36 Weeks Pregnant!

Only 27 days left until my due date as I type this! WOWZA!

I am feeling a wide range of emotions at this point in my pregnancy. From feeling nervous + overwhelmed allll the way to feeling so excited that the butterflies in my stomach won't go away.

At this point in my pregnancy I am focusing on polishing off a few last few shifts at the hospital (3 to be exact!!), getting all of my deep cleaning done around the house, completing some odd tasks/renovations (and preparing to start the development of our basement... please send lot's of coffee + patience my way), finishing the last of my freezer meal preparations and hopefully fit in a few days of relaxation before the baby is here!

Logan will be off work for 7-weeks as of February 1st and Sawyer will be starting his first day at daycare EVER around this time also, so hopefully Logan and I can fit in a date or two since we will have our mornings without the boys, for a couple days before the baby arrives! (The RAREST of occasions)

DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT UPDATE!

Back at my 34-week appointment my doctor decided to book an ultrasound to confirm that baby was growing okay, since I haven't gained weight in a few months and my belly stopped growing at 30-weeks. We weren't reallllly worried as I have measured beyond small the past 2 previous times and still given birth to healthy sized babies!

At my 36-week ultrasound baby was healthy + measuring on schedule with a heartbeat of 136 BPM and weighing in at an approximate 5.7 pounds!

This was the first time baby was really awake during an ultrasound and I got to watch him/her swallow and move his/her arms around! SO PRECIOUS! I also got to see all the chambers of babies heart + watch it beat, babies spine, lungs, brain matter, bones + stomach! Baby was confirmed to be head down with his/her whole body facing my right side! This sure explains all the feet I feel along my right side and nothing on my left side!

After the ultrasound, I went upstairs to my obstetrician appointment that was to follow. Being 36-weeks also means I was nervously expecting my first cervix check too! (Now, cervical dilation doesn't always mean anything. You can be 3cm dilated for weeeeeks and not go into labor and you can also be 0cm dilated and go into labor that same day. You can also decline to get cervix checks as well, as there really isn't much need for them). BUT.. I am nosey and anxious and love knowing everything and anything that is going on with my body, so I always gladly except them!

As expected... my cervix was soft but completely closed!

My blood pressure was good.

My weight was good too, including a 1 lb increase in weight.. FINALLY!

My doctor also swabbed me to check for GBS, which is a bacteria that can grow in your body and is harmless to myself but can sometimes cause complications for baby. If this swab comes back positive, then you will need a 4-hour round of antibiotics during labor and if there isn't enough time to get these antibiotics, then you will usually have to stay in the hospital for an additional day while they runs some tests on baby to make sure he/she is okay! You can test positive for GBS with one pregnancy and negative for GBS in another pregnancy. (I texted negative for my 1st + 2nd pregnancy and positive for my 3rd pregnancy so far)

We also talked about our birth plan so far and the new rules within hospital due to Covid. Currently, I am only allowed 1 support person in the room with my while I give birth, which means my birth photographer is currently only on standby which is very devastating for me. I AM allowed to bring my own camera into the room though and record my birth myself if I would like, so I am currently reviewing and preparing to purchase a camera just in case! (If you have any camera suggestions please send them my way) My labors also tend to be on the faster side and we do live about 1 hour + 20 minutes from the hospital in good road conditions, so generally once my contractions start, it is time to get ready to head in!

SYMPTOMS FOR MAMA!

• Extreme daytime fatigue followed by extreme nighttime insomnia

• Restless legs

• Tired

These last 4 weeks feel like they are going by SO slow + SO fast at the same time! I feel like I should only be in the middle of my pregnancy and not at the end! We are all so excited and I can not wait to meet the newest little member of out family!