Happy Tuesday! It’s another warm one here in Brooklyn with temperatures forecasted to reach the high 90’s. The extreme heat means that I’m staying inside as much as possible and very thankful that my desk is right in front of our window air conditioner unit. I’m taking the advice of my friends, family and doctor this week and doing my best to stay busy in order to keep from counting down the minutes until Baby Girl Diamond decides to grace us with her presence. I know that the average first child comes at 41 weeks and 1 day which means that at 39 weeks and 2 days, I could very well be pregnant for another two weeks.  Today I’m staying busy by finishing a few more work projects, blogging, cleaning, reading, pampering myself with a pedicure and enjoying an evening swim date at the YMCA with Bo.

Let’s dive into the latest and greatest details of this pregnancy, focused on how I felt last week, June 4th through June 10th during Week 38 of pregnancy.

Baby Size: As of Week 38 Baby Girl has plumped up and is around 7 pounds and over 19 1/2 inches long. Her organs have matured and she is ready for life outside the womb. She is extremely active, still moving frequently and loves kicking me on the right side.

Weight Gained: As of last week’s 38 week doctor appointment, I have gained 32 pounds, some of which could be water weight due to the extreme Summer heat.

Symptoms:  Last week I continued to grow and truly had to waddle anywhere I went, unable to avoid turning my legs out due to the growing, dropping baby. I started to have some minor back pain behind my right ribs but luckily Epsom Salt baths and showers helped relieve some of the pain. In addition, to continuing the symptoms from previous weeks, my blood pressure had significantly increased when I was at my 38 week appointment last Tuesday. This led to an unexpected NYU test run as my doctor wanted to rule out any issues such as pre-eclampsia and sent me to the hospital to be observed for four hours.

Workouts: My doctor continues to reinforce the benefits of staying active, as long as the activities are workouts that I’ve done throughout pregnancy and are indoors with sufficient air conditioner and fans. Based on this, last week I did one prenatal yoga class, one prenatal pilates class at Aline Pilates and four Orangetheory workouts. Based on how I was feeling, I opted to bike instead of incline walk during three of the Orangetheory workouts. In addition to workouts, I’ve started doing a few different prenatal stretching workouts that are supposed to help reduce swelling and provide comfort before bed time.

• Prenatal Bedtime Yoga – Sleep Better (My favorite)
• Five Pregnancy Stretches to Relieve Tension
• 9 Stretches to Relieve Pregnancy Aches and Pains

Cravings: I craved meat, smoothies, ice cream or sorbet and cold, fresh fruit last way in a major way. In fact, when I went to Whole Foods on Friday my cart was filled with so many cherries, pineapples, strawberries and mangos that the staff never thought we’d eat it all before it went bad. Little did they know that within five days it was all devoured! I really wish I liked watermelon as the fresh watermelon I bought for Bo actually looked quite delicious but after one bite I was quickly reminded just how much I despise that popular, hydrating fruit. The most random craving was an urgent need for angel food cake and berries on Friday night. Luckily, the Whole Foods angel food cake delivered on my dreams especially when topped with a single scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and berries.

Food Aversions: As I stare at my morning cup of coffee which remains half full, this seems to be my only aversion. The only way I can finish my coffee is if I have iced coffee.

Sleep: Last week was tough as I started waking up at least four times during the night to use the bathroom. One night it took me more than an hour to go back to sleep which was beyond frustrating. I also find that each night a different pillow configuration provides comfort than the night before. Some nighs I only use the Snoogle while others I find comfort surrounded by five or six different pillows. I am large enough at this point that I HAVE to have support under my stomach when lying on my side or I feel a painful pull.

Wearing: Last week I think I wore and washed my black dress four days. Otherwise, I rotated through the same clothes and shoes as last week.

Other Random Thoughts: While the first 37 weeks of pregnancy FLEW by I felt like time came to a halt last week. There were a few days where I caught myself wondering if she’d ever arrive but after some frustration and realization that it could be WEEKS not DAYS until she arrives I changed my thinking and realize that the most important thing is that she and I are both happy and healthy. If she wants more time to incubate, then I am happy to meet her when she is ready. So while I’m avoiding subways and staying in the neighborhood, I’m filling my days with things that bring me joy such as reading, time with friends, cooking, working out and relaxing when I’m not working. This change in perspective has helped so much, especially as I start to received daily emails and texts from friends, family and readers asking whether Baby Girl Diamond has arrived.

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Happy Sunday! I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful weekend thus far. I’m checking in today with a bump update. As you can tell from the picture above, I am definitely in the final stretch. In fact, today we hit the 38 week mark which means that Baby Girl Diamond could greet us anytime during the next three weeks. Her due date is two weeks from today but my doctor induces at 41 weeks. I can’t imagine having her inside me for another three weeks as I’m so excited to meet her and things are starting to get pretty uncomfortable.

This past month of pregnancy has been a whirlwind and while I’ve shared lots of updates on Instagram I haven’t shared as many posts on the blog as I initially planned. This was due in part to the fact that I didn’t realize so many people were interested in addition to just being a bit overwhelmed by work, getting ready for Baby Girl and trying to squeeze the most out of each day and week. But, after hearing feedback from you guys that you’d love to read more about pregnancy, I have a few posts going live this week including my third trimester favorites and a peak into our nursery. In addition, I have lined up ten wonderful guest posts featuring healthy recipes that you all will be able to enjoy later this month when I’m too focused on Baby Girl Diamond and recovery to blog very often.

