*Long post! Obviously I’m no longer pregnant and this post is way overdue, but it’s been crazy hectic since Emma was born! Sorry for the late post, but better late than never! I have a few more posts to upload including Emma’s birth story, so stay tuned!*
34 Weeks
Baby’s size: A butternut squash!
Baby’s movement: My little squirmer is squirming all over the place! And she kicks me so hard sometimes I actually yelp! This may be a bit TMI, but she even moves when I’m on the toilet. I love her movements and all, but it’s weird when she moves when I’m doing my business.. LOL!
Total weight gain: 30 lbs.
Pregnancy symptoms: Oh.My.Lord. I had the most uncomfortable and painful sharp pains on the back of my left leg! Whenever I moved in a certain position or put pressure on my left leg in a certain way, this sharp pain would shoot down my the back of my leg. It came out of nowhere too! The doctor said it’s most likely sciatica which is common in third trimester due to growing uterus pushing on your nerves. Unfortunately, there’s not too much I can do to remedy this unless it gets unmanageable 🙁
Food love: Still on that toast with almond butter and strawberry jam kick for breakfast! Oh, and I had the biggest craving for an authentic burrito. Steve and I found this authentic Mexican place inside a Mexican grocery store and their food was amazing! It may even beat our favorite Mexican place in Chicago!
Food hate: As it has been since I don’t know how long, I have no food aversions! I did make egg salad sandwich for Steve for lunch, and I actually ate it myself for my lunch this week. I guess hard-boiled eggs are beginning to become tolerable.
Sleep: Scratch what I said about being tired and going to bed early. It doesn’t matter if I do, I still have to wake up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom..
Currently living in: Maternity clothes and dresses!
3 pros of this week: [1] Learning a lot about labor and delivery from the 2 day labor and birth class we attended! I’ve read about labor and delivery from books as well, but putting that to practice such as breathing exercises, laboring and pushing positions and massages were definitely helpful! Highly recommend attending these classes provided in your community! We also learned a lot about pain medications and epidural. I was pro epidural, and I still am, but I have decided that I’m going to try to hold out as long as possible before getting the epidural. I want to be able to have full control of my body which is the main reason for possibly enduring without epidural. All I know is that I have a set birth plan I would like to stick to, but I’m also going in with an open mind that anything can happen. We are just hoping for a healthy delivery of Emma without any complications for both me and the baby. [2] Having Steve’s siblings visit and doing a little get-together with a few people for Steve’s upcoming birthday! [3] Completing the nursery! We have one more picture to hang, but we are finished!! And I’m in love, so perfect for our little girl <3
3 cons of this week: [1] Feeling super heavy, it’s getting really hard to move about and walk for a long time. [2] Worrying about mild low abdominal cramps I’m having on and off. They aren’t regular contractions, but it still makes me worry that I may be going into labor early. [3] Missing my best friend’s bachelorette weekend in NYC. I was having a major FOMO! Wish I could’ve been there!
Looking forward to: Hubby’s birthday!!
35 Weeks
Baby’s size: A honeydew!
Baby’s movement: Despite the fact that she is running out of room, her kicks are strong and painful at times! I have to catch my breath whenever she does her karate kicks on my ribs. The other night, Steve and I felt her tiny little foot protruding out on my tummy! We can also make out her body inside the womb, it is the strangest thing!
Total weight gain: 30 lbs.
Pregnancy symptoms: Okay, so I take back raving about having a smooth pregnancy. I am definitely feeling the wrath of pregnancy now.. LOL. Third trimester has to be the toughest for me, especially almost at the finish line. In addition to feeling like a whale with limited mobility, these false contractions can get unmanageable sometimes most of the time. The other night, I woke up with cramps in my low abdomen, and I had a brief freak out moment thinking I’m going into labor. Steve woke up immediately trying to get me to relax. Thankfully, they were irregular and went away after 30 minutes so or. I know my body is getting ready for the real thing though, I can feel that my pelvis has spread, and the pelvic pain is most painful when I switch positions in bed or trying to get out of bed. Sometimes I can even hear my pelvic bone pop, it doesn’t hurt but sounds really gross. I can totally relate to why other moms-to-be want the baby out when getting closer to their due date. I am feeling very unpleasant at 35 weeks.
