Week 34 Update

This past week has been pretty eventful! Last Friday night Kyle and I went out to dinner at Macaroni Grill, and right before we left I started to get what felt like menstrual cramps. It started to intensify and then it would move around to my lower back. It kept switching off from my lower abdomen, to my back for 4 hours straight!

I had just talked to my midwife about the cramping a few days prior and she had mentioned it was normal. It was a mixture of Braxton Hicks contractions, and my ligaments stretching to support Liam's weight. After I ate dinner, it seemed to fade a whole bunch. I was definitely concerned at first because I haven't experienced that feeling this whole pregnancy. I wasn't sure if it was contractions because my uterus didn't feel like it was tightening up the whole time, so who knows.

I am still getting the cramping feeling, just not for 4 hours straight. I get them randomly throughout the day, and they last about a minute. They are never back to back or time-able, so I am sure it's just my bodys way of gearing up. The past several nights I have been waking up with these contractions. Usually if I get up to pee, or roll over onto my other side, it goes away.

Another odd symptom I have been getting is a sharp, stabbing shooting pain that lasts a couple seconds up in my lady business. I googled it last night, and this is what I came up with:

Vaginal pain
Some women occasionally feel a sharp, stabbing pain inside the vagina during late pregnancy. This is probably linked to the cervix starting to dilate, which can happen weeks, days or hours before labor begins. It is usually nothing to be concerned about, but tell your doctor if it causes a great deal of discomfort. Any severe pain in the lower abdomen or associated vaginal bleeding should be reported to your doctor right away.

I'm not going to lie, after I read that, I slightly panicked. Not so much a bad panic, but a " holy cow, this is really happening soon!" type of panic. Little Liam is definitely on the way!

We got the car seat in the mail yesterday, so we are going to install that this weekend. I ordered a robe and nursing sports bra to wear during labor, so I am going to start getting the hospital bags packed. I will be considered full term on April 29th, and so he really can come at any point from there on!

My ankles started to swell this week too. I didn't really realize it until I went to go put lotion on my feet, and realized there was no ankle bone present. I am still able to get my ring on and off, so the swelling is only in my feet thank goodness.

All in all, I have just been very uncomfortable this past week. It hurts to lean forward to do anything, I get this crampy pain in my stomach. Putting shoes on, painting toes, picking things up off the floor has all been a job in itself. I think this week I am going to pamper my ankle-less feet and get a pedicure.

That's about it as far as symptoms go for this week! I haven't felt any pelvic pressure, and Liam definitely hasn't dropped yet, so we still have some time. Given all the contractions I have been having, I may ask my midwife to check me next week to see if I am dilated or effaced at all.

I have another Non-Stress Test today, so I will get another sneak peek at our little guy. Other than that, all is well! Just getting ready for his big arrival! 38 days until my due date!