Let’s dive into the latest and greatest details of this pregnancy, focused on how I felt last week, May 28th through June 3rd during Week 37 of pregnancy.

Baby Size: The most exciting moment this month was when I hit 37 weeks and our doctor shared with me that at this point forward, if Baby Girl Diamond decided to greet us, she most likely wouldn’t have to go to the NICU as she is fully developed! I breathed the largest sigh of relief when I heard this news. As of Week 37 she’s around 6.25 pounds and 18.9 inches or, as The Bump app stated, as big as Romaine lettuce.

Weight Gained: After only gaining around 20 pounds the first two trimesters, I’ve been a bit shocked by the weight I’ve gained during the third trimester. As of Tuesday I’ve gained 33 pounds, which I worried was cause for alarm but my doctor reassured me that I’m right on track. In addition,  the warmer weather and visible swelling could mean that some of this is water retention. Since I’m still staying active and am not experiencing any other side effects, she has no issue with the fact that I’ve gained 33 pounds.

Workouts: I am still enjoying working out and moving daily whether that is in a class setting or getting out of the house for a long walk.  I took one preantal pilates class at Aline Pilates, three Orangetheory Fitness classes, did one at home YouTube Prenatal Strength workout and enjoyed two long walks. This week was the first time that I chose to use the spin bike as my cardio during Orangetheory versus incline walking as Friday my body just wasn’t feeling the incline. I love that Orangetheory has so many options (elliptical, treadmill, rower or spin bike) for the cardio portion. Based on how swimming felt today when I went to the pool,  I have a feeling that Week 38 will include at least a few swim sessions as the weightless feeling and the ability to get my heart rate up while staying cool was a welcome change.

Cravings: I am craving ice cream EVERY single evening. Luckily, as I discussed on Instagram stories last night, there are many wonderful, local ice cream shops within walking distance of our apartment. I am really enjoying the evening stroll each night around our neighborhood while cooling off with a scoop of ice cream. While some people have questioned this amount of sugar, I have no issues with it since it is far less processed than other options and it’s what I’m craving. After this pregnancy I think I have done enough research to share my favorite South Brooklyn ice cream locations as I’ve done plenty of research. Until then, I can say that right now Milkmade is my absolute favorite spot! Other than ice cream, I’m craving smoothies and yogurt for breakfast, salads or sandwiches for lunch and trying to ensure that both lunch and dinner have plenty of protein.

Food Aversions: Since the warm weather is causing my entire body to swell, I’m trying to avoid salty foods as much as possible. Other then that, I’m not really having any aversions other than the fact that I still can’t manage to finish a cup of coffee which blows my mind. I find it easier to drink iced coffee than hot coffee but I’m still not finishing a small iced coffee until hours later.

Symptoms: If you’re pregnant, and REALLY want to know the symptoms I’m experiencing, then read this section and click the links. If not, skip over to sleep. During brunch today, I joked with my friend Mary, that ignorance was bliss. I didn’t know many of these symptoms existed until I reached the Week 37 and 38 section of pregnancy books or apps this week. Sure enough, I’m experiencing many of them including lovely things like lightening crotch and cheeseburger crotch.  I’m thankful that Doctor Google, and my doctor, both recommended Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads for quick relief.  In addition, I’ve had some contractions this week, but nothing at a regular interval.  When I visited my doctor on Tuesday she said that my cervix was fully softened but I wasn’t dilated yet. It seems like Baby Girl wants to keep baking, but we’ll see what happens.

Sleep: Sleep has been either amazing, like last night’s ten hours, or horrible. I have started listening to my body and taking a nap around 3pm each day. At this time each day I feel as if I could fall asleep standing so instead of having caffeine or trying to push through, I move from my home office to the bedroom and close my eyes for 30 minutes. The three days I was able to do it last week were amazing and this short nape left me feeling energized for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Wearing: Anytime I see people multiple times in a week, I laugh to myself as they are most likely seeing me in one of three outfits – this versatile yet stylish black dress, this striped dress, or these soft, thin leggings and a v-neck t-shirt. I am so thankful for these pieces as they are comfortable and somewhat flattering. I’ve stopped wearing my underwire bra and instead am wearing nursing bras as they are more comfortable at this point while also providing support. As I’ve shared on Instagram and Insta Stories, my ankles and size 10 feet are a thing of the past, so I’m wearing compression socks at night and one of three shoes during the day – my Rose Gold Birkenstocks which can thankfully be adjusted, my new Sperry shoes which I’m loving and my Brooks PureFlow 6 which I ordered in a larger size during my second trimester.

Other Random Thoughts: Now that her nursery is fully stocked and we have finished everything on our list, I am so excited to meet her and can’t imagine waiting another three weeks, if I have to get induced at 41 weeks. We are really hoping that she comes sooner versus later but until then, we plan to take everyone’s advice and enjoy as much sleep and relaxation during the weekends and evenings as possible. I am so thankful with how wonderful this pregnancy has been thus far. I know so many people who have experienced difficult pregnancies and had no clue what to expect when we started this journey. Some weeks have felt longer than others but the joy of the journey and sharing it with Bo and our friends and family has been incredible.

Your turn – I want to make this as helpful as possible for you guys so please let me know if you have any questions at all. As you know, nothing is off limits.