The fourth edition means this pregnancy is nearing an end, or should I say new beginning?! This will be the last of this series, until the baby is born and it gets an induction into the blogosphere!
I gotta say it is a strange feeling, with all reno’s coming to a beautiful finish, my course ending and embarking on 12 months leave from my job. Everything of my current life – routine, pass time, activities, my body shape is thrown up in the air, only to land in places I have not yet ventured.
Perhaps that is why so many people find motherhood such a shock, the expectation you WILL shower everyday without interruptions or that your defenseless baby can provide you with the same mental stimulation as the job you just left.
I am hearing a lot of ‘sleep now while you can’ ‘make the most of ‘your’ time’ and ‘any day now’.
My headspace
I got this ‘oh shit’ feeling when I first moved out of home with Ray. What if I lose my job, we won’t eat, we are in charge of our lives now – make or break. I got this again on the weekend, except this was like ‘it’s not just us now, we have more responsibility – we are creating a human – one that will grow up some day and contribute just like we are’
The conversations between Ray and I are shifting – talking about where the baby will sleep, what role he will play at night time… you know, throwing a few scenarios together to make us think a bit more about it but not really planning anything.
Immediate plans post May 12 don’t exist, just one or two ‘big picture’ goals.
I am just so freakin excited. I really want to feel the labour, guide our baby safely into the world, I am not afraid of it. I want to hold this unknown person in my arms. I can’t wait for the adventures we will have.
My physical capability
I ride 10km x 5 times a week – that is it... and only in the mornings.
I’m ready for naps at 2:00pm every day
My feet no longer feel comfortable in any of my flats, I have grown a shoe size.
I still think I can do more than I can. My husband is constantly telling me to slow down, but I figure I would know when enough is enough.
Thankful for Braxton Hicks contractions, it is good to know the kind of feeling a contraction will bring – which was different than expected. I guess I was expecting a period type pain.
The baby…
Head down, perfect size and moving frequently. Doctor very happy with progress – doesn’t want to see my now till 37 weeks.
Gets very active when we listen to Birds of Tokyo – though it has already been to 2 of their live gigs… youngest fan maybe?
The baby is getting big enough now it can simultaneously kick my ribs and push down on my bladder.
What’s next?
We figure it is time to start changing the dogs daily routine. They are very much a part of the family. Basically, they come inside when we do. Some things I want to change is not have them sleep on our bedroom floor anymore. They are dusty and sometimes stinky, plus they would totally get up every time the baby cried to ‘come and check it out’. So far the change has worked brilliantly, they love their new beds in the hallway.
The baby shower. I’m not one for centre of attention gatherings, so I’m not surprised my sub-conscious kept forgetting to do baby shower invites, I know it will be a good afternoon with my girlfriends though. The ‘baby brain’ didn’t fail me when I finally did the invites, wrong date printed and a grammatical error… fail.
Birthing class. A whole day of birth suite tour, labour pain relief options, breastfeeding and whatever else information overload!
Pack the hospital bag! EEEEEEEP.
Something just for me:
I’ve just signed up for a magic month with Rachel MacDonald – we are going to work together on building a little somethin somethin (maybe putting my design and photography skills to use) – launching later this year.
One thing I have maintained throughout is I don’t want to lose myself into parenthood. While my baby is gonna rock and rule my world, I’m still me and I have personal goals and aspirations which will in turn benefit my family. Working with Rach on my goals before the baby arrives gives me direction and a clear personal development pathway, while remaining completely flexible, realistic and achievable.
(check out the cutie in the left corner, Daisy sniffing the camera)
Am I where I thought I would be, nearing the end of the pregnancy?
We all have a certain way we expect things to pan out.
To be honest I thought I’d be more into the yoga, meditation and massages. I have gone for the active approach with walking and bike riding as my outlet. I eat chocolate more than I would like to admit.
I had a vision of being the picture of health by the end and probably deep down thought (as I am an emotional eater at times) I would blow out and gain more weight than I needed to. So I have surprised myself here and would say I’m in neither category. I could certainly be stricter with my diet, but it’s not bad.
I feel such a sense of pride when I look around our home. It is somewhere I WANT to be, we barely leave the home on weekends now because the places we used to escape to we can now get at home. This makes me feel really good, as I am about to be housebound for more days than ever before.
I haven’t read a single parenting guide book. I thought I would do this more too. I feel I am passed that stage now and will take it all in without pre-conceived ideas. Although, I committed to one book ‘Save our Sleep by Tizzie Hall – I just hear too many good things.
Favourite finds
I was recently featured in the local Shepparton News on pregnancy fashion. I have successfully made it through most of my pregnancy on a perfect blend of normal and maternity clothes.
My biggest tip for mums to be is to invest in a few really nice normal pieces that will see you through, like a cute blazer, a dreamy tote or handbag or stylish sunnies to hide the swollen face behind. Get a few maternity tops (Ripe & Soon Melbourne), bras and underwear (Myer have a good selection and Hot Milk). Get some good sandles that allow for foot swelling, you will need it!
Big scarves or necklaces to dress up feeding tops (and a good scarf will act as a bit of privacy when time comes to feeding).
Final advice
Make the most of your second trimester energy – this is when most of our reno’s were done, we de-cluttered the home and the nursery was put together.
Go easy on yourself in first and third trimester, I’m a productivity junkie so afternoon naps seemed so wasteful to me - Until I started to let myself have them. Listen to that body of yours, it knows what its doing – this is natural.
Download Health and Parenting App – Pregnancy. It has been a great comprehensive guide each week about what the baby is developing, doing and what I can expect to feel.
Make friends or hang out with your other first time pregnant friends and share stories and experiences. It makes me feel so human and also not worried that I am doing too much baby talk, because they are in the same boat!
Finally, a big thank you to YOU! I have recieved such great support throughout my pregnancy from MB Captured readers and friends. It has made my experience so special being able to share it with you.
Here's to bigger and better things for MB Captured in the near future. Xx
