At 41 weeks pregnant, her bun is still very much in the oven. Elyse shares her pregnancy journey with us. Read on to hear more about her experience.
41 Weeks Pregnant – Waiting to Meet Our Baby
I’ve been feeling: Tender, excited. My lower back and pubic bone have felt tender this week. Thankfully, I have felt pretty amazing throughout this pregnancy and am not ‘huge’, so going over 40 weeks hasn’t been too hard. I’ve just hit the boredom level in the last two days. It has consisted of bringing out a puzzle and knitting – neither of which I usually do.
I can’t wait to be able to: Lie on my stomach when sleeping.
When I see my body I feel: Empowered. I’m so unbelievably proud of my mind and body and how I feel towards it. So grateful.
How I’m feeling about the birth: Excited. I get to meet our babe, find out the sex, and start our next chapter in life.
What I’ll miss about being pregnant: Everything. The ups, downs, all the feelings. Baby’s movements.
The most uncomfortable thing right now is: My pubic bone. Baby’s head feels like it’s right there.
When I picture my life a year from now I think: We nailed it.
My Story
2020 started off with a pregnancy loss for us, which was heartbreaking. However, coming out the other side I’m so grateful for what it taught us. It made us stronger and even more excited for what was to come.
Going into this second pregnancy was a challenge knowing what had happened previously. At the same time, we were so excited and had done so much inner work to have a positive outlook. It all paid off. From the very beginning I only experienced a couple of weeks of evening nausea. I would say I got off very lucky and my body looked after me well.
Up until 37 weeks I kept saying, “Pregnancy is nowhere near as bad as I expected.” I honestly hadn’t ‘felt pregnant’ until I reached 37 weeks. The heaviness I started to experience then was what I had imagined would come much earlier.
After watching others share their journeys, especially online, I had painted a picture in my mind that pregnancy simply isn’t easy. For me, it felt empowering. I continued training right up until 38 weeks, stopping only because I wanted to savour these final weeks of doing very little. I’ve continued walking the dog whenever I’ve felt up to it, now at 41 weeks.
With training and nutrition being my forte, nutrition went slightly out the window. I focused on eating what I felt like, when I felt like it. I aimed for at least two nourishing meals a day, but there were plenty of treats in between.
Now just over 41 weeks, the time is ticking and I’m feeling so positive. I’ve been excited for birth from day one. I’ve been lucky enough to witness three births previously and felt so empowered supporting family through labour. Of course, I’m human and have moments of concern about induction or unexpected turns, but I’ve spent a lot of time accepting that whatever happens will be perfect for us.
My ideal is to labour at home as long as possible, then head to our local birth centre, just seven minutes away and the very place I was born, to bring baby earth side. I’m open to whatever needs to happen for the best outcome for both of us.
To date I have gained 14kg and feel amazing for it. It feels natural. I’ve only stepped on the scales four times in nine months, which I’m incredibly proud of. I feel privileged by how my body has grown this little babe and looked after me the whole way through.
If you’re documenting your own journey, you might enjoy reading The Best Baby Journal in NZ: A Complete Guide for New Parents or Best Baby Book in New Z