But for now, here’s a glimpse back into last week’s 36 week pregnancy recap!
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 weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long… About the size of a head of romaine lettuce.
Weight Gained
At my 36-week appointment, I was up 24 pounds.
Workouts
Workouts this week remained lighter. I biked at the gym most days and incorporated some strength training, barre work and bodyweight exercises into my routine as well as one pool workout at the end of the week!
There’s something about diving into a pool that makes me so happy. Working out in the pool is nostalgic for me – I was a diver and played water polo in high school and lifeguarded in the summer – and it felt so good to swim laps and take myself through a quality cardio workout that was totally pain-free!
Symptoms
Though my sacroiliac pain seems to be lessening, I am still experiencing some lower back/hip pain that occurs mostly when I walk. I am happy to report that I’m able to walk about a mile now (oh happy day!) before the pain bothers me too much and I have to stop.
Sleep sucks right now. (More on this below.)
I feel like I’m eating a lot and my appetite seems normal, but no food (other than fruit) seems to really call to me right now. I know this is an odd thing to miss, but a lot of my favorite foods have lost their luster and that kind of bums me out! When I find myself feeling hungry, I will end up standing in front of the pantry or fridge waiting for something to call to me and nothing ever does. It’s not super fun and I end up just grabbing something easy or bland to satisfy myself. (For some reason nighttime oatmeal after dinner has been my jam lately.) Whenever Ryan asks me what I want for dinner, I’m no help at all, because I just reply “watermelon” and have no real suggestions or strong cravings these days. Fruit and sandwiches on repeat – all day every day!
Food Aversions
Nothing!
Food Cravings
Fruit, bubblegum (<—kind of a weird one, right!?), sandwiches, eggs, oatmeal
Sleep
The other morning, I jokingly said to Ryan, “I can’t wait for our baby to get here so I can finally sleep again.” Ha! I know that is a pipe dream, but right now my sleep has been horrific. I can usually make myself fall asleep at night fairly easily (reading before bed is the best way for me to make myself sleepy!) but then I wake up a billion times a night for one of two reasons: 1.) I have to pee. 2.) My stomach and boobs are itching like crazy! Perhaps my skin is streeeetching this week or something, but oh my gosh, the itching is miserable! I apply belly butter to my body in the middle of the night which does seem to help a bit, but I definitely won’t be mad when the itching decides to go away.
Looking Forward To…
Our Preparing to Parent a Baby class! We’re going to the class the day before I hit 38 weeks pregnant… Better late than never, right!?
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
I’m continuing to work on filling my hospital bag and bought a ridiculously soft sleep shirt to wear post-delivery. I wanted something lightweight with buttons down the front for nursing purposes and think I found a winner! A lot of the button-down sleeps shirts I found were oddly expensive, so I was pleased to stumble upon one at Nordstrom Rack for around $30 that feels so incredibly soft. (I bought the navy and white striped one.) I actually bought a matching robe because I loved the material so much, but I’m not sure whether a terry cloth robe I have will work out okay for the hospital (I’m concerned it may be too heavy?), so we’ll see if it actually makes it into my hospital bag or gets returned in the end…
Aaand because I’m crazy, I already ordered our baby’s Christmas stocking! I figured prices would only go up as we get closer to the holidays and I found a good deal on Pottery Barn for a $13 stocking that I think will coordinate well with the stockings Ryan and I already have – and yes, I paid an extra $9 to have it embroidered with our baby boy’s name. (Let’s hope we don’t change our minds on that one once he’s born!)
Belly Button In Or Out?
Out! But still not overly noticeable through clothing.
Feeling…
A bit impatient! For a while there I felt like things were trucking along smoothly and I wasn’t overly preoccupied by thoughts about childbirth and when our baby would come and then, after our childbirth prep class, it’s consuming my mind! Of course I want our little guy to come when he’s ready and continue growing healthy and strong, but with each day that passes, I definitely feel myself becoming and more restless and ready to get this show on the road!
I’ve heard and read about so many birth stories when babies come at 37, 38 and 39 weeks and others when babies don’t come for a week (or more!) after their due date, so I cannot help but wonder where we will fall on the spectrum.
I’m also feeling bigger and bigger each day. I know this is probably a weird way to feel, but sometimes I feel like my stomach is the least-pregnant looking part of me. I seriously feel like I’m pregnant in my arms, thighs and face right now! Everything just feels softer. The baby is taking over my whole boooody.
Any Movement?
Yes! Lots of rolling movements that are so fun to watch and feel! It’s still so wild to me to look down at my belly and follow our little boy’s movements as they seem to travel across my stomach. I think I’m really going to miss feeling him move inside my belly when I’m no longer pregnant, so I am finding myself pausing to really watch, feel and enjoy them more and more!
