34 WEEKS

How far along? 34 weeks 3 days.

Total weight gain: Unsure so we’ll say the same as last week – 13kgs.
Maternity clothes? Obviously.
Stretch marks? None.

Sleep: Good still – I love my sleep 🙂 Waking up covered in sweat and dreaming vividly still though.
Best moment last week: Hmm, the natural birthing course.
Miss Anything? Seeing my hoohaa. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my vagina I’m not even sure I have one any more lol.
Movement: Big pushes, now up near my ribs too, cheers baby! Still lots of pushing on my right hip.
Food cravings: Well… the other night hubby and I drove to Coles, purchased 2L of Orange Juice and a bag of Fantales. I had it all in one night. Yep, I felt very sick afterwards but I just couldn’t satisfy the craving.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender: Feeling girl.
Labor Signs: None. Possibly babys head is engaging more though.
Symptoms: Hard to breathe sometimes. And possible SPD?
Belly Button in or out? Still in. Just!!
Wedding rings on or off? Off.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and anxious all in one haha.
Looking forward to: Baby’s birthday.

I’ve been suffering lots of pain in my pelvis region. It’s more painful towards my right hip/groin which is also where I had surgery last year. It’s also where baby keeps pushing against which really isn’t a comfortable feeling at all! It hurts to walk, sleep, bend, sit, stand… everything. Putting on pants and socks or washing my feet was hard enough with a big belly let alone with added pain. Some people said it could be baby’s head engaging. Others mentioned SPD. I Wiki’d SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) and found out 1 in 4 pregnant women suffer it. I remember when I did pregnancy yoga a few months back 2 of the ladies who were in their 3rd trimester had SPD and said it was hell! If this is what I’m suffering, well I agree. There isn’t much you can do for it anyway I hear.

Luckily for me I don’t work right now. I’m able to sit on my bum all day and rest. But that just creates more pains, in my tail bone! I’m too agitated to sit all day. I’m tired as hell, lethargic as anything, but you have got to be kidding me if you think I could just relax on the couch and watch reality show after reality show (my guilty pleasure!) or chuck on a movie or 4. No way. At least I’m not nesting like crazy.

We hired a doula this week. I have been talking to her (lets just call her Doula!) since before I was pregnant as she used to work with my mum so I kind of know her. She has 3 boys of her own and is a massive home birthing, baby wearing, attachment parenting, breastfeeding advocate! But the best thing is she openly admits there is a place for hospitals, c-sections and medical help.

Hubby and I are the type of people who would love to be doing a home birth but cannot afford one so having Doula with us in the hospital will help ensure I get that home birth type expierience as much as possible. It’ll be nice for my husband to be able to be more in the moment without having to worry about keeping an eye on everything and being my voice 100% now that Doula is there to support him as well.

Doula ran a natural birthing course on the weekend that we attended with another couple who were 22 weeks pregnant and ALL OVER each other. It was interesting and went for 3 hours. I learnt that you don’t actually need to push a baby out. The contractions will push it out – no straining on my behalf necessary! It’s what the body is designed to do. Just like our bodies are able to birth both big and small babies – being told your pelvis is too small for baby to fit through is a common thing these days but in the majority of cases it is not true. You may have to birth in a different position or something, but it’s definitely possible! Interesting stuff. Also learnt that braxton hicks usually mean baby is in the correct position and usually means a shorter labour. I’ve been having them since I was 28 weeks!

We didn’t watch any gruesome birthing videos. Not sure if I’m let down by this, haha! We watched a short video of a water birth though, something I’d love but the hospital will not allow.

Over all it was a good course. The men got a lot from it, probably more so than the women! We are excited and feel a bit more relaxed now that we have a doula. Our hospital bag is packed, the car seat is strapped in, and now we just wait – it could be any day now! I feel that baby will come early… mid September is my guess.