(I didn’t have a chance to take an official bump pic this week, so I pulled this from my Snapchat!)
This week has been all about starting the next phase of renovations (master bathroom), basement renovations continuing, and trying to juggle a heavy workload despite the commotion. I’m not going to lie, the renovations are chaotic right now! I’m handling it pretty well (better than I thought); I’ve been so busy I haven’t really had much time to think about all the mess. I’m sure it’ll hit me at some point and I’ll have some kind of hormonal breakdown…bahaha.
How I’m feeling: A little nervous this week, actually. The realization that I’m quickly approaching my due date has made me reflect about labour (something I hadn’t given much thought to this time around), and I’m starting to freak out a little. Well, I’m not freaking out, just feeling nervous. Butterflies. The benefit of having been through childbirth before is that I know what to expect (to some degree). The drawback of having been through childbirth before is that I know what to expect! I’m scared to go through labour again, but considering what I got through the first time around, I know I can do it again. I’m probably most anxious about post-delivery recovery. It took me months to recover from my first labour (thanks in part to some lingering episiotomy pain), and I’m just hoping this time around is a bit gentler on my body. These third trimester nerves have made me consider hiring a doula again, and I’m even considering a hypnobirthing doula because I’ve heard good things about this approach. But, I’m really on the fence as to whether I want/need the extra support given that I’ll have two midwives present, and possibly a midwifery student. I’ll keep you posted with what I decide, but in the meantime if anyone has tried hypnobirthing and wants to share their experience, I’d love to hear it!
Midwife appointment: Good news: my midwife thinks baby is head down now! I’ve felt extra pressure on my bladder lately, so I was hoping that was the case. I also got blood work returned this week. I was bracing myself for a big drop in my iron level like I had with my first pregnancy, but it’s still very high (first trimester was 142, and I’m currently at 135). I’m not quite sure why, either; I haven’t been taking any iron supplements and I haven’t been paying super close attention to consuming iron-rich foods (although, I definitely get a variety of plant-based sources!). My whole foods-based prenatal supplement (which I looooove) contains a daily total of 18 mg, so I must be absorbing at least some of it each day. I’m also careful not to take my prenatal with tea or coffee, which can hinder absorption. Either way, it feels reassuring having such a rich iron store, and I hope it’ll help boost my postpartum energy!
Names: We’ve narrowed it down to a couple first name options, and we’ve chosen one of two middle names. Progress! I really love both of our first name options, and am feeling so torn!
Home life: As I mentioned, the master bathroom renovation has started and it’s basically a madhouse in here. Eric and I moved out of our master bedroom and into the guest room and I’m already counting down the days until I’m reunited with our bed, lol.
Symptoms: I’m rocking a bit of a waddle. It’s pretty much impossible to walk without arching my back. I love walking outside with the BOB stroller though, it gives me some support. Also, I’ve had some upper rib pain in the evening here and there, but it hasn’t been too bad yet. When I get rib pain, I always remove my bra as I find the wire puts more pressure on the area (or maybe I just need to go up a size). It also helps to lie down on the couch rather than sit up… No complaints about that one.
Sleep: I mentioned last week that Adriana was going through a rough sleep patch, and now I think I know why (aside from her super high energy at night)—she’s cutting her top and bottom eye teeth! She cut the two top ones late last week, and the bottom ones will be cutting soon. I’ve heard that these teeth are particularly painful to cut, so that would explain the reduced sleep quality, hand chewing, and mega clinginess. Poor girl!
Exercise: After a week off due to a cold, I got back into my workout routine last weekend and had a couple strong days of workouts. I’ve been struggling this week, though, since we moved out of our bedroom and now the treadmill is wrapped in plastic to protect it from dust. A treadmill wrapped in plastic is super motivating, obviously. ;) Eric says I can unwrap it when I need to, but there’s been so much going on this week that I haven’t bothered. I’m going to make today the day! I’m still doing outdoor walks each day, and yesterday I did Barre3 since I can do it anywhere in the house (aka…away from dust). Barre3 feels extra hard now that I have this belly trying to throw me off balance, but I love how strong I feel when I do it. It’s amazing how difficult 15 minutes with hand weights feels now, and how many times I have to pause the video for a water break. I have a lot of exciting work-related things coming up in the fall, and I just hope that the added strength will help me recover faster.
Best thing I ate/drank all week: Once again, my carrot-banana muffins from my bonus recipe bundle (coming early August!). I think it was Adriana’s fave food this week, too; she claps and says “yay!” when I offer her one.
Cravings: No major cravings to speak of, except for craving something sweet at night. I’ve been testing some no-churn vegan ice cream and have been snacking on that in the evenings this week. I also made a single serving (okay, it was more like a triple serving!) of my fave Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats (I just scaled the recipe down by 75%) and split it with Eric. Such a quick way to satisfy a sweet craving!
PS – You can find my 31 weeks update from my first pregnancy here.