36 Weeks

What to say about week 36? Well, first of all -- I'm absolutely thrilled to be nearing the finish. I'm not quite sure if it's the beginning or end of the 37th week when I'll be considered term. Either way, we're getting close.

And I'm definitely feeling AND LOOKING 9 months pregnant.

I find it hilarious how I felt I was growing out of all my clothes at week 26. Because now I SERIOUSLY am having trouble finding anything -- at all -- to wear. Thankfully, I only have two full weeks of work left before I start leave.

Then, I plan to lounge around in PJs all day.


We're crossing off items from our to-do list, but it's getting harder and harder to find the energy. This weekend, for example, we did the following . . .

• Prepped the cloth diapers and the rest of the 0-3 month clothes
• (And with them did a total of 11 loads of laundry!)
• Deep cleaned the kitchen, living room, and family room
• (No, really. I was on hands and knees wiping dust out of every crevice for hours!)
• Nearly finished the nursery
• (By hanging a mural and making some book slings.)
• Finished moving around our bedroom to accommodate the pack 'n play/etc.
• (It's a disaster -- we had to push our bed to one wall to make it fit!)
• Ran a variety of errands
• (Also went grocery shopping and prepped lunches for the week.)

Oh, yeah. And on Saturday, I also did some growing. I'm not being overly dramatic, but I honestly think I grew several inches that day. Also: I was ravenous. Couldn't get enough to eat!


The belt to our treadmill is somewhat loose, so we need to get a tool to tighten it up again. So, for the last week, I tried taking my runs outdoors. Thing is, a slow pace is harder to keep when I'm outside. In fact, Stephen ran an "easy" mile with me at the end of a 3-mile run . . . that ended up being at 9:30 pace (much, much, much faster than I've been doing barefoot & indoors these past couple weeks -- which surprised me tremendously). Cardiovascular-ly it felt just fine . . . but the extra pounding on the pavement did a number on my joints. Ick. Not worth it.

I ran another solo run later in the week where I tried going more slowly -- only to come home to TONS of braxton hicks contractions. Going slow on sidewalks is even more jarring on the belly. I don't get the BH when I run on our treadmill, which has great shock absorption. Verdict? I'm done running outside. It doesn't feel good. Hoping we can get our treadmill working again soon. In the meantime, I've been doing a bit of walk/jogging in a mile loop around our house -- totaling around 40-45 minutes (about 3 miles).


Can you say lopsided? You can definitely tell where Baby A likes to hang out in my uterus. She's been there for weeks. Now that she's big, it's ridiculous!

My next appointment is on Thursday where I'll get another ultrasound. Besides being pretty uncomfortable (back aches when I sit or stand for too long), some increasing insomnia (for the past week, I've had a lot of trouble staying asleep -- including last night, so it's going to be a lllong day!), and h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e heart burn (that stops me in my tracks, at times), I'm doing alright. Hoping we have fewer than four weeks left, but I guess we'll see what she wants to do.

Either way, we don't want her to come before November 8th. My midwife is on vacation until then. Yikes! Be kind to us, Baby A! Love, mom and dad.

NEED TO CATCH UP?

35 Weeks: Return of the First Trimester?
34 Weeks
33 Weeks By The Numbers
32 Weeks: Maternity Shots
31-Week Belly Shots
31-Week Video Post
Almost 30 Weeks!
28 Weeks
27 Weeks: The Third Trimester
26 Weeks and My Ever-Dwindling Wardrobe
25 Weeks and Running
25 Weeks
23-Almost-24 Weeks
22 Weeks: I Gave In
21 Weeks & Nursery Progress
20 Down, 20 More/Less To Go
19 Weeks and Babymoon
Week 18 -- It's a GIRL!
17-Week Video Post
17 Weeks and Preggo Brain
16-Week Belly Shots
15-Week Video Post
15 Weeks and Counting . . .
14-Week Video Post
13 Weeks and Cravings . . .
How We Found Out
So long, 1st Trimester!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Wait a Minute!

