Tuesday, April 9, 2013

36 Weeks!

Well, somehow I've managed to make it through my first 35 weeks of this pregnancy without sharing a single weekly "how's it going" update or pic. Geez! Guess it's been a busy 8 months, huh? Anywho, I thought I'd rectify this by posting a 36 weeks update today. Hard to believe we're 21 days (or less?!) away from our littlest guy's arrival!

Week and day: 36 weeks

Belly Button in or out: Still in. It always stays in. Thank goodness!

Wedding rings on or off: Still on, and I'm amazed by this fact! I'm pretty sure they came off around 6 months when I was pregnant with LO. Here I am 36 weeks pregnant and rings are still on. Nice!

Food cravings: As if I'm allowed fun pregnancy cravings with the wonderful gestational diabetes diagnosis I received back in January... Ugh! No worries, though. I've somehow managed to keep myself to about 1,800 calories per day with a higher protein, lower carb "diet" than what I ate before. And I've somehow been able to sneak in ice cream (Culver's, Chick-fil-A... you name it!) without going crazy overboard.

Food aversions: None. But I am sad to report that basically EVERYTHING I eat causes heartburn, especially late at night. Boo.

Nausea: None!

Energy level: Surprisingly, my energy level is straight up normal! For the most part, I'm rocking work, household chores, caring for the kids, etc. like it ain't nothin' but a thang! This surprises me more than you might imagine.

Weight gain: I'm actually not shying away from this topic this time around. I think the fact that I had to completely overhaul my diet and cut back on calories in order to effectively manage my blood sugar has really helped in the weight control department. Looks like I've gained about 16 pounds since October 2012. And I started tracking my weight daily back in January, and I'm astonished to admit I've only gained 2.5 pounds in the past 3 months!! I'm also excited I haven't seen any significant swelling this time around, either!

Mood: SUPER EXCITED!!! I can't wait to meet him and hold him for the first time! His room is ready -- I just need to pack our bags and pick up a few remaining necessities from our registry. I can't wait!!!

Maternity clothes: 24/7. As if there were any other option at this point. ;)

Size of baby: According to BabyCenter, this week he should weigh almost 6 pounds and be more than 18 1/2 inches long.

Next appointment: I had an OB appointment this morning to do a growth ultrasound, see the doc and do my GBS test. I have another appointment on Friday for a Non-Stress Test (NST). Basically I've been going twice a week for an ultrasound and NST since 34 weeks, and will continue to do so through week 38.

What I've been up to: I finally got the nursery put together and ready. Clothes are washed, most of the essentials are purchased, and the Pack n' Play is set up in our bedroom. I still need to pack both mine and the baby's hospital bags and sterilize the bottles, pacis, pump parts, etc. But overall we're in a GREAT PLACE with our preparations! And it's a good thing, too!

Arrival plan: The game plan is to schedule an induction at 39 weeks, which is Tuesday, April 30th. With gestational diabetes, I was told there is a significant risk of the baby growing too big too fast, which is why they've had me managing my diet and blood sugars so closely. Apparently I've been doing a little too good at this. At today's ultrasound, the little guy was only measuring 5 lbs. 4 oz., which means he's gained less than a pound since his last growth ultrasound 3 weeks ago. This puts him around the 13th percentile for weight at 36 weeks (my OB said she wouldn't worry unless it was under 10%, but we're only talking 3 points so now I'm a nervous mama!). The doctors will repeat another growth ultrasound in 2 weeks to see if he's gained adequately (at approximately 1/2 pound per week, he should be at least 6 lbs. 4 oz.). If he's not gaining appropriately, they will most likely have me deliver sooner, at 38 weeks. Apparently if the baby isn't gaining weight the way they want him to, it typically means he's not getting adequate nutrition from the placenta and they will want to deliver him sooner so he's no longer dependent on the placenta and can get his nutrition from breast milk instead. So the big plan for me is to desperately try to keep my blood sugar as level as possible (I've had lots of crazy highs and a few super lows) as the spikes in blood sugar are not good for him. I've gotta be sure to keep up the protein and limit the carbs & sugars, and just hope and pray that this little boy gains the appropriate amount of weight over the next 2 weeks.

For documentation purposes (and a legitimate reason for me to throw up in my mouth), here's my 36 week picture. My compliments to my 3 1/2-year-old son for his crazy-mad photography skills. Boy knows his way around an iPhone! And my apologies for my horrible posture! Ugh.


3 comments:

  1. You look great! SO EXCITED!!! Just a couple more weeks! :) :)

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  2. Ah I love this! You look fantastic!!! I can't wait for him to be here!

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