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36 and 6, 36 weeks, 36 weeks 6 days, 36 weeks baby bump, 36 weeks cravings, 36 weeks pregnant, 36 weeks pregnant belly, 9 months pregnant, babycenter.com, bouncing on ball to induce labor, contractions 36 weeks pregnant, External cephalic version, feeling sick 36 weeks, full term pregnancy, Infant, nausea 36 weeks pregnant, Netflix, pregnancy, Vernix caseosa, working out at 36 weeks pregnant
How Big is Baby?
According to babycenter.com: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She’s shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she’s in a head-down position. But if she isn’t, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an “external cephalic version,” which is a fancy way of saying she’ll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.
According to thebump.com:
- She’s still in the 17.2- to 18.7-inch and 4.2- to 5.8-pound range and continues to beef up.
- She’s getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own.
- Her skin is getting smooth and soft and her gums are rigid.
- Her liver and kidneys are in working order.
- Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.
How I’m Feeling Physically
Well…. other than feeling enormous… lol.. I feel alright. A few complaints during week 36.
- Charlie horses in my calf muscle during the middle of the night. Owwww owww owww. These are so painful they wake me right up out of my sleep. When this happens my muscle hardens up like a rock and I can’t move my leg. My leg is also sore the next day and hard to walk on. And I thought 1-2 bananas a day was enough potassium for me. I heard this is also caused by dehydration, but I drink so much water I don’t really understand how that could be possible!
- I have more joint pain than ever, especially in my hips and my knees. I am constantly cracking and clicking and it makes me very uncomfortable. The only time I do not have joint pain is when I am working out or stretching. So I really look forward to my time spent in the gym!
- Getting up off the couch (where I usually lay to one side), getting out of bed, and rolling over have become something like a 12 step process. Its a lot of work to get up!
- My boobs are sore again. Wonder what this means?
- Contractions. I am actually having some right now, and timing them. They seem to be pretty frequent and intense this morning. (I wrote most of this post yesterday, and the contractions I was just talking about lasted all day!! I almost went to the hospital! Even tho they lasted all day, their timing was inconsistent.. and I haven’t had the “show” or my water break… so I decided to wait it out at home and they stopped when I fell asleep)
- Nausea. All afternoon yesterday and last night I felt very sick. I basically laid on the couch or was in bed the entire day.
Ok enough of the complaints!
On the bright side:
- No more heartburn!
- I have a little more room to breath since the baby has moved down a bit.
- I increased my workout time this week. I now do Netflix Target Toning at home (legs, arms, & butt) and then I go down and do 45+ on the elliptical. After I am done on the elliptical I stretch and bounce on the big workout ball for about 20 minutes. Then I get on the treadmill and walk for about 15 minutes at 3.5-4.0. Then return to bouncing for another 5-10 minutes. I decided to start bouncing and add in the extra walking because I want to get baby H to begin her descent aka “enlightening” if she hasn’t gotten into perfect position yet. However, at my doctor appointment on Monday, he did say her head was very low =)
- I got my test results back for Group Strep B. Negative.
- There was no vaginal exam this week (to check for dilation), like I thought. So we will be waiting until next Wednesday when I will be well into my 37th week.
How I’m Feeling Emotionally
I have a feeling this baby will be here very soon. I don’t want to jinx myself, but my guess is by the end of next week she will be here. In the meantime, I am embracing these last few (days) weeks of kicks, hiccups, and butts pushing out, but I am so ready to have this baby!
Sorry I haven’t shared the “big news” yet… its still being figured out … and right now its a big ???
Random
- pregnancy length so far: 36 weeks, 6 days
- 23 days left!
- weight gained so far: +20.5-21 lbs.
- craving: strawberry banana & citrus smoothies, kale smoothies, gluten free waffles & pure organic maple syrup from TJ’s, Cascadian Farm‘s Dark Chocolate Almond Organic Granola Bars, farm fresh apples with Better N’ PB, and cereal. Anything that is a breakfast food I’m pretty much in love with right now.
- completed 5 cardio 45+ minute workouts this week/5 netflix target toning, 3 days of walking 15 minutes and those same 3 days of bouncing! woohoo. Getting ready to go workout again right after I finish typing this post
Baby Bump Pics
flashback again to 14 weeks…
and then… today at 36 weeks, 6 days! Baby H is getting pretty big!
I am so curious for a [somewhat] accurate estimate of how big she actually is!!
Maybe I will know sooner than later
xoxo Jennifer
What was your favorite thing about month 9 of pregnancy?
Do you believe if you say you think something is going to happen you might jinx yourself? Are you superstitious?
If you could predict when Hayden was going to come what would your guess be?
Related articles
- 36 weeks at the Birth Center (ourbabysjourney.wordpress.com)
- 35 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
- 34 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
- 32 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
- 31 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
Like I say each week, I am SO excited for you!!! Baby Cameryn is also excited for Hayden to arrive!