Confession: It's taken us until now to realize that we're actually having a baby. As in, she will be here -- in the flesh -- in about a month.

What about our snowshoe hiking trips?
Date nights?
Last-minute weekend adventures?
Wine and beer tours?
Music festivals?
Camping treks?
My famous champagne-and-baking afternoons?
And all other couple activities?

Are these things all on hold for the next year . . . and beyond? Somehow, before this point, we hadn't fully understood how our lives might change going from just the two of us to three. Of course, in the back of our minds before we decided to embark on the baby-making process . . . we talked at great length about "being ready" and "making sacrifices" related to caring for another human being.

Which we're totally ready to do.


Now, however, we're actually FEELING the inevitable sink deeper and deeper into reality.

Will parenthood be the death of our young, carefree days? We keep catching ourselves forgetting that we'll be toting around a newborn when we talk about attending our favorite annual events, races, etc. For example, we both recently signed up to run a half marathon in the late spring. We were all excited, and then I remembered: "Wait!!! Who is going to babysit for us?!" (In this case, we're fortunate to have two sets of eager grandparents.)

Likewise, I'm starting to wonder how life will change with a baby who is dependent on me for more than just cuddling and care. I need to feed the girl. And . . . often. The breastfeeding books I've been reading haven't made me feel great about spending more than two hours away from the little one for the first several months. It's not like I was expecting to have a vibrant night life. But still!


Of course we know we'll be more-than tired (that's the main comment from strangers these days when they see I'm nearly ready to pop -- message to these people: WE GET IT.) and that once she's here, we'll immediately be overly in love with her and likely not want to leave her for very long anyway.

But we'd love some tips from experienced parents on how to continue living life . . . with a newborn at our hip. We know it isn't the end of US and instead a very exciting new beginning. Like with all big changes, though, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Heart Rate While Running Pregnant

Kathleen asks: I was wondering - do you wear a heart rate monitor while running? I've been wearing one (to keep my heart rate below 150) and it is making me run super slow (4-5 minutes slower per mile) which is ... not as fun. My doctor didn't seem concerned about keeping my heart rate at a certain level, but I've read so much that says you need to keep it below 150! Any thoughts?

I'll preface my answer by advising you to always heed to your doctor's/midwife's specific advice. You may have certain conditions/etc. that require special attention. That being said: No. I didn't wear a heart rate monitor on any of my runs while pregnant. I also didn't keep careful track of my heart rate.

Let's take a step back, though. When I first found out I was pregnant, I obsessively Googled "pregnant running" and read multiple articles/books related to the subject. I wanted to gather as much information as possible so my experience would be not only safe for me and the baby, but also comfortable. In my studies, I came across a number of BPM (beats per minute) suggestions, ranging from 140 to 150 and beyond. At my first midwife appointment, I was shocked to hear she had learned women should stay below 120 -- a suggestion that I immediately expressed concern with.

Really -- there doesn't seem to be a universally accepted BPM number for pregnant runners. Most "modern" information will give you the 150 number. But better yet -- most suggests to keep your pace conversational. I, like you, found that trying to keep my heart rate lower was not only nearly impossible without slowing to a too-slow crawl, but also made me obsess over the activity way too much for it to be enjoyable.


What did I do? I kept it conversational. In my first trimester, when I was training for my half marathon, I did slow my pace quite dramatically (or so it felt). Part of my decision was based on my own perception that I should . . . but as my body started to undergo the major changes pregnancy brings about, I would notice some days my breathing would be off. The minute I felt out of breath -- like I couldn't talk -- I would slow my pace. Even to a walk, if necessary. Then I'd resume at a slower pace . . . keeping it comfortable. Always remembering that my goal wasn't speed, it was a healthy baby.

What helped the most was throwing my watch in my underwear drawer and rating everything on my perceived exertion. It's true! I've only used a watch a few times while running pregnant. Other times when I have actually measured my pace have been at a race, on a treadmill, or through loosely tracking on a wall clock at the beginning/end of a run.


