End of pregnancy happenings

By
Elena @ Every Avenue Life
-
35
313
End Of Pregnancy Happenings

Let me start with the updates that I am sure you’re most interested in 🙂

I am a few days from being 40 weeks and this is what’s been happening in my world.

1. LABOR SIGNS

Last night after having some random contractions during the day, we went for a brisk walk. When we got back home, I decided to time those “random contractions”. Well, they were coming 2-3 minutes apart and lasting about 1 minute long. They were almost completely painless- the cramping felt like the beginning of a period cramping- so I was mostly basing the timing on the tightening. After an hour of those, we started thinking that maybe we should go to sleep, in case they get more intense later in the night. I continued timing them as we got ready for bed. Then a thought occurred to me- you’re supposed to go to the hospital when your contractions are 5 min or less apart lasting 1 minute for an hour. At that point I’d been having much more frequent contractions than that for 1.5 hours.  Noone ever talks about the intensity or the pain when they determine whether you should go to the hospital. And I’ve heard of women who have painless contractions… so next came Mr. Google. Yes, in fact, women have labored and had painless contractions until the last few minutes. So we figured maybe we should stay up and time them a bit more. Fast forward 2.5 hours, we’re super tired and the contractions have stayed under 5 minutes apart 1 minute long. However, since we didn’t see an increasing frequency pattern ( in fact, I went from 2 minutes apart one hour, to 3 minutes the next, 4 minutes the next, 5 minutes the last hour), we decided that, since true labor would have contractions increasing in frequency and strength, we were safe to go to bed.

This morning…. my contractions have stayed somewhere under 10 minutes apart lasting 45-60 seconds. So the “no hospital” decision was the right one. I remember reading that contractions that are more than 45 seconds long actually dilate your cervix. So who knows? Maybe had we gone to the hospital, they’d find out I am 3 cm dilated or so and keep me there, which is the last thing I’d want, if my labor is going to be slow to pick up.

This evening… I stopped counting and tracking contractions- it’s too exhausting. I just hope that when they pick up for real, I’ll know. And a little bit ahead of time to make it to the hospital before transition hits 🙂

So we’ll see what happens tonight and tomorrow, but it appears that the early early labor has started. Let’s hope it doesn’t stop. Alexis, we are READY!

P.S. I did take my last 40 week bare belly shot today just in case I do go into full labor before Thursday. So you’re all getting a 40 week update regardless.

2.  MOM

We haven’t been doing much. Just clothes shopping, food shopping, hanging out at home. She’s been cooking a lot, which is great, because the way we eat (no processed foods), it’s always either washing, cutting, cooking, cleaning or eating and it had been taking us HOURS a day until my mom arrived. We did get out to pick out some flowers for my ghastly looking backyard that I completely neglected during pregnancy.  She was happy to plant some flowers for me, so we went to pick some.

It’s so strange for me to see myself in these photos. I got that pregnant swollen look (even though I am not actually swollen) that you see on pretty much every pregnant woman by the end of her pregnancy. It’s obvious other people who don’t know me don’t see it, because I keep getting stopped places by people who want to comment on the fact that if they didn’t see my stomach they wouldn’t know I am pregnant (which is hard to believe). I just smile and thank them, and then walk away partially thinking “You, guys, just don’t know what I am supposed to look like” and partially thanking them in my head for brightening my hour and making me feel just a little bit better.

End Of Pregnancy Happenings
End Of Pregnancy Happenings

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

3. FRIENDS

Just wanted to share a picture of my gorgeous friends and their gorgeous babies… and of course me with my tongue out…. They sort of ambushed me, so I was completely unprepared looks-wise.

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

4. SUPER COOL THANKS to TYDESIGNS

Jess and Beth from TYDESIGNS drew this sketch of preggo me ( obviously back before the whale status). Isn’t it cool!? Don’t we wish we looked like that in real life? *sigh*
Thanks guys!

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

5. CATS AND ORGANICS

I am convinced our cats know the difference between organic and non-organic. Jake is obsessed with any item that is organic in our house. Changing pad, mattress, our organic comforter ( he would sleep on it for days when we first got it). I am letting him “explore” just a little bit and not putting covers on stuff yet, so that I didn’t have to wash them a million times before Lexi comes. But I guess we got the comfort  endorsement from him 🙂 lol

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

6. MY PLACE

Do you all have “your spot”?

