But for now, here’s a peek into week 35 of my pregnancy!
All previous weekly updates and pregnancy/baby-related blog posts may be found on the Pregnancy/Baby page located at the top of this blog.
Baby Updates
Baby is more than 18 inches long and weighs approximately 5 1/4 pounds… About the size of a honeydew melon!
Weight Gained
Didn’t weigh myself, but I’d guess around 23-24 pounds?
Workouts
Workouts continued to be lighter this week. My sacroiliac pain limits most cardio activities (walking included which is the biggest bummer for me), but I was able to comfortably bike for 30 – 40 minutes most days this week. I paired biking with alternate days of upper and lower body strength training – sticking only with exercises that didn’t exacerbate pain and felt good. My time in the gym is basically the only time I’m active during the day since walking still feels crappy, so I really look forward to the hour or so I spend moving my body and just doing something.
Symptoms
Unfortunately sacroiliac pain continued to be my most intense and irritating pregnancy symptom, but I noticed the pain start to slightly decrease toward the end of the week which made me SO happy and gave me a lot of hope for improvement before it’s time to actually deliver our baby. (Part of me was beginning to think I’d be in total misery up until the time I gave birth, so this little glimmer of hope is wonderful!) The pain seems to be migrating away from my left glute and up into the center of my lower back a bit which my physical therapist said is a good thing, since it’s taking some of the concentrated pressure off my nerve. The thought of walking even a mile is still out of the question for me right now, but at least I can move about our house without a stabbing pain hitting me all the time! My fingers are crossed for continued improvement.
I am also experiencing light nausea most mornings right now which is not so fun. I thought I was done with that in my second trimester!? I didn’t throw up at all this week (eating constantly really helps!), but there were a few days when I just couldn’t shake the nausea for a few hours in the morning.
I also feel breathless much more easily – walking up the stairs is intense and bending over almost always takes my breath away for a second or two. When I tried painting my toe nails this week, I just started to laugh because it was so awkward and the end result was pretty horrific. Polish everywhere! Perhaps this means I have a good excuse to treat myself to a pedicure soon?
And I’m still sweating a lot and peeing all the time, but that’s nothing new! We’ve had record highs in Charlotte this summer (temperatures eclipsing 100 degrees!) and I’m halfway convinced that the intense heat is only happening because I’m pregnant.
Food Aversions
Nothing!
Food Cravings
Give me allllll the fruit and fruit-flavored things! Loving peaches, plums, watermelon and grapes. I also cannot get enough of those Yasso strawberry Greek yogurt bars and ice cream!
(Above pic: 35 weeks, 6 days!)
Sleep
I reached a point this week where I started to dread going to bed at night because I knew I’d be up forever just tossing and turning. I’m not really tossing and turning because I’m super uncomfortable… It’s more just general restlessness that I cannot get to go away. It’s really, really annoying and I just feel fidgety for hours before I go to sleep and sometimes during the middle of the night when I wake up as well.
Looking Forward To…
My friend Melissa’s baby shower next week and my 36-week prenatal appointment. After a somewhat scary 34-week appointment, I am really hoping for a more reassuring appointment next week that will make me feel a bit better about how things are progressing.
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
Apparently comfy (dark-colored!) drawstring pants are a woman’s best friend post-labor, so I ordered a pair for $20 from Nordstrom Rack that I’m hoping will fit well and be the perfect addition to my hospital bag.
I also took advantage of a few good sales on Zulily this week and bought a baby comb and brush set, Sage Spoonfuls baby food storage containers and a nursing sleep bra.
Belly Button In Or Out?
Out! But still not overly noticeable through clothing.
Feeling…
I’m feeling more and more ready to have our baby! Even though it’s crazy to think that we’re less than a month away from our due date, for some reason 30 days seems like a long time to go for me right now! I think I’m beginning to understand why women say the third trimester can feel like forever. I swear weeks were passing by in a flash for a while, but now it seems like things are slowing down and I’m getting more and more anxious to begin the next phase of this journey and have a newborn to hold in my arms.
My feelings seem to fluctuate daily from I CAN’T WAIT to have a baby to OH MY GOSH, we’re having a baby (and I have to BIRTH THE BABY)… What do I dooo!?! It’s a never-ending rollercoaster over here, folks.
I’m also finding myself wondering more and more about how Ryan and I will adjust to life with a newborn. I took a lot of your advice into consideration last week and Ryan and I decided having my mom here after delivery sounds like the best plan for us. Once we made that decision, I felt myself start to relax a bit which reassured me it is likely the right one. Knowing I’ll have my mom’s help right after birth alleviates some of my anxiety going into caring for a new baby, breastfeeding, etc.
Any Movement?
Yes! Still lots of belly rolls and larger movements! Sometimes it will feel like our baby is pressing out SO HARD on my belly and my belly will feel incredibly tight and uncomfortable, but thankfully he doesn’t seem to stay in that position for long!
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Good luck at your appointment! Fingers tossed for a non-eventful one!
Thank you, Katie! <3
You are looking so cute, Julie! Those emotions at the end are so normal–it’s like yay! And then holy crap! And then I’m so excited! And on and on. Haha. I think you’ll be really glad you’re having your mom come at the beginning. Best choice we made with our first, for sure.