As the trimesters have gone from one to two to three, my pace has slowed. What I do to keep my running safe (and -- again -- I ended up clearing this with my midwife) is make sure I can talk to myself throughout my workout. Some days, it was easy. Others, and especially during those in the summer heat, I would fail and end up walking. Running while pregnant is a day-by-day thing. The body is changing more on certain days, so the demands on the body's systems are just as variable. But as long as you can carry a conversation, you should be able to suck in as much air/oxygen as is good for you and baby.

Another tip that I've found particularly helpful in the past several weeks is to keep workouts EASY and expectations low. Now that I'm nearing full-term, I don't want to work out so hard that if I were to go into labor, I'd be too tired for the hard work ahead. Instead, I try to end any workout (running or otherwise) feeling energized versus exhausted. I'd rather feel good and keep moving than meet some self-imposed goal.


I hope this helps! And if anyone else has a question related to running while pregnant, just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com. We also gathered all our pregnancy running info together in a post: The Ups and Downs of Pregnant Running.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Return of the First Trimester?

I just got back from my 35-week appointment. Everything looks/sounds great -- and I'm feeling fine, even after crashing hard onto my stomach in the middle of the night last week. I'll write more details about baby A in an upcoming post, but today is all about me. Though I'm feeling OK, I'm definitely experiencing some major deja vu, first trimester-style.

Just for fun, here's the very first photo we took when I knew I was pregnant.

• Morning/all-day sickness has returned. Not nearly as badly as I had in the REAL first tri, but so few foods appeal to me these days. I need to fatten this baby up, but most everything I feel her, she rejects.
• Exhaustion is taking over my life. I could easily sleep more than 12 hours a night and then lay on the couch all day. My life isn't terribly hectic right now, but I'm groggy and would rather nap than do much else.
• I'm starting to get nervous about everything again. I hit a few weeks where I felt confident that everything is going to be OK. Now as we get closer and closer, I find my mind wandering to topics like cord strangulation and decreased fetal movement, etc., etc., etc. I need to get off Google and the birth boards!
• Each day is d.r.a.g.g.i.n.g. Again, I had several weeks that seemed to go by in an instant. Now? I can literally feel the minutes slowing as we approach our estimated due date.
• I'm mega-emotional. Yeah. You'll find me three out of five days of the work-week crying on my commute. Not full-out tears . . . but the other day I heard a certain song and then started to weep about how incredible it is that we're having a girl (because I never thought I'd have a girl!). The last time I was this touchy-feely was in the first tri, that's for sure!

However, now that we're closer to the end than the beginning, none of these features of pregnancy are particularly making me upset. They more reflect my impatience. I'm trying to remind myself, though, that I have only a few sweet weeks left of this special time. I need to cherish each and every moment and not let these things overshadow the joy.

And here I am in (almost) the same exact outfit as above, over 30 weeks later!


Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Barefoot Treadmill Running

Exercise has been hit-or-miss lately. Well, that's not entirely true. I've just been more tired in the past week. I also haven't had as much time as normal because -- and this isn't like me at all -- when I wake up/get home from work, I feel like doing chores versus exercising.

Yes. These days, when presented with laundry or a jog, I usually choose laundry. The good news is that I'm striking a balance now. And on days when I completely can't rip myself away from the to-do list, I sneak in walks and other short spurts of activity.

My latest obsession: Running barefoot on the treadmill.

It all started when I noticed that I couldn't go for a run around our neighborhood without having to stop home for a potty break. Usually after a mile and a half. Initially, I planned a 1-mile loop around the house so I could easily stop back, if needed.

Then one morning (after we had spent all weekend FINALLY cleaning out the guest room/gym), I plugged in our treadmill. I couldn't find my shoes, but didn't feel like doing a long workout anyway. 1 mile would be enough. I set the speed to 5.5 MPH (slow for me, but without shoes, it feels right) and turned on our Roku/Netflix player.

