36-39 Weeks

Oh no kidding, I have been in super nesting mode, sorry! My blogging took a back seat, it just had to. So much going on, I couldn't keep up as well as I thought I could.

Whats been going on??? 36-37 WEEKS

Here are some of my messages to my family and friends. Please don't get offended...

..."Please pray...  I feel intimidated and fear,  which I know is not right. I had an appointment today with my birth clinic and the amount of times I heard the words "possible stillbirth" because of my gestational diabetes, has impacted me. I want to enjoy this Pregnancy, the last weeks of it,  but at this moment I feel like my joy is being robbed and it's hard to hold on to it...  :( the birth in near and I'm tired. I want my joy back. I can't seem to enjoy my pregnancies in Canada... It's very messed up."...

Is the baby still breech?

During one Diabetic clinic appointment, I got a call from another hospital to book in an ECV and that I needed to get a scan done before that. They didn't give me much time. The ECV was booked in two days and there was no way i could get a scan done before that. I was very overwhelmed with having to manage it all, with three kids, no babysitting support, short notice, and as well as everything else, it overlapped with my midwife appointment which I'd been really looking forward to. Not only that, my appointment at the diabetics clinic ended up in tears. I had the rudest Dr. and I felt like my whole pregnancy is a failure.

Somehow, I managed to get a time in that very next minute for the scan, which is very unusual. A minute before I went to book one in, someone cancelled theirs. My daughter was with me as we hurried to the floor below for the scan, which would show us the positioning of the baby. My heart was aching, my tears were flooding, I was so emotionally tired of the whole thing.

As we got to the scan, my daughter who is 5 prayed for me. She prayed over the baby and the positioning of the baby. I thought that was so sweet of her. I love her.

In the scan, the result was that in fact, the baby was head down!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!

 ..."Well, a very interesting scenario all in all this morning. Perfectly orchestrated, to fit in a scan asap, which was a cancellation spot a minute before I stepped in to a different department, ask a simple question about a booking ,  while I was in the building for a completely different reason...  I know confusing! While waiting for the scan,  Kayleigh and all of you prayed for me  and, the scan showed that baby had in fact shifted head down. All glory to God.

Yep. They called me this morning to book an appointment for the ecv (external cephalic version) which is an aggressive procedure, can cause a lot of harm,  ruptures,  bruising, emergency c sections)  and I just wasn't feeling comfortable to go with it. As I got treated rotten by my diabetes Dr. And Who told me my baby is measuring bigger than the scan showed,  I felt very intimidated. Somehow they got me into a scan right away and before the scan,  Kayleigh prayed so beautifully... I was bawling my eyes out from the diabetes appointment to the scan... Just a rough  time with appointments left right and centre and feeling pressured."...

..."

You guys must've been praying a lot. I had really weird appointments (3) this morning. Only positive feedback. "Baby is moving so well".. . "Baby is head down and not too large"... And "no,  we don't need to put you on insulin"... " you have an admirable history on birthing big babies and fast deliveries"

I couldn't believe that this was the same clinic(s) that I had been going to for months"...

Then after all of this good stuff...

..."Had a little bit of a fright today when I couldn't get the baby to move for 5h. After trying everything possible, I called the triage and they called me in to the  hospital. They strapped me in and noticed that the baby heart rate was a bit high,  but soon enough it settled down and the baby moved a lot. We've spent our whole Friday evening at the hospital but are home now. The kids are 4hours past their bed time... In bed finally. Hoping and praying for no more scares and worries please"...

 With you in spirit!

38-39 WEEKS (my pregnancy notes)

A lot of braxton hicks, some of them quite intense, which keeps me guessing. I feel like I've been birthing for a week! I'll be surprised if this pregnancy goes past 40 weeks. Truly.

Blood sugars have gone down to normal,  even in the mornings, the Dr. decided not to put me on insulin... Good. I seriously don't think I have it,  because I still eat what I want, when I want, and my levels are spot on.

I hope this baby comes early.The braxton hicks are getting so intense, I don't know whether they are the real thing...ugh! This is my 4th, shouldn't I know what's what by now? So frustrating....

