39/40 Week Pregnancy Vlog by Teresa Palmer
Hey guys!!
Last pregnancy update is here! Just wanted to send my love, appreciation and gratitude to you all for joining me on this journey. You’ve been my cheerleaders, offered advice and support, given beautiful feedback and I really feel like we are succeeding in creating an environment in which we can all connect with each other in a positive and empowering way.
Best wishes to all of you as you journey on your paths whatever they may be.
Sending an abundance of love,
Tez ❤️
What week:
39/40
How big is the baby:
Between 7-9lbs/3.1-4kg, the size of a watermelon!! I was checked by my midwife last Sunday and she said he seems closer to be in the 8lb/3.6kg range. I won’t make any assumptions but Bodhi was 8lb at 38 + 6 and I’m 40 + 2 today so we will see! I’m guessing he will be bigger than 8lbs.
What’s something new this week:
Braxton Hicks non-stop! Also contractions on and off the last couple of days. A storm has arrived today and some folk believe that the change in air pressure can bring on baby, the cramps have definitely been coming more often but still really erratic and not regular the way they typically are during early labor. So probably a few days yet or maybe over a week! The beauty is that nobody knows.
Most challenging moment:
Keeping myself busy has been hard! Now that the house is done we have been just sitting here, playing ball games with Bodhi, lots of Scrabble and Monopoly games with my husband and my Mum. Staying in and eating food, watching shows- it’s actually been pretty blissful but at the back of all of our minds is “When?”. It’s been something I’ve been working on, trusting in each day and letting go of expectations and the overthought of “which day/what’s it going to be like?” It’s been making all the sweet and excited text messages and calls (about 20!) that I’ve been getting “Is he here yet?”, “Anything!?” and “Hurry up! time to come out now!” harder to navigate since I’ve been really letting go of my own similar thoughts and questions. I’m trying not to look at my baby as being “late” because he has the perfect plan of when he is ready to come out and his timing is divine and purposeful.
Most exciting moment:
My doula and bestie Kat coming over and discussing the birth plan. She brought me over vegan meals to freeze and has just been getting so excited with me, I have so much confidence with her by my side and she has made these last couple of weeks so full of anticipation and excitement!
The flannels are all ready, the ice is crushed, the books have been read, his newborn clothes washed and folded, the Solly Baby wraps have been practiced and now we are in full nesting this last week. It’s all been incredibly magical and exciting. What a beautiful time. My favorite is looking at the sparkle in Marks eyes whenever we talk about our baby coming.
*for more on baby carriers, safe babywearing, hip dysplasia, and best practices, check out: https://www.thebabbleout.com/baby/best-baby-carriers/
We have also been doing Christmas prep! We did our tree, Christmas shopping and also went to Santas Wonderland in Adelaide as a sweet just-the-three-of-us treat. It was nice to shower Bodhi in attention, love and excitement especially since things will be shifting a lot in is world soon. I also loved buying Christmas presents for the boys too his week.
Starting weight:
114lbs/52kg
Current weight:
142lbs/64kg (39 weeks) 143lbs/64.5kg (40 weeks). So a grand total of 29lbs/13kg gained this pregnancy! And my finished weight is exactly where I finished with Bodhi. I seemed to gain the most weight this pregnancy in the first 20 weeks and then it slowed down the last 20 weeks. Every mama and pregnancy is different and this is just how mine went this time. Last time I had a slower and more steady weight gain. We will see what it’ll be next time round!! I’m happy to finish in a healthy place.
Exercise:
Walking around our property, scrubbing floors, tons of cleaning, playing with the balls with Bodhi!
Meals:
Breakfast
Pancakes! Banana bread, smashed avocado, apple juice, cacao granola with almond butter and honey.
Lunch
Toasted vegan cheese sandwiches, talas spread from my awesome hubby with baguette, dips, sundried tomato, eggplant, Marks home made pesto dip, heirloom tomato salad with balsamic glaze mmmm.
Snack
Carob Bears, organic sea salt popcorn, dried pineapple, dried pear.
Dinner
Gnocchi with pumpkin, raisins and pine nuts. Pasta with tomatoes, olives and pine nuts, falafel with Turkish bread and dips.
Sweetest Bodhi/Baby moment:
Our little photo shoot that we did with Dada. Bodhi was so excited to do a 40 weeks photo shoot and just kept on kissing me and snuggling with baby. We walked around our property and took some gorgeous pictures, probably among the last ones of me being pregnant with this little man. Bodhi always whispers to me “I love you Mama and I love baby to the moon and stars and back” I cannot believe how sweet, gentle and nurturing he has been these past couple of weeks. It makes me tear up!
Food Aversions:
Nothing this week (apart from the obvious meat!)
Cravings:
All food! Sugar! Pancakes! Treats! Haha pasta and hearty foods have been getting me really excited. As I write this Mark has cooked pancakes and I’m devouring them they’re sooooo good!
Reflections:
What a beautiful journey these past 40 weeks have been. Full of growth, learning, connection and peaks and valleys. We have done so much during this time and to be able to carry life during all of these adventures and watch him grow has been such a magical and blissful time. I’m so moved and emotional thinking that any day now I’ll be meeting my new great love of my life. I could never go back to me Pre-Bodhi time and adequately describe how it feels to love someone so fiercely, passionately and how full my life would feel being his Mummy. I just don’t have the words to explain that feeling and to now be about to embark on that journey again with the double the amount of love, two little boys to do life with is truly overwhelming and I just feel so grateful blessed and whole.