Food love: I have moved away from my love for toasts and on to cereal. Cereal is my life right now. On a slightly different note, I seriously have been eating whatever my little heart desires all throughout this pregnancy. I will spare you of my feast on Sunday because it ain’t pretty, but let me just say that being able to eat whatever and whenever was amazing (I’m surprised I didn’t gain more weight)! As I near the end of my pregnancy, I am reminded that I should be more conscious of my food choices and how much I intake in order to have a smoother transition back to my pre-pregnancy diet. The excuse of, “I’m pregnant” won’t fly anymore 😛 BUT I do have a list of foods I couldn’t eat during my pregnancy which I am SO excited to be able to eat again, starting with a really good cold deli sandwich!
Food hate: Nothing much!
Sleep: Oh sleep.. I yearn for a good night sleep where I don’t have to wake up at all in the middle of the night. Even if I purposely don’t drink anything two to three hours prior to my bedtime, I’m still waking up in the middle of the night to empty my bladder..not just once, but at least three times!
Currently living in: Maternity clothes and dresses!
3 pros of this week: [1] Celebrating hubby’s birthday on Weds! [2] Realizing it’s September and Emma will be here before we know it! [3] Being able to make out Emma’s little foot inside my tummy! Steve and I have fun trying to figure out where Emma’s body parts are in my tummy, whenever she has her slow kicks, we can actually feel her little foot!
3 cons of this week: [1] Going to the gym and realizing the highest speed I can go on the treadmill is 1.7 mph. [2] Excruciating pelvic pains! [3] Being tired during the day due to disturbance of sleep.
Looking forward to: My parents’ visit this coming weekend. Mostly because my mom is going to cook all the delicious Korean food. 😀
36 Weeks
Baby’s size: Head of romaine lettuce!
Baby’s movement: This little babe is doing gymnastics or something in the tight space! I can feel her tiny foot on my side, and it sometimes hurts!
Total weight gain: 35 lbs – crazy how I’ve gained 5 lbs in 1 week!! The doctor isn’t worried and haven’t mentioned anything about my weight gain. I figure it’s just water retention since I’ve been swelling a lot lately.
Pregnancy symptoms: Oh man, where do I start? I am constantly having Braxton Hicks contractions along with mild cramping in my lower abdomen, it’s getting more frequent and definitely not fun. I also thought I was losing small chunks of mucus plug here and there..they weren’t bloody or brown in color which I know means you have lost all of your mucus plug, they were just clear snot looking glob, TMI I know. I read that some women lose it little by little but when I asked the doctor about it this week, she said it’s most likely not the mucus plug, just increase in discharge. Blech. And lastly, my FAVORITE so far (NOT!), my feet and hands started to swell!!!! The other day, my right ankle disappeared and I legitimately had a cankle. Ugh. And I’m sad to report that I had to take off my engagement and wedding rings, because my hands and fingers are so swollen. Am I going to be able to put them back on?! 🙁
Food love: My parents visited for Labor Day weekend, and my mom stocked my fridge with lots of Korean food. I’ve been loving that lately! Oh, and I finally got Maryland Blue Crabs smothered in Old Bay seasoning for the Summer. It’s not Summer with them crabs, and I’m so glad my parents decided to bring me some!!
Food hate: Nothing much!
Sleep: Same old, same old. Getting up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom and having trouble tossing and turning with pelvic pains.. 🙁
Currently living in: Maternity clothes and dresses!
3 pros of this week: [1] Having my parents visit. [2] Checking out some potential houses to purchase. [3] My mom stocking our fridge 🙂
3 cons of this week: [1] Gaining so much weight in a short period of time! What is going on? [2] Feeling so uncomfortable in general. [3] Getting super nervous about the labor..
Looking forward to: This past weekend was the last of people visiting us, and I’m looking forward to spending time with just Steve preparing for the arrival of Emma in the next few weeks! Having friends and family visit is fun, but I’m ready to relax and spend the next couple of weeks physically, mentally, and emotionally preparing for the three of us.
37 Weeks
Baby’s size: A winter melon.