I fell in love.


You'll get a kick out of this. Here's me running 10 miles on the treadmill during early, early pregnancy (I think 6 or 7 weeks?).


And here's what my belly looks like now at almost 35 weeks!


So, though I'll still try to head out for some jogs in the fresh air and sun . . . the extra comfort/peace of mind our treadmill affords me is especially appreciated this late into pregnancy. I'm able to sneak in short workouts just steps away from all the things I want to get done. I can easily stop if needed. I have water and snacks at my fingertips. I can watch TV.

It's win-win-win-win.


Usual workout is 3 miles -- 3 times a week at between a 5 and 5.5 MPH pace (11-12 min miles), which takes me anywhere from 32 to 36 minutes. Slow, yes. But I have almost zero ligament pain when I'm done. I've been carrying low the entire time and it seems that my bladder is squished more than ever these days -- so I'll take comfort over speed!

On days when I don't run, I get in at least a half hour of walking (but usually more like an hour throughout the day of dedicated walking). Still doing my prenatal workout DVDs, too. Feels good to still be moving at this point. We'll see how much longer I can keep it up!

How did you keep moving late into the third trimester? I'd love some tips! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

34 Weeks

What to say about this past week? Well, I didn't post much because I was having near-constant Braxton Hicks contractions. So, there were several days when I came home from work, took a hot shower, and immediately went to bed. It's a fun way to live.

Uhm. No.

But all those tightenings definitely did SOMEthing. I got much, much bigger.

Well, you can't really tell from the front in this dress. How about this:


Then on Thursday night, I must have forgotten I'm pregnant. I was coming back from the bathroom to bed at like 3AM . . . and I crashed down onto the side of my stomach. Thing is, I didn't remember this incident until the morning, when I felt a sore spot. Of course, I immediately freaked out as my memory came back to me. A quick trip to the midwife's office and an ultrasound later, we discovered that baby A is more than fine -- she's thriving.

Here are our stats:

Total weight gain: 20 lbs
Baby's estimated weight (give/take 6 ounces): 4 lbs, 11 ounces
Baby's heart rate: 156 BPM and strong
Amniotic fluid: Something about 14, which is great
Cervix: 3.84 cm, which is still long/closed
Baby's position: Head down, right against cervix (so, I guess she dropped or has always been low) -- and she was sort of positioned to the side, but then flipped so she was facing my back during the ultrasound
General comment from office staff: "We can't tell you're pregnant unless we get a side view!"

Maybe it's how I'm dressing. But I get this comment quite a bit. Stephen said it after snapping this candid. Though it may not LOOK like I'm that much bigger than my pre-preggo self, my facial expression describes how I feel a lot of the time!


My main weird symptom this week is loss of appetite. Well, I guess it's not that I'm not hungry . . . I'm just not hungry for anything in particular. It's very difficult for me to eat because nothing sounds good to me. Cereal is a staple these days. Applesauce. Certain smoothies. Otherwise, I feel icky and have had to force more regular foods down. I still have lots of heartburn, too!

Exercise: Didn't happen much this week. Though, I have developed a new love for jogging slowly on the treadmill -- barefoot.

Otherwise, we're finishing up lots of things in the nursery. I made this no-sew tassel garland from Prudent Baby:


There's a lot to write this week, so stay tuned! Plus, my second shower was this weekend. Can't wait to tell you all about it!

NEED TO CATCH UP?

