36 Weeks: The Final Stretch

Dear Diary,

I am officially done with work! After a lengthy battle with HR, they finally approved my medical leave so I am now able to stay home until I go into labour. This was such a huge stress relief for me. Even though this means I am taking a huge pay cut, it was so worth it for the peace of mind and the ability to rest my body for the next 4 weeks before my due date.

We have officially reached the 36 week mark, which means things have also begun to change with my body (once again)! For starters, I’ve been feeling so much pelvic pressure these last few days. At my latest appointment, my midwife confirmed that the baby boy is head down and fully engaged in my pelvis, so hopefully this means we can avoid a C-section! It also means I’ll be feeling this huge bowling ball sensation on my bladder and pelvis for the next few weeks. I also did my GBS swab, and am patiently awaiting the results, which should hopefully be available by my next appointment. The rib pain has begun to subside a little, although it’s still there after a long day of movement. I’ve also been anxious about my water breaking - specifically about knowing if it’s broken or not if it’s not a huge gush of water.

I’m trying to put this all out of mind as I settle into the last stages of nesting. We got my entire car cleaned and detailed this weekend (it looks brand new!), and we finally installed our car seats! I’m so thankful for my husband, especially during this time, because there is no way I was going to be able to crawl into my car and get that done with this huge belly. We also finished packing our hospital bags.

After talking to a friend who just had her second baby a week ago, we decided the best way to pack was actually to use a packout toolbox instead of bringing 3 or 4 duffle bags. This way, everything is in one place, but still organized, plus it’s on wheels. I’ve seen some people pack a suitcase, but I really hate using those because unpacking them is a nightmare. My husband just bought a brand new toolbox packout from Milwaukee and was so excited to suggest we use that instead. This way, I was able to pack in different sections. I have one section for my labour items, one for my postpartum items, one for my baby and one for my husband (in case we need to spend the night).

Next on our list is to start some meal prepping! I’m excited to try out some new recipes and bake a bunch of cookies to enjoy postpartum!

Stay tuned for next week's updates!

B.