at 6am and am happy I can stay in bed. I normally get up between 8am and 9am.
Food (non) cravings: I do prefer pickles now
Symptoms:

Contractions in the morning (at least I think that’s what it is – PMS similar cramps)
I have to go to the toilet lots

And that’s about it I’d say
Maternity clothes: Always, but also bought some normal jogging pants in size S this week
Stretch marks: None
Miss anything: Last night in bed I though I’ll really miss my belly once the baby is born. When I see him moving in there I always have to smile. I’m constantly rubbing and touching it and I think that’s what I will miss two months from now. BUT – ask me in four weeks again 😀
Looking forward to: My next OB appointment tomorrow, I hope my cervix didn’t shorten
Best happenings this week: I’ve survived my first week of maternity leave and it was good. I have little todo tasks for almost every day so I always have a goal. I get up, drink my warm milk with coffee and do the household. I eat breakfast and surf the web. Then I slowly get ready to do my tasks.

On Monday I bought a folder for all the documents concerning the baby and filed them, met with my mom and sister and niece Emmy to go for a walk, chat and have cake.
Tuesday I packed some things into my hospital bag, made a list with all the important phone numbers and addresses which I hung next to the door and did other organizational things. I pre-cooked a meal for the evening (feta cheese in a casserole dish with chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots and lots of olive oil and veggie-burgers) which we ate after my prenatal class. This time we learned about the tear of the perineum and how to avoid it 😀
Wednesday we had salmon with red lentils, it was very tasty. I went out to get some shopping done and came back four hours later. Quite exhausting. Now we finally have a working water cooker though.
Thursday: the bubby left for work at around 5:30 am and I was awake quite some time before going back to sleep. Got up at around 8:15 am. I went for a 2 hour walk and picked up a book I ordered, went to the drugstore to get some magnesium, bought meat at the butcher, stopped at a bakery and the last stop was our local grocery store where I bought some ingredients for Friday eve’s dinner (and sweets for my hospital bag) – gnocchi with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, ham, mozzarella and cream. Nom!
Friday: Drove into the city at around noonish and got informed / bought a dryer. Yay! It’ll be here in about two weeks maybe. Met with the bubby after he finished work and we drove home together.
Saturday: We went for a nice walk in the afternoon and then went out to eat at around 4:30pm. In the eve we watched “Dallas Buyers Club”. Nice relaxing day.

It’s fun “playing” the good wife for once and doing the household and cooking 🙂
Movement: A lot of hiccups. This is the first time I really feel him having the hiccups. Sometimes it feels like he’s stretching his body and pushing his head (or booty?) into my crotch. It’s a weird feeling and I just hope nothing of him will be looking out down there any time soon.
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy
Sports: Walks and Household 🙂

My 32nd week baby bump story

32nd week

How far along: 31 weeks 6 days
How much do I weigh: 56,9 kg (+ 8,1 kg)
Belly size: I am trying to eat more to gain more weight. Yesterday eve I ate two big plates with spaghetti and a veggie-tomatoe sauce and had ice-cream for dessert 🙂

Baby Bump Week 32 - 31w6d — Baby Bump Week 32 – 31w6d

Belly button in or out: It’s coming out a bit, a tiny bit
Sleep: Pretty good, getting/waking up once (not) every night
Food (non) cravings: Nothing special

birthday girl — My Birthday 2015 – I’m 31 weeks and 2 days pregnant 🙂

Symptoms: Heartburn
Maternity clothes: One pair of jeans is getting a bit too tight around my belly so now I have exactly one pair of pants which still fit good without giving me trouble breathing. Let’s see how long.
Stretch marks: None
Miss anything: I’m feeling good and everything is pretty fine so I’m not missing anything yet.
Looking forward to: I’m looking forward to not getting up early on Monday morning to go to work 🙂
Best happenings this week:

Sunday: Had a lovely birthday-baby-shower-brunch
Monday: Had a lovely 33rd birthday. I didn’t go to work so in the morning I baked some cupcakes, then the boyfriend and I had a lovely breakfast and went for a nice walk in the early afternoon. It was very sunny so we stopped at a coffee shop and had coffee and cake. In the eve we went out for dinner.
Tuesday: On Tuesday I had my second prenatal class. We learned about contractions and when we should drive to the hospital.
On Wednesday I baked some more cupcakes which I all brought to work on Thursday to celebrate my birthday and maternity leave.
Friday: I had my last day of work for this year 🙂

Movement: Lots! His feet are kicking the right side of my uterus
Gender: Baby-Boy Bruno
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and getting more and more excited for the baby to come
Sports: Not allowed at the moment