We are in the home stretch now, people!
How is it already time to write this post?! I cannot believe it! Throughout the duration of my entire pregnancy, I kept thinking about how quickly the time was flying by. It felt as if my first two trimesters were over in the blink of an eye. But, now that we have made it to the final countdown, it seems as if time is literally standing still (haha). We are both SO anxious to meet Baby Malone and are beyond ready for this little nugget to make their debut! So much so, that every time we see a family out together in public we turn to each other and say, “Hmm must be nice, will we ever know what that feels like?!” (haha). Of course, we are well aware that this babe will come when they are good and ready, but the excitement is getting REAL over here!
So, with that being said, who’s ready for our third and final bumpdate?!
How’s Baby?
Baby has been doing absolutely wonderful these last few months! He/She is still measuring to be a bit on the small side in terms of their weight. But, we have been assured that they are still perfectly healthy and developmentally right on track. The baby still continues to put on weight each week so because of that, our doctors are not overly concerned.
Baby Malone has also been increasingly active these last few months! He/She is constantly sticking their knees into my ribs and kicking around like crazy. They are even kicking their feet out so much that we can grab their foot on the side of my stomach. It’s pretty wild! It has been SO cool though to see just how much bigger and stronger they have been getting these last few weeks. We definitely have a little athlete on our hands here!
How’s Mama?
I know that many women claim the last trimester of pregnancy is pure torture. From the insane weight gain to the added aches, pains, insomnia, and anxiousness, it’s no wonder most women are beyond ready for their little ones to join the world. However, I think I lucked out in this regard! Personally, I didn’t struggle too much physically until this final month of pregnancy. It definitely helped that my bump has been on the “smaller side” up until these last few weeks, so I was able to stay somewhat mobile and comfortable. However, over these last 4-5 weeks, it felt as if my bump was growing by the hour… as well as those dreaded pregnancy symptoms! Let’s chat about them for a second:
- For starters, what’s with the bloody gums every time I brush my teeth? I look like a UFC fighter!
- It’s safe to say we have arrived at constipation station, and I don’t think we will be going back anytime soon.
- Also slightly embarrassed to admit I get out of breath doing anything…literally anything…like eating. I’m not kidding.
- Oh, the pressure, so much pressure building up!
- Lightning crotch…it’s a real thing, you guys.
- The pregnancy insomnia has also been fun. Sometimes I wake up at like 3:30 in the morning and I’m ready to take on the day!
- Ryan thinks I’m getting increasingly irritable and moody…but what does he know? (haha).
- Also, the pure and utter exhaustion has made a comeback, so that’s been fun.
- It’s incredible how insanely uncomfortable I have become over these last few weeks. I mean, even lying down in bed somehow isn’t even cozy anymore!
- Not to mention, the constant cramping and Braxton Hicks contractions make it even more difficult to get comfortable these days.
- Feelings of pure desperation. MUST.GET.BABY.OUT.
The mental and emotional side of things has been more of a challenge for me personally. I find myself feeling “totally over” being pregnant and just wishing this baby would make an appearance. I am simply tired of being large and unable to fit into any of my clothing, anxious about what labor and delivery will look like, and sick of being super hormonal all of the time. Now that I think about it…I’m sure Ryan is totally sick of me being super hormonal all of the time too (haha).
What I Did
- One of the very first things I did right after we returned from Christmas break was attend a baby/birthing class. We covered pregnancy topics, labor and delivery, the first days home with baby, breastfeeding and bottle feeding, and more! It was awesome to be in such a comprehensive class that covered more than just labor & delivery. Not to mention, all us moms had a chance to “bond” over our pregnancy woes. We’re even in a group text chat now that all of our babies are either here or close to arriving!
- Ryan and I also registered at the hospital I will deliver at. We had a one-on-one meeting where we discussed our birth plan and wishes for how the labor and delivery will go down.
- After attending both of our baby showers while we were home for Christmas, we came back to Germany with loads of baby clothes that were gifted to us from shower guests! I took one weekend to wash, fold, and organize all of the baby clothing and accessories.
- We finished the nursery and put up the final decorations and finishing touches.
