Baby Boy Bum[p] Update: 39 Weeks

6.16.2017


For the last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling super anxious about the baby coming. For whatever reason I had it in my head that he would come if not before R did, than at least on or near when she did. I never reached 39 weeks with R, but Baby Bum seems to be comfortable where he is, and baby #2 has officially not come sooner than baby #1. 

Even though I am still a week out from my due date, I feel overdue because I was already not pregnant by this point with R. But I’ve made my peace with it and feel much calmer and more mentally prepared to go the distance, if not longer, with Baby Boy. I’m so anxious to meet him, but the longer he stays in, the stronger and more developed and hopefully healthier he will be!

My Stats: I seem to be holding steady at about 30 pounds total gained. For the last four appointments the scale has read: 161, 160, 160, 159. I take those numbers as an invitation to continue eating ice cream and chocolate. Don’t try and stop me. My blood pressure has been excellent this entire time, hovering around 112/60, which to be honest shocks me based on how stressed out I’ve been with all the sickness and other stuff we have going on, but I'm not going to question my superior genetics.

Baby’s Stats: Baby Boy’s heartrate is always around 130 at my appointments, and I’m measuring spot on the number of weeks I am. With R I measured 2-3 weeks big for nearly my entire pregnancy, and I even got a few bonus ultrasounds in the final few weeks so the doctor could make sure I wasn’t growing The Incredible Hulk. I’m incredibly thankful to have had a low-key pregnancy, but I haven’t seen baby boy’s sweet face since our 18-week anatomy scan and it’s killing me! Just one more ultrasound, pretty please?

Symptoms: I have honestly felt really good for most of this pregnancy, but as I’ve mentioned a few times now, the week of R being sick and the next week of me being sick totally destroyed any good vibes I had going. Since then I’ve felt heavy and large, and my hips hurt 24/7. This absolutely did not happen to this degree with R. I am literally limping everywhere and I'm sleeping on the couch every night because it feels more comfortable than our bed (our bed is TOO soft, if you can imagine that), and it’s hard to be at work all day. Sitting makes my butt and hips so sore, but standing makes me tired and makes my feet swell up, soooo…. there is no good solution here. Yes, I am stretching and that helps a lot, but I can't just stand/sit in a constant state of stretch at all times. I am still wearing my rings, though!

Feelings: I am feeling all the feelings. You name it, I feel it. My coworker walked by my desk yesterday and said, “Hi, how are you?” and I promptly burst into tears and sobbed, “I don’t even know why I’m crying.” So basically just no one talk to me.

Cravings: I have had little to no appetite lately, which probably explains why my weight has plateaued. Nothing ever sounds good except ice cream and cookies, and when I do eat an actual meal I don’t eat very much. I’ve skipped lunch a few times in the last couple of weeks because I just wasn’t hungry at all. Although actually a hot dog is sounding really good to me right now. I don't know.

Work Things: I planned on working up until the day Baby Boy arrived because the longer I wait to start maternity leave, the more time I have with him before I have to go back to work. (Don’t even talk to me about THAT, by the way. #emotions) But a month or so ago I decided that since my due date was on a Friday, it sounded appealing to work until my due date and then start maternity leave instead of coming back the following Monday. No thank you. 

But THEN, I started thinking about how much my hips hurt and how much I don’t want to be at work right now, and I decided my last day will be Wednesday, June 21. I will finish up a publication we are sending to press on Tuesday, and then peace out, homeslice. It’s only two days earlier than my due date, but now that I’ve resigned myself to the fact that Baby Bum seems comfy, I’m actually loving the idea of having a few days off work to spend with R. Of course, that probably means he will come on Wednesday, but if not, that is definitely my last day and I can’t wait!

Birth Plans: Ugh, you guys, I am still undecided about an epidural. I think I’m just going to do what I did last time: say no initially and see what happens. Here’s the deal: I am not against epidurals. I don’t care what anyone else does, and I don’t care about silly debates about this birth plan vs. that. Everyone has to do what they feel is best. 

I know I can deliver without one, because I did it with R, but while I don’t remember the specific feeling of the pain, I do know that it was the worst I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I very seriously asked my doctor multiple times if I was going to die. Am I looking forward to a repeat experience? No, I am not, and if I let myself think about it for too long I start freaking out. 

But whether or not they make sense to anyone else, I have my reasons for not being all gung-ho about epidurals, and so I just don’t know. I obviously can't say for certain, but I really do think if I had gotten an epidural with R I would have ended up with a C-section, but who knows.

Either way, I just want Baby Bum to come meet us, and I want him to be okay and be breathing, and I really don’t care how it happens or what it looks like.

I will tell you, however, that Jordan has requested multiple times that I have the baby on a Friday or Saturday and that I have him during the day, not in the middle of the night. I told him we’ll see how that works out for him.