Any Fun Stories?
I think we finally have a middle name picked out! We’ve had a first name for months now (I’m not planning to share it publicly until after he is born) and have been struggling with a middle name for a while. Our baby’s middle name has become a bit of a joke between me and Ryan – we’ve laughed about everything from just the letter “O” – as in Baby O’Fagan – to ridiculous celebrity names like Baby David Guetta Fagan. We actually said that after he’s born, when the hospital goes to write his name on the whiteboard outside of the delivery room, we want them to write Baby David Guetta Fagan because it cracks us up.
Ryan and I have also talked about what music I’ll want to listen to when I’m in labor. I’ve always been really into music and know the impact is has on my mind and body (music truly has the power to motivate me and change my mood) and when I’ve read about the music other moms have listened to in the delivery room, I am worried my doctor and nurses are in for a real treat with me. I’m not really into the calming stuff and think we may be pushing a baby out to Dubstep/EDM… Maybe the calming music will be preferred during contractions/when I am trying to get myself to relax? I do love Enya…
Random question for the mamas: If you used music to help distract/calm/motivate you during labor, what music did you listen to? I’m oddly curious!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I was having contractions four days before baby came and couldn’t sleep because of them. I was so sleep deprived by the time I finally gave birth, I have gaps in my memory. One of our friends came to visit us and I didn’t remember at all. Do everything you can to try and sleep and stay hydrated to keep those contractions under control
You are such a beautiful mama-to-be! I can’t wait to see the post about your baby boy’s arrival 🙂 I didn’t listen to music during labor, but then again my daughter was born at 34 weeks so it was kind of hectic (she’s fine!) All I could concentrate on was the labor itself so I don’t think I would have noticed music, in fact I think it might have bugged me. I know it’s so different for everyone though so you might love it! As for the robe, I used a thick one in the hospital bc it was actually kind of cold in there. And also if this makes you feel better, ALL of the awful pregnancy symptoms I was having – ferocious heartburn and serious swelling were the worst ones for me – disappeared pretty much instantly after I had my baby. Hang in there, just a few more weeks!!
I was 2 weeks late with my baby… he is 21 weeks today. But I was ready for him to come at 37, I was so anxious! When I was having contractions I listened to Mumford &Sons and that type of music. But when it was time to push, I definitely had Pitbull blasting. The nurses and midwife were all laughing and dancing a little while they waited for the baby to arrive.
I don’t have any experience with an itchy pregnancy belly, but I do have eczema and what really helps me is aloe Vera and almond oil. I just mix the two in my hands and apply it. The aloe helps with the itch and the almond oil helps to restore the moisture so you might be good with just trying the aloe. Hope this helps!
I had also put a lot of thought into a labor playlist…My son was born Dec 28th so I had planned a Christmas related playlist, but during labor I could have cared less what was playing in the room. Contractions completely took over my body and I was so focused I wouldn’t have known whether music was playing or not. But it will put your mind at ease to be prepared, so you should definitely have one made, even if you don’t end up using it!
This sounds very much like an orthepedic surgeon I used to work with haha. Makes me lol!
We listened to the Dirty Heads album on the way to the hospital, it’s kind of like Sublime. They have a song with lyrics “stand tall, it gets a little better” that ended up being our anthem during the newborn nights 😛
Looking beautiful julie!! I hope you can get some rest! I think the stocking is ADORABLE! I love that you got it embroidered already 🙂
Enya gives me the creeps for some reason…always has. 🙂 I think you should find the playlist from your MP3 player from 2005….that should do the trick 😉 Or Christmas music!
The fire alarm could have been going off during both my births and I would not have heard/cared/paid attention because I was so focused and excited to meet the baby. Don’t stress over music I say just go in with an open mind and enjoy and remember the amazing experience. My husband and I love the bond we have from going through it together.
I think I sleep better with an 8 week old than I did pregnant, because I am getting up three times a night for him as opposed to 18 times a night to pee!!
Listen to whatever you would listen do during an intense workout! Pushing is a workout! I listened to Alestorm, which is Scottish pirate metal. Things weren’t really progressing until I did. You look great! At 36 weeks my stomach was massive. I found sleeping more comfortable after giving birth, even though I didn’t sleep more. Some people are lucky and get babies that sleep a lot, I did not haha. Doesn’t matter though, I love him more than anything 🙂
Oh geez. I think there could have been a death metal concert going on in the room with me and I wouldn’t have even noticed.
You are glowing! You look great, sorry to hear about the lack of sleep though 🙁 I can’t imagine how frustrating that is. On the bright side, at least you’re getting some good reading time in ;), I hear that goes away after baby.