- I ordered some postpartum essentials for myself. See what I got here.
- I also took a day to wash and sanitize all of the bottles and pacifiers before organizing them and putting them away.
- Ryan installed our car seat. We have this one here!
- Both Ryan and I packed our hospital bags. Click here to see what we packed for Mom, Dad, and Baby!
- I set aside a weekend to prep some food and make various freezer meals. I thought it would be super helpful to have some food prepped before baby so we didn’t have to worry about cooking dinner those first nights at home together! See what I chose to make, here.
- Ryan and I teamed up and deep cleaned our house. Because no one wants to bring a new baby into a messy home, right?! Or better yet, no one wants to worry about cleaning when you have a newborn baby to snuggle!
- I downloaded a contraction timer to my iPhone.
- Spent lots of quality time with the husband. As excited as Ryan and I are to enter into this new chapter with our little one, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t (a tad) sad that our time “just the two of us” was coming to an end. We made sure to spend lots of time together going on date nights, playing games at home, snuggling on the couch watching Netflix, etc. It’s a time I will never forget!
Favorite Products
- I have continued to live in these leggings and this sweatshirt (haha). It’s safe to say I am quite looking forward to fitting into my normal clothes again!
- I still swear by this Belly Butter! Knock on wood…I have yet to get a single stretch mark! This is a DIY belly cream that I made at home and it works wonders for keeping my skin moisturized, for preventing stretch marks, and increasing my skin’s elasticity. It’s the BOMB!
- As my pregnancy progresses, my desire to do my hair each morning has gotten less and less with each passing day (haha). So, I bought a pack of these headbands so I can still look somewhat “cute” even when my hair isn’t perfect.
- Towards the end, these sneakers here have been the only thing I am comfortable walking in! I have lived in these over the last few weeks!
COVID-19 Thoughts
It’s no surprise that COVID has put quite a damper on everyone’s life over the past month. Whether you’re finding yourself out of work, working from home, canceling a vacation, postponing an event, or any other scenario, it’s safe to say this virus has impacted every single person in one way or another. Being pregnant during this time is a stressor that I, of course, had never anticipated. The way I see it, being pregnant and delivering a baby is stressful enough! Having to do it in a foreign country during a pandemic is a whole other story. Needless to say, both Ryan and I are just trying to take things one day at a time here.
The way things are going, every single day is a new beast. Hosptial policies are constantly changing and in some regions, the Dads are not being permitted into the delivery room for the birth of their babies. UGH…heartbreaking. We have been stalking our hospital’s website and as of right now, Ryan is allowed to accompany me into the delivery room and stay until our baby is born. Hallelujah!
However, following the birth, he has to return home and is not permitted back into the hospital until Baby and I are being discharged. While the situation could be much worse, I do find this to be somewhat unfair to the dads. By not allowing them to visit us, they are missing those first few days of life with their child. In my opinion, this is taking something so special away from them. Needless to say, I am praying for a quick and speedy hospital stay, so Baby and I can quickly return home to Daddy!
In other news, both our families had trips planned and booked to spend some time here in Germany with us and meet their first grandchild. But, with the travel bans already set in place with no end date in sight, all these trips had to be postponed until further notice. Cue all the tears! This has been such a hard pill for me to swallow, as I ALWAYS envisioned my Mom being there with me as I birthed my first baby. Knowing her and my dad won’t be around for the for those sweet newborn moments with our baby is completely heart-shattering. This is a hard reality that I am working to make peace with. We are all looking forward to the moment where we can all be together again and celebrate the newest addition to our family!
But, at the end of the day…
We have to focus on the positives here, right?! Dwelling on “what could have been” doesn’t serve anyone and won’t change the situation. While this birth will not be going as we had all planned, the health and safety of this baby, as well as everyone else is of the utmost importance. On the bright side, having a baby during this quarantine time might not actually be so bad! Both Ryan and I will be home 24/7, so we will have loads of family time during the newborn phase. Many couples or families are not blessed with this amount of time together, so we will definitely be taking advantage of it and soaking up all the kisses and snuggles! This is a hidden blessing that I will be eternally grateful for!
Alright, pandemic baby..let’s do this!