Baby’s movement: Same as usual, moving about throughout the day!
Total weight gain: 37 lbs!
Pregnancy symptoms: The swelling of my feet, ankles, legs, hands and face is not easing up for this mama! There are days when the swelling is a bit better, and walking seems to help it go down in my feet and ankles. Other than that, normal pelvic pressure, constant Braxton Hicks contractions. The other day, I had severe period like cramping to the point where I couldn’t really walk. I started to time it to see if they were regular, but they weren’t and went away after a while. And to make it more interesting this week (LOL), on Monday night, I thought my water broke. It wasn’t a gush of water like you see in the movies, it trickled out, but enough to soak my underwear. We called the hospital to explain what had happened since I tested positive for GBS and my instructions are that I go to the hospital once my water breaks or I’m in early labor to start antibiotics. After explaining to the nurse what had happened, she told me to come in to get evaluated. We grabbed our hospital bag and headed to the hospital. I got hooked up to the contractions and fetal movement monitors and got swab test done to see if it indeed was amniotic fluid leaking. Turns out, it was a false alarm. What it seemed like amniotic fluid was actually just watery discharge. It was a practice run! I was surprised how calm I was!! I think Steve was more antsy than I was!
Food love: Italian ice!
Food hate: Nothing much!
Sleep: Same old, not really sleeping well due to having to use the bathroom multiple times a night, and every time I do, I wake up with uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions, and forget about changing positions, that KILLS my pelvic area.
Currently living in: Full on maternity clothes.
3 pros of this week: [1] Having a blast at Chicago Bears game meet-up and meeting new people! [2] Finding out how calm I can be when it’s go-time even though it was a false alarm. [3] Venturing out of our comfort zone to meet new people in the area! I’ve reached out to my sorority connections to see if there were any sisters in the area from Duke and UNC, and I’m really glad I did, because I was connected to a UNC alum who then invited us to her cookout on Friday. We met a lot of new people and we are excited to get together again!
3 cons of this week: [1] Feeling like I have a million things to do at work..wait, I actually do! LOL [2] Being even more anxious about not knowing if I’m in labor or not. [3] Finding out I’m GBS positive, I know it’s not a big deal and it’s common, but it still bothers me.
Looking forward to: Final two weeks of the pregnancy! I’m almost there!!
38 Weeks
Baby’s size: A pumpkin!
Baby’s movement: My little squirmer moves all day long, makes me think that she’s not really engaged to come out LOL.
Total weight gain: 35 lbs – I’m beginning to lose weight.. I read that it happens towards the end of the pregnancy. Hope this means she’s ready to come out!
Pregnancy symptoms: So end of 37 weeks/beginning of my 38 weeks, I woke up in the middle of the night with this excruciating pain in my lower abdomen. It was like period cramps x 1000, I felt like someone was stabbing me! It started Friday night, around 1:30 AM when I woke up and I literally could not move due to the pain. The pain was accompanied by lower back aches and tightening of my uterus. I thought I was in labor, I started timing them! The symptoms continued on and off three times within 3 hours or so, but the cramping pain tapered off. Then the next day, I didn’t feel any cramping or Braxton Hicks during the day until the night time. I started feeling the same thing, it would start with lower back aches which wrapped around to the front in my lower abdomen with period like cramps. It wasn’t as painful as Friday night’s pain though, but enough for me to wake up again on Saturday night when sleeping. I think Emma is getting ready to come out! I also think I lost my mucous plug.. I’m not 100% sure, but I’m just waiting at this point.
Food love: Nothing.
Food hate: Nothing.
Sleep: The word sleep is not in my dictionary! Not only do I wake up from having to use the bathroom, I also wake up from false contractions which I need to walk it off before going back to bed.. I have permanent dark circles under my eyes.
Currently living in: Full on maternity clothes.
3 pros of this week: [1] Getting through all the big tasks at work before going on my maternity leave! [2] My department throwing me a Skype baby shower! They sent presents, and I had to hold off on opening them until the shower. So thankful for my work family! [3] Autumn weather! It’s been raining here all week, but the temperature has finally dropped to 70’s and it’s amazing!!