Hoping for a non-eventful appointment for you! I have my 36 week appt. this week too 🙂
I bought yoga pants from Victorias Secret for post-partum. Having the folded top of the pants was nice as it kept my belly tucked in…made me feel better.
Good luck at your appointment! Sending positive thoughts your way! 🙂
I can TOTALLY relate to the dreading going to bed! I am 33 weeks along, and I feel like I am crying every night because I know it will take at least 2 hours to fall asleep!
I’m glad to hear your pain is alleviating a little bit! I’m thinking happy doctors appointment thoughts for you!
Good luck at your appointment! Your babe will be here before you know it! 🙂
Praying for a smooth appointment! So happy and thankful that you’re sharing all your experiences along this crazy/exciting/scary/wonderful journey!
First of all, you look so stinking cute in that blue shirt and green dress! I meant to mention it the other day when you posted it. I’m glad you are getting some relief from your pain! Is swimming a cardio option for you? I know you said that floating in the lake took the pressure off. Just an idea! I hope you have a great appointment today!
I don’t believe you can ever truly prepare for a baby. My son will turn 1 on August 1st and those first 3 months were very hard. A lot of people call them the 4th trimester and I believe that’s true. I would do whatever you need to do to survive and forget everyone else. My BFF and I had a baby at the same time and she refused to use a pacifier/rock him/put him in a swing, etc. out of fear of him forming a habit. I did all of those things and my 11 month old is a better sleeper than her son and doesn’t need me to help him at all to go to sleep. He weaned himself off his paci during a bad cold this winter. I basically believe it all evens out and you just need to remember that your 18 year old will definitely not need you to rock him to sleep ;). I thought about that a lot after hours of swaying/rocking/bouncing on our exercise ball. You will be great.
Love the green dress/denim shirt look – you are one adorable pregnant lady!! I cannot believe you are so close to meeting your little guy. I feel like you just announced you were pregnant!
Good luck at your appointment today!! You are such a cute pregnant momma.
You look beautiful, Julie! Glad to hear that pain has subsided just a bit…hope that continues for you. Good luck with your appointment today! I have my 28 week appt today and get to drink that lovely juice. 😉
You’re still so tiny and adorable! I feel like when I was 35 weeks I was a HOUSE. Like, a mansion. Glad to hear your pain is decreasing – I had the EXACT same thign, and I think by 36 weeks is was very manageable and only hurt badly after a lot of walking or at the end of the day. Mine started at about 15 weeks, so I feel your pain! Once the babe turned and and again once he “dropped” the pain was SO MUCH more manageable. By my last week or so I was walking A LOT to induce labor and I don’t remember it bothering me too much.
Sending positive thoughts your way for your appointment! Isn’t it funny how difficult it becomes to polish your toenails?? I attempted mine the night before I went into labor and my toes got a good dose of polish along with the nails! 🙂
The nighttime restlessness is not uncommon in pregnancy, and can be due to magnesium deficiencies. I am pregnant with my third and I have found that taking a magnesium citrate supplement daily completely eliminates that restless feeling at night, and is basically a lifesaver for my sleep. I sleep noticeably deeper and more sound if I take it and I notice a difference on days I forget. Nature Made has a good magnesium citrate supplement you can find anywhere. Give it a try!
Bethany, I am NOT pregnant but every month right before my period I get terrible insomnia for 3-4 days. It has slowly gotten worse in my later 30’s. I am going to do this. Thank you for posting this information!
I hope it works for you! 🙂
Definitely looking into this!! Thank you!
I’m sorry to hear you are still in so much pain 🙁
It’s hard to prepare someone for life with a baby. Life definitely does a complete 180 when the baby is born! What I probably found the hardest thing to adjust too is that you can’t really be spontaneous anymore. You have to think about the baby nursing, napping… etc. It takes some getting used to!
You are looking great. Don’t worry too much about measuring a little small. Every body carries the baby differently. I measured a little small (even in ultrasounds) in most my pregnancies, but still have healthy, normal babies every time. I am 25 weeks into pregnancy number 4.
Also, will you give us an update on those pants in the future? Let us know if they were a decent fit and comfort for postpartum, and maybe what size you went for? Thanks!
absolutely! i’m planning to share a post about my hospital bag along with a follow up post about what I did/didn’t use!
Yay! You are getting so close! I remember being SO OVER being pregnant at this point! Good luck at your appointment!
You are just too cute! I feel as if every healthy living blogger is pregnant nowadays, and I can’t help but wonder what it will be like if I ever have kids. Your posts ‘mentally’ prepare me ;).
Fingers crossed for an uneventful appointment! You’re getting so close! (As if you didn’t already know.) Remember to really lean on Ryan about any stress or fears you have–as I’m sure you already are–because he will be your rock through labor, birth, and parenthood!
What an exciting time!! I hope your pain continues to dissipate so you can enjoy these last few weeks before you have a little newborn in your arms!
