38 Week Beverly Bumpdate
*This post was transferred from my previous website. Originally posted on May 30, 2018.
Full Term. . .
I would love to say that it feels good to be full term. . . But I would be lying. . .
Full term is not a feel good time. Yes, baby is so close to being in our arms, and that is very exciting! BUT - I feel anything but good. If you've read my other updates you would know that I have loved being pregnant! Yes, the aches and pains aren't a joy at all, but our little mini is.
Now that I'm full term, one simple fact remains. . .
I'M DONE
Yes, I am officially done. Pregnancy is especially hard at the end. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, yet it never seems to get closer. I'm basically in limbo. That light at the end keeps teasing me! Once I finally get within arms reach of that light, i'm going to give it a word or two.
One can only take so much of sleepless nights, midnight bathroom sessions, aching everything, inability to be comfortable, back pain, swollen everything, carpal tunnel syndrome, medication, and sciatica.
Oh and P.S. who knew you could get carpal tunnel in pregnancy?!
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Apparently it's normal to get carpal tunnel in pregnancy! Yeah, no one told me either! So I looked it up and did some research to find out why it occurs in pregnant women.
There is a nerve that runs from your ribs, up through your shoulder, down your arm, and into your wrist. It is called the median nerve. Swelling in the wrists causing pressure on the nerve can be responsible for carpal tunnel. One of the other reasons for carpal tunnel is one I find absolutely hysterical! Since that nerve does run along your ribs, apparently enlarged breasts can also cause pressure on the median nerve, but you'll feel it in your wrists; again bringing about carpal tunnel. If your breasts got big enough during pregnancy to result in carpal tunnel, I am so very sorry. . . Don't go running!!!
Swan Dive
Good news is, baby keeps dropping! And when he drops, he drops far. This kid is swan diving inside me; a future Olympian. Every time he does, my muscle aching increases, and my ability to bend forward decreases. But hey, if that means we are getting closer to having this babe earth side, then I will gladly stay upright and grit my teeth through the aches!
Swollen Everything
I'm not joking when I say everything is swollen. For example, you know how your knee is one of the hardest parts to shave on your legs? Because it has all those different angles and can easily get cut from your razor? Well today in the shower with my brand new guy razor (guy ones are way better because they are SHARP), I was able to fly my razor over my knee because there is no definition there. At all. My knees are completely swollen. It gets worse the further down my leg you go.
My aesthetician friend gave me a absolutely beautiful leg massage the other day and she could't believe the condition of my feet and calves. Have you ever seen a broken ankle or foot before? You know how much it swells? My feet and calves laugh at that swelling, because I am at least twice as swollen. My skin at the base of my toes were calloused from the skin being so swollen and rubbing against itself.
This much swelling is affecting my nerves and tendons so much that my legs are constantly in pain, or feels like I have pins and needles.
Hospital Bag
Hospital bag is all packed! I've actually had it packed for almost a month now. If you want me to go through what I have packed, like this blogpost and I'll make another post on whats inside my bag!
EMOTIONAL
I've never been an emotional person. I don't cry over the stuff that floors grown men. For a long time, Gladiator was the only movie I cried in.
This pregnancy hasn't turned me into a monster. Just a puddle of tears. I cry over EVERYTHING. Dropped a sandwich on the floor the other day. Cried. Elih offered to rub my feet last week. Cried. Had no chocolate in the house when I was craving it. Cried. If I think hard enough about the sandwich, I will cry. Probably 50% of the time I am fighting to not burst into tears. For goodness sake, I cry when I tell my husband that I'm sorry for always crying! He's a sweetie though and doesn't care how much I cry or even why i'm crying.
Baby Wants Out
This baby wants out. My body won't let him. I cannot believe how much this babe pushes his feet into my ribs and shoves his head down further and further. If he isn't pushing himself down, he is pushing his little feet against my side to straighten out his legs, shoving his little bum into my other side, and pushing his head down to keep his back straight. Our mini doesn't like to be restricted! Swaddling will be an adventure. . .
Labour
If you asked me any time before two months ago how I felt about labour I would tell you that it terrified me. Fear of the unknown. I have no idea what to expect and everyone has such different deliveries that I didn't want to get my hopes up of having a "decent labour". For those who ask me now how I feel about labour, I have a very different answer.
Bring. It. On.
I don't care! I don't care how much it hurts! I don't care how long it lasts for! I don't care if I tear! I don't care! Because even though labour i'm sure sucks, at least it means the light at the end of the tunnel is within reach. And like I said at the beginning of this post, I am going to give it a word or two.
People tend to have birthing plans where they have different distracting techniques to get them through each contraction. Here are my little nuggets of gold i'll be thinking about to get through labour. . .
"I can lay on my stomach after this."
"I'll be able to see my toes after this."
"I can drink wine again after this."
"I can get back to the gym after this."
"I can lay on my back after this."
"I'm going to see what my legs actually look like after this."
"I can get out of bed without pain after this."
There's more, but you get the picture.
I Can't Wait
I can't wait for it to all be done. Because then I am going to have a precious, beautiful, perfectly made, life. A little baby. Mini me, or mini Elih. A sweet little face to kiss, and cute little hands to hold. That smooth baby skin.
I'll forget about everything else that came beforehand.
