Mommy Mondays: 38 weeks

Last night I was lying with Thatboy on the couch watching a movie.  "Is that you or the baby?" he asked me.  Confused, I asked what he meant.  "Is the baby moving a ton right now?"  Yup.  It's the new normal so much so that I can phase it out a bit.  Especially since the movements have become less violent - a product of the fact there's less room to move around in there.

Both my kids have been big movers on the inside.  And frankly, Thatkid rarely stops moving on the outside too, so I'm sure to have my hands full with two.  What's interesting is that the movement has differed between the pregnancies.

Most women don't start feeling movement until around 16-20 weeks, with 16 being on the early side.  With an anterior placenta, the movement isn't felt until later because the placenta between the baby and the uterus wall in front blocks out the movement until it becomes bigger/stronger.  With Thatkid, I first felt movement around 16 weeks.  Nothing major, it felt like holding a goldfish - inside.  Which is weird, because I discovered earlier this year that I had an anterior placenta with him.  Apparently it wasn't anything they mentioned at my appointments back then.  His movements quickly became constant and consistent, but generally mild, which in retrospect I attribute to that anterior placenta.  Thatboy wasn't able to feel movement until around 25 weeks.  We also didn't see much movement, usually just a body part pushing out, like a butt, head, or foot.

This time around I've got a posterior placenta, so maybe that's the difference?  Although I felt movement later, not until around 18 weeks.  And instead of a fish, it felt like someone blowing bubbles.  Oppo-baby is still constant and consistent with movement, but until recently I would hardly call them mild.  I have a definite bruise on the inside of my abdomen below my sternum from the constant jabbing there.  And I've lost my breath to a kick more than once.  Not only has Thatboy been able to feel the movement earlier, we've both been seeing it since around 24 weeks.  SEEING it.  This kid moves like crazy back and forth and we've taken some fun videos of the crazy waves that causes my stomach.

Movement hasn't slowed down as I've gotten farther along, but I'm thankful it's starting to get calmer.  It makes it easier to relax, get work done, or even sleep.  And I can go back to being excited about it, instead of annoyed by it!

Total weight gain/loss: +26

Next Appointment: Friday
Maternity clothes? Yup.
Stretch marks: Yup
Sleep: This is the weird thing. I've been getting plenty of sleep, but still had two days where it felt like I'd been drugged in terms of being so very ridiculously drowsy.  Like I was almost unable to keep my eyes open.

Best moment this week:  Potentially having contractions?  I'm excited to get this show on the road.

Movement: Yup.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But basically it's flat.
What I miss: Not taking 15 minutes to get up from seated.

What I am looking forward to: At this point I'm just eagerly anticipating the arrival of the baby.

Contractions: I think?  On Saturday at lunch I realized I was getting cramps with intensity peaks.  They were lasting a minute and coming every 3 minutes.  This continued on for most of the day.  Not painful, just uncomfortable. 

Milestones: 

-Baby's eyes are almost adult size
- Baby now has regular, rhythmic breathing -the same as at birth
- Eye movements (REM/rest) have matured