Week 27 Pregnancy VLOG, baby 4 by Teresa Palmer
WHAT WEEK?
27
HOW BIG IS BABY?
14.5 inches
Or the size of a head of lettuce!
WHAT’S SOMETHING NEW THIS WEEK?
Well lots of ups and downs this week. I found out that I may end up going down the path of a home birth! Which is a little exciting but also a little nerve wracking as I haven’t had a successful one yet, my first birth was a home birth transfer, my other two were water births with the group midwifery practice at Flinders.
I’ve really enjoyed birthing in the hospitals birth centre with my midwife for my previous 2 births and sometimes change can feel daunting. The covid protocols at the birth center mean I can only have myself and two other people attend the birth. For this fourth birth I had envisioned the same group of people I had last time my best friends (Kat, Cass and Claire) plus my mum, the kids and of course Mark. This birth I’ve asked Cass’s hubby Stu (Uncle Stu to my kids) to photograph and video it. He too is one of my best friends and I was getting really excited about Poet and the kids being there, my family etc I could see it all in my head. I guess being surrounded by my sisterhood is just the way I like to birth. The only snafu with a home birth is that my house is too far away to birth at home, you need to be within 30 minutes of a major hospital and we are 33 minutes out. So it would mean renting a place near the hospital, birthing there and then heading back to our house once it was done. Ooof I’m so torn, any advice let me know! Ha.
MOST CHALLENGING MOMENT?
I had a ton of work related stress this week, of course Mercury is in retrograde and lasting until June 22nd oh boy! I was saying to Mark yesterday that May has been full of really challenging moments so far but also full of such joy so it feels a little like I’m riding a rollercoaster. From the traumatic dog incident, to losing a job because I’m pregnant, to navigating some emotional issues involving friendships and work, to breaking my toe, to a breakdown in communication with loved ones and then the spanner in the works about where to birth, it’s just been a bit of a shitter!! I notice that when it rains it pours and it’s really up to me to be able to check in with myself and change the narrative I’ve created. Instead of “everything is so hard, I can’t get a break” to “I’m glad I’ve been able to pull through some challenging moments”. Anytime I shift my perspective everything feels easier and it seems as though I draw in more positive experiences. Breakdown to Breakthrough as my husband always says. I know a lot of ya’ll are with me!
MOST EXCITING MOMENT?
My favorite moments of this week have been Isaac’s birthday cook off, seeing friends today from my very first Mums group here in Hollywood, having Marks little bro Guillermo stay with us and spending time washing and folding our new baby’s clothes and putting them away.
STARTING WEIGHT?
116lbs/52kg
CURRENT WEIGHT?
139lbs/63kg so a gain of 23lbs so far and still 12 weeks to go!
MEALS?
Avocado toast, banana breads, green juice, Lovewell every morning (frozen banana, almond butter, oat milk and cinnamon) spinach artichoke dip and so much pasta for Isaac’s birthday cook off!!
REFLECTIONS?
It’s been a good time to try and calm the inner thoughts this week. The committee up there is going strong! Mark has been absolutely beautiful to me, such a rock and my safe place to land in all the big emotions. Sometimes if I’m feeling like there’s been some hard moments I treat myself the way I would the kids; gentle, compassionate and tender. I’ve self soothed this week by lying in bed after the kids are asleep and letting Mark give me a head massage and just enjoying his love. He really is my best friend and he’s just such an incredible person to chat things out with. I feel so held by him all the time and he’s really showed up for me by tending to my love languages (mine are acts of service and quality time!) he’s helped clean so much and prep food when I’ve had friends over and I’m trying to mega host (I always get too ambitious and he always shows up for that too). This morning he sat with me and pulled meditation cards at the little sacred corner we’ve set up in our room (thanks Pthwork) we sat together and talked through which ones I pulled and maybe why I was drawn to those ones this week. He’s just been wonderful at nurturing me and even if sometimes I resist help from anyone, I have to say leaning in to it has been so beautiful this week and I’m utterly grateful to him.