I have this nook in our house at the top of the stairs where I hang out, blog, read, do hypnosis training. We recently bought a double recliner for it, so that I could breastfeed Alexis in a semi-reclined position (helps with establishing breastfeeding due to gravity) in a quiet comfortable place without having to go all the way to the nursery. Now I literally spend most of my time there. We didn’t decorate for Christmas this year, because then we’d just have to take it all off right as I am approaching my due date, but I did hang some ornaments on our fake tree and wrapped lights around the railing. I think I am going to keep it that way for the time being, too…

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

7. GIFTS

I am always completely humbled and touched when someone cares enough about us and Alexis to send her a sweet gift like that. Especially if that person and I have never met in real life. My blog friend Natalia sent Lexi a russian book of rhymes (rhymes I forgot I used to know and love). It’s going to be so much fun reading them to her. Thank you, girl! And thank you to everyone else who sent Alexis a card or a little something or called. You guys rock!

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

or check out this adorable baby book from Anastasia (who is a blog friend turned RL friend )

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

Speaking of packages, I received an opened empty envelope that looks like this (below) a few days ago. There’s no return address, I have no idea who it’s from. It looked like it was opened at the post office, which is really really sad 🙁 I hope I get a hold of a person who sent it to at least say thank you for whatever was in there.

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

8. INSTAGRAM

And finally an Instagram collage of photos I haven’t shared for the past few weeks. Just random cell phone shots of pregnancy stages.

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

End Of Pregnancy Happenings

 

I really really hope my next  real-time post will be from the hospital. In the meantime, I’m planning on scheduling a few posts to get published in case I do go into labor.

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35 COMMENTS

  1. Aw you look so adorable. Being pregnant and all!!! I can’t believe this still!!!! :))) and your photos look great but I know just what you mean about the way you look!!! :)))) hugs! Can’t wait to meet Your little princess. I know you are READY but I still wish she was born next weekend- my birthday present!!! :))))

  3. I’ve been enjoying all of your pregnancy updates throughout your journey (you have me jonesing to be pregnant again already – I just had a baby 2 months ago!) – can’t believe Alexis is almost here! Wishing you the healthy delivery you have dreamed of – I’m sure it will be amazing – can’t wait for baby pics!

  5. You will almost certainly know when labor is “for real” unless you’re one of those one-in-a-million pain-free ladies. One thing I remember if you’re getting these are they? / aren’t they? contractions is to stay well-hydrated, and then to do the opposite of whatever you’re doing. If you’re relaxing, take a walk. If you’re moving around, stop and lay down or take a bath. If you’re starving eat. If anything makes the contractions slow down or go away, they’re not real.

    CHANCES ARE you’re not going to have these painless contractions and then just randomly have your baby on the floor. That pretty much only happens on TV. So don’t worry about hanging out at home, unless you really need reassurance.

    Even then though I had a night of painful, timeable contractions and ended up going in to L&D after several hours only to find out nothing was happening. They gave me a shot of morphine (I think?) and sent me home. The next night the same thing happened only it was the real deal! Don’t be ashamed to go to L&D or anything if you’re worried, they are used to it.

  7. I KNEW I would start to get soo jealous of you when you went into labor or were getting close.. UHHH I have 14 days until my due date and it cannot get here fast enough….

    I know people say just enjoy this time, this last little bit of freedom, but the peeing a million times a day, the lack of sleep and the just waiting not knowing when labor is going to start is just killing me!

    I also know that I won’t get any sleep once my baby boy is here but at least I’ll be getting up for a reason, just having to pee or being super uncomfortable suuucks. I can’t wait to here when you have little Lexie, I hope your labor is as easy as possible, but either way I just hope she gets here safe and sound!!!

      • ps. the black and white dress you are planning on wearing home… soooo cute!! I would totally wear a cute dress like that home, but sadly I live in Canada and we have a ton of snow, so sweat pants it is for me!!!

