Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Bump-date Catch-up - Weeks 36 & 37

I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for my last 2 bump-dates, so without further ado, here they are!

36 Weeks:

                                 36 Weeks - 11.7.10                                                                                   Image found here

How far along:  36 weeks

Belly button/stretch marks:  The belly button's still hanging on for dear life as an innie, but it's definitely ready to pop any day now.  Still no stretch marks.

Symptoms:  This is a really random one, but every morning when I wake up the middle joints in each of my fingers feel extremely stiff and achy (I imagine this is what arthritis feels like, but I have no idea).  It's weird because none of my other joints feel this way and after I get up and get moving they loosen up.  Did this happen to anyone else or am I just weird?

Labor signs:  Still just the occasional Braxton Hicks.

Best moment of the week:  Making it through childbirth classes.

What I'm looking forward to:  Our doctor's appointment on Thursday to be checked for progress and our breastfeeding class on Friday (is it sad that these are the types of things that keep me going these days?).

37 Weeks:

                           37 Weeks - 11.14.10                                                                                     Image found here

How far along:  37 weeks

Belly button/stretch marks:  The belly button has popped (at least on one side) - so sad.  I really thought it might make it til the end. :)  But, I still haven't found any stretch marks so here's to hoping that those do stay away.

Symptoms:  Insomnia is back in full force.  Every morning I'm wide awake from about 4 - 6.  Some days I'm able to go back to sleep for about 30 minutes before I have to get up for work, but most days I don't.  It sucks!  I've also started retaining a good bit of fluid according to my doctor - my ankles aren't quite as large as they were a month or so ago, but most of my work shoes are either super tight or just don't fit at all.  And, my wedding/engagement rings now fit on my pinkie.

Labor signs:  1 cm dilated with a "really soft cervix" according to the doctor.

Weight gain:  26 lbs

Best moment of the week:  The doctor telling us she thinks we'll deliver sometime the week of Thanksgiving - that's next week people!

What I'm looking forward to:  Going back to the doctor to see if anymore progress has been made on Thursday.

*** Sidenote/warning to all you mommies-to-be out there:  I totally expected getting checked to be uncomfortable because this is how everyone had described it to me.  I imagined it would feel similar to our annual exams/PAPs.  I was wrong.  For me (and maybe this isn't true for everyone, I'm not sure) it was downright painful - like I'm pretty sure there were tears in my eyes painful and I have a pretty high pain tolerance usually.  As much as I'm excited to be checked again from a progress perspective, I really dread it because it hurt so bad.  My doctor did tell me that day that my cervix was still tilted backwards slightly making it a little difficult to find so this may have been why it was so painful for me.  I'm not sure, but I'll let you know if this week's any better.  I definitely don't want to scare anyone, but just to warn you that uncomfortable may be a slight understatement. :)

Amber

2 comments:

Brittany said...

You look great!! Next week!! Can you imagine?! So exciting!

And sad news about getting checked. That sucks. Maybe it won't be so bad this time.

lg2006 said...

LOL you are totally right about getting checked. I about DIED! I tried to climb up the table and my husband was trying to tell me to stay still. HA That was worse than actual giving birth.
**and I also have that tilted cervix issue**