36 weeks pregnant

In two days I will be 37 weeks pregnant, which means I am considered full term and the baby can come at any time now. Every day I wake up I think "ok I am still pregnant and still teaching" lol. Being active feels good and I am enjoying all of my classes even though I am verbally instructing most of the class. I had my midwife appointment the other day and had my Group B strap test done and we discussed managed vs. natural 3rd stage. Gave me a lot to think about. 3rd stage of labour is when you deliver placenta and you can either do it naturally or get an injection of an oxytocin to help the uterus contract, expel placenta and control bleeding. It seems a bit weird to get drugs after a drug free, natural birth. Also it seems a bit of a shame to use it for every woman regardless of whether she bleeds heavily or not. I think its good to have on standby if you have risk factors like long labour, previous managed 3rd stage, twins, etc. There are some side effects to it too (headaches, dizziness, vomiting) not much fun when you are trying to bond and enjoy your new baby. I decided to give my body a chance first and wait for 1 hour max to deliver placenta naturally and then reassess the situation before I go for the oxy shot. I feel good about this decision.

Sleep wise I have been doing good, getting good sleep for the most part. Using a pillow in between the legs feels really good as it also supports the belly. I do have to wake up to pee 2 or 3 times a night but I am able to fall asleep right away. I do get nights where I toss and turn and can't seem to get comfortable but then usually I listen to a hypnosis session and it helps me to relax.

Diet wise for the entire week I have been eating a little more cooked/junk foods than I'd have liked. I have had cravings for french fries and ate some at least on 3 occasions. I can't even think about fries! I also had some rice chips and rice crispy squares- junk foods that are good for nothing. So fell out of a wagon for a little and definitely can notice a change in my mood/energy level. I think I may go on a raw food cleanse to get these things out of my system.

My stats so far:

Week 29-30: 135 pounds
Week 31: 137 pounds
Week 32: 138 pounds
Week 33-34: 139pounds
Week 35: 140 pounds
Week 36:141 pounds

Total weight gain: 18 pounds

Physically I have been feeling good, my body has adapted well to the baby's weight and I have been really listening to what my body needs. There are times when the baby starts moving around my pelvis. Her head presses on my bladder and now also on my cervix and pubic bones, which feels like she is going to pierce her way through-lots of pressure and intensity, which makes me stop and breath through it or at least slow down if I am walking. Again the birthing ball helps so much with this as it draws all the pressure down and out. The braxton hicks have been so intense that last week I thought I was going into labour lol. My naturopath suggested I take homeopathic remedy Caulophyllum to help me tone the uterus for labour and birth as well as to manage braxton hicks. I had to wait to my 36th week to take it and as soon as I did I felt like million bucks. Instead of getting practice contractions all over my uterus the remedy localized it more so now I feel it in one spot at a time, they are less intense so that I can actually go about my day without having to stop and breathe through them. Good practice I know but not very convenient when you are trying to enjoy your meal in the restaurant or trying to get your shopping done. This remedy is also used right in labour to make the contractions more efficient (I can see how) so I had to make sure its not going to make me go into labour! Carissa my naturopath and two other homeopaths I see gave me a green light explaining that the remedy can not override the body and when my body is ready then its ready, the remedy itself won't bring on the labour.

I also got an acupuncture treatment as a way to prepare my body and uterus for labour and birth. I loved it as its super relaxing, helps the energy to flow better, calms the nervous system, etc. It takes about 25min so when I was just laying there I decided to use self hypnosis to relax even more. Half way through the doc came in to check on me and he thought I was sleeping! He told me after how peaceful I looked and that he didn't want to disturb me. I really love how peaceful and relaxed hypnosis is and how you can use it at other times if you need extra comfort. I can't wait to use it at my birthing time.

Birthing ball for pregnancy, labour and birth.

Birthing ball is just a simple excercise ball that comes in three different sizes most common being 65cm. In pregnancy sitting on the ball feels amazing as it relieves pressure in the pelvis, lower back and the cervix. It came very handy for me as I moved into my 36th week. My baby girl went through a growth spurt and dropped even lower into my pelvis in preparation for birth. I am constantly amazed with the wisdom and intelligence of the women's body. It is marvelous to see how the body changes and adapts to accommodate the growing baby! My little girl was already head down at 30 weeks but it felt nothing comparing to her position now. She is so low I sometimes think she's going to fall out. Her descend was marked with increased pressure on my pubic bone and cervix. Also she is still pressing on my bladder! The hormone relaxin has kicked in again making my hips and pubic bone quite achy for a while. What has helped me so much was getting and sitting on the birthing ball. I have it right in front of my computer and use it instead of the chair. I can sway my hips from side to side, which feels wonderful and the gravity takes a lot of pressure away. I can really see how the ball will come handy in labour. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant get your birthing ball-it will make you so much more comfortable and happy.

35 weeks and celebrating my journey so far.

Again it has taken me longer than I wanted to write here. The entire July has been so busy with subbing, teaching my own classes, being away for a few days in a wellness resort, and having a beautiful Baby Blessing Ceremony. The ceremony was magical and put together by my yoga sisters with the hostess being Shanine, Jennifer and Nathalie. This ceremony is a beautiful right of passage for mothers who are expecting and gives strength and deep spiritual connection to the baby and the birthing process. I loved the bead bracelet blessing the most. Everyone invited to the ceremony was asked to bring a bead and a blessing in the form of motherly advice and wishes for mother and baby. The beads were thread together into a necklace that I could have as a focal point and symbol of my support network during birth and into motherhood. As we sat in the circle each woman gave her blessing/good wish and we chanted OM to seal it. It was truly touching and brought tears to my eyes. I felt my baby girl move and respond to the beautiful chanting and energy that was being created. I feel so luck to be a part of such loving and wise circle of women. We also had a henna artist come and do some body art. I got my belly done again as a symbol of connection with all of the other women and the baby.

So a little update on my pregnancy. It's really bizarre because I can see how easy it is to give into a negative thinking at this point. I am 35 weeks pregnant and yes sure my belly feels a lot bigger, the baby is big, she really has no room to move so whenever she is active I really feel it a lot, the jabbing and poking is crazy but I still love it anyway, the pressure in the bladder and pelvic floor is pretty intense, braxton hicks are not bad and my yoga practice is obviously modified a lot. Non of these things are getting me down though. I am working around them. I am modifying my yoga poses, mostly to accomodate my belly as my stamina is still great. I hear that I am "tiny" all the time but my belly still feels big and heavy to me lol. I am not getting impatient nor anxious about wanting the baby out. I am thinking this is my pregnancy, I should enjoy these last few weeks because I will never be pregnant with this particular baby again. So I am keeping active by teaching over 7 classes a week, doing my own yoga practice, getting the house organized, going for walks and enjoying my social life. It's so great to have so many wonderful friends and students surrounding me on daily basis. I am also practicing my hypnobirthing and meditate daily to check in with myself, my body and my baby. I set intention every day and that helps me to stay grounded. Today it was gratitude and having my heart open to more blessings. Eating wise I am still having most of my meals raw or as close to raw as I can. I have gained a total of 18 pounds so far and weighting at 141 pounds.