  8. Wow you pre-laboring sounds JUST like mine was 2 weeks ago…and I went into real labor about 2 days after experiencing the “false labor” symptoms you describe (by the way, I hate that phrase, “false labor”, because really it is part of the whole process and getting your body ready!). We even called labor & delivery at about 3am the first night that my contractions were 3-6 minutes apart because, like you said, the 5-1-1 rule seemed to apply. They told us to wait until I couldn’t talk through the pain to come in, which of course I was no where near. Like another commenter said, you will know when it’s the real thing even though that feels so vague right now! Thinking of you and hoping you get to meet your sweet Alexis very soon! 🙂

    • So do you know if you were at all dilated from pre-labor? I lost my plug after the first night of contractions so I’m figuring they were productive.
      And then when you went into active labor, did it just start all of a sudden or picked up slowly? How long did it last?
      And congrats btw, I didn’t know you have birth! Wish I could see your baby and hear your birth story!

      • Good questions 🙂 I knew I was dilated to 1cm and effaced 75% from my appointment on Thursday (I went into labor Saturday night). So after the pre-labor Thurs and Fri nights, I hoped at least that I’d dilated a little more. The thing that really told me it was ‘it’ was my water broke Saturday night about 1/2 hour after I lost my mucus plug (which, like you said, can happen a long time before real labor begins!…just not in my case 🙂 ). Even if those things hadn’t happened, however, I would definitely call the increase in contractions – both intensity of pain and length/frequency – gradual. It was 12:30am when my water broke, and by the time we left for the hospital at 1:30am, they were definitely stronger though I could still talk through them. By 2:30am I was being checked in triage and they had gotten much more painful (making me glad we went in when we did so I didn’t have a really rough ride to the hospital – one of my fears!). By 3:30am, I would say they were difficult to talk through. I’m in the process of writing out my birth story – yeah, almost 3 weeks later! Go figure everything happens more slowly with a newborn in the house! I’ll email it to you 🙂 Good luck!!!

  9. I had a slow start as well. I spent two nights timing contractions, wondering if they were the real thing, when I should have been sleeping. I was exhausted by the time labor really started! You were smart to go to bed – no surprise there though 🙂

  10. I’m convinced no one feels good about themselves at the end of pregnancy. You really look amazing though! Promise! Hope Miss Lexi decides to join you soon. I’ll be thinking about you all and watching for updates! It’s such an amazing time, enjoy it! ((HUG))

  11. Oh I love the pictures of you and your mom in the flower shop! 🙂 So bright and happy 🙂
    Jake just looks too cute 🙂
    And Russian rhyme books rock! 🙂
    The scetch is super-cool too!

  13. Those first signs of labor can be sooooo frustrating. They say to wait on going to the hospital until you can’t talk through your contractions. Well, I have a high pain threshold, (so I’m told) and couldn’t talk through the ones that came, oh….four nights before our son’s birth. Of course, they calmed down the next day, and I was still only at 1cm.
    Anyway, they come when they darn well decide to, I guess (even if that’s 8 days past due).

  14. I’m so excited to see your little girl! sounds like things are moving along! I can only hope I’ll be as prepared as you at the end of a future pregnancy! Not to mention I’m super jealous that you Florid-ians have greenhouses in January! So lucky!

  15. Just wondering… since you were so careful at the start of your pregnancy to avoid germs and such, why you are so lax about letting your cats climb all over the baby stuff? I’m assuming they’re house cats but I would have thought you’d still try and keep them away. Cats harbour all sorts of germs from the floor/cat litter etc. that I would worry about passing onto the baby.

    • You can’t keep cats away from things they are curious about. However, if you let them explore the newness wears off and they become indifferent to those items. I’ve kept sheets and covers off things they like. Once Alexis is here, everything will get washed and put back on and at that point it’s off limits for the cats, but at least they’re used to the new item in the house, rather than still curious.
      It’s one of those things that I can’t really do much about. They’re healthy cats that never go outside, and we’ll keep them from her (I’m sure they’ll be scared to death themselves) in the beginning.
      I was always more concerned about time in the womb from the germ exposure standpoint, because the developing baby is so vulnerable and depends on me to be healthy. Once she’s out and has built a bit of an immune system from breastfeeding and on her own, I don’t have to be sooo careful.

  18. Awww, how sweet of you! Love item 5, your cat’s approval of organic items! I believe in animals’ sensitivity, they know what’s best. 🙂

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