Baby on the Brain: 31 Weeks
I suppose I can no longer deny it: we’re having a baby. And soon.
Today marks 31 weeks and with every week I pass, you surely must hear a sigh of relief. Check. That’s one more week of cooking, one less week in the NICU. I hope you’ll indulge a happy momma and let me share updates with you every week until the baby arrives safely in my arms.
Thankfully, the only pain I’ve had is some pressure on my pelvic bones. Since the stomach muscles neglected to come to the party, I’ve had to employ some extra help. Enter, the Blanqi. Hail all things wonderful. I love that thing.
I have super awesome pregnancy hair. It will go away about five months post-partum, but until then I am owning it. When you have fine hair, people, it’s the little things in life.
My current weight gain (on track with the others, less Luke) is certainly NOT going to be aided by the new Blue Bell ice cream I just discovered. Have y’all seen this? More importantly, have you tried it? Heaven. Please, Blue Bell, hear my plea. DO NOT RETIRE THIS ICE CREAM UNTIL AFTER APRIL 30. Okay, since I screamed that, they should’ve heard it.
Names? Um, we have a sortof list. All I know is I am intently studying your stellar suggestions from last week. As the Mr. exclaimed last night, “Man, there are some good names on there.” Yes. There. Are. I’ve really enjoyed all those who have linked up, too. Your stories are just fabulous.
Thankfully, I passed the dreaded glucose test with a blood sugar level of 95. “You can eat whatever you want,” said my OB. Did you hear that, Blue Bell? Whatever I want.
Baby Whitaker is weighing almost three pounds (that’s just a few shy of Luke at birth!) and I’m feeling so much bigger than I ever did with him. Just as a throwback, here’s me at almost 32 weeks with Master Luke. That sweet photo, circa 2009, is compliments of my friend Shannon.
I’ve had some slight swelling in my ankles on a few occasions, but my blood pressure has been a consistent 110/75 and the swelling goes away when I take it easy. {snort} I do my best. All I know is that the summer Gods have spared me and allowed me to enjoy the cool, temperate winter/spring weather during my last few weeks. Proof there is a God after surviving 110+ degree days with Luke for three months.
This weekend, a sweet friend of mine is hosting a baby shower and I can hardly wait. We’re diving into cloth diapers so that’s the bulk of my registry. More than cute bums and sweet treats, I’m really looking forward to hugging the necks of some pretty fine friends this weekend. I am blessed, y’all.
The baby hiccups have arrived and I had forgotten how much I love those. This one is also pretty good at sucker-punching my bladder. So, the bathroom and I? BFFs. I’m also reading up on unmedicated deliveries. The more I read, the more convicted I am. We’ll see how I feel about that during transition, but right now, I pray that God leads me through that delivery with grace, wisdom and peace. I’m starting to feel the delivery nerves, the anxiety and everything that comes with the unknown. Shoot, you’d think I was giving birth for the first time! I’m just trusting in God on this one.
With each passing day, each passing milestone, I am so grateful for this pregnancy. So, so grateful. Here’s to a very boring 31 weeks!
It’s nice to hear that even after 5 pregnancies, you still feel the nerves about labor. I’m about 28 weeks into my first pregnancy (minus an early miscarriage last year), and the fear of the unknown is pretty intense sometimes. I’m also considering going unmedicated, but it’s so hard to figure it out when you haven’t been through it before. Prayers to you!
Even though pregnancy is not new to me, every birth experience has been different. The unknown is my worry, but I know God has my back – and yours!
You look beautiful! Glad the pregnancy is going well! I’ve had two unmedicated deliveries now, and though they were painful at the end, it was also a beautiful experience. The key to me getting through the deliveries is to have my husband rub really hard on my back during the contractions. He is always as worn out as me after deliver from helping me through contractions. It has made a big difference both times. Wishing you much luck and many prayers on your way to April 30th!