3 cons of this week: [1] Not knowing if I’m in real labor or if it’s another false labor. It is very frustrating! I wish I get a sure tell sign like my water breaking. [2] Finding out that my legs are so swollen that my Hunter boots are too tight for me to wear! I’m hoping this is not a permanent thing. [3] Annoyed that my manicure is already chipping and it hasn’t even been a week. Definitely not going back to the same nail salon.
Looking forward to: Emma’s arrival – what else? LOL. This mama is getting super anxious!!
39 Weeks/My Pregnancy Experience
Emma arrived at the end of my 39th week. She almost made it to her due date, October 3rd, but this little babe decided to come the day before 🙂 At my 39th week appointment on Sep 29th, the doctor checked my cervix, I was about 3 cm dilated, 50% effaced and the baby was at station -2, she also scraped my membrane to get things moving since I was having painful false contractions. The doctor said she wouldn’t be surprised if I go into labor any day now. Sure enough, I went into early labor the next day after the appointment. I am finally able to finish this post 1 month postpartum, and I wanted to end my pregnancy update with my overall pregnancy experience. From my previous posts on announcing the pregnancy and surprising my husband about the pregnancy, I have been eager to have a baby and experience the beauty of being pregnant. I was that creepy girl envious of pregnant women subconsciously rubbing their belly waiting in line at the grocery store. When I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to experience everything that came with the pregnancy, even the morning sickness (I never fully experienced morning sickness, not vomiting, just nausea in the beginning of my pregnancy). I read a couple of pregnancy books, and followed a few apps on my phone on weekly pregnancy expectations. I would read ahead just because I couldn’t wait to find out what changes I will face and how the baby will be growing in the upcoming weeks. Looking back on my pregnancy, I loved every second of being pregnant. Yes, even though the last few weeks of false contractions and being severely uncomfortable were not my cup of tea, I wouldn’t mind going through it all again. One month postpartum, I really do miss being pregnant, feeling Emma inside my belly and being anxious about what it would be like to finally meet her in person. Not only was it a physical change in my body, but there was an emotional and mental shift within myself. I was fortunate to have an easy/healthy pregnancy, and I truly enjoyed the last 10 months of my life growing our little princess <3
-m
Trish H. says
Maddie,
I just learned so much more about pregnancy than I’d ever known before, by reading your entry! Funny to read your cravings because each time I thought to myself, “oh man, I totally crave that too and I’m not pregnant.”
I was talking to a family friend who had a baby last September and recall her talking about Braxton Hicks (I was like, who??). I think one of the things that will drive me crazy if I go through pregnancy is wondering what every change/physical feeling means! Whether it’s normal, telling me I might be going into labor early, if the baby’s doing a crazy dance, etc. It is very helpful and interesting to read about your personal experience.
I don’t know how I missed reading your previous entry until now, but I can only try to imagine how scary that was. I’m so glad she’s OK. What a little fighter! Thank you for sharing your story with others and best wishes to you and your fambam 🙂
Maddie and Steve says
Aw! I’m glad you learned a lot through these blog posts on pregnancy! You may go through it soon..? 😉
Trish H. says
Ah- I see from your IG post that you just made the birth story available to readers, although it may’ve been written earlier. I’m slow tonight!
Maddie and Steve says
Yep, I had written it earlier and just posted it 🙂
Anna Little says
Thank you for these pregnancy posts, it was so enjoyable going through them. I am now 9 weeks along, getting a tiny bump, and it was great to read what to expect from a real person, not a generalised experience. And you seem to be such a great person. Hope Emma brings you a lot of joy 🙂
P.S. I had to smile when you announced the name, because Emma is our name of choice as well, should we have a girl.
admin says
Thanks so much for visiting and enjoying the pregnancy posts! I wish you the best on your pregnancy! Emma is a beautiful name! 😉
Nicky says
Hello! Loved reading your birth journey. I am 33 pregnant and it feels so reassuring to hear your story. I was wondering, did you end up getting an epidural? I really don’t want to get an epidural if I don’t have to, but I’m scared of the pain and tearing. 🥲
admin says
Thank you for reading Nicky! I did end up getting an epidural, and it was perfectly fine! I also know many friends who gave natural births without an epidural and did well!