My folks will be visiting soon, interesting to know which parent will be present when baby arrives...

Suffering a cold... Ugh. Giving birth while sick?!

 We got to go for a Sauna at a Finnish friend's house. He built this sauna and stove himself. Sauna's are standard in every house and flat unit in Finland, I miss it a lot. And boy it was nice.

 Having a hard time getting out of bed. I turn sides each night at least 20 times, and it sometimes causes muscle cramps on the sides of my stomach, and they hurt a lot! My hubby sometimes has to turn me around, and it makes me feel like whale blubber.

 

My belly button is out!!!

 Fetal monitoring... which after 2 visits, I found out these were unnecessary appointments. Only women on insulin were required to go. Another unnecessary stress on my schedule.

 I'm ready to give birth. Trying to loosen things by sitting on my ball... 

desperate.

 

Soul food. Korean hot pot. Mmmm....

35 Weeks

Breech. The baby is breech. I have tried several ways to turn this baby around,  secular ways,  but in my heart of hearts I know that God has ultimate control, and I am placing my trust in Him. I can't say it has been easy to surrender my fears,  but what can I do? Nothing...  I have no choice but to trust Him,  great is His love and goodness for my life and the life of this baby. He knows my desires and wishes,  but I know He is all knowing and seeing and if he wanted to,  He could turn this baby in a second.

I have tried to lie down on an recline position. I have tried moxibustion. 

I have seen and continue to see a chiro...  ($$$!!!),  I have done summersaults under water,  a.k.a. Swimming. I've used heat and ice packs, 

 music,  light... I have prayed. This baby won't budge. 

I pray,  Lord if it is by at all possible for this baby to turn, being safe and all, please allow it. If turning the baby externally (ECV), delivering breech, or c- section is the safest way for us,  give me the peace and trust to go ahead with it. However,  You are all knowing,  You know what is going on...  I surrender. I rebuke satan and his schemes, his temptation to worry me and place fear in my heart,  for You love me,  this baby and everything works for the good! Help me persevere, help me stay calm and joyous throughout these last weeks of pregnancy.

I praise you,  Oh God! 

Meanwhile....

 My very own pumpkin!

 I still swear by the foam curlers. Super comfy to sleep in!

 I took my Chinese language teacher to my favourite restaurant. She loved it too!!! Hot Pot fan forever!!!

 Went and bought a few different kinds of dried dates. I soaked them over night, pureed them and used them in Raw Bars. There's only so many days I can eat plain dates... needs to be more exciting, you know.

 I bought a box of HoneyCrisp Apples... Made a zillion chips next to nothing.

 

and...

Been tired of cooking... lots of salads and cold cuts these days. Easy peasy throw together kind of food. Above, whole wheat sandwich, cinnamon apples and a kale salad.

 35 weeks, hello!!!

34 Weeks

I just did my big payday grocery shopping for the week-2😅 Whew! Now,  I'm going to get out of bed and tackle the day. Thank God for home delivery! I mean really,  someone shops for me,  and on promotion days like today,  free delivery!! Ihan parasta! Beats 3h of grocery shopping 3 to 4 shops with 3 mental kids by the end of it. I know I won't get the best deals (I like to hunt for them) but it's done! Now,  I'm going to brush my teeth! Good morning everybody!! 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Measuring my glucose levels every other day. Everything is fine, totally diet controlled. I still enjoy my treats and my levels are normal. In some ways,  it's interesting to monitor the levels,  because for sure, too many people eat before their bodies need it and eventually it will catch up with them in a bad way. 

Hospital bag is pretty much packed. Here is my list. 

