size of an squash

Found out at my doctor’s appointment this week I’ve gained almost exactly 10KG so far. She said it’s actually a fairly normal weight gain, so that’s a huge relief *wipes brow*. My goal for the remaining 10 weeks is to try and stay within <15KG total weight gain.. hope it all goes to plan. 60KG is a bit of a mental limit/barrier for me, so I really really hope I don't go over that... So far, I've been going for very frequent massages and/or facials. One of the benefits of living in China 🙂 It's a nice expat-catered place owned by an American, so I'm in very safe hands! It's a wonderful way to relax and chill out and have a bit of a pampering... maybe it's also partly why I haven't been afflicted with sore back/legs/etc yet? Well, that's my rationale and I'm sticking to it 😛

size of an squash

Almost on a daily basis, I feel like he’s going to actually kick himself out and come exploding out of my belly or something. Eek! He is completely restless almost every waking moment and hardly ever is still (and if he is, only for maybe 30 mins tops). It means my insides sometimes feel a bit tender and… used. We can clearly see and feel the curve of his back, his lil bottom, and his legs/feet. It’s quite amazing to be able to feel all that from the outside, but sometimes I do wish he’ll be a little calmer and more still. So far, he’s kicked off the ferrets when they try to sleep on my belly (much to their disdain), and moves around so much that people visibly see my belly moving from across the room. It’s quite distracting and very difficult for me to lead a normal life! I keep telling myself – better to have an active baby than a not-so-active one, right??

size of an squash

Had another ultrasound during our prenatal appointment. So fun to see him squiggling around.. though he’s very obviously running out of room now 😉 It’s obvious to me anyway, because his twists and kicks feel a lot more ‘raw’ and forceful now, esp when he s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s himself out (his favourite activity!) or when he practices his walking up and down my belly every morning. He’s already head-down and fully engaged (ie. “dropped”) – I guess he’s keen to come out since it’s quite early for a baby to be already engaged!

Unfortunately, my “cervix is thinning” a bit quickly. To counteract that, I’ve been advised to take it easy, cut down/drop the gym workouts and try and stay seated as much as possible. Easier said than done!! So as a compromise I’m going to the gym 2x/week instead, 30 mins each time, and cutting out the weight-lifting. What a bummer…

I wonder if babies in-utero can feel gravity? When I sleep on my side, he likes to face downwards (ie. towards the bed). I noticed this week that every time I flip sides, he immediately wakes up and shifts and turns himself 180 degrees round so that he’s facing the bed again – it’s very evident because I can feel his hands and feet moving and settling on the side of my belly that’s touching the bed, before falling asleep again. It’s happened every single time I switch sides! So it feels like he very clearly can tell which way is down, and gets a bit annoyed with me if I flip in bed 😛

size of a honeydew

So far I haven’t yet experienced leg cramps or restless leg syndrome, so wondering if they’ll come full-force in my 9th month? Worried about that. It’s why I’m still so keen on exercise, because I’m 110% certain it’s the reason why I haven’t been afflicted yet. Sadly my gym sessions are still at 2x/week and 30 mins each time.. but at least it’s better than nothing and being a fatass on the couch, I suppose :X

My waist is now a whopping 38″ around! It’s quite hilarious to see.. I look like a swallowed a (giant) basketball 😛 Downside is that because I can’t see my feet, it makes me quite unstable, and I fell AGAIN this week! A bad fall this time – not because I hurt my belly or the baby (Chris caught me in time, thankfully) but because I twisted my ankle badly so it got really bruised and swollen and hurt for days. Argh.

I particularly like this Week 33 pic, because it’s exactly how our little boy is positioned and where the placenta is.. and my belly also is around that size!