Okay, Ladies,
The time has come. You have reached the final days of your pregnancy and if you are anything like me then you are ready to get this baby out. An eviction notice is drafted up and you just can not wait to meet your precious peanut. I've heard women talk about how they cannot wait for the baby to be out at the end of pregnancy, but until you've experienced it yourself, you just won't understand fully.
My feet and ankles are the sizes of elephant feet.
It does not matter if I am sitting, laying down, walking, eating healthy, eating junk food, or anything else you can think of...they swell. Over the last week, it has progressively gotten worse to where I feel like I have golf balls coming out of my ankles. And for me, that is not a good thing as my feet are tiny. Tiny fat feet are not attractive and I honestly sometimes cry when I look at them...But that's the hormones.
I am never comfortable...
The last month is the worst because you hit the uncomfortable stage of no matter how you sit or lay you are uncomfortable. You may find a position that feels comfortable, but I promise you after about five minutes....it will not be that way. You will start to fidget and move around again, trying to find one position....any position that will make it all be okay for a little while. Sleeping will become super difficult even with a pregnancy pillow. But don't worry...it will all be worth it soon.
My Uterus feels like it's going to fall out
So for any woman who has not experienced pregnancy I honestly can tell you I don't know how to describe this feeling. But the last month your body is preparing for Birth. You will feel things you've never felt before and one of those feelings is the randomness that your uterus is about to fall out. That is the only way I can describe this. You could be walking through the store and just get this huge wave of pressure and you wonder what in god green earth is that? Sadly it'll happen more often in the next month, and it only gets worse. There is no way to prepare you for it and I can tell you that the only thing that has helped me is a sumo squat. If you don't know what a sumo squat is, google it. It will save you...
Braxton Hicks Contractions
I was told about these. honestly, there is nothing you can do that will prepare you for these. Just know they will happen, sometimes they can happen sixty days before your due. The only thing I can tell you is they feel like period cramps and sometimes it lasts for a few seconds. Other times it comes and goes in waves, but if they don't go away or they continue to come back...call your doctor or go to the hospital.
As much as your body prepares you for the birth of your new baby, it's not all terrible or scary. There are some things that are wonderful.
I nest like crazy
The last month is probably the busiest time for new mommies to be and their families. This is usually the time that we "nest." Nesting is a totally normal thing and a lot of men don't understand, but you have to feel ready. Part of that feeling is making sure that the nursery and everything else is ready to go. You put the crib together, make sure the car seat is ready to go, the changing table, clothes are washed, and that everything has its own place. So when that bundle of Joy you bring home you will have everything where you need it to be. This is also where you find out if you are missing something or need to get more of something. Enjoy the nesting, even if you do it alone. There's a joy of setting up the nursery and getting this stuff together and it's an amazing feeling. It's this memory that you will remember too.
The baby Moves not as aggressively
Don't get me wrong you will still get those violent kicks here and there. But now you feel more of the light stretching or the tumbles as the baby moves into position. You get to enjoy the movements and almost can tell if the baby is stretching or tumbling. You will see your belly actually move and have an awkward shape to it. Each time it helps you to picture holding your bundle of Joy.
Being pregnant is not easy. There are a lot of changes you go through in your body and it can be exhausting, but at the end of the day, you are one step closer to such a love you will never understand. You are that much closer to being a parent, friend, protector for life. Enjoy the little memories, from what I hear all the bad parts of being pregnant you forget once they are here.