Weeks 28-40
- Total weight gain: 40lbs +/-
- Stretch marks? Yes, on both hips 😦 I picked up a stretch mark removal lotion, pray it works for me haha
- Sleep: Pretty exhausted at this point, legs are super restless all the time, it’s been difficult/uncomfortable to turn from side to side, and I’ve been getting up to pee 2-3 times a night. Must be my bodies way of preparing me for after birth, when I’m up all night taking care of the baby!
- Movement: Baby P is very active! Moves around day & night and likes to kick mama hard in the ribs 24/7 (ouch)! My stomach feels like it can’t possibly get bigger at 36 weeks but somehow it does. The baby has also been turning his/her head in the evenings which has been slightly painful! Very ready to meet our sweet angel!
Yellow Polo / Winnie Ears / Red Crop Top / Mustard Bodycon
- Symptoms: Swollen hands, feet, & face, crazy acid reflux every night, restless legs/feet, snoring, periodic (unexplained & severe) lower right quadrant side pain, occasional migraines affecting my vision, and occasional high blood pressure.
- Gender prediction: Whenever I think about the baby now, I think it’s a boy but am trying to remain neutral. I’d be just as thrilled if we had a girl!
- Labor signs: No labor signs! At 37-38 weeks I started drinking raspberry tea, eating pineapple, going for walks, bouncing on my yoga ball nightly, sitting criss-cross on the floor in the evenings, as well as tried different yoga positions all to naturally induce labor and to have this baby before Christmas – none of which worked. At 38 weeks I had my membranes swept and still no dice. Baby was very cozy in there and showed no signs that he/she was ready to make their entrance.
- Complications? I was hospitalized at 33 weeks for severe side pain that randomly came over me. I was getting ready for the day – putting my contacts in when I broke out in a sweat due to severe right side pain, that altered my vision and dropped me to the floor. I laid there for 5 minutes stretched out until I felt strong enough to stand again. I called my OBs office and they recommended that I just take it easy for the day, instructing me to call back if the pain worsened. I relaxed for a couple hours before hopping in the shower. When I did, the pain returned, everything went black and I couldn’t stand again. I got out of the shower and laid on the floor but this time the intense pain didn’t go away. I called my OBs office back and they had me come in to be triaged in the hospital. Once there, they monitored my baby’s heart rate and for possible contractions. Turns out that I was having contractions closer than a minute apart. I couldn’t feel them at all but whatever side pain I was experiencing was causing preterm contractions and so I was admitted to prevent my cervix from dilating. They did blood work and an ultrasound as they thought the issue was my appendix however everything came back normal. Although they couldn’t find my appendix via ultrasound. When the pain worsened, they sent me for an MRI, which was honestly terrible. I had to stop the MRI on 3 different occasions as I started throwing up from the amount of pain I was in. Results on this also came back normal. They ended up giving me pain medication to help get me comfortable and two steroid shots that would help the baby breathe should I dilate and go into labor early. By morning, the severe right side pain had vanished and the doctor on call suggested I had just experienced the flu. (Very doubtful if you ask me, but that was all the information I was given before being released the next day.
- Belly button in or out? Partially out
- Happy or moody most of the time: Both! Happy and excited to meet my little one but also growing more uncomfortable with each and every day – very ready to have this baby!!
- Milestones: At 36 weeks pregnant, I graduated from EWU with a bachelor degree in Business, double minoring in communication and psychology!
Katie Protzeller 
You look great
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Thank you!
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