29 weeks, 2 days - The 30th Week

My Symptoms
Things are still going good here. Nothing new really going on this week except for the ultrasound on Saturday, but you can read that post. The baby's been kicking plenty and I love knowing that those are her feet sticking out of my side. The girls should get ready for feeling lots of baby kicks next weekend at GWO! Unless that freaks them out and then they can keep their hands to themselves. I still feel really good. I'm sleeping at night. I've seemed really hungry and thirsty lately, but besides needing to pee every hour or two, no negative side effects from that. I have heartburn very rarely. My back hurts if I sit too long, but getting up and walking around helps with that. I haven't had any Braxton Hicks contractions that I know of. Pregnancy is still good. The next comment maybe you shouldn't read if your my Mom or Grandma, but I'm trying to document all things. I'll try not to be too graphic. Let's just say that the "romance" part of my life is getting increasingly interesting. While I'm pretty sure my husband is still attracted to me, the logistics are a little harder to manage (we'll leave it at that). Eleven weeks to go.

The Baby
The fetus is packing on the weight now! In the last two weeks, she’s gained almost 12 ounces. She’s a wrinkled little thing, but getting more "baby-like" by the day.

Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)

The baby is very aware of the surroundings. We tend to think of the uterus as a dark place. The uterus actually can be light and dark depending on the mother's environment. You may be able to distinguish sleep and wake cycles in your baby. Although it usually seems as if the baby wants to sleep while you are awake and vice versa at night. This is not indicative of a sleepless newborn. If you are having Braxton Hicks Contractions use them to practice what you've learned in prenatal classes, and know that they are a sign that your body is getting ready for labor. The baby notices the contractions, but is not adversely affected by them.
Your sweetpea weighs a whopping 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms)! S/he measures about 14.8 inches (37.5 cms) in length.

The Mom
Your relationship with your partner may be changing again as the reality of the baby becomes clearer. Focus on each other to keep the romance alive. Make a special date once a week for a movie, a mild (not wild!) night on the town. Together you are creating a human being -- there’s little more romantic than that (though it may be hard to remember it right now, when you’re feeling like the blob that ate Manhattan). Even though you are getting heavier, your need for exercise hasn’t quit. Swimming and walking are wonderful forms of exercise for pregnant women. Many community centers and dance studios host pre and post-natal exercise classes. They’re fun, gentle, and a great way to meet other expectant mothers!

You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having any trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsy, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, your balance is off and your joints are loosened, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Those loose joints can actually cause your feet to grow a shoe size --permanently.Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and your hormones may result in a revisit of those ups and downs you felt in the first few months. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent, but if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly anxious or irritable, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 10 percent of expectant women who battle mild to moderate depression during their pregnancies.And if you think you might like some kind of pain relief for labor and delivery, now's a good time to look into your options.

Your posture is still very important to your comfort. Maintaining a good posture is a good way to decrease the strain on your body as your center of gravity continues to change. One of the things that you can do to help maintain your energy levels and to increase your stamina for the birth is to exercise. It is important not to over do it, especially if you have not been exercising prior to this week. Try taking walks or swimming short distances. Getting out and stretching will help you have feel better and reduce the numbers of pregnancy related complaints.