Pregnancy Update – 39 Weeks

Hasn’t been that long since the last update but I’m getting so close. It could happen any minute now. There are a few things to report from the last three weeks, so here’s my 39 week pregnancy update:

37 Weeks

This week was possibly the hardest of my pregnancy. Got tired more easily and the heat of the summer didn’t help. I didn’t feel very well for most days this week. Definitely struggled a bit.

The doctor had been asking me for a couple weeks if I’m having contractions and I kept saying no but I realized this week that I think I had been having a few but just mistook them for baby pushing against the belly. It just felt like pressure. 

38 Weeks

Went to the OB again and had a second cervical check. Still at 1 cm and about 80% effaced, so not much changed in two weeks (the first check was at 36 weeks.)

I also found that I feel guilty when I feel annoyed by kids now. Like if they’re screaming, crying, and tantrum-ing in public. I feel like I shouldn’t be annoyed by them and have the patience because I’m pregnant and about to have a kid of my own. But, I’m sorry…. If I’m trying to have a nice pleasant meal at a restaurant, and there’s a loudly crying baby at the table behind us and the parents just sit there letting the kid cry and cry, it is annoying. And I’m a very tolerant and patient person.

Eventually, the mom started nursing the kid and calmed down. If you’re out and about with a baby who’s nursing, feed the kid asap or take him outside. Don’t let him cry and cry and have no respect for the people around. There was also a single man working on his laptop who clearly got out of there as soon as he could, even ordering his drink to go.

This week we installed the car seat and also bought a bunch of things to get ready for a newborn. Things like a changing pad, a nursing pillow, a diaper bag/backpack, and even a baby book. An exciting thing we got was a glider chair. I wanted one, but I didn’t want to splurge on one. We went to Babies R Us just to check them out and ended up purchasing one but we had to wait 10 days for it to be shipped to the store. Picked it up and assembled it yesterday! 🙂

Also this week I finally started packing the hospital bag.

I realize we are kinda late for some of these things compared to most moms and dads who prepare more in advance.

I also felt better this week and even did some more exercise including going out for a few long walks during the cloudy days and stopped by the apartment gym to do some light weights a few days. Felt good.

I was also busy in the kitchen making extra food and freezing it for those crazy first few weeks when I doubt I’ll have the time and energy to spend my usual many weekly hours cooking in the kitchen. I’ll be busy breastfeeding a newborn every 2.5 hours for several weeks instead. Fingers crossed. Praying I don’t have problems and have to use formula instead.

I guess they call all of this the “nesting instinct”. Which is supposedly very common in late pregnancy when women have the urge and get bursts of energy to organize, clean, and get the home ready for a new baby. They say this is a biological and evolutionary urge, that even some animals like birds do it, hence the term.

But I just call it: “panicking”. It may start several weeks before the due date. For me it started less than 10 days before the due date and it really is just cleaning, cooking, organizing, to prepare for life with a newborn. It’s knowing that I won’t have time to do much of it and that time is running out.

In reality, I’m not panicking. I feel like I’m quite calm about the whole situation, with some worries every now and then but overall pretty chill. It’s simply like preparing before going on a trip and leaving things at the very last-minute. I’m quite a  “last-minute” person. Of course you have to pack and prepare the house and eat up all your perishables, etc etc before a trip… Biological or not, there are some preparations to be done.

39 Weeks

Technically, I’m 39 weeks + 3 days today. I can’t believe the due date is in 5 days.

I went to the OB again yesterday and had another cervical check. Still at 1 cm and 80%. But it really doesn’t predict anything. Some women are at 3cm for weeks, and some go from 0 to 10cm in one day. So who knows.

I had to go by myself to this appointment, Hubby was stuck at work. So I took a Lyft on the way there, and on the way back I decided to walk home. Or I should say, waddle home. Yup, 39+ weeks pregnant, in the middle of the day in 100-degree sunny weather. The walk was only 20 minutes long, but it was still quite the endeavour. Not sure if it was stupid or brave. Husband says that the difference of the two is whether you succeed or not.

I ended up arriving home all warm and sweaty and grabbing some cold coconut water from the fridge, cooling my neck with cold water, and crashing on the couch for a few minutes. I just wanted to cool my body down asap, because the internal heat is what makes me feel bad. I recovered and felt good the rest of the day.

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All in all, I may be complaining, but like I say on every update, I feel like this whole pregnancy is going very well for me with zero complications and managing to avoid many common things like nausea, heartburn, bed rest, too much weight gain, etc. I’ve been able to keep up, be productive, and mentally overcome the physical pains throughout.

By now, I know women feel like they can’t wait for it to be over, but honestly, I’m fine. Of course, it’s not easy, and there’s pain, and things I can’t but would like to do, and there’s clumsiness, and crazy hormones, and discomfort. But I’m good, and I can feel this little girl will be the light in my life.

I’ll leave you with a few funny memes to summarize how it’s been going for me:

And this last one below, is SO so true.

Wish me luck!