Honest Moment: 35 Weeks & Exhausted

Pardon the interruption, but I’m exhausted.

Though talking about babies is much more enjoyable to write, and probably for you to read, you’ll have to excuse me as I use this post to remind myself of my goal and…vent.

FACT: I’m 35 weeks and exhausted. I can tell Baby Girl is getting ready for her upcoming arrival as she burrows deeper, causing sharp pains to shoot through my pelvis, lower back and butt. It’s a welcome pain in the sense that she’s getting prepared—a wonderful sign that the end is near—but this combined with a very active two-year-old boy knocks me out.

And don’t even get me started on bending over! My son is already showing how much of a life saver he can be when he helps mommy pick things up off the floor.

So enough of the complaining. What am I going to do about this?

Step 1: Remember the goal! 
Re-read my post from March 3—“You Can Do It: “Term” Pregnancy.” That was my goal and remains my goal because it’s what is best for my Baby Girl. So during these final five to six weeks, it’s all about taking care of us.

Step 2: Keep moving!
I've found that the worst thing I can do it NOT be active. My body aches for a warm up and a good stretch.

I worked out a ton my first pregnancy, but due to my schedule (my son), I haven’t been able to maintain that level of exercise (30-minute stair stepper/walk plus 20-30 minutes weight training).

Instead, yoga has been a great tool for me this pregnancy since I spend most of my cardio energy chasing my son. Yoga gives me time to decompress, breath and stretch. It’s also a great strengthener. I also do about 15 minutes of weight training. This happens 3/4 times a week instead of 5/6 like it did during my first pregnancy.

And yes, I’m still doing my squats. After all of this, I want to be strong enough to push this girl out in less than two hours, which was what it took me last time.

Step 3: Rest!
Balance your activity with rest. Even though I’m in hard-core nesting mode, as of this week, I’m forcing myself to be in bed sleeping by 9pm—Dr. Husband is also “requiring” this.

I’m also taking as much time as I can on the weekend to nap or at least lay down. Even one 20-minute stint has shown to do wonders for me.

More Ideas
Here are some resources that I think have great advice as well.

• Baby Center: adjust your schedule, stay hydrated, eat healthy, moderate exercise
• What To Expect: ask for help, get more sleep, eat right, get a move on 

You can do it!