At week 36, I noticed I suddenly had pregnancy symptoms (up until then I was relatively normal). I started to have to pee all of the time and started waking at night. I also had no urge to sleep and was often awake until 2am. I had a surge of energy and got a large amount of baby tasks completed, along with wrapping Christmas gifts and writing out all of our Christmas cards. I was having trouble breathing for a few weeks, which I'd attributed to being anemic (and on iron) this pregnancy.
At week 37, I developed muscle pain in the left side of my buttocks. It began to hurt to walk anywhere for even short distances. I found that stretching and warm baths helped if only temporarily.
Now at in week 38 (or the 39th week of gestation - depending on how you count it), I've noticed that it helps to push on the back of my left hip while walking and the pain lessens, though it is still ridiculously difficult to walk and I've become extremely slow. My waddle is very pronounced this pregnancy. I laughed out loud at myself last night, as I noticed I must resemble a giant penguin.
I've also noticed a huge decline in energy! (And my energy levels are normally higher than average.) I'm way beyond exhausted after even doing just small tasks. Yet at the same time I can't get comfortable in any position enough to rest. The good part is I haven't had trouble breathing for over a week now and even though our OB tells me that baby hasn't dropped, I'm feeling like something has changed. Apparently in second pregnancies the baby doesn't normally drop until you're in labour. So I'll take comfort in that, and hope for the best. At least I know that baby is head down and hopefully that will help once labour does begin.
I've been wondering a lot lately how I ever did this while pregnancy thing with a twin belly?! How did I not have all of these symptoms? All I ever had with them was hip pain (same side) around week 32 (which quickly went away magically on it's own) and numbing of my hands from excess fluids from week 30 until after their birth. Otherwise my twin pregnancy seemed much easier towards the end of my third trimester. Perhaps because I didn't have two one year olds to chase after..
Oh how I miss lying in bed watching the food channel eating KD and mashed potatoes brought me by my husband. For now I just try to stay relatively comfortable while trying to keep our toddlers on their schedule as to not upturn their routines, and wait for baby to give me a sign that it's time to be born.
My mom and my husband have been a huge help with caring for our kids lately and for that I am thankful. I know that now I can not do it alone (even though I'm stubborn and still think I can). I'm too tired to really do much with my littles lately and I feel a bit guilty for that, but I know that sometime soon I'll be back to colouring on the floor and running outside with them.
I'm doing my best to enjoy my last pregnancy belly. To cherish every movement inside of my tummy and the wonder and amazement of creating a life. On one hand, I don't want this part of my life to be over. It seems so final. Our last newborn baby. My last birth experience.
On the other hand, I'm excited to meet our baby. To see them healthy and screaming. To see what/who it is after waiting nearly this entire calendar year in anticipation. To look into their eyes and meet our child. A person I grew inside of my body, from a single cell. We get to take them home (this blows my mind) and care for and teach them. To reclaim my own body (eventually). To know that our little family is finally complete.
And now we wait...