You look so great! I feel like the 9 months flew by!
what does food “calling to you” mean? Does that just mean a craving? I have never heard that phrase before.
“calling to me” would basically just be like certain foods really appealing to me!
You might want to google cholestasis in pregnancy. You don’t mention the itchy hands/feet, but you do mention a lot of the other symptoms. Unlikely you have a problem, but worth checking out and mentioning your symptoms to your doc.
Hey Julie:
You probably already talked to your doctor, but if you’re having intense itching, it might be cholestasis. You can Google it…it causes no harm to the mother, but could potentially cause them to want to induce you. Or, it could just be normal skin stretching. I don’t mean to scare you, but my friend had it and had to be induced, which is the only reason it’s on my radar.
Hope all is well with baby! I am a long time reader and I am 12 weeks pregnant myself. Going back through your pregnancy posts has been awesome!
Thank you for the info!! And big congrats to you!
I had a couple of different playlists ready to go for labor. I made one with songs that just made me happy/upbeat that I new I wouldn’t be sick of and one with NO WORDS. I super recommend that. There was part of my labor where I was so annoyed with everything, that I didn’t want to hear ANYONE saying ANYTHING. hahaha! I was so glad I had that list to pop over, calm myself a bit, and then switch it up when I got bored.
I vote make a few playlists – you never know what you might be in the mood for when labor starts! Just having the Spotify app would have been amazing (sadly wasn’t around when I had my little lady), because then you could listen to any album/artist!
Good luck!
ps – fun little side story: I had James Taylor songs on one of my lists (his voice is so calming to me and brings back a lot of happy memories from my parents) and my midwife said, “someday I’d like to meet James Taylor and tell him how many babies have been born to his music!” I guess it’s a popular choice! 😀
That’s so cool about James Taylor! One of my BFFs had his music on her playlist when she delivered, too!
You look amazing! Oh man I was sooo itchy at the end too. I didn’t know what to do! I didn’t listen to much music during labor but my husband did put on relaxing music at one point when I got in the tub to try to relax. I am drawing a complete blank on what it was though – clearly my mind was elsewhere haha!
My husband and I had the same conversation about music before our baby was born in April! I’m a runner and love running to rap music so I thought that would motivate me, but on the day we actually just listen to Jack Johnson Pandora station. We waited to find out the gender and the song my girl by Otis Redding came on in during pushing and I
shouted out maybe this means it’s a girl. Sure enough it was!
That’s really cool!
I love your cute bump! You are getting so close 🙂
Your bump is SO cute! I listened to the Mumford and Sons’ albums since they had just come out when I was pregnant with my daughter in 2010 and son in 2013. Actually, we only listened to them in the car on the way over since both my babies were born within 2 hours of arriving at the hospital. Good luck, you’ll do awesome! Remember, women have been doing this for tens of thousands of years. It also helped me during my labor to recognize that with each contraction the baby was moving farther and farther down, and I was that much closer to being able to push and meet my little one. It really helped! It feels so much better once you get to start pushing, like HUGE relief.
My friend Michaela said the same thing to me last week about picturing the baby moving down a bit with each contraction. I love that!
My tummy was super super itchy when I was pregnant with my oldest son. I was borderline going insane at bedtime. I found oatmeal baths helped a bit.
I didn’t have music during my deliveries (c sections) but found the importance of it while I was in labor driving to the hospital. I liked anything where I knew the lyrics and could focus on the songs words during strong contractions. Oddly the song that helped the most was the “thong song”. That song will now former remind me of being in labor with my son. Hehe. I think whatever works for you – go for it. If it’s a little off the beaten path from what the other moms pick they’ll probably like it even more 😉
I’d try to include some relaxing stuff and maybe something to get you energized again or makes you feel like you can conquer the world 🙂
LOL! I’m not gonna lie… “The Thong Song” always makes me laugh, too!
Bon Iver helped me SO much during my painful contractions!
Your bump is looking super cute! We actually used our pandora stations for labor. Some of the ‘relaxation’ station, some Taylor Swift, some rock/upbeat stuff. We were also using it at one point when they said baby kept falling asleep and they wanted his heart rate to be increasing with the contractions. I had an epidural after 10 hrs of labor so just had to lay there trying to get the baby to be a bit more active. Luckily, it worked (along with talking to and rubbing the belly). Good luck!
I think Pandora will be my go-to as well! I feel like I’ll be too indecisive to stick to a certain style/playlist and want to jump around!
I love the idea of dub step/EDM :), though I also kind of think you need some acapella love in there, Straight No Chaser/Pitch Perfect? I bet he’ll come out rocking :). Good luck with the last few weeks!!
