36 Week Pregnancy Blog

36 Week Pregnancy Blog -- 9th Month!

Written on August 13, 2016

How far along? 36 weeks 6 days -- so close!

Baby: The baby is still packing on the pounds at the rate of about an ounce a day! She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce or a large cantaloupe). I went to the doctor this week and baby girl weighed 5 lbs! She is still very small, but she gained a little over a pound in 2 weeks, so that's a huge praise! Oreo is shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body, as well as, the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during the nine-month amniotic bath. The baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, that will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

Total Weight Gain: I've gained 19 lbs (125). I'm happy with this and the baby has grown a lot, so it makes the weight gain worth it! I'm trying to gain a little more before she's born, so that hopefully she will hit the 6 lb. mark. Either way, I'm not going crazy but I know this is the end and I'm trying to give her as much nutrition as possible while she's still in the womb.

Thyroid: I got my thyroid levels tested last week and was happy with the results. The baby is getting the perfect amount of thyroid hormone and my levels were great as well. It's taken my entire pregnancy to finally get my dosage right, and of course it will change after I have the baby very soon! But I'm thankful to go into these final weeks knowing my thyroid is right where it needs to be.

Activity: Thankfully, I have still been able to remain fairly active. Im definitely not overdoing it, but we've been going on family walks more and I'm enjoying moving around. Im also trying to rest as much as possible, but that seems like an impossible task. Between having a toddler and major nesting, I struggle with slowing down. I am having more Braxton Hicks when I am up and moving around. My uterus tightens often when I'm up and about.

Stretch Marks: Still applying lotion consistently and I think I may have a stretch mark or two. I honestly can't fully tell because my skill is so stretched out! But I'm proud of myself for keeping up the stretch mark cream routine this second time around. It's a pain, but so worth it. My belly button is officially an outie (and has been since the beginning of the 3rd trimester!).

Sleep: I've been sleeping okay. For a while I had been sleeping really hard. I wasn't sleeping for super long periods of time, but I was getting quality sleep. This week I've had so much on my mind that I can't seem to relax. I still wake up multiple times each night (get a snack) and just browse my phone. I'm on edge about everything going on and I struggle to turn my brain off. I am definitely tired.

Miss Anything? Overall, I will really miss being pregnant. I've truly loved it despite all the complications I've had. Currently, the only thing I will not miss is always having to be monitored. I am going to 3 different doctors and having 3 appointments each week. It's just a lot. The anxiety of each appointment weighs on me and wears me down. I'm very ready for this sweet girl to arrive! 

Best Moment of the Week: Josh took maternity pictures of me, baby girl, and Grayson this week. I love them so much and will always cherish them! Also, I had a positive doctor's visit and wasn't induced. If the baby didn't grow enough, I would have been induced at 36 weeks. Thankfully the baby did grow (although she's still only in the 13th percentile), so I was allowed to keep going with the pregnancy. The big news this week is that I will most likely be induced between 38.5-39 weeks. The baby is still very small and my doctor doesn't want me to go past 39 weeks. It feels good to have a plan in place although I hope o make it to my induction without going into labor my own. We will see what happens! Personally I like a planned induction because it's just that -- planned. But this pregnancy has never gone as planned so I wouldn't be shocked if I am driving to the hospital at 3am in active labor sometime soon. 

Movement: This child is ridiculously active! I feel movement all day long and multiple times each hour. Lots of hiccups, kicks, and booty shaking. She's everywhere all the time. She moves much more than Grayson ever did. In all of her ultrasounds, the baby always has her foot in her mouth or is playing with her foot. That has continued and I can definitely feel it! I can feel her much more distinctly than I could feel Grayson. I can feel body parts and tell her positioning very easily. The baby has definitely grown and is getting higher and higher up my belly. I'm soaking in and loving each and every movement. I'll miss that the most. It's so special having this time with just me and her. I'm enjoying not having to share her yet ;)

Food Cravings: Sweets. I've started giving in more too and am eating more sweets. Ice cream has been my guilty pleasure. I can't have it in the house or else I just eat it all! I've still been focusing a lot on eating protein, but I've also just been trying to eat good, quality meals and eat often. I started drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea and taking Primrose Oil this week. These two things are not supposed to bring on labor, but they are supposed to help tone your uterus and get your body ready for birth. There is research supporting both sides (that it helps and that it does nothing), but the tea tastes yummy and it's all good for you, so I figure why not give it a shot? It can't hurt! I did them both with Grayson last time around and had a fairly smooth labor and delivery. 

Anything making you queasy or sick?Nope.

Gender: Girl!

Symptoms: More pressure/pain/back pain with the baby getting bigger, trouble getting comfortable when sleeping, Braxron Hicks increasing in frequency especially when I'm active, always thirsty, upset stomach, loss of mucus plug, moving more slowly, and having to pee more often.

Happy or moody: Excitwd and anxious about all of the unknown details!

Looking forward to: Our church is throwing us a baby shower tomorrow! It's the first one for baby girl and I'm really excited!