At 36 weeks pregnant with her second baby, this mum shares a refreshingly honest Pregnancy Journal update, including the realities of insomnia, antenatal care in Australia, and preparing a toddler for a new sibling.
Guest Pregnancy Journal: 36 Weeks Pregnant – Second Baby
Week: 36
Baby is the size of a: Pineapple, apparently.
Cravings: None really, but I certainly have more of a sweet tooth than usual.
Symptoms: Insomnia, tiredness (probably the result of the insomnia), and a little bit of heartburn starting, but not bad at all. My skin is looking pretty good and my hair is really lush, neither of which I noticed last time.
My weight: 80kg (a gain of around 11–12 kilos so far, about four kilos less than my total gain in my first pregnancy).
I’ve been feeling: Mostly happy, but a little anxious. Especially about how our 2.5 year old will cope, and who will look after her while I am at the hospital. A few lovely people have offered, but I don’t want to burden them. I’m also not sure whether our daughter would be happy going to someone else’s house. We are living in Australia and have no family here, and our family can’t come from New Zealand because of work commitments.
This week I learned: Quite a bit about subdivisions.
My baby’s movements are: Fairly constant, especially when I’m working or when I first hop into bed at night. But I can tell he’s getting a little constricted now. Lots of little shuddery-type movements, which I don’t remember from my first pregnancy.
I’m still wondering whether: Everything is ok, and whether the baby will be similar to his sister (and never sleep through the night).
The hardest thing about being pregnant is: The waiting and not knowing. I’m a very impatient person and I just want to know how everything is going to go, and that everything is going to be ok. The antenatal care here in Australia is definitely not as good as the care I had from the community midwives in Auckland with my first pregnancy. I feel quite in the dark and it seems like no one has any real oversight. The GP thinks the hospital midwives will manage my care and the hospital midwives think the opposite. We should have just gone with a private obstetrician.
The most uncomfortable thing right now is: Not sleeping. Carrying an older child. The occasional leg cramp in the night.
The things which make me happiest right now are: Working, and when my 2.5 year old is in a sunny mood – she can be an absolute delight.
How I’m going with diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and other health goals: Definitely not as well as last time. I was so consistent with a healthy diet in my first pregnancy, probably because I was working a regular desk job and it was easy to stick to the same healthy meals. It’s probably still reasonably healthy though. Exercise is really just transport now. I walk up the hill to take our toddler to kindy and back at least two days a week, but that’s about it. In my first pregnancy I remember walking up Mt Eden a couple of times a week.
If I could say anything to my baby right now it would be: Please be head down.
If after reading this you’d be happy to share your own experience of pregnancy, please email megan@forgetmenotjournals.com to receive one of these pages, or send a photo of your own pregnancy journal.
You Might Also Like
More late pregnancy reflections:
- Guest Pregnancy Journal: 36 Weeks with Simone Anderson
- 38 Weeks Pregnant – First Time Mum
- Christina Dellar: 39 Weeks with Hyperemesis Gravidarum
- Guest Pregnancy Journal: 41 Weeks Pregnant
Document your own journey with the Pregnancy Journal – Made With Love, and continue your story with the Baby Book – Your First Years.