Here are my past updates from this pregnancy if youāre just catching up:
- A Miracle On The Way
- The First and Second Trimester (So Far)
- PBF Baby #2: Pregnancy Weeks 20-23
- PBF Baby #2: Pregnancy Weeks 24-27
- PBF Baby #2: Pregnancy Weeks 28-31
- PBF Baby #2: Pregnancy Weeks 32-34
- What Iām Going To Pack In My Hospital Bag
You may also check out all of my weekly pregnancy updates from my first pregnancy on the Pregnancy page of this blog.
And now for my most recent updatesā¦
Baby Updates
(35 Week Baby Bump!)
At 36 weeks baby is as big as a papaya, measuring about 18.7 inches weighing approximately around 5.8 pounds!
As for our baby updates, at my 35 week prenatal appointment, I ended up going in for an unexpected ultrasound because, after measuring ahead my entire pregnancy, all of the sudden I was measuring several weeks behind and I lost weight. Iām not sure what was up but can only assume my lack of weight gain can be attributed to ongoing nausea. (This is the week I also ended up at the doctorās office for intense dizziness coupled with nausea and vomiting that they think may have been caused by minor dehydration.) During the ultrasound, everything looked okay with our baby, though our little one was measuring slightly small which, again, was a change. The doctor did not seem concerned, so I placed my trust and confidence in my doctors and the wonderful baby rolls and kicks Iām feeling every day.
At my 36 week appointment, I was up two pounds and my belly was measuring only a week behind, so I exhaled and felt a little better about the previous weeksā appointment.
Weight Gained
After losing weight in my 35th week of pregnancy, I gained some of it back and I am currently up about 28 pounds.
Workouts
I took a big step back from workouts during the 35th week of this pregnancy. After feeling absolutely awful and struggling with dizziness and nausea at the beginning of the week, I dialed things way back and limited my physical activity to easy walking and a single boot camp workout that I significantly modified at the very end of the week.
At 36 weeks pregnant, my workouts have been slow and steady. Whenever I attend a boot camp workout these days, I see everyone huffing and puffing around me and I have to laugh because Iām truly just there to simply move my body and sometimes feel like Iām just standing around and randomly doing squats or bicep curls or something. Haha! Iāve been taking it really easy but I know thatās where I am in life right now and Iām 100 percent okay with it. Cardio beyond walking doesnāt really exist over here and even when Iām strength training, Iām pausing a lot between reps, modifying many exercises and just doing whatever feels best to me and my body.
Symptoms
(36 weeks + 6 days on Sunday!)
Right now the biggest thing Iām feeling is large and uncomfortable but I know thatās to be expected toward the end of pregnancy. I have a lot of pressure down there at the moment and anytime I go from sitting or lying down to standing, itās awkward, slightly painful (both in my pelvic area and lower back) and takes a lot of effort. Iāve been joking that getting in and out of bed to pee in the night is more challenging than my workouts these days! And speaking of pee, thatās pretty much happening non-stop. I constantly feel like I NEED to go and will rush off to the bathroom only to release a tiny dribble. (Aaand repeat a million times a dayā¦ and night.)
Nausea was high during my 35th week of pregnancy but eased up a bit during my 36th week. It will still surface frequently and kick my butt but itās something Iāve come to expect and when it doesnāt happen, I feel extra grateful and try to take full advantage of the days I feel really good right now.
Iām also easily winded and moving a lot slower these days! Sometimes it feels like I cannot get a full, deep breath for the life of me because everything from my stomach to my lungs just feels so scrunched.
On the bright side, my skin has been incredibly clear almost this entire pregnancy which has been amazing! I struggled with a ton of zits during my pregnancy with Chase ā mainly on my face but also on my upper back ā and have felt really blessed with very clear skin this time around. I hope it lasts after the baby is born but I know hormones can change everything in an instant. For now Iāll just continue to enjoy clear skin and makeup-free livinā!
Oh and Iāve also felt more irritable, impatient and cranky lately. My moods are all over the place, Iām tellinā ya!
Food Aversions
I donāt have many aversions at the moment but cooked veggies and most animal proteins donāt appeal to me very much. By dinnertime most evenings, I feel full and uncomfortable and often just want something like yogurt or, on evenings when Iām hungrier, something comforting like mac and cheese or pasta for dinner almost always sounds good.
