How I'm feeling: I'd say I'm feeling pretty good still, although some days are harder than others. As I said last week, I get tired if I have a particularly active or long day, but on my average day I feel pretty good! Sleeping is kind of a big pain now, just because it's hard to get comfortable, and rolling over is not exactly the easiest thing in the world. I have also officially stopped wearing my wedding rings. I can still fit my engagement ring, it's just a little snug, and if I am pretty active or in a hot room, and my fingers swell at all, then it's kind of scary how stuck it gets, so I thought it better to play it safe and store it in my jewelry box. I currently am wearing an opal ring I got when I graduated from high school (I think that's when I got it), and it fits very well. I don't have any swelling anywhere else in my body, so that's a plus! I also haven't experienced any leg cramps, which I have heard are pretty common, so I am considering myself very lucky. And also... no stretch marks on my ever-growing belly! Woohoo!
What baby is doing these days: Moving/ trying to escape. She is definitely cramped in there, and so I feel fewer big kicks, and more whole body rolls. The amount of movement hasn't changed, she's still super active and squirmy, it just feels different as she grows and gets more squished in there. Sometimes it feels like she is literally pushing straight out on my belly to try and make more room for herself. By now, baby is about 5 pounds, and may be about 19 inches long? Of course these are all just rough estimates, so who knows. But I feel like I am growing a lot each week, so I'm going to hope she is growing a lot each week as well (although I'm really hoping to NOT have a 9 pound baby!!).
Weight gain this week: 1.5 pounds
Total weight gain: 19.5 pounds
Hospital tour: Yesterday Mark and I went on a tour of Wellington Hospital, where we will be giving birth. I had never actually set foot in the hospital before, so the tour was very useful for us (even though we had to pay $20 for it). And we found out some really important info that I would not want to find out on the day of. For example, after a certain hour (I think 8pm) the elevators no longer go up to the delivery ward, you need to call an orderly to take you up there (security reasons I guess). Also, the hospital really does not supply anything for you... as in, you need to bring all baby's diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, as well as all your own stuff for post delivery. Good to know. But I must say, I was quite impressed with the facilities, especially after all the bad things I've heard. The delivery suites are pretty big, and each have their own bed (duh), birth tub, bathroom, couch/lazy boy for the support person, as well as all kinds of things for labor (birthing ball, bean bags, birthing stool). And there is only one person per delivery suite, and while we were there apparently there were 4 or 5 ladies there in labor, and we barely heard a peep! The rooms are pretty sound proof, so you don't really hear other women giving birth.
So anyway, once the baby is born, she will stay with us in the room at all times (unless there is some kind of problem). They do not have a nursery, all healthy babies stay with their moms at all times. Then a few hours later, after a shower and a meal, we move from the delivery suite to the postnatal ward, where it's either one or two moms/babies to a room. Mark is NOT allowed to stay there overnight with us, and he has to leave by 8pm (when the ward is closed to visitors, including husbands). Boo. I think that's all the pertinent information. Basically, I am now going to need to pack a hospital suitcase rather than just a hospital bag, since I have to bring so much extra stuff, but oh well. Overall I'm quite pleased with Wellington Hospital's facilities!!
What else have people been asking me... Oh yes, I have 3 more weeks of work until I am officially retired. Haha. So yes, I will be working up to just after 37 weeks. The cool thing is, I have enough vacation days saved up that I will still be getting paid up until my due date, and then for the next 14 weeks I will be getting paid parental leave, so I will still be getting income until October! Aahhh the perks of having a baby in New Zealand. And our last birth class is this upcoming weekend, so after that supposedly we are all prepared to have a baby!
What baby is doing these days: Moving/ trying to escape. She is definitely cramped in there, and so I feel fewer big kicks, and more whole body rolls. The amount of movement hasn't changed, she's still super active and squirmy, it just feels different as she grows and gets more squished in there. Sometimes it feels like she is literally pushing straight out on my belly to try and make more room for herself. By now, baby is about 5 pounds, and may be about 19 inches long? Of course these are all just rough estimates, so who knows. But I feel like I am growing a lot each week, so I'm going to hope she is growing a lot each week as well (although I'm really hoping to NOT have a 9 pound baby!!).
Weight gain this week: 1.5 pounds
Total weight gain: 19.5 pounds
Hospital tour: Yesterday Mark and I went on a tour of Wellington Hospital, where we will be giving birth. I had never actually set foot in the hospital before, so the tour was very useful for us (even though we had to pay $20 for it). And we found out some really important info that I would not want to find out on the day of. For example, after a certain hour (I think 8pm) the elevators no longer go up to the delivery ward, you need to call an orderly to take you up there (security reasons I guess). Also, the hospital really does not supply anything for you... as in, you need to bring all baby's diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, as well as all your own stuff for post delivery. Good to know. But I must say, I was quite impressed with the facilities, especially after all the bad things I've heard. The delivery suites are pretty big, and each have their own bed (duh), birth tub, bathroom, couch/lazy boy for the support person, as well as all kinds of things for labor (birthing ball, bean bags, birthing stool). And there is only one person per delivery suite, and while we were there apparently there were 4 or 5 ladies there in labor, and we barely heard a peep! The rooms are pretty sound proof, so you don't really hear other women giving birth.
So anyway, once the baby is born, she will stay with us in the room at all times (unless there is some kind of problem). They do not have a nursery, all healthy babies stay with their moms at all times. Then a few hours later, after a shower and a meal, we move from the delivery suite to the postnatal ward, where it's either one or two moms/babies to a room. Mark is NOT allowed to stay there overnight with us, and he has to leave by 8pm (when the ward is closed to visitors, including husbands). Boo. I think that's all the pertinent information. Basically, I am now going to need to pack a hospital suitcase rather than just a hospital bag, since I have to bring so much extra stuff, but oh well. Overall I'm quite pleased with Wellington Hospital's facilities!!
What else have people been asking me... Oh yes, I have 3 more weeks of work until I am officially retired. Haha. So yes, I will be working up to just after 37 weeks. The cool thing is, I have enough vacation days saved up that I will still be getting paid up until my due date, and then for the next 14 weeks I will be getting paid parental leave, so I will still be getting income until October! Aahhh the perks of having a baby in New Zealand. And our last birth class is this upcoming weekend, so after that supposedly we are all prepared to have a baby!
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