Suck it up, buttercup. You wanted this. 

It’s 5:37am, and I’m up because I’m wholly uncomfortable.

Today is 33 weeks. Peanut is the size of a pineapple (another one of my least-liked fruits/veggies) and I read someplace that this is around the time that she will settle into her final position before birth. She’s always been active, but lately her movements are bigger – stop-me-in-my-tracks shocking – as if she’s a rabbit burrowing a den for the winter. I’m feeling her feet (hands? elbows? heels?) dig into parts of my body she never bothered with before. I’m pretty sure my ribs are bruised from the inside.

Pelvic Girdle Pain has set in, making it near-impossible at times to walk with my legs together. I look like I just got off a horse, or as though someone gave me a good, hard boot to the crotch. I alternate between pain that keeps me awake, and pain (mostly from the back) that knocks me out. I’ve also developed Restless Legs Syndrome, which hits me hard at night. I literally feel as though I have ants in my pants (or under my skin) and constantly have kick and rub my legs and frequently change positions to get the sensations to stop.

I am running out of things to wear! I’m down to about four pairs of tights, and a few really blousy tops. Forget pullovers. I have two drape sweaters left. My winter coats do not zip/button. I will NOT buy a maternity coat. The other day I was wearing a cardigan under my jacket, and because of the aforementioned inability to fasten, I simply buttoned the cardigan to protect the bump from the cold. My father took one look at me, and begged that I undo the sweater. I’m not sure he was taking pity on me, or the fabric straining against my giant belly.

Speaking of which, I measured myself the other day, and I was shocked to learn that I am 41 inches around the belly and the backside. I’ve no idea how this happens. I really hope that both return to normal proportions after the little one arrives – although, truthfully, I wouldn’t mind keeping some of this thickness post-partum. I think it’s kind of sexy. 😀

Curious to learn if I’m just one big basketcase, I called my neighbour (who has two young children) to ask her how she felt in the last days of her pregnancy. I recall how big she was in the final weeks before her last, a son, was born, but she said that aside from general discomfort (difficulty sleeping, decreased mobility), she really didn’t have the kinds of problems that I seem to be experiencing. She’s also a good 10 years younger than I am, further reinforcing my belief that pregnancy really is a young girls’ game.

I’d love to have another baby – someone to look out for Peanut when the boy and I are dead and gone. Dr. Freedman advised that if I have a C-section (likely, if Peanut remains transverse breech), I couldn’t/shouldn’t think about getting pregnant again before August. But the way I feel right now (and the thought of going through all this again), I’m pretty damn good with having just the one.