Pregnancy Update: 37.5 weeks

Well we are almost there. 2 or 3 more weeks. Everything is ready... I have felt "FULL TERM" these past few days. Suddenly my belly is full blown. It was big and out front before, but now  I feel a difference like its filled out to the sides and top and bottom more. Baby is putting pressure on the underside AND kicking feet way up high nearly to my bra line! That is a lot of baby.

 

I am self-employed with an online business, which I did not have before. So it's interesting for me to try to time and orchestrate a maternity leave. I put a lot of thought into it, but now I am surrendering much the same as I did for other plans. I am not planning much of a maternity leave at all, just minimizing and having husband help. Taking a few days off and letting work pile up and then just dealing with it when I can. Customers can wait. I think my personality has just really changed because I am less stressed now, more faithful and just the mindset of "Well, it will all work out."

 

The same with my birth plans.. Last time I had a baby, I wrote out Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. What to do with the kids if labor comes before my mom arrives; What do to if labor comes during the night; etc. etc... getting several different people on board for various scenarios. But now  I just have the approach "I can have a baby in the other room while the kids go about their normal activities" or "It will just be like any other afternoon I escape to the bath, I will just have a baby at the end"... It's kind of humorous how low-key I have become.

 

I have been going to the gym still, about 3 days a week. Yesterday I walked incline on the treadmill for an hour and covered 3.3 miles - and really sweated!! How funny what a "challenging" workout walking at 3mph can be when you are full term. I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio, plus a little bit of weights or boxing and ending with 10 minutes of yoga.  The yoga is important because it stretches my spine back out after the cardio compresses things. It feels great and I no longer deal with back troubles due to working out.

 

I have gained my 25 lbs and maybe a few extra. Ahhh what holiday season will do to you! I have struggled with the lack of fruit available and was relying wholly on pineapples until this week when the satsuma tangerines FINALLY went on sale.  They are delicious and what a relief, since the navels still aren't any good.  I have been pretty good about eating leafy greens AND cooked green veggies every day.  Brassicas bother me, so that pretty much means 1 lb. of green beans with my dinner most days. That's about a plateful - yes an entree size serving - eaten with my fingers! Yum yum. Besides fruits and veggies I have been allowing bread (unfortunately some white flour) and a few chocolates per week - plus whole wheat pasta and tortillas, beans, etc.

 

Well, I am ready to have this babymoon and then get on with life. My kids haven't had a structured day in over a month, with me resting, getting Christmas ready, and tying up all sorts of loose ends, mostly with my business. Things have been busy!