Bump Day: 39 Weeks!

At 39 weeks pregnant, it’s weird to think that this might be my last ‘Bump Day’. Though many first time moms go over their due date, my midwife confided in me at my last appointment that she really didn’t think I’d make it to 38 weeks. I wonder if she’ll be surprised to see me if baby doesn’t come before my 39 week check up tomorrow. I felt some rumblings this weekend that I thought were surely the onset of labor, but 4 days later, I’m still sitting here baby-less.

Since we’re only one week away from Baby Boy’s due date, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic about the last 9+ months. I wanted to take today as an opportunity to reflect on this time in my life via a FAQ/interview type format.  

When did you find out you were pregnant? 

On Valentine’s Day. Jonathan and I had been trying to get pregnant off and on for 3 years without success. Due to a really erratic cycle, we just couldn’t seem to get the timing right and my midwife in the US was starting to suspect that my eggs might not be mature enough. My best friend Talia made a referral for me to get in to see a fertility specialist to run some preliminary diagnostic tests while I was visiting the States. We figured we’d run the tests and then follow up on our visit to Louisiana in May/June and take it from there. 

Before leaving for my fertility appointment, I took a pregnancy test just in case. I had the test sitting on the bathroom counter while I did my makeup, and almost forgot to even check it before I left. Afterall, I’d taken possibly 50 of these things before, all with the same result. However, while I was putting on my mascara, I glanced at the test out of the corner of my eye and saw something I had never seen before : two lines; a positive result. 

I started screaming and my mom came upstairs to see what the fuss was. I couldn’t speak so just gestured to the pregnancy test. She was confused because she’d never taken one before so didn’t really understand what I was so hysterical about and all I could do was keep pointing at it. Finally it clicked and we both started crying. 

The hardest part was having to keep it a secret from my Dad and brother for the next 2 days. I wanted to wait to tell Jonathan in person and didn’t think it was fair to tell the other men in my life before I told Jonathan. 

I was very proud of my Mom for keeping it a secret. That’s probably one of the hardest things she’s ever done.  

Did you have any intuition about it being a boy or a girl? Yes and no. When I first saw the test result, I just knew it was a boy. So did my mom. But when Jon and I had our first ultrasound, we started having an inkling that it might be a girl. It wasn’t until I had my 18 week ultrasound with Talia that I was 90% sure it was a boy. I think that she and I are just so close that her knowing gave me a better inclination as to which it was. It was still exciting to have so many of our friends and family with us to celebrate the moment when we officially found out.

Is your ‘bump dress’ a maternity dress? No. It’s just really stretchy. And it keeps getting shorter and shorter… 

But I’m glad it made it through the whole pregnancy. I thought I might have to switch it up for a while there.  

What was the hardest part of pregnancy?  

The first trimester. I was just so nauseated. I remember people trying to comfort me by saying, ‘oh it will only last a few more weeks’ and I just honestly didn’t think I’d survive it. The very worst was weeks 8-10, but I spent the better part of a month laid up in bed watching Friends reruns. In week 10, I finally got a doctor to prescribe some pregnancy-friendly nausea medicine, but by that time, I’d made it through the worst of it and only used them when we were going out to a restaurant. 

Another hard part about this early phase is that you usually haven’t announced your pregnancy yet so you’ve got to act like every thing is peachy-keen. I’ll never forget when Jonathan ordered for me at an Indian restaurant and they brought out a teeny tiny chicken and put it in front of me. I shot him a look and he knew that he better get that offensive bird out of my sight immediately or I would spew. I think a few people started to suspect something at that dinner... 

Also, I remember going to a bar and Jonathan asked what I wanted to drink. To throw off the scent, I winked and said ‘A Rum and Coke’ thinking he’d know that was code for ‘Coke’. When he handed me my drink, I took a big swig of it to prove to everyone that I wasn’t pregnant by drinking a mixed drink, only to take a big gulp of actual Rum and Coke. Apparently, our friend Luke accompanied Jonathan to the bar so he had to order a real mixed drink to throw him off. 

The next week was our group ski trip so we decided to come clean right away. I couldn’t get through a week of not drinking wine or using the chalet sauna or hot tub without everyone knowing. 

Plus, the decadent French food being served to us every night was making me sick, so we had our chalet angels pick me up a cheese pizza every night and I ate on the couch while the rest of the crew was served their wine and fancy food in the dining room. 

Other than the nausea and keeping the pregnancy a secret, the hardest thing was probably having to stop jogging. I made it til about week 27 but at that point, it became so uncomfortable, slow, and laborious that walking was much more preferable. Hard to believe I haven’t gone for a run in almost 3 months! I caught the running bug back in high school and it’s been a part of my life ever since.  

Do you miss alcohol?  Yea, but I had a pretty low tolerance before getting pregnant so other than the occasional glass of wine or two, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much. Football season has been hard. Nothing makes me want to reach for a beer more than LSU football. I miss sushi and jogging more than alcohol though, that’s for sure.  

What are your biggest cravings? For a while, it was any sort of red meat. Now I just crave American junk food. I actually had a dream about velveeta cheese slices last night. Scotland is possibly the worst place to be in terms of pregnancy cravings. I’m so hungry all the time and yet there really isn’t much that is delicious, fast, and convenient here in Aberdeen, whereas America is overflowing with yummy options. I really miss Wendy’s but have been making due with Burger King lately. 

Too bad the closest one is a 20 minute drive from my house:(. First world problem? 

What was the best part of being pregnant? 

Um, you usually get special treatment. That’s not always the case here in Aberdeen though… I’m surprised at how many people still will run me off of the sidewalk or cut me off getting into line at the grocery store. But I do think the bump helped me pass my driving test so I’ll take that! 

I also really loved my gender reveal party and baby shower. Those were very special occasions that reminded me of what great friends and family I have to support me and Jonathan and baby boy.  

What are you most looking forward to about not being pregnant anymore? 

Not having to pee every 30 minutes. Not having to eat every 30 minutes. Getting back into shape. Eating sushi. Being able to touch my toes/tie shoes/zip boots/etc. And of course, meeting our little man!!! 

Alright, that’s enough blabbering for today. As a recap, here are some past Bump Pics to show you the slow progression. 

And as a special treat for the 39 week bump shots, I decided to have Jillian take them with the gorgeous sunset in her backyard as the backdrop. 

Maybe I’ll see you here for a bump day next week, or maybe bump day will be replaced by Baby Boy’s weekly pics. Who knows!?!?!?