Food Cravings
Fruit is a very consistent craving ā especially watermelon, oranges, bananas and berries ā and Iām also loving yogurt and cottage cheese. Bubbly water is my BFF and I want ice cream and chocolate pretty much every single day. I also often feel like I NEED bread right now and will find myself snacking on random slices of Daveās Killer Bread in the kitchen. I think itās my bodyās way of preventing nausea and Iām all about staying ahead of nausea these days.
Sleep
Sleep is hit or miss but the hours of insomnia I was experiencing as little as two weeks ago seem to be limited to a night or two a week which feels a lot more manageable than a few back-to-back nights in a row. There is something about the 3 a.m. hour that kills me though! If I wake up around 3 a.m., I struggle a lot with going back to sleep and will often end up throwing in the towel after becoming incredibly frustrated and reading in bed. Sometimes Iāll luck into falling back asleep but most of the time, I end up reading for an hour or two and then just getting up for the day.
Any Baby/Pregnancy Related Purchases?
I finally bought some things for our little one! Phew!
My focus was primarily on our babyās nursery and I ended up ordering the following pieces of furniture for our babyās room:
- 4-in-1 Convertible Crib (Yep, we bought a second crib! Thanks to your amazing insight we decided to leave Chase in his crib rather than try to do the big boy bed transition before baby so a new crib was necessary.)
- Swivel Glider and Ottoman
- Nightstand
- Himalayan Salt Lamp (I still use this with Chase for prayers before bed and LOVED it for a calming nursing light in the middle of the night. Necessary for baby #2!)
- Craft Cart (to be used either for diapering supplies or books/toys)
The above photo is just a peek into a preview of our little oneās nursery as we still have a handful of things we want to do. And the view from the opposite side of the nursery looks like a disaster zone at the moment. Haha!
As far as other purchases, this is kind of a random one, but I also paid for my placenta encapsulation service. I am planning to do placenta encapsulation again following the birth of our baby since I had such a wonderful experience with it after Chase was born. If youād like to read more about my experience, potential benefits of placenta encapsulation and why I loved it so much you may check out this post: Placenta Encapsulation: Why I Did It, How I Did It and Would I Do It Again
More items I purchased last week: Postpartum care essentials, including Tucks Witch Hazel Pads, a perineal irrigation bottle, Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray and extra heavy pads. I ended up ordering another one of my favorite nursing bras as well.
Annnd I treated myself to my third pair of lululemon align leggings. I canāt stop with them! They make me feel like Iām wearing absolutely nothing and I am all about comfort right now. Plus, everyone assures me they are the best leggings postpartum (and beyond!), too, so I have a feeling Iāll be loving them for a long time.
Belly Button In or Out?
MyĀ belly button is definitely out right now but not overly noticeable through clothing.
Feelingā¦
This is kind of an odd one but Iām beginning to feel a bit of stress and pressure to DO ALL THE THINGS before our baby gets here! The countdown I have in my head leads all the way up to our June 18 due date but then I think about how Chase unexpectedly arrived two weeks early and that means our little one could be here in a WEEK which makes the time crunch seem more pressing!
I think a lot of these feelings have to do with the fact that Iāve admittedly had my guard up for most of this pregnancy and struggled to allow myself to feel all of the excitement and anticipation that I felt with my first pregnancy with Chase so I havenāt done much at all to prepare for this baby. Truthfully, I am still struggling with a bit of anxiety but it now mostly centers around childbirth and and possible complications but Iām trying HARD to remain positive, pray and rest in the belief that everything will be okay. With our due date rapidly approaching, I feel like Iām finally believing our baby will be here ā and SOON ā and my list of things to do before our baby arrives is growing rapidly!
I know Iāll still be able to accomplish things with two kids, but I also know Iāll likely be overwhelmed, so I made myself get a jump start on our babyās nursery, which up until Friday, was a mini storage area. Simply assembling furniture and organizing the nursery a bit made me feel more prepared even though our baby wonāt be in the nursery for months. It just felt good to begin to check something baby-related off my to-do list since I feel like Iāve done a whole lot of nothing beyond random cleaning projects/household organization.
A few more last-minute items on my check list: Pack my hospital bag, hang pictures in the nursery, finish organizing Chaseās big boy bedroom, draft a few blog posts to have ready to share after baby comes, deep clean our house (ugh), get someone to come out and spray for bugs, book a prenatal massage (Ryan gave me a gift card for one for my birthday and I CANNOT wait to use it), buy birthday and Fatherās Day gifts for my dad and a Fatherās Day gift for Ryan (our due date is the day after Fatherās Day), take Chase on a few more fun solo adventures and get Chase a much-needed haircut.
