Hey there, friends! It truly blows my mind that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, this being the last bumpdate — I guess UNLESS I go to 40 weeks, which is always possible but … yeah, can’t say I’ll have the motivation to get a 40 week bumpdate out there to you guys at that point, ha! I’ll be like really busy walking curbs and eating all the spicy food I can find, hah! ANYWAY, let’s get into what the latest is in regard to baby boy and pregnancy! Also, stay tuned to my IG stories – I have a [somewhat] funny story about the photo you see above. I definitely had a different vision for what I’d be standing in the midst of in this dress versus a sidewalk but, here we are! Ha!

How are the last couple of months of pregnancy going? If I’m honest, I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed, ha! This is silly but I wish my second trimester hadn’t fallen within the busiest quarter of the year with work for me because I probably focused a little more on work and getting prepped for hosting Christmas than I did on prepping for baby. So many people told me not to wait until your third trimester to do everything and I thought that I did have a pretty good handle on everything but yeah, I’m starting to kick myself because I’m trying to work, prep for maternity leave, and also continue to just get basics for baby while also getting myself prepped and ready for birth and postpartum [which should be what your third trimester does focus on because it doesn’t take as much time and energy]. I still need to find drawer organizers for baby boys’ dresser so I can organize all of his little clothes and accessories like pacifiers, clips, socks, etc. In the grand scheme of things, if they’re not done by the time he comes … IT’S OKAY. But, I do want it done, you know? I’m one of those people that is terrible at prioritizing. Everything is important to me AND I’m a perfectionist so things likely always take me longer than they would other people so yeah, those two qualities are really haunting me at the moment. BUT … we could potentially have four more weeks until he’s here so I’m also trying to remember that, as well.

Overall ‘how are you feeling’: I mostly feel great! I am starting to feel the effects of the extra weight being carried around daily. Loading the washing machine is quite a workout and repositioning myself in bed takes a good five minutes. I’ve also started experiencing the joys of round ligament pain, which I hadn’t experienced my entire pregnancy until about two or three weeks ago. It comes and goes but has been killlllinggg me this week. More on that in the Q&A below. So, I tire more easily and am feeling more uncomfortable but … that is to be expected and I know that it won’t be forever & I’ll more than likely miss my bump after he’s here.

Cravings: Apples and oranges – fruit tastes even better when you’re pregnant!

What I’m Looking Forward To: Soaking in the blur of the newborn stage and seeing what he looks like!! I cannot wait to see what his features are!

What I’m Least Excited About: Ha, the lack of sleep … y’all, I looooove sleep so I know I’ll miss good long stretches but, who knows, maybe baby boy will surprise us and be a great sleeper! We’re also working with a sleep coach because I’m that passionate about getting good sleep, ha! So, I’ll let you know how that goes!

What Have You Purchased: I’ve mostly been purchasing clothes, things for my hospital bag, and self-care items I’ll likely need postpartum. I’ll be sure to do a hospital bag blog post and I’ll update it after he arrives and let you know what I used and what I didn’t. I also want to do a post on postpartum essentials and a breakdown of what I end up putting on my nursing and changing cart that I plan to bring around the house with me.

Over the weekend, we are going to get our hypnobirthing class finished and pack up the hospital bag but, if I have some time, I’ll share some of his little clothes and things with you guys! I love this BabyBjorn carrier in this new leopard print! It’ll be perfect for when he’s a little older and has grown out of the Solly wraps! Because I loved how soft the Solly wrap is, I got this blue and white stripe one. Pacifiers are called dummies over here, ha! I thought that was cute. I’ve made sure to snag these as I’ve heard they’re pretty popular and most babies love them!

Movement: Baby boy is a little mover and shaker. He doesn’t do like massive flips and stuff but he definitely kicks and punches me all the time trying to get himself comfortable. Thankfully, it hasn’t hurt too bad yet!

Weight Gain: I haven’t really kept up with my weight gain over the last few weeks. I haven’t thought about it, really. In hindsight, I kind of wish I hadn’t included this as a part of the bumpdate’s. Weight gain is an inevitable part of pregnancy and I never want anyone to compare my weight gain to their own and it have any kind of negative impact on someone’s mental health. No one has messaged me saying anything but, I saw a post the other day that called out how we need to not beat ourselves up and compare ourselves to others. We’re growing littles and of course our bodies are going to change. Just like our pregnant belly’s are going to look and present differently, our weight change will be the same so keep that in mind and be proud of the changes your body is going through!

Latest Ultrasound Findings: I had my 36 week ultrasound yesterday and everything looks good! It’s crazy how different babies look on ultrasound toward the end. They’re so much bigger so you can’t see their entire bodies on the screen the way you could earlier. But, his weight looks good at 6 pounds. The blood flow from my placenta to baby is good as well as the amount of amniotic fluid that he has around him. So, I’m really happy about that!

How Is Private Midwife Going? Things with my midwife are great! She comes weekly now. We talked about the importance of supplementing baby with Vitamin D if I’m going to be breastfeeding and went through some of my birth plan preferences. Because I know how hospitals work, I’m a little nervous that I’ll be hurried along when I don’t need to be. I really want baby to lead the way and, obviously, if I need an intervention … I’ll go with it but, I’m nervous about not knowing enough about labor and delivery to be able to make the best informed decision possible. She reassured me that it doesn’t happen as often in the birthing center due to the midwife’s working there having a different outlook on birth. We also went through what I should have on my birth plan to ensure that I have the most positive experience I can have [for me].

