36 weeks // livelovesimple.com

Pregnancy Update // 36 Weeks

DenaMarch 2, 2015

36 weeks // livelovesimple.com

How far along are you? 36 weeks.

Sleep: It’s a shame that this is one of the first questions, because the answer is always negative. I’d better get used to it since it will stay that way for awhile. Fact is, sleep is horrendous. Things are tight in there. Baby girl moves lower & lower as she prepares for her debut. She is on my bladder constantly & the pressure is insane. I can’t sleep for more than an hour straight and I’m up all night using the bathroom.

I go to bed tired and wake up tired. I forget what it feels like to be well-rested. More, if baby girl follows her brother’s sleeping habits, it will be another year before I ever feel well-rested again.

Movement: Her pattern of movement has changed over the past week. I still feel her moving with about the same frequency as before, but it’s clear that she has less space to move about now. Last week, at my thirty-five week scan, we determined that she was head-down, face-down, and weighed somewhere in the ballpark of five pounds, fifteen ounces.

I’ve noticed her having the hiccups a few times recently which is always interesting. Roman had the hiccups at least daily, but she has had them less frequently.

Favourite Moment: The highlight of my week was sneaking away from my chores and spending a morning getting a manicure & pedicure. It was heavenly and provided me a beautiful opportunity to clear my mind and focus on my self, my body, and my pregnancy. We are moving into the very last weeks now and I feel like my head & heart are finally in the right space to move through the closing stages of this journey. I am a bundle of nerves & excitement. I can not wait to meet her.

Cravings: Anything that fills my belly. 😉 I haven’t had many specific cravings to speak of, it varies by day and time of day. I’ve been making giant kale & berry smoothies for the whole family and those have been really satisfying. I’ve also been eating a lot of cheese (mozzarella is my weakness!), salads, and cereal with almond milk. My craving for meat has vanished. I try to eat small meals throughout the day because of my relentless indigestion, but it’s a losing battle. It never lets up and I spend my days popping Tums (antacids) like candy.

Happy or Moody? My mood has been fairly consistent throughout this last trimester. And by consistent I mean, I feel fine most of the time and occasionally meltdown into a weeping mess. I am as physically broken down as I’ve ever been and my inability to do physical things without an enormous struggle — such as carry Roman up the stairs, shave my legs, find a comfortable position to lie down — often gets to me. I absolutely hate feeling incapable. I try to remind myself that this, too, is an important part of the process and, like everything, it is temporary.

Belly Status: Once a week or so, I leave my belly uncovered and parade it around for the boys to see. I feel like it is such a miracle that I just have to share it. One day this week, while it was on display, M. said, “It’s just unbelievable how much your skin is able to stretch.” And he is right, it really is amazing.

There is something so different about the final weeks of pregnancy as compared with the rest of it. The female body truly shows the sheer wonder that it is capable of. I am so grateful that I have had the gift of experiencing this incredible process twice.

Aches & Pains: Indigestion is constant and horrific. I know it sounds dramatic, but sometimes it feels like there is battery acid in my chest and I want to cry. There are, naturally, some foods that make it worse, but all food causes it to some extent. My sister and I say that from the second trimester on, we can drink water and it gives us heartburn. We joke about it, but sadly it’s true! Nothing is safe.

As I mentioned above, my body is reaching its limits. Walking up and down stairs is painful on my knees. I struggle to carry Roman, even short distances. (He is over thirty pounds, so that’s to be expected.) I get winded easily and breathe heavily even at rest. And finally, my energy levels are at all-time lows. It’s easy to get depressed over these things, but I am keeping them in perspective. So. worth. it.

Looking Forward To: I am going to stick with my response from my last update & go with Spring. March came in like a lion — with a massive snow & ice storm — and I’m praying that it goes out like a lamb. I am holding fast to my dreams of sunshine, warm days, and laying in the grass with my two little ones.

Changes to the Home: Operation: Declutter 2015 has slowly rolled to a close. I’m absolutely amazed at what we accomplished in two months. There is such a dramatic difference throughout the house.

Even though we have two items left to tackle (our closet and the bathroom cabinet/drawers), I am confident to say, Mission Accomplished. We’ll get to those other two things eventually, but the major projects are complete, and we are so much more at-peace in our home now. It has never felt so organized. It’s also been easier to keep things clean in general since I don’t get overwhelmed/crippled by clutter everywhere. It took a lot of work and heart but I’m grateful that we persevered. What is apparent now is just how much this needs to be an ongoing thing. Simplicity is not a project that you can tackle once, but rather, it’s a lifestyle that you must maintain.

This week we got the infant car seat down from the attic and I washed the fabric insert. I’ve got to re-insert it and clean the base. Then we’ve got to get it in the car. It’s going to be tricky. My backseat is tight as it is. We’ll have to put her car seat on one side and Roman’s on the other. It’s the only way they’ll fit.

Other than that, there are a few things I want to prepare around the house for my mother. She will be staying with Roman in the event that I have a middle of the night labor, like I did last time. She’ll drive up to stay with Roman until M. can get back home, so I want to have bedding and anything else that she’ll need prepared for her. I’ve also still got to pack our hospital bag, which I’m determined to do this week.


That’s another update down. Officially less than a month to go. It’s just incredible!

Have a beautiful week. xx

/// To see my other pregnancy updates, click here. ///


Comments (4)

  • Sarah Halstead

    March 2, 2015 at 9:12 am

    Congratulations! You are almost there!! Love this update.

  • Anne

    March 2, 2015 at 11:59 am

    you look great! so jealous you’re in the home stretch!

  • Hamoud

    March 2, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    I had no idea pregnancy can have such extensive effects on women.

    It’s amazing how ignorant children are about the great efforts their parents went to while raising them. I should seriously thank my mother……

  • Momista Beginnings

    March 2, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    Eeek! Almost there 🙂 And you really do look GREAT! Like, Mega-Great! 😉 I, too, parade my bare belly around sometimes. Always makes the husband stare for a minute in disbelief. And I know just what you mean with indigestion, however, I was able to figure out (thankfully) what triggers mine so I stay far far away from certain foods and I’ve been able to avoid that ugliness. However, I burp constantly. Like, all day long (more so after meals). Well, our waddling and huffing-puffing days are coming to an end here, soon! It will be a relief to ditch our current complaints and restrictions…but only to take on a whole other list of new ones 🙁 Sorry for bringing that up. Don’t think about it. -Misty

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