Hey, hey! I’m back with another pregnancy bumpdate today. As of yesterday, I am 38 weeks pregnant with baby boy… with no signs of him arriving just yet! 😅
I honestly thought that my 34-week bumpdate would be my last but here we are. It has been quite a wild month since my last bumpdate. There have been a ton of ups and downs but I’m thankful to report that all is well! Let me give you a quick summary of everything over the past 4 weeks.
38 WEEKS BUMPDATE
If you haven’t read my 34-week bumpdate and you don’t follow me on Instagram, you might want to go read my last bumpdate to get caught up. To summarize: At my 34-week appointment, baby boy was measuring in the 6th percentile for his gestational age via ultrasound. Mind you – ultrasounds in the third trimester can be extremely inaccurate. My doctor’s office then made me switch to the ICC program which is focused on more testing to make sure baby is growing how they should. It was quite frustrating at first because I just had peace that baby boy was perfectly fine, but I went through with the extra testing anyway.
For the past 3 weeks, I have had weekly NSTs (non-stress tests) and ultrasounds where they check fluid levels and use doppler to check the blood flow from the placenta to the baby. Thankfully, baby boy passed every NST and each week his fluid levels and blood flow were perfect. Literally, “perfect” was the word the doctor overseeing the ultrasounds would say. “Your baby looks perfect!”
After the NST and ultrasound, I would have my regular prenatal appointments. The first one was with an OB who really wanted to push induction on me for some time between 38-39 weeks… all because baby boy was measuring small. I tried to explain to her that my daughter was petite at full-term and when I’m not pregnant, I am very petite myself. She didn’t really care to take my history into account. I told her unless something medically emergent arises (low fluid, poor blood flow, etc.) that I would continue to refuse to be induced. I wasn’t rude at all but I was staying firm in my decision. I could tell she thought I was difficult. She ended up sending the attending of the ICC program in to talk with me and she was incredible. She asked me questions and talked with me a ton. She was very transparent and made it clear that she understood where I was coming from and supported my goals. It was refreshing and made me feel SO much better!
Fast-forward to last Friday’s ICC appointments… baby boy had a growth scan. This was his first growth scan since the 34-week scan. He was now measuring in the 10th percentile! This meant we graduated from the ICC program and no longer need additional testing. Praise God!
The past few weeks were a bit annoying but I got to advocate for my baby and myself the whole time. I had peace. I felt strongly that all was well. I’m glad I stood my ground. Mama knows best. 😉
We are ready for our baby boy!
The nursery is complete! Our hospital bags are packed! My postpartum cart is prepped! The bassinet is bedside! We are ready to go. Though… baby boy is seeming to be quite comfortable where he is. This whole pregnancy I felt he may arrive a couple of weeks early. 38 weeks has always been on my mind… but I have basically NO labor signs. 😭 Nada. Zero.
I am having Braxton Hicks and some lower back aches but it’s nothing that intense. I definitely haven’t had any real contractions yet. I haven’t lost my mucus plug/bloody show. I have my 38-week appointment with my midwife this week and I may ask for a cervical check to see if there is any progress. While dilation is really not an indicator of how near labor is, I do like to have an idea of where my body is at. We’ll see!
But I am SO READY and excited. I’m not trying to rush baby boy at all but I am trying to encourage him, haha. I’m going to keep doing my birthing ball exercises, keep drinking my red raspberry leaf tea, and try to eat 6 dates a day. I have also started to do the Miles Circuit which many mamas swear by. I haven’t gotten to the full 3o minutes for each position yet but I am working my way up to it.
I have been collecting colostrum over the past week and it’s been a great experience so far. I didn’t know it was something I was allowed to do when I was pregnant with Taya, so I’m glad I knew this time around. Most OBs/midwives will give you the okay to harvest colostrum via hand expression from 37 weeks on. I’m excited to have some liquid gold saved for whenever baby boy might need an extra boost.
The next time you see a blog post from me will probably be after baby boy arrives! Please, keep me and baby boy in your prayers over the next couple of weeks. Pray for a smooth labor and delivery experience. Pray for a healthy baby and mama. Pray for a redemptive birth experience. Thank you so much.
XO,
