32 Weeks: Choosing a Pram.

In our little place, it’s hard to “nest” in the traditional sense. We’re hoping to move soon, but it might not happen before the baby comes. Optimally, it would happen before, but finding the right dog-friendly rental in our price range and in our preferred neighborhoods doesn’t come around every day. 

So what have we done? We went to Baby City twice this weekend, and Babies R Us once. Let me just say, that Babies R Us suck here, and that Baby City is much more akin what Babies R Us is like in the USA. We bought three 3-packs of wipes, a baby gate (to use now with the dogs), a bottle and two extra nipples, and a Mombo. I was debating about getting the Boppy or My Brest Friend, and the Mombo is the cross between the two.  I hope I like it! 

We also spent hours checking out the prams (AKA pushchairs, strollers, buggys) in stores and online. I have been really interested in having interchangeable components instead of an entire travel system to push around. In the USA, they have “snap-and-go” frames that you can attach many different car-seats to, but they really don’t  sell anything like that here in South Africa. The closest style is a system that has different interchangeable components, such as a car-seat, a carrycot/Moses basket, and a full seat that reclines.  

Graco Evo Trio (source).

Leaving the store on Saturday, we had two Graco’s in mind- I liked this one because of cup holders and R1000 cheaper, the other hubby liked another because it was the lightest and had three components (see above). It needs a small base to connect the car-seat to the stroller frame, has easy one-handed collapsibility (into a squareish-rectangle shape) We came home and read reviews- the one I liked had lots of negative reviews- the cup holders fall and your stuff crashes to the floor, and the wheels get squeaky. 

Bebe Confort Elea (source).

So we went back today, Sunday, ready to buy this one (of course) and found another pram , Bebe Confort (AKA Maxi-Cosi), that had similar features, is cheaper, has some suspension springs on the back wheels, collapses into a longer and narrower shape, stands upright when closed, but is a little heavier than the Graco. After seeing how helpful it was to read reviews, I couldn’t commit to either- so we left without a pram AGAIN. Coming home, we read reviews for the two contenders, and they both sound really good.

Bah.

I have no clue which one to choose. I (of course) like the looks, the one handed 'collapsibility', the extra carry cot/Moses basket, and the lightness of the Graco. But is it worth R1000 more?! I honestly don’t know. And on the Bebe Confort one, I like how the handle is adjustable, the wheel suspension,  the size it collapses to, and how it stands up on its own. So who knows when we’ll actually make a decision and buy one.

The Bump and Baby Center say this about Week 32:

“At 32 weeks, baby’s birth still seems kind of far away, but you and baby are physically ready in a lot of ways, just in case there’s an early arrival. Baby may have turned so she’s in the head-down position by now, poised for her trip down the birth canal. Intensity might be building in the symptoms department, as heartburn and contractions intensify around week 32.”

“By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.”

Pregnancy Tracking Questions

How far along: 32 weeks.

Size of Baby: As big as a squash or as heavy as a jicama.

Sleep: Waking often, but no insomnia.

Maternity clothes: Are pajamas considered maternity wear?

Stretch marks: Not yet.

Wedding Ring: Getting tighter! There is more and more of an indent left in my skin.

Best moment this week: Going to the beach and wearing my maternity bathing suit!

Worst moment this week: Feeling “blah” for a couple days.

Movement: She has really been making strong movements on my ribs- not painful, but a different kind of pressure.

Miss anything: Cold lunch meat- summer makes me want sandwiches with big piles of ham and turkey!

Cravings:  I wouldn’t call it cravings, but ice cream on a summer night would be nice…every day!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Belly button in or out: In for now! I just realized that when I lean really far forward, I saw that it was pushing out, but would go back inside when I stood normally.

New aches and pains: My feet, specifically the balls of my feet, are getting tender for a day after working out/being on my feet for several hours. I was reminded about the hormone relaxin that might be causing my feet to “grow” and loosen, causing some of the pain. Also, there is some slight swelling- nothing too noticeable except to myself.

Braxton Hicks: None yet. Since this is my first pregnancy, I’m not sure how they’ll feel.

Looking forward to: Washing and folding all the little baby clothes and blankets we have (weird, I know).

 

Song of the Weekend: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2. So appropriate on so many levels.

31 Weeks: The Heat is On!

Wow. The biggest adjustment to being back (besides jet lag) has been the summer heat. We are having such a hard time getting used to it.



Back in the USA, we were in the northern hemisphere’s winter, and the average temperature range was in the 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, in Cape Town, it is in the 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.



Which is fine, but there is no air conditioning in most places, and certainly not in our little cottage! And it is MUCH more humid here than back home.

Oh the sweating.

The only saving grace to Cape Town’s summer is that because we are surrounded by ocean, the breezes are wonderful. Besides ice water, damp wash cloths and two little fans, we don’t have much relief. 

View of Table Mountain/Devil's Peak from Zeekoevlei Lake.

These are what are keeping us from going insane. 

Any suggestions?

The Bump and Baby Center say this about Week 31:

“Welcome to week 31. Can you believe all five of baby’s senses are fully developed? She also keeps getting smarter. She's going through major brain and nerve development. Eye development, too. Her irises now react to light! All five of her senses are in working order.

Your baby's the size of a pineapple! She's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds this month. She's getting so big, she's probably crowding your lungs.”



 

Baby weighs as much as 4 oranges.

“This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.”

 

Pregnancy Tracking Questions

How far along: 31 weeks

Size of Baby: As long

Sleep: Oh gosh. We came from a month of winter while in the USA, to the middle of summer in Cape Town. It is hot and humid, the only saving grace is that we almost always have a breeze. At night, the downside is that mosquitos come out and with the doors open for the breeze, I’m getting eaten alive. Did you know that pregnant women are mosquito magnets!? Read about it here.

Maternity clothes: Pretty much full time, unless I’m at home and wearing some old shorts.

Stretch marks: Not yet.
Wedding Ring: Getting tighter! I first noticed a slight indentation from my ring due to swelling the first week of January.

Best moment this week: Seeing hubby really respond to the antenatal (prenatal) classes that we started on Tuesday. He was pretty animated during the class and he wished he’d taken notes! Too sweet.

Worst moment this week: Waking up one day to find 9 mosquito bites on one arm and 8 on the other. Also, Having several things break in succession and need repair in the cottage. I felt like I was bugging the landlord every day!

Miss anything: Air conditioning. Nuff said.

Movement: Strong as ever. I’ve been doing kick counts (just for fun- not required by my midwives) and she almost always does enough movements to be done in under 15 minutes. I know how to get her to kick- put pressure with a finger for a few moments- she usually kicks it away. She’s like me already- a little bit of a “princess and the pea.” I also think she’d learned how to arch her back, because all of a sudden, I will have a lopsided bump where her bum is (up and to the left) sometimes.

Cravings:  Cold water. Tap water/room temperature water does not do the job any more. It’s no refreshing, and I drink less of it. If cold, I could guzzle an entire glass easily. So, I bought a narrow water pitcher for the fridge to keep cold water in at all times. I have also been making sure all of our ice trays are consistently filled. I’m not chewing the ice, its only to make my water colder for longer!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Belly button in or out: In, but getting pretty shallow!

Looking forward to: Getting more organized for the baby. In this small place, not likely to happen. A mommy can dream!

Song of the Post: Summer in the City by The Lovin' Spoonfuls.