Things to Do: Pack a hospital bag. I suppose I probably should have done this already. 

So there you have it. I’ve been hanging out at 3cm dilated and 50% effaced for almost 3 weeks now. I’ve felt some contractions but nothing serious or regular. At this point I’d put money on making it to my due date, but he could come tonight! THE SUSPENSE. 

We are continuing to pray for a healthy (and fast!) delivery and are excited to officially become a family of four very soon. I would greatly appreciate your prayers specifically for Baby Bum and I as we approach the end!

*I didn't do weekly updates with R, but here's a link to Week 37. And here's Week 28 with Baby Boy, which is the last time I did an official bump update! Of course I'm still doing weekly pages in my pregnancy journal, just not on the blog. And I'm about to run out of pages. RUDE.
Kaity B. said...

Use a yoga ball at work! Life. Changing.

The Lady Okie said...

That's been a common suggestion I've gotten! But sadly my desk is too high for that to work.

Amie said...

Wow so close to his arrival!! I think I took off a week before my due date and ended up being induced a week later so I should have waited a little longer to take off work I suppose. I just could not do it any longer! haha From my experience the epidural was fabulous and the labor went quickly and super easy! It was easier to deliver Bowen than my entire pregnancy was which seems crazy! Prayers for a smooth and easy delivery for you as well, no matter how it goes :)

Maria said...

I had to laugh at not being able to get comfortable no matter what position. If I sit, my back hurts, if I walk, I swell (actually I swell regardless, but I swell MORE if I walk). The sofa is too soft, but luckily, our bed is juuust right. Can I just spend the next 4 weeks in bed?

I really hope you get those couple of days at home with R! But knowing that the universe is insane, he'll probably come Wednesday night.

My birth plan is literally a half page long and we might not even print it and take it with us because it's so simple and short. I've also decided to bring treats for the nurses (thanks to your post) because they choose who gets the private rooms and who has to share.

Keeping the Bum family in my thoughts and prayers! You got this!

Jenny Evans said...

You're almost there! I know what you mean about feeling overdue even though you're not. My first three were early so I figured that was just how it was, and then my fourth came 5 days late and my mother-in-law who flew out to stay with us while the baby was born, practically missed her!

Laura Morgan said...

This unknown part is the hardest! Even once I was in labor this last time, I kept asking everyone if they thought it was for real or just false labor. Experienced mom, my foot.
I think your plan to hold off on the epidural at first but stay open to it if needed is awesome. My friend recently videoed her own delivery after she got the epidural. 😂

You're the most pregnant you've ever been! Ahhh! Congrats/condolences. ;) Go pack your bag, lady. And don't forget to use the peri bottle WHILE peeing. The nurses might assume you remember all the steps since you've done it before, so then you might die of pee burn until someone realizes you don't, in fact, remember. Not that I've had that experience. But hypothetically it would burn a lot.

jaime said...

My first pregnancy went to 41 weeks, and I worked past my due date. My insurance actually made me go out the Friday before my induction. It was "fun" to walk in that Friday and see co-workers, with them knowing that I was past my due date. The men were terrified.

I chose a repeat c-section (there was no progression, she was big, I had no desire to be induced only to end up with another c-section), so my last day was a Friday, and I had her on Monday - at 40 weeks. The last couple of weeks were the WORST.

Just know that sometime soon this will be over and you'll have baby boy in your arms. :) Until then, enjoy the ice cream. For real.

Angi said...

I can't get over how UN-pregnant you look except in the belly. I'm a bit jealous!

And the HIP PAIN. Oh my goodness. I feel you there. Sometimes it's so bad the pain radiates into my lower stomach and having never been pregnant or had a baby before, I've started to wonder once or twice if I was actually going into labor because most people tell me it feels like period cramps to start out with.

I think that if you went unmedicated with R, you can definitely do it again with this one. I've read multiple places that it's usually easier when it's not your first. Quicker, less painful, and so on.

Grace said...

It's funny what perspective does. I went to 42 weeks with my first, so even though my due date is tomorrow, I don't feel like I'm even close to the end! No suspense at all.

AnneMarie said...

I'll be keeping you in my prayers! I'm so glad that things are going well. Being hugely pregnant in this hot summer must be uncomfortable, so I'd definitely stock up on ice cream if I was you ;) Are you into Red Raspberry Leaf tea at all? Supposedly it's supposed to help one's uterus and labor, and since I'm a tea person, I like it (it just tastes like a standard black tea, when I was pregnant I liked drinking it iced and sugared).

Torrie said...

Superior genes, indeed! That's what I weighed when I was like, one or two months postpartum! Go, you and your skinny, low-blood-pressure genes!

