Here I am at 40 weeks pregnant, and I am so ready to meet our little girl. By this point with Henry, he’d already been with us for a few days, so it feels strange to be waiting for her arrival still. Over the last few weeks I’ve had a couple of episodes of contractions lasting an hour or so and then stopping, which has been frustrating as we get excited thinking the big day has arrived! We really believed she would arrive earlier than Henry but here we are, on my due date and still waiting. We have an appointment with our OB later today and we’ll be deciding when I’ll be induced – it feels very surreal to know we’ll be holding our baby in our arms in the next few days!
We recently had a tour of the maternity and postpartum wards in the hospital and left feeling very impressed with the large hotel-like suites which featured en-suite bathrooms, beds for the dads and TVs – very different from the basic NHS facilities. With the prospect of labour drawing closer, I’ve been thinking about the kind of birth I want, and after having no pain relief whatsoever with Henry, not even gas and air, I’ve decided to opt for an epidural this time. The pain was so utterly draining and immobilizing with Henry, and I remember wondering why on earth I wouldn’t choose to be free from such horrendous pain, so I’m looking forward to experiencing a birth where I will hopefully have more energy and be able to remember more details.
I must admit, it will be a relief to give birth and bid farewell to my pregnant body. Whether it’s because it’s my third pregnancy, or that I have an energetic toddler to chase after this time around, the third trimester has really taken its toll on my body and I’ve struggled more and more as it’s progressed. Walking, sitting, bending – it all hurts. SPD paired with lower back pain, hip pain and a bout of sciatica have meant the last few months have been spent hobbling around and crying out in pain. Add in the heartburn, Braxton Hicks and exhaustion and it’s not been pleasant, but as always, I would gladly endure all these symptoms for a healthy, living baby at the end, and I feel blessed every day to be carrying our precious child.
How far along? 40 weeks
Total weight gain: 22lbs
Stretch marks? A few tiny ones have popped up on my left hip – the same place I got them with Henry – but none to report on my bump.
Medical: I stopped taking progesterone at 36 weeks as planned, and I’ve had my vaccinations. Here in the USA they test for Group B Strep at 35 weeks, but as they picked up on it earlier on, I’ll automatically be having antibiotics during labour, as I did with Henry. The weekly biophysical profiles have been going well, it’s been lovely to see our baby girl every Friday and hear that everything is going well, and I love hearing her heartbeat during the non stress tests.
Medical: I stopped taking progesterone at 36 weeks as planned, and I’ve had my vaccinations. Here in the USA they test for Group B Strep at 35 weeks, but as they picked up on it earlier on, I’ll automatically be having antibiotics during labour, as I did with Henry. The weekly biophysical profiles have been going well, it’s been lovely to see our baby girl every Friday and hear that everything is going well, and I love hearing her heartbeat during the non stress tests.
Sleep: Sleep isn’t going too well, as it’s so painful turning over, and then there’s the incessant heartburn and the often uncomfortable movements of our little one.
Movement: This little one loves to move around, which is very reassuring. At each appointment, the sonographer comments on how active she is and we watch with fascination as my tummy rolls with her knee and elbow movements. Her most active time is when I go to bed each night – she wants to party and keep me awake!
Nursery: The nursery is almost complete, we just need to put a few shelves up and style the cute decor I’ve collected over the past few months. I love spending time in there and it’s quickly become my favourite room in the house. I know we’ll have lots of fun in there together, despite us planning on her sleeping in our room for the first 6 months, as Henry did. After spending an absolute age researching organic mattresses, cribs and co-sleepers, I finally settled on a BabyBay. We used a moses basket for Henry but I wasn’t able to see him or hear very well, so I loved the appeal of having a crib that attached to our bed and this time I’m much more aware of the importance of buying organic. I’ll be writing a review later to discuss the benefits of using a co-sleeper and organic bedding for little ones, which will hopefully be useful for other pregnant mamas.
So with the hospital bags packed, my parents ready and waiting to look after Henry when we leave for the hospital and all the baby paraphernalia around the house – we’re ready for you baby girl!
It's so exciting, I know exactly how you feel, I'm 40 weeks tomorrow and just can't wait to meet my little boy. I had braxton hicks every 20 minutes for 12 hours the other day and was convinced he was coming, we got so excited but it was nothing, a bit fed up now because of it. I wish you all the best and hope you have a safe and quick labour! Can't wait to see the first cute picture of your baby girl xx
Oh gosh I'm so excited for you, you are looking incredible wowee! Can't wait to hear your announcement! I'm pregnant with my second baby boy and I just want to meet him right away hehe!
Liza | Glambeautys | YouTube
So exciting! Hope everything goes well when she decides to make her appearance. You look so beautiful in your photos.
I'm just catching up on your posts and I just wanted to say that these photos are simply stunning!