Kathryn,
I have had four deliveries without medication and my best advice; when you are in transition and you feel you can’t do it, you are almost there and You Can Do It (barring any unforeseen complication). Also, walk, walk, walk if you are able. Two of my children were under 8 lbs, one was almost 9 lbs. and our daughter was almost 10 lbs. Ease of birth does not correlate with the size of the baby, as the two larger babies were the easier births with one coming in 20 minutes! God bless you as you await this new gift, and I will remember you in my prayers.
Oh, that is some good advice. Thank you!
So glad to hear that things are going according to schedule and boring! Boring is good. Praying it stays that way for you!
I am so glad for all of your pregnancy post! You look fabulous and make me jealous! I bookmarking your name post-God had a good laugh at us when he blessed us with this baby! Brian is changing jobs in June–we are moving to the promised land! building a new house and having a baby! (One life stressor isn’t enough for us!!) We have baby naming issues in the calmest of situations-poor Graham didn’t have a name for two days! So I’ll be relying on your readers help!! Keep cooking that baby!! Alyssa Ham Dillon does the natural baby thing-she swears by it!
I guess it’s not totally “unmedicated” as I wimped out at the end- but BY FAR my best labor was our fourth. I put the word out at about 31 weeks, then 35 and 37 and gathered prayer intentions. I just kept adding them to my list- then, while I labored, I focused on a different intention for each contraction. When I finished my list, I started again. At the end, when there was no way I could focus on anything more- and the pain was incredible, I prayed for all the babies whose mothers were considering abortion at that moment/on that day and for their mothers. Like I said; I wimped out at the very end (final transition) but the rest of labor was absolutely peace and joy filled! (And very unlike my other three, which were much more “me” focused) we also even had a great witness moment with my nurse, who was in the room much of the time because it was so peaceful! She had lost a daughter as a young teen and we talked about her daughter and her other daughter and the great plans God has…all while I’m labor! So, for what it’s worth…my two cents:) good luck!!! Prayers and blessings to you:)
And I must add- also the easiest recovery was this one!
Love reading about this journey of yours… What a gift and blessing! I know you’ll soak up every moment – as these final weeks go by so quickly! Will be praying even now for your labor and delivery. I still remember my drug-free birth and how the nurses joked I could be part of the ‘all natural club’ and how I told them I had never wanted that membership! 🙂 In that delivery, the decision was taken from me and I had no choice…but I was so grateful for the experience! You can do it!!!
Hi! I’m so excited to read all your pregnancy updates and glad that everything has been uneventful. I had my third child naturally after two previous c-sections. I had to really fight to try the VBAC this time and am so glad that I did! (In fact, we stayed home as long as possible – our baby girl was born 20 minutes after getting to the hospital!) And I completely agree with the commenter who recommended walking. I walked pretty much the entire 16 hours because I was so much more comfortable while moving. In reality the pain never matched my fears, and the experience was just wonderful. I am currently due in September with #4 and am hoping for the same positive, reaffirming experience – well, maybe except for that frantic, last-minute drive. You can so do this!
I just love that picture of you, your belly and the kids from 2009! Beautiful. Our baby too is a bladder puncher, and I’m really curious about these baby hiccups…what does it feel like? I’m hoping so much to have an unmedicated birth (or at least a no-epidural birth) so I hope you share your birth story (although it may be after I deliver since I’m due two weeks after you 🙂 I firmly believe in unmedicated births after the many births that I’ve been a part of (granted, few of them were unmedicated but there was a huge difference) and the research…but I’ve been hearing some horror stories lately which is started to make me scared too haha.
Hiccups just feel like a series of consistent hiccups in your belly. Does that make sense? I usually feel 5-10 and then they go away. I will most definitely share the birth story and hopefully it helps you when you labor! If not, I did a post a few weeks ago (a 7 quick takes) on VBACs and got some GREAT comments. You should check it out. Just go into L&D with an open mind and you will be a a-ok.