The Sensible Mom

It’s hard to believe I’m 32 weeks along in this pregnancy, but it’s true. I’m 32 weeks, and if the baby doesn’t decide to come early (none of my other 4 children ever have), I’ll be delivering her in just about 6 weeks and 5 days. And let me tell you, because of all the back pain this pregnancy has caused me so early in my third trimester, delivery day can’t come any sooner. I’d love for the next 6 weeks to just fly by so that we can meet our new little girl, and my body can go back to normal.

In the meantime….here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

:: I had a doctor’s appointment last week where I discussed by back pain with my doctor. She suggested physical therapy if I had time. I’ve decided not to go that route just yet but will wait until Tuesday for my next office visit to see if things have improved at all by then. If things continue on this slippery slope as they have for the past week and a half, I’m going to have to find a way to fit physical therapy into my days somewhere.

:: I can no longer keep up with my family at the grocery store, and I’m walking slower and slower by the day.

:: Other than the back pain, the baby seems fine. The doctor easily found her heartbeat at my last appointment, and she’s moving regularly. 🙂

:: Also on the plus side, I don’t have all the swelling in my feet and hands that I’ve had with my other pregnancies. I’m guessing partly because of all the time I spend on my feet these days, walking and standing in order to help the pain in my back.

:: The kids are now doing impressions of the way I walk…..leaning to the side and with my hand on my back. Very funny.

:: I’ve gained a total of 24 lbs. I’m hoping to stay under 30 pounds gained and hoping even more that all of this weight comes off in the first 3 weeks or so after I deliver.

:: I found out that my c-section will be the first one of the day on my scheduled delivery day, so we’ll need to be at the hospital bright and early! I still need to make arrangements for who will watch the 4 older kids while Ruben is with me at the hospital for delivery. Typically, we have the grandparents watch the kids for a few hours until the baby is born, and Ruben can leave to pick them up.

:: I’m hoping the weather stays fair around here for as long as possible so that I don’t have to get any new maternity clothes for the less than 2 months that I have left being pregnant. I’m still wearing my summer maternity clothes (a couple pairs of capris, shorts, and a skirt) and would like to avoid buying maternity pants.

:: David, our 2.5 yr. old, is still in complete denial about the baby.

:: I started packing my bag for the hospital! And I’m planning on trying to enjoy my time there as much as possible – just me and the baby. I also want to soak up as much recovery time as I can before I have to return home. And I won’t lie…..I’m also looking forward to the food! Why? Because the last time I was in the Emergency Room (for something minor earlier in the pregnancy), I was watching “hospital TV” and they had a program on talking about their “room service”. Basically you can order anything you want and as much of it as you want, and they made this perk look so good. Count me in!

:: I’m planning on spending some time this week going through the little girl baby clothes that we have in storage to see what I can use for our new baby girl.

And that’s what I’ve been up to lately with this pregnancy. 🙂