Home stretch, people. Home stretch.
(And what a stretch. This belly! Surely it can stretch no more?!)
In approximately one month’s time, a new life will enter the world. Our world. Our family.
We are very excited. When we have enough energy to be. And I’ve been reflecting on this pregnancy as the countdown ticks on.
It’s been different to the first in many ways. My body remembered what it was supposed to do, and jumped ahead a few stages earlier than I was prepared for. My blood pressure has been better this time around – yay – but other health problems have made themselves known. Boo.
It’s also been the same in a lot of ways. In many contradictory ways. And so, just as parenthood is an experience of contradictions, I have decided that pregnancy is ultimately an experience of contradictions.
You are always hungry. Always. You think about food, crave food, want food, NEED food like never before.
And yet… you feel stretched beyond recognition, and like you couldn’t POSSIBLY fit in any food. Or liquid. Or oxygen.
You are so uncomfortable that you can’t sleep. You toss and turn, and can’t remember the last time you slept more than two hours in one stretch.
So… you catch yourself wishing that bub would be born so you can… get more sleep. Hmmmm. (You even wish this the second time around, having lived through the sleep deprivation your first child bestowed upon you in the early months. Because you are a genius. But we’ll get to that.)
You know you need to rest. Minimal exertion. Put your feet up. Ask for help. Relax.
And yet… that open linen cupboard door is driving you batty. So you get up to close it. You knock the sheets down as you do so. Whoops. You should just quickly refold those. Or should you use them? When did you last change the bed sheets? Better to be safe. Which means you now have to wash the old ones. Oh look, the load of clothes you put on earlier has finished. You should hang those out. And while you’re doing that…
You feel a strong nesting instinct. You have lists and lists, both written and imaginary, of things to do before bub arrives. You can recite the things you’ll need for hospital. The clothes, the ‘chemist’ items, the camera and charger. Things for bub. Things for you. Things for hubby. A present for your oldest from bub. A present for bub from your oldest. You have the timetable for the week you’ll be in hospital sorted. You’re as organised as it’s possible to be.
And yet… you can’t remember what day it is. What plans you’ve made for this afternoon. Whether you’re meeting this person at your place or hers. Or elsewhere. Or at all. What your husband’s phone number is. Your middle name.
Baby brain is real. So real. Here’s where that ‘genius’ word comes in handy again.
Did you or your partner experience these contradictions during pregnancy? Do you have any to add to the list?
Baby brain is very real!! Good luck waiting out this last month!!
Thanks, Ann!
Oh my gosh – so true. And then there is the contradiction between the fact that you need to relax and take it easy and the fact that you now have a 3-4kg baby inside you that has no way of getting out!! (obviously that tiny little hole at the bottom of you does not count!) What a relaxing thought! Good luck Em – hope the home stretch is kind to you.
Thanks for your – um – reassuring words? I’m so relaxed now! Thanks, Em x
So true! I’m not even past the first trimester but am finding the food thing definitely. Hungry constantly but can’t face food. I am sooo sick if I don’t eat but feel sick if I do eat. Mind you this is my 3rd. You’d think I’d have learnt by now 😉 Good luck x
I hope that sickness disappears. I’m over the sickness, but now feel like if I eat, the food is just going to sit there in my throat on top of every other organ (and, of course, bub!) that is jammed into the rest of my body!
Amen and Amen! Hope this next month goes by easily 🙂
Thank you!
Oh no, try to relax!! It will be such a big event, make the most of this month and just -sit- sometimes.
It will hopefully go super fast!
#teamIBOT
I hope so! But the way I usually make things go super fast is to cram them full of activities. Not going to work this time!
I didn’t get baby brain until my third child. And then I spent most of my days getting lost while driving around the suburbs I spend every day in. It drove me mad! Good luck for your final month.
Oh, how frustrating! Thanks for the well wishes.
I had the worst case of baby brain today, I left the gas stove on while I went to the shops, comes from, having way too much on my mind! I know exactly how you feel! X Karen
Oh no! I assume since you’re replying to this that you didn’t burn the place down?!
Oh I don’t envy you at all, that last month just takes forever doesn’t it? Sorry not what we should be saying I know, but that last month was always the hardest for me.
Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses lovely I hope it passes quickly and smoothly for you
Nah, tell it like it is! Thanks, Rhianna.
Ha, love it! I remember the desire to rest being beaten by that stupid nesting instinct! I cleaned our entire floors on my hands and knees with a spray and a microfibre cloth. I also fell asleep while putting up the Christmas tree. Fun times.
Hmmmm, pretty sure I’ve never cleaned floors on my hands and knees with spray and a microfibre cloth, whether pregnant or not. You win!!
You’ve managed to describe my pregnancy down to a tee! I remember that final trimester, it was horrendous! You could see the light at the end of the tunnel and yet bub stays put. Good luck and Congratulations on the impending arrival! 🙂
Thank you! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. I can hear the countdown clock ticking.
Nesting, what’s that? We unfortunately missed out on the nesting stage with DD. Hubby was most disgusted that I didn’t nest before she came. Is there a point it normally kicks in? 35/36 weeks? We didn’t quite make it that far, so that’s probably why.
Good luck with the last month!!
Nothing unfortunate about missing the nesting stage. Given we’re renovating and the house is necessarily a constant mess, it’s a particularly useless stage for me to go through!!
Hee hee so true about wishing baby would come so you’d get more sleep – I was even like that with my third!!! But you know I still believe it’s true, because while it’s broken sleep, saying every 2 or 3 hours, it’s still sleep and not tossing and turning – do we get to see a bump pic?! x
True, I hadn’t thought of it like that. Tossing and turning versus crashing and burning!
There may or may not be a bump pic before I take my bloggy break. We’ll see if I remember to take one!! x
Ha ha! So very true!
I remember being a kid, and our dog was up the duff, and she actually didn’t eat for the last two days, cause the poor thing had no room in her belly.
Then one of the puppies died and she ate it, which was both sad and gross.
Poor thing. And yuck!
Oh my GOD. My last baby (4 years ago) never returned my brain. I read your post… then wandered away somewhere having been SURE I’d left a comment. Ummm… I can’t blame it on an imaginary foetus, can I?
Good luck keeping those neurons colliding for this last month or so… I completely understand the need to GET IT THE HELL OUT so you can sleep. I slept like a LOG between feeds. Best sleep I ever had. On my belly. xx