Personal supplies

Pregnancy file folder

Traumeel

Robe

Tiger balm

Lotions

Tylenol

Lactation cookies

Greens + and shaker

Pyjamas 1

Pyjamas 2

Slippers

Nursing shirt to go home in

Trousers to go home in

6 pairs of undies

Soap

Soap container dish

Brush,  shampoo and conditioner

Toothpaste and brush

Breastfeeding pads

Kleenex

Belly bandit

Nursing bra

Paper and pen

Small cooler for placenta

Sanitary pads,  maxi

Pillow

Water bottles,  Gatorade

Raw honey

Dark brew

Simon

Tablet,  phones,  chargers

Bible,  Christ centered childbirth book

Melodious music

Toiletries

Dödö

Towel

Pillow

Bed linen/

blanket

Change of clothes

Protein bars, 

bananas, yogurt, 

Nutrigrain

Foods, snacks etc in a cooler

Celebration beer!

Swim pants just in case,  birthing pool etc

Baby stuff

Sleep wear,  pyjamas, hats

Receiving blankets and

Harsot

Blanket

Car seat

Diapers,  wipes

I know,  pretty crazy,  but I like to be prepared, even if we don't get to use half of the stuff. The dark brew is for lactation, obviously!

My mom sent me some muslin baby clothes a.k.a "harsot" ,  which are way better than receiving blankets,  spit up cloths. They are thin, absorbant. 

A midwife /nurse asked me to consider a home birth. To me,  a home birth is a no - no. I have weighed up the options and I have complete peace with my decision to have hospital births. Hats off to those who choose a home birth,  just as well as hats off to those who don't. You do what is best for you and your baby,  don't feel pressured by it. I just hope I make it to one of the places! I don't know what to expect!? 

 34+1

A sample of what I eat. This is on the go, parked my car to have dinner, in the midst of nursing bra shopping. Taco mince meat, baked sweet potato and cauliflower mash. "hunger is the best spice!" - M.L

30 and 31 Weeks

A blog post long over due, I know!

I'm alive and well. 

My tummy is so big already that I am having lower back pain. I find it harder to walk and stand on my feet. My ankles swell up fast if i sit for more than 15 minutes... The cooler weather is here, so that should help, right? I'm stealing hubby's pillows at night, it seems that I have officially entered the zillion pillows stage. In between my knees, under belly, under arm, hugging one and a few under my head.. and one under my lower back. So far I only visit the loo once a night.

My chin is breaking out with a zillion zits and I have found Sudocrem to be very helpful. I've stopped taking Milk Thistle, but have added iron FeraMax into my diet. My iron has been low, I've been so sleepy...

But I am good! I've enjoyed reading the Christ Centered Childbirth book with hubby at nights, I'm dreaming about the birth, we've painted our bedroom and brought the baby crib in. We've even stocked up on diapers! :)

We've done a lot of homeschooling so that when the baby comes, we can take it a bit easy, and bond as a family without any pressure.

I've gone through a 1h glucose test which came back borderline... I have another 2h test coming up. I have a feeling it'll be positive for some reason.

31wks

What else? Will be meeting up with my Doula soon, going over some stuff. I'll be writing my birth plan out soon and filling up our hospital bag etc. Not long now!

26 and 27 Weeks 3rd Trimester

Hello 3rd Trimester!

Not long now, not long at all!

How am I feeling?

I'm feeling fine, good in fact. Sometimes I've felt nauseous, but I'm done with Diclectin and I think it might have something to do with not getting enough water during these hot days. Coffee doesn't help either, does it?

So and so. I'm off a "set rhythm" but I'm eating enough. It's so hot, I'm not that excited about cooking so, making rice wraps is great. I always seem to be feeling hungry, I don't know whether I lack of a certain vitamin?

I know it's hot, but I've made soup from cauliflower and home made chicken stock. It's pretty light and is nutritious! To make it a rawfood soup, omit the chicken, bacon and heating up your soup just below the 45 Celsius is ideal.

At the moment, I am taking a B vitamin Complex, Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D, probiotics, Milk Thistle and Greens+

I'm drinking home made bubble tea, which is really healthy!!! Basically it's any home made vitamin water, but tea infused (today it was red raspberry leaf tea) with crushed ice and Goji berries, which soak up the flavours and become a subsitute to pearls and jelly. Yummy and healthy!

How have I been working out?