33 Weeks By The Numbers
32 Weeks: Maternity Shots
31-Week Belly Shots
31-Week Video Post
Almost 30 Weeks!
28 Weeks
27 Weeks: The Third Trimester
26 Weeks and My Ever-Dwindling Wardrobe
25 Weeks and Running
25 Weeks
23-Almost-24 Weeks
22 Weeks: I Gave In
21 Weeks & Nursery Progress
20 Down, 20 More/Less To Go
19 Weeks and Babymoon
Week 18 -- It's a GIRL!
17-Week Video Post
17 Weeks and Preggo Brain
16-Week Belly Shots
15-Week Video Post
15 Weeks and Counting . . .
14-Week Video Post
13 Weeks and Cravings . . .
How We Found Out
So long, 1st Trimester!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

33 Weeks by the Numbers . . .

1. Weeks pregnant: 33
2. Days pregnant: 231
3. Weight gained: 19 pounds
4. Blood pressure: 110/60
5. Baby’s heart rate: 140 bpm
6. Weeks left till due date: 7
7. Days till due date: 49
8. Items packed in hospital bag: 0
9. Hours I predict I’ll be in labor: 20
10. Time I went to bed last night: 8PM
11. Hours of sleep I need to function: At least 9 
12. Time of day when I'm the most energized/exhausted: 8AM/4PM
13. Must-finish items on our to-do list for this weekend: 14
14. Most miles run at one time in the past week: 4
15. Times I got a morning workout in this week: 0 -- fell off the wagon!
16. Pushups I can do at one time: 15 (could do more, but worry about breathing)
17. Number of maternity clothes I’ve outgrown: 3 -- a couple tanks and a pair of pants
18. Stretch marks: 0, so far . . .
19. Times a day I think about baby A: Countless
20. Showers I take each day: 2 (1 for bathing, 1 for relaxation)
21. Items of clothing I’ve bought for post-baby: 10 (yoga pants, comfy fleece, nursing shirts/bras, and sweaters!)
22. Dollars in Baby A’s bank: Over $1,000 at this point! Yeah, it could be more, but I'm impressed we were able to save this much by just putting spare cash in here and there.
23. Baby items ruined by cats: 1 -- her newborn booties. Chewed to shreds. Thankfully they were on clearance at Target. BUT STILL!
24. Average number of times I get up to pee at night: 5
25. Number of races I've registered for post-baby: 1 -- a half marathon in May 2012
26. Days till my baby shower: 9
27. Baby classes down: 3 (breastfeeding, baby care basics, and Birth in a Day)
28. To go? 0 . . . but we're thinking of signing up for a first aid class
29. Midwife appointments left before D-day: 5 (one in two weeks, then weekly!)
30. Maternity leave length: 7 months. Mostly unpaid. I'll do a post on this another time.
31. Times baby A gets hiccups each day: 4 -- usually. They last anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes.
32. Times I've been sick (with a cold, etc.) while pregnant: 1 -- just recently, but it wasn't that terrible, thankfully! Quite amazed because I usually get sick often.
33. Times I've cried while watching this Pampers commercial: EVERY SINGLE TIME. Ridiculous, I know. Thanks, hormones!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

32-Week Belly Pics

We're loving all your comments on our Birth in a Day post. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us! For fun, I took some more maternity-esque shots to have as a record of my pregnancy. Taking self-portraits while toting around an extra 18 pounds of gut is exhausting!

First, the belly at all angles:

My favorite of that set:


The belly in black and white:


Why so serious?


The belly with back-lighting:


I'll have an update after my midwife appointment this afternoon. So far, week 32 feels a like like week 31. Except that I'm getting a nasty cold and just feel like sleeping all day.

• Last week, I had a great workout week. This week, not so much. But I'm still taking activity one day at a time.
• Sleep is more and more elusive. I wake every 2 hours. Good practice, I suppose.
• Our couch isn't my friend. I call it the contraction-master. Whenever I sit/lay too long on it, I get tons of contractions and have to go upstairs and lay in bed. Grr!
• My appetite is weird. I don't crave much of anything. I feel nauseous sometimes. And when I am hungry, I can't ever figure out what I want to eat. I'm hoping it passes, but I'll take the weirdness over the intense morning sickness I had in the first trimester.
• I know she isn't in position just yet, but I'm starting to feel like she's going to be posterior (more associated with back labor). She's been relatively in the same spot for weeks and I feel lots of pokes from her little hands and feet. I guess we'll see at my next ultrasound, which I think is at my 35-week appointment.

