And when I say less than a week, I mean her due date is today!

It’s reassuring that my ever-so-dependable procrastination about writing this post still comes through at this pivotal, life-changing moment.

Before I make my way to the hospital, I thought we could do a virtually sit-down and talk about how exciting and surreal this third trimester has been.

Q: Did you enjoy your pregnancy?

BunBun and I got off to a rough start. I was throwing up nonstop during my fifth week of pregnancy and was anxious that I wouldn’t be able to go back to work after the summer was over.

That broadening anxiety, canceled social plans to spend more time in bed, and the fear of miscarriage looming over my head during the early weeks drove me over the edge.

Three things helped me through that first trimester:

1. Finding out that throwing up like crazy was a good thing! Vomiting and nausea during pregnancy actually lowered miscarriage risk.

2. Finding a trusted team of healthcare professionals. When you’re pregnant, our Canadian healthcare system makes it a priority to match you up with a doctor for the duration of your pregnancy. This is amazing, especially if you don’t have a family doctor! I also have an amazing counsellor that I could talk to.

3. Confiding in a friend before the first trimester was over.

After that initial hump, my pregnancy journey was incredibly enjoyable! BunBun is already showered with so much love!

Q: What will happen to Mimu (my cat) when BunBun arrives?

Mimu has been with me for a decade now, and I intend to keep her healthy and happy with me for as long as I can.

I swear she knew I was pregnant before I knew! In the summer, she started curling up in my lap and sleeping with me which was weird... Then she started to follow me around everywhere I went. Whenever I threw up, she would sit outside the washroom and wait for me until I crawled back into bed. Then she would come and lie in bed with me.

I know she’s a sassy tortie, but she also has a big heart.

Q: Are you craving anything?

I love food. My relationship with food has always been: If I crave it, I’m going to eat it!

McDonald’s is surprisingly pregnancy-friendly, so I often crave that. I also went through a big dim sum and bbq skewers phase. No shame, but I can drink up to four mini yoghurt drinks a day.

WTF Hubby made me a bento fruit box everyday because I couldn’t get enough of cold, tart fruit (e.g., berries, kiwis, oranges, Ataulfo mangos)!

During spring break, I went to the Dolar Shop three times in one week for hotpot. The following week, I had a craving for Korean BBQ, so we went out to have that twice.

Q: Has your relationship with your body changed?

It has, but that was before I became pregnant. I used to put my body under so much stress that I ended up in the hospital. After that, I went through a lifestyle change and acknowledged how hard my body was working for me!

Growing up, my family never owned a scale so it was weird to weigh myself during each doctor visit and give a number to the office staff. My doctor was really on me for staying within the healthy pregnancy weight range, probably because she felt that I was too lax about it, haha.

I’ve been thankful for a healthy pregnancy, and I’m thankful for how my body is able to grow and house a baby!

Q: How bad is pregnancy brain?

Pregnancy/ baby brain used to freak me out. I have a multitude of projects so I didn’t want to drop the ball, just because I was pregnant! Then I did a mood questionnaire with my doctor and was convinced that pregnancy brain is actually an adaptive feature!

WTF Hubby frequently comments on how happy I am during pregnancy, and you know what? If you can’t remember what you were mad or worried about in the first place, it helps!

I forgive myself when I forget, because I’ll still forget - even when I write myself a reminder, haha.

Q: How uncomfortable is your third trimester?

If the second trimester was the sweet time of pregnancy, things started to change in the third trimester.

The first thing I noticed was my energy levels dipped. As BunBun grew, getting out of bed turned into its own Olympic event. I can’t do stairs very well, and long walks leave me winded.

The nausea has made a comeback, but luckily, the vomit comet has not. I’ve also gained the vampiric ability to wake up in the middle of the night and stay wide awake until sunrise. To no one’s surprise, this would leave me feeling completely trashed.

Monstrous leg cramps sometimes accompany my rude and early morning awakenings. They hurt so much that I try not to cry!

Otherwise, I was lucky to work up to my 38th week of pregnancy!

Q: Any fun pregnancy symptoms?

Heating up like an oven came in handy during the winter months. I’d wear a hoodie in December and be perfectly happy!

Clear skin and strong hair and nails are also among favourites!

Q: What classes/ reading/ activities have you done to prepare for your pregnancy?

I took a weekend crash-course about giving birth, because I wanted to know what options I had when it came to pain relief. That’s about it!

While knowledge about pregnancy and birth is power to some, it doesn’t serve the same purpose for me! If anything, it just fuels my anxiety.

I am trusting the process, and I’m trusting that my body will know what to do when the time comes.

Q: What kind of exercise did you do during the third trimester?

The kind where I’m so much closer to Level 44 in Pokémon Go!

My doctor recommends walking daily for 10 to 20 minutes, and I use that time to catch Pokémon! It works out!

Q: What are you favourite maternity outfits?

If you missed it, here’s my post on maternity fashion.

Q: Any favourite beauty products during pregnancy?

Q: What are you most afraid of? What are you most excited for?

I’m not a fan of hospitals, but I’m excited to meet BunBun!

Q: How long are you taking time off for maternity leave?

I’ll be off work anywhere from a year to eighteen months. After that, I’ll be looking into working part-time.

I want to spend as much time as I can with BunBun and focus on my writing during this time. It was hard for my mom to get the time off when I was growing up, and I want it to be a different story when it came to my journey with BunBun.

Q: What are your plans for maternity leave?

Spending time outdoors with BunBun after confinement month is over!

I’m looking forward to walks in the sun with my lil’ Bun! We’re so lucky that we can walk to my parents’ home, the community centre, the library (hello baby story time) and a number of parks near us.

There’s also going to be a new bakery that we’ll just happen to walk by on our way to Grandma and Grandpa!

Depending on how Mom life goes, I’ll jiggle my schedule to work on writing and content creation.

Having two weeks off work before the scheduled due date has been lovely!

I’ve been able to see friends, go eat whatever I want, journal, and work on a baby memory book for BunBun. It also means I’ll have more time to spend with our daughter and that in itself makes me a happier person.

Thanks for reading!