I've cut down a lot. I'm doing plenty of cardio; crosstrainer, stairmaster, tredmill etc. I'm aiming to do 30minutes to a hour a day.  Once I get into the groove again, I'll be picking up light weights, but for now I'm just getting myself going again. The stairmaster is still my master at the gym. My pregnancy weight gain has affected the level I've been working on. I was at level 6 and 7, now I am on level (intensity) 1 and 2.

Rice Wrap Filling 1:

thinly sliced:
carrots
broccoli

sprouts
alfalfa sprouts

cooked chicken, beef, shrimp or fish

Rice Wrap Filling 2:
baked salmon, seasoned
sprouts
iceberg lettuce
carrots
soy, garlic and ginger dressing

Taco Rice Wraps:

Filling:

Fried taco mince meat
salsa
iceberg lettuce
sour cream
sliced avocado

 

Anyway, here is what I made the other day. Guess which one is the healthy one? 

 My daughter pitted the cherries with me... she worked hard, pitted 7. I pitted the thousand after that.

 I don't bake, but I did make this pastry. It wasn't anything like my mom's... but whatever.

 Yes, I am in bed. yes those are my feet, and yes the plate is resting on my tummy.

I'm so Finnish, I went to IKEA and bought vanilla sauce... The pie was so tart from the lemon juice and lack of sugar, it balanced the taste perfectly.

 I roasted the cauliflowers at the same time I made my pie crust.

 Home made chicken stock. That's pretty much the recipe. Chicken stock and roasted cauliflowers.

 Put them all in a blender with a tbsp of bacon bits.

 Pureed yummyness!

Blend in a few carrots from the chicken stock "left overs" and voila!

27+3

24 and 25 Weeks

I'm feeling great! I'm kind of counting the days until I get to hold this little one in my arms, but at the same time, days are just passing by so quick without me even realizing it. Crazy busy! I think this is my "fastest" pregnancy so far, and I think it has something to do with having a busy household. I can't really sit down and think about the pregnancy or birth too much. The times, I get to sit down, I'm usually horizontal and asleep. 

But the little I have been able to plan and prep for are...

• Ordering a BellyBandit. 

I've had this band before and I must say I've liked it, however, I think I've had the wrong size and never got the optimum support or results. Now I've ordered a smaller size, which I think will be perfect.

• Home Made Kale Powder. 

I have got a garden full of kale, a super dehydrator and great ideas for it.

• Christ Centered Childbirth book. 

This book is amazing. Not only  does it give you a great insight on the physical area; pregnancy, birth and anatomy -it covers the emotional and spiritual areas as well. Love it! Even though I've read it 3 + times, I still get so much out of it, and new things keep popping up each read.

• Talking to my Doula. 

Going over some of my hopes for the birth. She has been my doula before, so she knows me and is really well equipped for this one. She is so busy with being a doula, I am so thankful that she is going to be there for us.

• Nesting.

Need I say more? Yes, nesting organizing, de-itemizing, de-cluttering, cleaning, scrubbing.... 

• Homeschooling through the summer.  

We're focusing on the "harder" topics this summer, so that when the baby comes we can take it a little easier and do the more self directed and more fun subjects.

I've also been enjoying the different flavoured homemade vitamin waters. My favourite is Cherry-Lime-ade.

Cherry Lime-ade

6 thin slices of lemon
10 thin slices of key lime
6 pitted black cherries
1 sprig of fresh mint (optional)
500 ml of sparkling water/ plain water

Muddle lemon, lime and mint in the bottom of a pitcher. Add cherries, sparkling water, and fill remaining with cold water. Cover and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Serve over ice.

My diet has been good, it could always be better, and I'm working towards that. I try to eat as much vegg throughout the weeks so that when that special treat comes along, it won't break the scale, my health or my heart.

Speaking of my heart. I am so so excited to see this little one... not long now, not long at all! The last month will always feel like the slowest, but I'm hoping to keep busy so that it will just creep up on me, in a good way! 

P.S check out Plain Plantain! I have been using her balms on my belly and I love it! So easy to apply and doesn't leave a greasy after feeling.

