Pregnancy Update – 37 Weeks

25th April 2017

How far along? 37 weeks and 5 days

Due date? 7th May 2017

How is baby doing? Baby weighs between 6 and 6 and a half pounds this week. We actually had a scan this week at 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant and baby was measuring at 6lbs 7oz so she is at the top end. Luckily Growth slows down this week as baby begins to practise for life after birth. Little one is plumper and if born now would not require an incubator to keep warm due to the presence of sufficient fat stores. Lungs are fully developed, which means baby would be able to breathe on it’s own if born now. Usually baby’s are head down at this point both the sonographer and our midwife confirmed that baby girl is head down and ready to go. Baby is the size of a watermelon. I definitely feel like I am carrying a watermelon around with me!

Maternity clothes: Pretty much every day I am wearing black maternity leggings with either a shirt, long top or jumper. I bought a few new non maternity bits that were bump friendly on a recent primark trip which you can see in this month’s Primark Haul.

Stretch marks: I have stretchmarks that have appeared under my boobies. I did get stretchmarks in this place during my last pregnancy as well. They have turned quite purple so I am applying a stretch mark cream to them every night. I am hoping that they will fade eventually like they did last time round. As far as stretch marks go they are not too bad as you can only actually see them if you lift my boob up.

Sleep: Sleep is not good, I just can’t get comfortable. I sleep on one side until I wake up and then I roll over to the other side, this is a feat in itself. My hips are quite achey and staying in any position for a long period of time hurts. Rosalie has started to wake at about 3 am the last few nights. If I go in and lie next to her she quickly goes back to sleep, but it does mean that I have broken sleep and often struggle to fall back to sleep again after.

Best moment this week: I am planning a mini baby shopping trip this weekend which I am rather excited about.

Miss anything? I am missing being able to sit comfortably. Nothing is comfortable these days.

Movement: Baby seems to be as wriggly as ever. I think I am feeling her more as she is bigger now so her kicks cannot be ignored!

Gender: It’s a Girl or at least I hope it is after all the pink stuff I have brought!

Labour signs: No labour signs. I have started to use clary sage and lavender essential oils in the bath as well as rubbing them into my bump. I did this in my last pregnancy and had a relatively quick and straight forward labour. I am determined to do it again in hope that I get a similar birth experience 2nd time around.

Symptoms: Breathlessness. I don’t think baby has dropped yet as I still feel like she is sat on my lungs. I’m not sure if baby even will though as I don’t remember my Rosalie bump obviously dropping. I am slow as a result Rosalie is running rings around me! It’s a struggle to get up and down. I am getting terrible indigestion more so in the evening and I have taken to eating smaller meals. I’m getting tired alot quicker.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Yes. I stood and did rather a lot of ironing on Thursday and it made me quite light headed. I also nearly fainted during my scan appointment on wednesday. It seems to happen when I lie on a couch as it also happened at a waxing appointment earlier in my pregnancy.

Belly button in or out? Definitely out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: I am happier than I was last week as I am slowly ticking things off my to do list. I have gathered all my hospital bag bits together I just need to pack them. I am planning on having a home birth still but I have decided to pack hospital bags just incase.

How I feel? I am feeling alot calmer about everything. I have a few things to get ticked off but as Rosalie is back at pre school this week it means I have a few hours in which to do things.

Looking forward to: My weekend shopping trip for baby girl and getting my hospital bags packed.