In other news, this weekend (which is a 3-day for both of us) is our ultimate date weekend. We're planning to do all things fall. Hiking. Apple-picking. Corn-mazing. Movie-going. Out-to-dinner-ing. Etc. I can't wait! Who knows . . . it may be our last 3-day weekend as a twosome!

That's all for now. Did you have professional maternity photos taken? We're on the fence at this point. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

NEED TO CATCH UP?

31-Week Belly Shots
31-Week Video Post
Almost 30 Weeks!
28 Weeks
27 Weeks: The Third Trimester
26 Weeks and My Ever-Dwindling Wardrobe
25 Weeks and Running
25 Weeks
23-Almost-24 Weeks
22 Weeks: I Gave In
21 Weeks & Nursery Progress
20 Down, 20 More/Less To Go
19 Weeks and Babymoon
Week 18 -- It's a GIRL!
17-Week Video Post
17 Weeks and Preggo Brain
16-Week Belly Shots
15-Week Video Post
15 Weeks and Counting . . .
14-Week Video Post
13 Weeks and Cravings . . .
How We Found Out
So long, 1st Trimester!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Birth . . . In A Day!

Our birth class was this weekend. Rather than signing up for a class that meets three, six, or more times -- we wanted to get it done in one shot. Plus, our particular class was taught by the midwives that will ultimately deliver baby A. It was a lot of information, but well worth the 9AM to 4PM chunk taken out of our Saturday.

10 Things We Learned . . .

1. The time to go to the hospital? 5-1-1 rule. Generally, it's time to head to the hospital once contractions (the kind that stop you in your tracks) are happening every 5 minutes, lasting one minute, for one full hour.
2. Writing a rigid birth plan isn't the way to go. Instead, writing up a "wish list" can be helpful as a guide. The way I interpret it -- keeping the wish items positive "DOs" versus a long list of "DON'Ts" is more effective.
3. Move, move, MOVE during the labor process. If one thing doesn't work, try something else. My midwives suggest changing it up every half hour. Related to this: Unless there's a compelling reason to do otherwise, I'll be monitored every hour for only 10 minutes.
4. Along with monitoring, our hospital doesn't practice automatic IVs. Unless I'm not well hydrated/etc., I won't need to have an IV placed upon arrival.
5. Keeping energy up is a huge part of the birthing process. Our midwives suggest drinking plenty of clear liquids and even eating small snacks to keep up strength. The uterus, after all, is a muscle and needs to be fueled just as if I was running a race.
6. The key is r.e.l.a.x.a.t.i.o.n -- which may be easy to say now and seemingly impossible in the moment. However, a relaxed body may go with the flow better than one that is tense. Interestingly, methods of relaxation that work for me now might not be the same ones that will do the trick during labor. So, I'll need to be flexible, adaptable.
7. Though all natural may be preferable, pain medication and epidurals can be useful tools depending on how the labor is progressing. Use of them shouldn't be looked upon as failure.
8. Breathing can help the process. We learned that basic Lamaze method. As well, our midwives don't necessarily coach pushing. Instead, they see how each patient does and proceed from there will advice and help.
9. If I need to have a c-section, the hospital offers anxiety meds. (I asked this question.) I'm the kind of girl who just can't get over the mental picture of having myself cut open while I'm awake. With only a thin sheet separating me from what's going on.
10. After baby A. is born, it's critically important to spend time as a family -- just the three of us. No visitors for at least a couple hours is what we're thinking.

Information overload, really. But I feel like most of my questions were answered. If I have more, I'll ask them in my bi-weekly (yay!) appointments -- my next of which is on Wednesday. Overall, I don't think anything can really prepare a woman/couple/family for the actual day. In my opinion, it's good to know some basics beforehand to lessen worry about the great unknown.

We're ready, Stephen. Right?


Moms out there: What surprised you MOST about labor/delivery? Or what do you wish you HAD known going into the process. Others: What do you think YOU'd want to know headed into this life-changing experience? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...