The Everything Salad

• lettuce
• spinach
• olives
• grapes
• tomatoes
• corn
• chickpeas 
• bacon bits
• chicken
• cucumber
• feta
• homemade bluecheese dressing

See you guys next week!

Vitamin Water -Homemade- Raspberry Mojito

Yuuuummy! Not only can I believe that this actually tastes like vitamin water, but it tastes even better!

I have a list of ideas for what kinds of waters I'll be drinking this summer!

Yesterday and today, I enjoyed 

Raspberry Mojito

• 10 thin slices of key lime/lime
• 1/2 pint of raspberries
• spring of mint
• 1T stevia (optional)
• 2L water
• a ton of ice

Place the mint and raspberries in the pitcher, mush them up good, add the lime, stevia, ice and water, give it a good mix! Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. I drank mine immediately but enjoyed it the next day too!

Do you have any good vitamin water recipes to share?

22 and 23 Weeks

How I feel about pregnancy now?

Well, I am very thankful that I feel good. Usually, in the mornings I feel like I am out of breath, but it passes just before noon. I have experienced this with all of my pregnancies, maybe it has something to do with the baby pushing against my lungs, who knows? 

I still have breakfast in bed before I get up. This past week my breakfast choices have not been very admirable, however, I will pick up from where I dropped the ball.

 

 (22weeks)

I have not worked out for two weeks :( I admit it, I've been lazy. No worries, I'm still keen to, I just need a good kick in the butt to get moving! My diet has been -in all honesty- not so raw, lately. I know for a fact that one juice a day, keeps the crap away. At least for me! Now that my garden is blooming, I have no excuses not to juice or enjoy yummy salads.

I'm very excited to meet this little angel inside of me. I feel her/him move and even though this is my 4th pregnancy, it never gets old, the mystery never dies... it's hard to believe that there is someone inside of me, being knit together in my womb, with a purpose, personality, and above all, given to us to care for and to love on. I cannot wait to meet you! I love you so much already! At times (daily) I am so overwhelmed by the blessings we have, our children.

What have I been doing?

Gardening, homeschooling, camping, being lazy, writing, studying, being lazy again...

I've been to see a physio, who specializes in women's pelvic floor (pre and postnatal). I have homework I need to do daily to strengthen/maintain my pelvic floor during the rapid growth of the baby, help in birth and fast healing post birth. But mostly, I am doing them so I stop peeing myself every time a sneeze or have a coughing fit! I know, too much info, but I know -you know what I mean!

Daily kegels workout:

30 x 5+sec squeezes with 10sec break in between. This takes about 8 minutes to do. 

30 x quick squeezes with 10sec break in between.

I've been trying to remember to do this everyday for two weeks, and so far I have already seen felt an improvement. I have got two more weeks to do these exercises until my next appointment.

Moving on...

My vice: iced coffee... and flavoured too! Ugh, I will stop...soon.

 (23 weeks)

Strike a Pose!!!

Here is my garden so far! Looks a lot different to the dirt pile I posted not so long ago, hey?!

Loving Salads: Crisp, fresh, nourishing and energizing salads! YUMMM!!!

• lettuce
• grated carrots
• diced cucumber
• olives
• walnuts
• tomatoes
• seeds
• blueberries

 Excited about this book again, again and again!

This book changed my approach and feelings towards the birth experience in all ways! I read this book with my hubby at bed time for my 2nd, 3rd and now 4th pregnancy and birth. I've lent this book out many times and unfortunately I never got it back the last time, so i had to reorder it through bookdepository. Nevertheless, I am excited to read it again!

 

This is an eye opening book for me, again and again. It's motivating, reassuring, provides  knowledge and all in all, a great base.

I highly recommend it to every pregnant woman on this planet! Bookdepository has free shipping around the world!!! So worth it!

Raspberries from my garden, gone is seconds, devoured by my 2 year old!

More on my pregnancy HERE!

More on Life, Motherhood, Homeschooling, Nutrition etc. HERE!