Sending positive vibes your way for your appointment! I am sure it will all go well, though I do understand your nervousness heading into the appointment. I have been a long time reader of yours for years now (ever since you had the original PB spoon on the side) and it is so wonderful to watch your journey! Makes me look forward to having a baby in the future… Although I would not tell my mother that right now as she always seems to be baby-crazy – just can’t wait!
Thank you so much for following my blog for so long, Holly! I really appreciate it!
I hope you appointment goes well! You look great, and he will be here before you know it! 🙂
Glad your mom will be there to support you guys!! My son would get in these weird positions and my stomach would be hard like a rock. After it happened during an ultrasound, the tech was like oh you’re having a contraction. I gave her the look like “who me?” I always associated contractions with jarring pain – thanks TV and movies!! Best of luck!! You’ll be a great mom and when he’s here, you’ll know exactly what to do!!!
I cannot believe you are already at 35 weeks! It’s crazy how fast this has gone by, at least for me as I read through your blog! I’m sure your’e just ready to meet your sweet boy.
I had horrific insomnia the last month of my pregnancy… felt the same dread that you wrote about before bed, knowing I wouldn’t get a restful night of sleep. The good news is (and this is my experience + many friends), once the baby comes, though you’ll get LESS sleep, it’ll be GOOD sleep! When I sleep now, I sleep hard and soundly, even though it’s fewer hours than before the baby arrived. 🙂
You are so close!!!! I have loved following your pregnancy, and look forward to reading about the arrival of your sweet baby boy!
That “Baby pushing out” feeling sounds exactly like the way I described Braxton-HIcks contractions until I realized they were BH contractions. My whole belly just got hard and tight, and I thought it was the baby pushing it’s back out against my abdomen. I remember the teacher at my birth class asking how many people had been having BH contractions, getting a few hands, explaining how they feel and asking again, and about 3/4 of the class ended up raising their hands. Oops!
I second this! I had that from Week 32 onward!
Omg I love the yasso bars! You sound like your really enjoying being pregnant, even with the setbacks! Love reading your story!
I’m two weeks ahead of you and I was feeling those same pushes and tightness around that time – doc says its Braxton Hicks that causes you to feel super tight and like he’s trying to push through you. Just thought I’d let you in on something I didn’t realize as a first time momma 🙂
I hope your appointment goes smoothly!! I can’t believe you’re almost done with pregnancy, you’re still SOOO small. I feel like if I saw you on the street and didn’t know, I wouldn’t assume you’re pregnant. Get it girl!
You will be SO glad your mom is there to help you after the baby is born! I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted my mom to come stay with us after our son was born in December and it was a decision that kind of stressed me out during my pregnancy. I love my mom and we’re super close, but I thought that right after the baby was born I might want some alone time with just me and my husband and the baby, plus we live in Oregon and my parents live in Michigan so if she came and we wanted space, it’s not like we could tell her to go home for a night. But when the time came, we were SO happy to have my mom stay with us! Newborns eat really frequently and it’s not as easy to just set them down and go take a shower or get some sleep like you can once the baby is older, so having an extra set of hands there to just hold the baby is awesome. My mom ended up extending her ticket to stay with us for an extra week so she was there for the first two weeks of our son’s life…and then she ended up coming back out to stay with us again when he was 6 weeks old because my husband had to travel for work 🙂
Hope you’re appointment went well today! I’m a long time reader of your blog and I’m super excited for you 🙂 As a new first time mom of a little boy I can tell you it’s literally THE BEST THING EVER. Like you don’t even know how much awesomeness you have ahead in the months to come!! Soak up these last few weeks of pregnancy because your little guy will be here before you know it!!
Perhaps your sleep is related to being less active. I know when I am less active I have a lot of trouble sleeping. Hopefully it will pass for you soon and you’re in the homestretch too.
I turned 32 weeks Monday and I’ve just started having the same sleeping issues. I can be EXHAUSTED during the day, to the point I’m falling asleep sitting up, but the moment I lay down I can’t sleep for hours! So frustrating!
It really is so frustrating! I hope you’re able to get some rest soon, Erica!
Hi Julie! You are looking fabulous so your restlessness does not show at all, girl! 🙂 I remember that feeling too during my pregnancy. It was in the last few weeks of my pregnancy and I would fall asleep between 11pm-1am and then wake right up at 4am. This happened every.morning.no.matter.what. You should start writing down what time you fall asleep and wake up. I did that and to my surprise my daughter was born at 4:02am so it was “her” time to shine I guess and she was just preparing me. 🙂 If the magnesium does not help, you could try melatonin. I used it for the last three weeks of pregnancy and it really helped me fall asleep. I would take it about 8pm every night and I was able to fall asleep easier. My sleep didn’t last long but it helped get my eyes closed. There is a lot going through your mind right now and that is normal. I know it’s easier said than done, but try to relax at night the best you can. In a few weeks, you won’t be able to do that and you’ll be awake with a baby. But it’s worth every sleepless night.
Heather
I’m kind of really freaked out about the “I have to birth the baby” part but I’m just like…it ha to be done so I will worry about it then. Love reading your updates and seeing what I have to look forward to as time progresses. I’m 20 weeks today 🙂