At my 36 week prenatal appointment, my doctor also started mentioning when to call the hospital once I experience contractions which simply felt surreal. Am I already here!? It also made me realize how little I remember about the whole labor/delivery/postpartum period. I remember feelings and emotions and sweeping generalizations but for some reason everything seems a bit fuzzy to me. Ryan said this isnāt necessarily a bad thing since he has much more distinct memories of how much pain I was in when labor began and my contractions were intense and so close together! To be honest, I kind of like forgetting some of that stuff! I just remember so well the feeling of hearing the doctor say, āHe has blonde hair!ā and then meeting Chase and it being the most overwhelmingly incredible moment. Thatās where Iām centering my focus right now and it makes me all weepy every single time.
Although my moods have felt a bit all over the place right now and fluctuate from feeling irritable and cranky to over-the-top excited and happy, the main thing I am feeling ā despite feeing a bit overwhelmed and unprepared ā is ready. Ready to meet our baby. Ready to give our little one so much love. Ready to smell his or her sweet baby smell. Ready for newborn cuddles. Ready to see Ryan as a father to two children. Ready to watch Chase interact with his new brother or sister. Ready to laugh as Sadie ignores the fact that we brought another baby home into her kingdom. Ready for another precious member of our family.We simply cannot wait to meet you, little one!!!
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I have to laugh at your comment that Chase came early so you are rushing to get everything done in case this little one comes early as well. Well – I did the same thing since my first came at 37 weeks and here I am 40+ weeks waiting to be induced Thursday as it appears she is just not coming on her own. I am trying to remain positive and rest now while I can since we know sleep will be a luxury this time next week. Enjoy yourself and try not to count down too much or else time just seems to stop at the end. Or at least for me it did! š
Honestly, I do not think this one will be early but knowing it’s a possibility has me feeling more pressure to get stuff done! Ha! I told Ryan this may be the longest three weeks of our lives! š And Huge congrats to you on your little one! Prayers and best wishes for a healthy baby and delivery!! <3 <3 <3
Yes! It really has been the longest three + weeks as I had anticipated she would be here by now. and thank you! Congrats and best wishes to you as well! Obviously an induction was not part of my birth plan but I am trying to remain positive and give it up to god and know we will make it work with whatever happens.
I had my first son at 37 weeks. And this time around had everything ready by 37 weeks. I had this huge feeling I would be late. BUt still had anxiety we would go early. But our second son came at 40 weeks and 3 days. And let me tell you those 3 days were brutal! Total head game!
Ditto! My first came at 35 (!!), which was pretty stressful, so I was ready to go from like 33 weeks on, since I was at higher risk for another premature birth. Had to be induced at 41 weeks the second time around. Ridiculous.
During the last few weeks of pregnancy, I felt like I was eating allllll the carbs as a form of carbo-loading for labor! Maybe it’s a sign your body is storing up energy to get ready for the big day!! In that respect, I hope you’ll consider letting someone else deep clean your house for you or give yourself permission to let things go undone. You deserve to rest and I promise you’ll have a lifetime to get to those other things (it’s hard for sure but I’m willing to bet you don’t care about dust bunnies in a few weeks!). You know you best, but embrace rest when you can!!
Oh Julie, this post gave me all the feels! I can relate to every thing you said. Even though my last baby was born twenty years ago, I still remember being excited, scared and overwhelmed. Anxiety was through the roof! But then our sweet baby girl was born and everything was just wonderful. She joined her two older sisters and completed our family. Treasure these moment. You have so much to look forward to! Blessings to you and your growing family.
So excited for you! I can’t believe you might only have a week to go!
You’re getting so close! Sending prayers out into the future for the new baby’s arrival, and for your self-care and well-being, and for synchronicity in your favor. I can’t wait to hear about the new addition when they arrive!
Thank you, Kim!! I appreciate your prayers so much!
The prayers will keep comin’! Also, I forgot to add – when I was overwhelmed with some major things a couple years ago, I hired a cleaner (which I had never done) and it was SO rewarding! Recommend it for the deep cleaning you want to do! They get in alllllll the nooks and crannies and will save you time!
I can’t believe your due date is almost here! You look absolutely amazing.
I love the idea of a himalayan salt lamp in the nursery for nighttime feedings – just enough light without being too harsh!
It was a game-changer once I had Chase! The perfect amount of soft light!