What’s next in prep: We need to finish our hypnobirthing class through The Positive Birth Company. I want to take Karrie Locher’s breastfeeding and infant care courses. We need to pack the hospital bag. I want to get a little basket ready in our bathroom ready with my postpartum essentials. As I mentioned, I also want to find some drawer organizers [having a hard time finding some that fit our drawers and look nice] to get his things organized. Again, if you’re pregnant and reading this … get all of their clothes washed and their drawers organized in your second trimester or at the beginning of your third trimester. If all I had to do was finish my courses and pack my bag, I’d be feeling sooo much better right now ha! I also am behind on a registry. A part of me is like why make one at this point? But, family wants to help us and we appreciate that so I’m hoping to also make a dent in that soon. Ha, don’t be like me you guys … do a lot of this wayyy way earlier but, just being honest about where I’m at hah!

FAQ:

Q: Have you purchased a diaper bag yet?

A: I haven’t! There are quite a few things that I haven’t really prioritized because I know we won’t be going out much in the first month. I think I’ll get a ToteSavvy insert for one of my tote bags to start just so I have something and then, once I’ve had some time to look at options and wrap my mind around what I’d want / need to bring out with me, I’ll make the switch to something else!

Q: Are you doing any appointments moving forward besides your weekly midwife appointments?

A: I have an ultrasound booked on my due date, which I may even push back a week if I still haven’t delivered by then. My midwife said it’d be good to know what my placenta and amniotic fluids are doing at 41 weeks so you have an idea as to whether you should consider an induction or continuing to wait a few days to see if baby comes on his own.

Q: What do you wish you had started doing sooner? [i.e. what do I need to be doing now?]

A: Ha, I wish I had looked into strollers, carseats, diaper bags, monitors, bassinets, etc. in the beginning of my second trimester. Nursery furniture was the one thing I did get done in my second trimester and it came like a month later, which was great, but I wish I had gotten the drawer organizer situation figured out earlier, as well as purchasing clothes. Honestly, in the beginning of your second trimester, take the first three weeks to organize the space in your house that you need for baby [if you need to declutter and clean out a space; we had to! it took forever!] and then get started on your registry, send it out to people, and hopefully by the end of your second trimester you know what you have left to snag before baby comes that is a necessity.

Q: I’m halfway through pregnancy and finding myself to be so stressed. Have you been the same way? Have you had breakdowns? Emotional?

A: Oh, yes, girl. I had one last night. If this is your first baby, this is all A LOT to take in. At each stage, you’re trying to navigate a whole new world. First trimester, you’re in survival mode. Second trimester, you’re trying to wrap your mind around what you need to be buying for baby’s nursery, baby’s clothes, and allllll of the other THINGS you need [sound machine, monitor, wipes, diapers, diaper bags, bottles, breast pumps [if breastfeeding], etc]. Third trimester, you’re thinking about what you want your ideal birth to look like & taking classes for that, reading about HOW to take care of a child, looking into what sleep patterns for baby should look like, reading books, bookmarking helpful instagram accounts, baby proofing your house, getting your dogs set and ready for the new addition, installing your carseat, figuring out what YOU will need after birth, etc. It is overwhelming to say the least when you’re also just trying to deal with your body and emotions and keeping your house and relationship and friendships afloat. I feel sometimes like it’s its own full-time job. Go easy on yourself and remember that you’re not alone and that babies truly don’t need much. Don’t listen to the lie Instagram feeds you that you need a picture perfect nursery and all the things to welcome baby into. They just need YOU at the end of the day – a few swaddles, some onesies, diapers, and a drawer to sleep in hah! So, take a deep breath. Also, I have to talk myself down a lot, too. I promise – I don’t think this rationally all the time hah!

Q: How heavy is your belly at this stage?

A: Ha, I have no idea! Is there a way to weigh it? Baby is 6 pounds plus we’ve got amniotic fluid and a placenta in there plus lots of extra cushion so … Idk? 10 pounds maybe?

Q: How are you helping the back pain? What are you doing to lessen discomfort in the last weeks?

A: The chiropractor has worked wonders! I haven’t had back pain since I started going. I haven’t gone this week as it’s been a hectic week with appointment but I think I’ll go again next week just to ensure everything stays aligned before baby gets here.

Q: Are you washing baby’s clothes in a special detergent?

A: I just got THIS detergent. It came in just the other day and I haven’t used it yet. That’s on my list for this weekend but it looks like a good one. I hear Honest is a good one for those of you in the States!

Q: Will you be taking photos or video during the birth?

A: I definitely want to capture as much as we can on video. I absolutely love watching birth videos and I can imagine it’s just a complete blur of an experience so I’d love to have the video to look back on.

Q: Do you have round ligament pain? If so, how do you deal with it?

A: YES! The right side of my groin / pelvic area feels like it’s on fire and I get sharp shooting pain anytime I put underwear or leggings / sweatpants on. It is excruciating. I actually only just realized what it was yesterday and I’ve been struggling with it for two weeks. I thought the chiropractor and doing stretches would help. I think they do because it did go away for a few days after consistently going to the chiropractor a few times last week and then, I haven’t been at all this week and it’s back again. So, I think stretching and chiro adjustments help but also taking warm baths can help along with a heating pad. I’ll also be trying to find where I put my pregnancy belt. I haven’t felt like I needed to wear it until now. I’m hoping that helps, as well!

Q: Did you color your hair while pregnant?

A: I did but I would consult with your doctor and make the decision that feels the most right for you.

Q: Did you gain back fat while pregnant? I am and wondering if it’s normal.

A: Yep! I have gained quite a bit of weight in my back, arms, thighs and belly. I can almost guarantee it’s very normal! Don’t beat yourself up – you’re growing a baby!

Alright, that does it for the last bumpdate before baby — at least I think! Please let me know If you have any other questions. I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below! Thanks for being on this journey with me! If there’s anything you suggest I snag before baby gets here, please leave it in the comments below, as well!xo.