I can’t believe you are so close! I am going to guess baby Hayden comes next Tuesday or Wednesday! I bet she will be small since you are so small and didn’t gain much weight. Maybe right around 6lbs. Since her head is so low, that is a good sign. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed she doesn’t come late, that waiting wouldn’t be fun.
I think saying things to yourself makes it happen and doesn’t jinx it. Like with Cameryn I wrote on my blog I wanted to go into labor late Tuesday night and have her in the early morning hours of Wednesday before my doc was off her shift and about a week later it came true, exactly how in my perfect world I wanted it!
Enjoy these last few days with just Chase. I know the waiting is hard, I was the most impaitient person, but you only have a few days left before your family goes from two to three and becomes even more perfect!
Xoxo
Thanks KJ! I wish we lived closer so Cameryn and Hayden could play together someday! but yea I really hope she comes next week!! I have been walking and bouncing and moving around as much as possible to help her get ready.
Chase’s birthday is tomorrow (Saturaday) so any day after that would be perfect! We are having a big bday party for him at one of our favorite restaurants and I want him to be able to have a great night!
So excited!!! xox
Hi Jennifer, my names Brooke and I just found your blog. I am also a vegan, getting ready to have my first baby at the end of May. I’m 33 weeks tomorrow so I’m not too far behind you!
I too am starting to feel the leg cramps in the middle of the night and find myself tossing and turning from laying on one side too long. I drink tons and tons of water all day as well so I guess it’s just inevitable during pregnancy! Do you have any problems with swelling in your ankles/feet?
Hi Brooke!
Glad you found my blog and congrats on your pregnancy!! Doesn’t it feel good to be in the thirties and nearing the end! Finally! LOL!
I actually do not have much swelling in my ankles or feet… and I think I can credit that to two things. One- being a diet pretty low in sodium, and two- to not being constantly on my feet. I do my workouts and walk the dogs, but besides that I am really not standing on my feet too often. I do notice they can become swollen if I have been standing too long or just over-exerting myself in general- but I think a little swelling is to be expected during pregnancy.
Also- the reason I factored in sodium is because my mom had terrible swelling in her legs and feet during her pregnancy carrying me. She swears it was due to consuming mostly canned and pre-packaged foods (in the 80′s I don’t think many people paid attention to sodium content or nutrition labels)
Thank you and congrats to you as well!
I don’t eat sodium at all other then some sea salt here and there which is why I am discouraged. I always cook from scratch to avoid eating from packaged foods because I know it’s not good for you. My ankles did just start swelling Monday morning. And now that you mention it, Easter Sunday we were eating at family members houses and who knows how much salt was in the cole slaw and baked beans!! lol I’m hoping that’s the reason because I’m not really on my feet too much either. I work at an office desk all day and then go home and run, cook and clean a little bit. This shouldn’t be making my ankles swell up like balloons!! I’m small like you so they’re pretty noticeable and my husband is starting to call me club foot!! LOL
oh my goodness! don’t men just love to nickname us while preggo…. my man does the same… “whale” or “fat girl” have been dubbed my nicknames… haha.
I’m sure you will be back to normal in no time! xo
Has the swelling gone down at all? I would think if it was something you ate on Easter it should be making its way out of your body by now… but I know how you feel being discouraged! I get really frustrated when I feel like I have done so well and then am not rewarded with the outcome I was expecting. But if I were in your shoes, I would just continue to drink tons and tons of water, continue with your workouts, maybe replace a meal or two with a protein packed smoothie, and hope that my body would adjust accordingly.
Hey there! I was wondering if you can give a quick run down of what your meals for the day are like. You look sooo great, ur’e skin is awesome and it seems ur’e energy has been pretty consistent – I am 34 weeks along & struggling just a bit, so if I can learn from you to help me get through the next few weeks, i would be forever indebted to you!
btw, i looked for an email address for you, but could not find one on your blog.
Hi Jill! I will do a post on my daily eats soon so you can get a good idea of what I am putting down. But for now, here is what I have been eating the past week.
Breakfast:
1/2 c. Oatmeal made with 1/2 c. water and 1/2 original 40 cal. almond milk.
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
1-2 tbsp. Better N PB
1 tbsp. Whole Foods Brand Organic Strawberry Jelly
+Vitamins (I take a prenatal vitamin with DHA from Costco, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, and Iron with a few sips of “Simply Orange” Orange Juice
Snack: medium sized apple or granola bar maybe both depending on how hungry I am
Lunch: 4 Quorn Chicken Nuggets (Meat free & Soy Free) with Organic Ketchup (No High Fructose Corn Syrup) and Alexia Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries
Snack: So Delicious Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich
Dinner: PB2 Kale Smoothie or Creamy Citrus Smoothie (Both vanilla protein powder and maybe some greek yogurt)
If I am still hungry later I might have a spoonful of almond butter or something
and I drink tons of water throughout the day…
hope this helps a little and I will do a post on this in the next day or two
xo
It’s gone down some..a protein smoothie sounds like a good idea for breakfast tomorrow morning…thank you for all your advice! and good luck
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