Treat yourself and hire someone (or a company) to come clean your house! Sometimes you have to outsource when it comes to taking care of your body and stress level. I think it qualifies as a “Baby/Pregnancy Related Purchase.” Treat yo’ self!
I’m sorry if you’ve posted this someplace else already but where did you get the grey maternity tank in your photos? I’m needing some to add to my rotation! Thanks! š
It’s actually one of my friends that she let me borrow during pregnancy but the brand is Beyond the Bump by Beyond Yoga!
I feel you on the anxiety front!! Every time I get to hear my little baby’s heartbeat my mind calms down – for about a week! Enjoy these last few weeks as a family of 4 and wishing you a healthy and smooth labor and delivery.
What brand are Chase’s shoes? I know you’ve raved about them in the past and my little guy could use a good pair of summer shoes. I’m not a fan of sandals for a 1.5 year old.
Natives! They are SO fantastic! –> http://bit.ly/2JkyuvI We’re on our fourth pair of the same exact shoes because we love them so much and just keep buying the next size up!
Do you get your regular size in the align pants or do you go up a size?
I’m wondering this too! The way you talk about them makes me want a pair for the 2nd half of pregnancy. š
I’m so sorry about the nausea. Sounds so hard.
Pre-pregnancy sizing works well in the pants!! You will LOVE them!
Pre-pregnancy size! I was shocked that pre-pregnancy sizing works, but that’s the advice the woman who worked at lululemon gave me when I went to try them on in-store for the first time and they’ve worked well even through my third trimester!
Hi! Been a follower for years! This is such a random question, but when chase jumps in the water with his puddle jumper – does his head go underwater?! Wanting to buy one fornicate my kiddo, thx!!!
…aaand that is supposed to say āforā my kiddo, not āfornicateā LOL OMG
This made me giggle. Oh auto correct!
LOLLLL to “fornicate” š awesome autocorrect!!
To answer your question, it usually keeps his head out of the water but if his jump is reallllly forceful, water might go over his eyes from time to time, too.
I am dying to get a pair of the align pants, I too am expecting. Would you recommend getting pre-pregnancy size or size up one?
Get your pre-pregnancy size!!! I never would’ve thought my pre-pregnancy size would work (esp through my third trimester) but when I first tried them on in-store, a woman told me that pre-pregnancy sizing typically works well for most women and that the align pants basically have a maternity cult following! Haha!
Getting to the END! I can’t believe you’re almost to the same point you were when Chase came early!! Eeek! And you look amazing, I bet the ‘smallness’ is just from being sick. Or maybe it just means baby is like, “Alright mom, I’m all good now, just chillin’ and waiting to come out!” š Based on your moods, I’d swear you’re having a girl. But I guess we’ll see soon! <3
Eeek you are getting so close!!! So exciting! Ugh the last month of pregnancy is so tough (for me anyways), so tired, can’t sleep well, and getting up from sitting was so uncomfortable. Lol but hopefully not too much longer! And good job on getting workouts in, I feel like doing something is always better than nothing! š
This 78 year old mom of two with 3 grands thinks you should hire someone to deep clean your house. That’s something off your list and won’t cause you any negative physical issues. Just sayin’!
Thank you, Jan!!! I think it’s definitely something I need to look into — just thinking about someone coming to clean our house sounds like a DREAM!
Youāre getting so close! I like to have everything done by 38 weeks because mine all came a bit early as well. I felt like the hospital bag and car seat installation weere the most important thing to do and the rest just got done if it got done ?. If it makes you feel any better I felt like going from 0 to 1 was way harder than going from 1 to 2 kids ?. My oldest would start acting out a bit and that was a reminder to spend some one on one time with him and then all was right with the world again. ?. Youāve got this, Julie! ?
CAR SEAT INSTALLATION!!! Great reminder! Ryan actually ended up doing this in the hospital parking lot last time after we had Chase b/c he came early! Ha!
Officially full term – yay! Question: do you size up for the lulu pants? I want to order some (am currently 26 weeks pregnant) but not sure if my typical size 6 will be good..? Let me know what youād recommend-thanks, mama!
I’m normally a size 6 as well and that’s exactly what I ordered in these pants and they’ve fit perfectly through my second and third trimesters! You will LOVE them!
I think youāre totally having a girl!! The way you describe how youāre feeling, cravings, clear skin, sounds all familiar – I have two girls . Excited to hear what you end up having !