I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since my last update! As promised, this post is packed full of baby updates and pictures!
I'm officially in my 37th week which means I'm technically "full term" - our little girl is welcome anytime! With only 19 days until my due date I am happy to report that I am ready for her to get here - her room is complete and I'm more or less packed for the hospital! Now I'm just getting impatient :)
Ok, time for some long overdue baby/pregnancy updates...
Week 34
We had our last growth scan (ultrasound) on March 6th (34 weeks) and our little girl was measuring right on schedule. She was right in the middle of the expected measurements and they estimated her weight to be 5lbs 6oz. She was still head down and they reconfirmed again for us that our little one is indeed a girl.
That week and the following week we also attended a two part parent craft class offered by the hospital. The first week was all about the process of labor (or as they write here, labour) - how it all works, how to recognize the early signs, when to call the ward and when to head in to the hospital - as well as the pain relief options they offer at the hospital. They offer everything from more alternative options like a birthing ball, bean bag, the ability to take a bath in an assisted tub (though not deliver in there!) and play music all the way up to shots of morphine and an epidural. One of the surprising things I learned is that the most commonly used pain relief option is what they call "gas and air" which is better known as laughing gas in the States. They basically set a canister up next to you and you can breathe hits of it in at your leisure! I'm pretty sure laughing gas is only used for kids at the dentist in the US! (I did a little research to see if I was just ill-informed on this and came across an article saying that apparently it used to be standard in the US up until the 60s but then fell out of fashion; funnily enough I also came across this clip about it making a comeback in the US from this past January on Good Morning America!). Not sure yet if I'll try it but it's a definite possibility!
Week 35
The second week of the parent class we learned about what to expect in the first few hours, days and weeks after the baby is born; got a crash course in breastfeeding; and then got a tour of the maternity ward. I was pleased to hear that because this hospital does not have that many births (they only average about 400-450 a year - just over 1 a day!), and because healthcare is free, they don't kick you out of the hospital. You can stay as long as you'd like, until you feel ready to leave. Apparently most first time moms stay between 2 and 3 days. It was also really nice to see what a delivery room looks like (they have 3 private labor rooms, all of which are ensuite thankfully) and to get an understanding of the whole process works. Basically, what happens is that a few hours after the baby is born, we'll be moved into a postnatal room which we may share with up to two other families (there are three of these rooms available, though, so they said it's extremely rare any of them are ever full). Bonus - all of the postnatal rooms have gorgeous sea views! The bad news is that because you may be sharing your room, no one is allowed to stay over with you (not even husbands!) so from 10pm-10am I'll be on my own with the little one. Thankfully, though, there is a midwife on call all night so with one push of a button anytime of the night she'll be by my side to help with anything from changing to feeding to watching the baby for a bit so I can sleep. Not a terrible trade off!
Week 36
On March 17th I went to see the midwife. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat (which I was told was very strong) but unfortunately my little one is still quite far over to the right despite my work with exercises and side-laying to get her to move over a bit. I was also still carrying quite high, so there's hope she'll center herself a bit more once she starts to descend. I also had some more bloodwork done to check my thyroid levels which have creeped up a bit higher than normal for pregnancy so when I see the consultant tomorrow they'll decide if my medication needs to be adjusted. Hopefully that will help alleviate some of the exhaustion I've been feeling!
Week 37
And now here are, at 37 weeks! I'm still struggling with some heartburn, backache, and tiredness, but overall I'm doing well. I always thought by 8 months I'd be extremely uncomfortable but that hasn't quite been the case. At this point, it's more that I'm at least a little uncomfortable all the time. I never seem to be completely comfortable - either something hurts (like a little heel in my ribs!) or I can't quite find a good position to sit or lie in, etc. So on the one hand it's better than I thought it would be, but on the other I'm starting to get pretty annoyed. Hopefully this little girl will listen to my suggestions that she starts getting ready to make an appearance!
Nursery Update
This past weekend we finally had time (and the materials were delivered) to hang the pictures on the walls so the nursery is pretty much completely done.
This is the view from the doorway (the two small white pillows on the bed will have starfish and seahorse pillow cases soon - just waiting for them to be delivered!).
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If you turn a bit to the right you get a better view of her crib (generally called a cot here) and the bookshelf. You can also see our homemade mobile hanging above the changing table.
To the right of the bookshelf is the closet (just like the one in our bedroom) which we've started stocking with all of her little clothes. Handyman Jay installed a second bar on one side because there was so much room (and her clothes are so small!). We're using the middle section of shelves like a dresser and have bins for all of her clothes, pjs, socks, etc.
We were extremely lucky to be given a ton of clothes from one of my co-workers (a proud father of two little girls) before we left the UK, so we have bins of girl's clothes up to 12 months! Added to all the gorgeous, generous gifts we received from family and friends and we're doing quite well in the clothing department! I've washed everything up to 6 months and organized it all to make things easier down the road. The 0-3 months (and the few newborn ones) are in the baskets for easy access and the rest are stored in plastic bins labelled by size.
If you turn back around, this is the view from the bookshelf. Instead of buying a nursing chair or rocker, we brought one of the armchairs up from the living room and re-purposed it with a slipcover. And of course, added Auntie Shelia's gorgeous afghan! For the time being we've also set up a padded stool (from the vanity table we turned into a desk for the living room) into an ottoman for it. Since we can't get rid of any of the furniture that came with the house we had to get a little creative :)
The curtains are army-issue and aren't my favorite, but they'll do for now. (Though I'm keeping my eye out for new ones that will match the motif of course!).
Again, these are some more selfies so do excuse the weird angles and blurriness!
From left to right the pictures are from March 15, March 21, and March 24 (today!).
And here's one more for the road...
Hopefully I'll have another update this week but the countdown is on! Any early delivery vibes you want to send my way would be welcomed and appreciated :)
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