I only used music with my youngest and I really regretted not having it the first time — labor is hard, and if you don’t have something to distract you it can let bad thoughts take over and make things worse. The second time I just asked my husband to make whatever playlist he thought would help and I left it to him. I barely remember which songs were played, but I remember being able to focus on the music instead of the pain and it really helped me breathe through the contractions. I think it was mostly soft though, I vaguely remember some Jason Mraz and Joshua Radin playing. I would bring a variety and then leave the hubby in charge of it so it’s one less thing for you to think about.
I cannot believe how close you are! I’m over here in Los Angeles thinking of you and excited for your family to grow! I love that you are going to utilize music throughout your labor. The baby will enter the world with a taste for good tunes! 🙂
Love the idea of labor music! “Welcome” by Hey Rosetta is a beautiful song about a baby being born – perfect for the arrival of a little one!
When I was near the end of pregnancy, I had horrrrrrrrrrrrrible back pain that popped up every night while I was “sleeping”. For the last couple of weeks, I took warm baths at like 2 in the morning every night/morning! They helped a ton- maybe something to help you before you go to bed— or, something to do during those middle of the night wakings 🙂 It was nice to relax in the tub when the rest of the world was asleep.
As for the itching, I used almond oil from LOccitane that seemed to do the trick!
Aaaand I totally just went and bought that stocking for our baby girl due in November — hoping we don’t change our mind on her name! My husband and I already have 2 PB stockings with our names on them, 🙂 I have been following your blog for the past 5 years (?!) and was SO excited when you announced your news earlier this year. I remember thinking “omg I kind of have baby fever, maybe I’m ready to have a baby?”… little did I know, I was actually pregnant and found out a couple weeks later! I’m about a trimester behind you but it’s been so fun to follow along with you and your journey and I wish you and Ryan (and Sadie!) all the best in this next chapter of your lives. I’m sure you will be an amazing mama! All the best 🙂
so i thought i wanted music – made a playlist, etc. im in my 7th hour of contractions, on pitocin (no breaks after each contraction) and no epidural – because i was unable to have one….my husband turns on the music because i asked him to. i immediately tell him to turn it off. all sounds drove me crazy during labor!! you just never know!
I hope you share your labor playlist!
We turned on the “relaxation” channel on the TV at our hospital when I was in labor (you delivered in the same room you were staying in at that hospital). It had very soothing music, picturesque scenes, and very soothing music. I wound up having to have an unplanned C-section, though, and the doctor put on the local pop radio station. A few days after the birth, when the song “Sugar” by Maroon 5 came on in the car, my husband said to me “that’s the song that was playing when our baby was born! This is her song!” I’m so glad he remembered, because I had NO idea what was playing once the procedure started!
I didn’t listen to music during my delivery with my daughter but man I wish I did after reading your post. Music does motivate me and I’m sure it will definitely help when you are in the delivery room with your baby!!
Im sorry its taken me a while to catch up. I had itchy belly too and calamine lotion was the key. Smear it all over belly before bed and sleep soundly. It saved me!x
I feel like Push It – Salt n Peppa is quite appropriate..
People’s answers are so funny – I thought more people would have certain things they’d listened to! I didn’t make a labor playlist, but while I was in labor with my youngest, my husband put on the Indigo Girls and that was somehow the perfect thing. Then with my second I put on Dry the River and that was really great baby-having music, too. Whenever I listen to either of those albums it takes me right back to those nights.
I had both of them at home, so I don’t know if I would have wanted it the same way in the hospital. But they definitely helped get into a labor groove somehow. Also, the things that I thought would be really good labor positions beforehand weren’t what worked for me. I practiced squatting so much before labor and then when it happened, I didn’t want to squat at all – I just spent almost the whole time standing and leaning over the back of a swiveling chair rocking back and forth through the contractions.
Definitely try not to go to the hospital too soon! The longer you can stay at home and relax, the better. Good luck!
I bought those same stockings for my husband and myself! Thanks for the heads up about the sale! We just bought our first home, and I’m excited to have nice Christmas stockings this year instead of the $5.00 ones I bought in graduate school.
I relate to you because I am almost 29 weeks, and I have a smell belly — People often joke about whether or not I’m pregnant. I have only gained 11-13 ish pounds and I am SO SO active with working out—
so I get worried- but my OB says there’s more to look at than weight- and that my uterus was measuring perfectly back at 24 weeks– did your doc ever say your lower weight gain and smaller baby contributed to the peanut BEAUTIFUL baby you had??
CONGRATS! he’s GORGEOUS (I’m also having a boy!
So what did you end up packing in your hospital bag? I have researched different lists out there (thanks Pinterest) and there is just so much variety. I’m afraid I will forget a necessity item or just not have enough stuff. I’m due Dec 16th – but they expect him here early! 🙂 You might have already touched on this in one of your posts….sorry in advance if you did!