Normally, I don't post a bumpdate but every 4 weeks,
but this growth spurt the past 2 weeks warranted one!
Baby's size: Well the baby apps say roughly 6.5 lb and the size of a leek. It doesn't look like I've grown much (story of my life) so our doctor recommended an US yesterday to check and make sure Baby Hickman wasn't "too small." As expected, baby is slightly smaller than your average but nothing that's raising any red flags or eyebrows! She guesses our little one is about 6lb. Yea, in its cheeks!!
Total weight gain: 27lb. Y'all, I tried to do a headstand last week. Don't ask me why. I think I just wanted to see if I still could do it since I haven't inverted since I was maybe 15 weeks or so. As a prenatal yoga teacher, I can safely say inversions are still safe during pregnancy as long as it was in your pre-pregnancy practice, you have a safe place to do it (preferably against a wall), and a spotter if needed. I could barely keep my legs up and it made me feel so heavy! I know I should not compare my practice to others but that's the ego kicking in. That, and my will to not let pregnancy be a reason I can't do anything I wasn't able to do before. Gotta know (and accept) your limits though!
How do you feel? I have been getting more Braxton Hicks contractions lately. At least that's what I think they are. They're described as a pre-labor contraction, a tightening of the abdomen, and may be localized to one side or the other. They don't last long, and they're not consistent. But man...it feels like this kid is trying to crawl out of my side when it happens! Heartburn is pretty frequent, but not that bad. Still sleeping normal, and only one instance of cankles!
Moment of the week: I do believe the baby has dropped! This past Sunday, I woke up and felt more low pressure, it was more painful to walk, my balance is off..kind of like I'm tipping forward constantly, and my low back pain has kicked it up a notch. On the upside, I can also breath much easier and don't get out of breath as quickly. I've read the baby can drop then undrop, so I won't count this as a sign the baby's arrival is near. Honestly, I think I'll be late!
Down to the wire: Mathias and I attended our childbirth class and had a tour of the maternity ward. We learned alot and I'm feeling more at ease with the entire L&D process. I feel silly even suggesting I have one, but I am going into it with a "plan" and that is to put myself into a meditative state. Yoga Nidra has worked with sitting for a 3hr tattoo that was effectively painless, soooo we'll see if I can apply the same practice with labor lol
With only 3 weeks left, I have my "bug-out bag" packed, nursery organized, all the baby laundry done, car seat installed, important paperwork ready to go, and birth plan written. The "eviction notice" will be served this Sunday. You've got 2 weeks to vacate the premises!
