8 Months Pregnant

8 months pregnant, baby girl bump, 35 weeks pregnant belly

On the first of June, this pregnancy and this baby suddenly became a whole lot more real.  Rather than an event in the future, I had to admit that I was due next month and suddenly all the instincts which I had been missing decided to kick in.  I went from completely disorganised, to staying up until 2am building furniture so that this little lady will have some drawers of her very own.  I organised all the little clothes and packed them away, washed the shell of the Snuzpod and started to get my head around the fact we will soon be a 6.

I am now 8 months pregnant which means that there is only a month until my due date and only a matter of days until I am considered 'term'.  I am starting to feel much more excited about having a little baby around again but still completely not ready for her arrival either.

This month I feel like my growth has really slowed down, but at the same time I seem to constantly have limbs up in my ribs so it may be that baby has moved position.  I am convinced this little one is going to be into martial arts of some kind as some of the kicks and punches I get are strong enough to take my breath away or make me sit up very straight.  Considering my placenta is at the front again that is quite impressive and I don't remember Finn being so strong.  I think the bump has definitely dropped over the last week, but I don't know whether she is engaged yet or not - at the last midwife check she was completely free.

The heartburn I was experiencing has pretty much gone and my bladder still seems to be coping well.  I wake up in the night to turn over but I don't have to get out of bed (other than for Finn).  My feet seem a long way off but I still feel quite physically active and have no problems navigating soft play with the boys or going for long walks.  I can walk all day, but standing still is hard, and I get light headed if I stay in one place too long.

This last month is about preparing the boys for a new arrival and enjoying my final weeks where I can refer to my family as 'my boys'.  I always thought it would be just us, that I would always get to use that term and I think anything else is going to take some getting used to.

This last month has brought up lots of questions and I have found myself explaining the role of the placenta to a four year old as well as showing them lots of google images of quite how this baby fits in my tummy.  It has been really lovely seeing their curiosity, even if I don't always have the answers.

This week I have a growth scan, consultant appointment and a home visit from the midwife to talk through my plans for the birth.  As I approach term it looks like my home birth plans are all go, but I am hoping for co-operation from the whole team.  

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35 Weeks Pregnant

35 weeks pregnant, 35 week update, 35 week baby bump, baby boy bump

The countdown is on, but I am guessing I still have plenty of time left until Pretzel makes an appearance as I don't seem to be in a rush to do much at all!  This fortnight his movements have definitely changed and it feels like he is running out of room.  I feel wiggles and nudges more than kicks and I can often make out a limb pushing against the front of my bump.

I never had Braxton Hicks with the other two boys, but I have been having them quite consistently for the last week or two, sometimes all day long and sometimes just in the evenings.  I don't find them painful at all, but my whole tummy goes hard for nearly a minute before relaxing again.  It was this that spurred me to actually start putting together a hospital bag as whether I was ready or not, it seems my body is getting ready to birth this baby.

I still haven't finished it, but the essentials are in a bag along with a list of what else I need to pack.  I have also hung up the new clothes we have bought for him in the wardrobe, despite the fact that you can't really get to his wardrobe because of all the other 'stuff' in the room.  Next week's task is to clear it out, build some furniture and start making it a calm space for us both. 

My wardrobe has moved more towards leggings that jeans as I am finding under bump don't stay up thanks to the heavy low bump, and overbump dig in so uncomfortably thanks to the sheer size of me.  I remember hitting this stage with Archie and digging out the summer dresses to then cover in layers as they were the only thing that fits.  

My bladder is not coping as well in the day times and I think little pretzel sees it as some kind of squeezy toy.  Some days I seem to be popping to the loo every 30 minutes but thankfully I never have to get up in the night.  In fact, other than the fact I am not going to bed anywhere near early enough, I am sleeping well thanks to the right pillow combination.  

As for cravings, the need for cheese is dying down and being replaced by chocolate - mostly creme eggs although I will take anything!  I certainly haven't lost my appetite and can still eat as much as ever.  

At my 34 week midwife appointment bump was measuring on the larger side and my personalised growth chart predicted he was around 7lb that day.  I am not expecting a small baby but it will be interesting to see how accurate it is.  I had my whooping cough jab as well which was thankfully not too bad and we are all set for another delivery at the midwife led unit providing baby stays put until at least 37 weeks and things keep progressing well.

I am definitely finding myself more inclined to sit on the sofa in the afternoons that run around after the boys and they are watching more TV than I ever imagined, with a film going on most afternoons but I am finding the hormones make me extra stressed, especially when I am tired, and everyone seems happy with our new routine.  Every afternoon we curl up on the sofa and the boys fall asleep on me, their heads resting on their baby brother - hopefully we can find something more comfortable when he arrives!

Despite this pregnancy definitely getting harder as I get bigger, I am in no rush for baby pretzel to arrive.  I love my big bump, feeling him wriggle and imagining how he will look and who he will be.  I like having the right number of hands for children and our life as a family of four.  I am so excited for our new addition but he can stay inside a few more weeks.

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