The Pregnancy Diaries - Month Eight

November 11, 2019 Pregnancy

The Pregnancy Diaries – Month Eight

We are so close to the end of my pregnancy and I am just trying to soak up all of these feelings and the little kicks and wriggles as we approach the final few weeks. I have loved being pregnant and think that I have been very lucky in having such a positive experience. This is my pregnancy diary and a look at what has been happening in weeks 32 through 35. Making plans for delivery, packing my hospital bag and prepping for the arrival of Baby Barefoot.

Important note – none of this is intended as medical advice. This is an honest account of my experience, but every pregnancy is different. If you have any concerns please contact your doctor or medical professional.

Hospital visit –

At Week 32 we flew to Puerto Rico to visit a second hospital and meet with the OB-GYN. We thought that it was prudent to visit more than one hospital, to consider the options available to us. The two hospitals are very different (the Puerto Rican hospital and our local hospital) and there are pros and cons to each.

Unfortunately the doctor’s in PR strongly advise that we deliver there in the larger hospital due to the risks associated with my (not very well controlled) high blood pressure. My local OB-GYN has also expressed that he would feel more comfortable with me delivering there. Not only did they want us to deliver there, but they wanted me there earlier than usual to monitor me closely for these final weeks.

Making plans to move –

Because we will be flying to Puerto Rico to deliver – we now suddenly have lots of plans to put into place. The doctor would like me there by 35/36 weeks, just in case.

We need to book flights, find dog sitters, finalize maternity leave with work, rent an apartment, rent a car and try to work out which baby essentials we will need to bring with us. Having no idea realistically how long we will be there for pre-baby and post-baby. We’re starting with a one-month lease and taking it from there. I will also have to leave a week earlier than the husband, so that is causing me a little extra stress.

I don’t feel ready! –

Hang on in there Baby Barefoot, I’m so not ready for you to get here yet! I’m starting to feel quite anxious about how we’re going to cope when the baby gets here, about how much life is going to change and about how much we still have to organize! I’m sure that this is all perfectly normal, but I’m very conscious of the time ticking away as we get closer to my due date.

Packing my Hospital Bag –

In putting together all our final arrangements for delivery and birth – I also turned my attention to my hospital bag and everything that I would need to make our hospital stay more comfortable. Possibly I have left this a little late – but I finally think that I have everything prepped.

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY READING: What’s in my Hospital Bag? The Key Items that I am Packing!

Groin pain –

I have started getting some mild groin pain when I walk. It feels a bit like a trapped nerve. I am guessing that the weight of my growing bump and baby might have something to do with that. It does make walking long distances more difficult.

Headaches –

I am finding that I pretty regularly get headaches towards the latter part of the day. This is frustrating as I don’t want to be taking paracetamol without good reason to. For the most part I just try to drink more water and suffer through it. But some days are worse than others.

Weekly scans –

As well as recommending that we deliver in PR. The Puerto Rican doctor also advocated for weekly scans and bio physical checks as I get closer to delivery. It’s great to be able to see the baby so regularly. I love these scans. So far baby is doing really well and getting perfect scores. Baby Barefoot is still measuring pretty big, approximately 2 weeks ahead.

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY READING: THE PREGNANCY DIARIES – MONTH SEVEN

Bed Rest –

The final recommendation from the new OB-GYN is an additional 2-3 hrs of bed rest per day. Since I am now taking such high doses of blood pressure medications, this is an extra measure to help try to keep my pressure down. It isn’t a strict bed rest, it is an opportunity to rest up, elevate my feet and relax. It has meant that I have had to restructure my days at the office and add in some working from home.

Swelling –

It finally caught up with me, my hands and feet have started to really swell. I wake up with my fingers stiff and swollen, then during the course of the day they subside a little before puffing up at the end of the day. My feet start off a little better but by the time I finish work they are super puffy from the lower calf/ankle down and are pretty uncomfortable to walk on.

Maternity Shoot –

I worked with a fantastic photographer friend of ours and did a little maternity shoot at the end of 35 weeks. I left it to the last minute as I really wasn’t sure about how I felt doing one. On the one hand I hate photographs of myself (weird thing for a blogger to say, I admit, but it’s true). On the other hand, we may only be doing this once and I might have really regretted not capturing it!

No more chocolate –

While I have not been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the doctor did ask that I reduce my sugar and carbohydrate consumption to avoid any issue with the baby’s sugar and insulin production when born. If the baby is producing too much insulin it can lead to dangerously low sugar levels after birth.

Pregnancy Diary Month Eight At A Glance –

Feeling: anxious making all the plans for delivery
Craving: apple slices with crunchy peanut butter – because I have given up chocolate I have substituted with fruit.
Missing: the chocolate and sweets!
Struggling with: the realization that this is coming to an end
Enjoying: all the kicks and wriggles
Milestone: finalizing delivery hospital and OBGYN
Baby is the size of a: bunch of carrots
Baby weighs: 7 lbs
I weigh: +19 lbs