I think we've chatted briefly about hypnobirthing together, but I'm not sure? Anyway, if you've never listened to any of the meditation c.d's, they can be really helpful for relaxation if you end up wanting to go naturally again. Of course, you do need to practice with them beforehand, but hey, they could really help offset any pre-birth anxiety you have! (I actually am considering writing a blog post about how every woman should take a hypnobirthing class or practice the meditations (even if she plans to get an epidural), just because it helps so much to just help you relax and keep focused no matter what happens.)

The biggest takeaway I got from that class though was actually an explanation about how the muscles of the uterus/birth canal work--there are actually different "layers" of muscles that move in different directions (think, layer on moves up and down, layer two moves left and right, etc.). This is to help the baby actually move down. However, if you're tensed up, it's like you're wringing out a dishcloth, which is why women can feel so much pain during the labor process. So, although it's counterintuitive, relaxation = less pain/intensity, tensing up = way more pain (since the muscles are squeezing against each other in opposite directions).

Anyway, it really helped me to remember that, and it also really helped me to keep my vocal sounds loooow while laboring...if the pitch of my voice started to go up, it meant I was tensing up, so every time that happened, I just started dropping the pitch of my voice, and that helped a lot, too.

Also, I wrote a post about some other things that you could try if you plan to go natural again. These have helped me a lot, anyway:

http://autodidacticambitions.blogspot.com/2016/12/tips-for-birth-coaches-and-new-dads-to.html

Whichever way you plan to go though, I wish you the best of luck! All mothers are rock stars for going through the birth process, in all of its forms :)

StephTheBookworm said...

Oh my gosh, so soon I can't take it! Suspense, indeed!

I've always heard that when the weight plateaus or drops that the baby is almost ready. Eeek!

erinhzauner said...

girl, you are in the home stretch. and in terms of what to do for the birth re: epidural or no. you do you. when you get to that part of the process, just take it as it comes. my births were very different from each other, i did no epidural both times, but oddly i think i would have been more likely to do one the second time...you know what you need, and what your body needs to get a baby into this world. i'll say a prayer for baby bum to come at just the right time!

Betsy said...

For the past week, if you've gone longer than usual without posting an IG or an IG story, I've totally been like IS SHE HAVING THE BABY RIGHT NOW? in my head.

so... yes, thinking of and praying for you both! :)

The Lady Okie said...

Ah! Don't even tell me I could go to 42 weeks. Don't you dare!

The Lady Okie said...

Oh you are just so full of wisdom, my friend.

Danielle said...

Yeahhh!!! Praying that baby bum comes soon and that everything goes great. Can't wait to hear the news!

Amy @ A Desert Girl said...

Mmm. A hot dog.

Isn't it weird to think that you're more pregnant than you've ever been? Baby Boy is just so cozy. You've got a great habitat for him. I hope you get a couple of days home with R before you have him (taking you right into the weekend so Jordan gets at least part of his request too).

As for epidural, you've got the right attitude! You mentally KNOW you can do it drug free because you already have done it - that's awesome! You'll know exactly what this baby and this labor and delivery needs.

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

Isn't it funny how men think we can just plan when the baby arrives?! Michael did that too! Ha! Silly! I'm sorry your emotional and uncomfortable - but the end is near! Well, for the discomfort at least. The emotions will probably stick around! ;) Best wishes to you for a quick delivery and the least about of pain/stress/anxiety possible! You've got this, Amanda!!!!

Katie @ Live Half Full said...

I love the idea of taking off at your due date!!! I worked right up to being induced last time, but I love the idea of having time with B before we (god willing) have another baby. Hang in there and I'll be checking on your social media obsessively until then. ;)

Michelle said...

Praying for a healthy and safe labor and delivery! I started my maternity leave a few days before my due date and it was the best decision ever. I wound up with a week at home to prep, and it was exactly what I needed.

Rachel Emily said...

Thank you for this bump-date that reminded me to turn on your Instagram post notifications so that I don't miss the big news!! Totally feel you on the epidural. I ended up getting one after 12 hours and I hated every single second of it once I did. Hang in there, mama! He will be here soon!!

Jen said...

Sending lots of good thoughts your way!!!

Rachel said...

Yay for almost being done with work--hopefully you'll get a couple days of rest and fun with R at home before baby boy arrives!

Audrey Louise said...

Look at you!! That little boy is definitely about ready to enter the world!!

Rach said...

So I'm just now catching up on blog reading and I've already seen on Instagram that Baby Bum has arrived! Hooray for him coming before his due date! I'm glad you didn't have to wait much longer after writing this post! I definitely want to hear about your birth when you are ready to share! I want to know what you ended up deciding about the epidural and how all of that went. Really I'm just so glad that he arrived safely! Such good news! :)

Mimsie said...

About to comment on your last post when I read Rach's comment that Baby Bum has arrived. I hope you will show pics of him on your blog since I don't have your Instagram. Wishing you and your family many blessings at this happy time!

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