Weeks 29 and 30: Three-quarters of the way!

30 weeks chalk board.

 My 29^th week of pregnancy started on New Year’s Day. On the Eve, we went out to dinner with friends, came home and stayed up to midnight (with a mini nap from 11-11:30!). The rest of the week was filled with sad goodbyes- sister in law and her two kids left, final lunches and dinners with friends, and last minute errands to buy things we needed.

 

29 Weeks.

The transition from the 29^th to 30^th weeks were our travel days. I’ll talk much more about it in later posts, but I will say that it was much more difficult for me this time. Mostly in terms of energy and how many times I had to use the bathroom! 

Baby girl's kicks have become much stronger and more visible all over my tummy. Whenever I have my arms resting on my tummy, or my pants are putting pressure on me, she kicks right at it, almost demanding that I adjust and make her more comfortable. Definitely her mommy’s daughter. She has been head down for several weeks now, and currently is facing outwards, so that explains why I can feel her movements so well. In the last week, I started to notice some rhythmic movements, which as far as I can tell, are her hiccups! It is definitely a different kind of feeling. 

The Bump and Baby Center say this about Week 30:

Your baby is the size of a large cucumber!

or 15.2- to 16.7-inches (source).

Your baby rivals a good-size cabbage in weight, tipping the scales this week at about 3 lbs.(source)

 "Your baby at 30 weeks

• Her skin is getting smoother.
• But her brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue.
• She's now strong enough to grasp a finger!"

 

 “Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after 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 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)”

 

 Pregnancy Tracking Questions

How far along: 30 weeks

Size of Baby: As long as large cucumber.

Sleep: In the past month, I’ve woken up twice a night for the bathroom, and many other times to switch positions. Sometimes, I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Now that we have been home a few days, jet lag has really messed me up even more! I took a two hour nap yesterday, and then couldn’t sleep until 2 a.m., waking at 6:50. Hrmph.

Maternity clothes: Pretty much full time. I have a few regular layering tank tops that have served me well.

Stretch marks: Not yet.

Best moment this week: Seeing my girls- the dogs. It was wonderful to be reunited with them.

Worst moment this week: Finding out how much weight I gained over the last 6 weeks while visiting the USA. Then finding out I had the time of today’s appointment with the midwife wrong. They still squeezed me in because I was feeling crappy. She took blood to check my thyroid and iron levels.

Miss anything: My family and friends! It was so hard to leave. It really took all of my self-control not to start bawling uncontrollably the last few days before we left.

Movement: Baby girl has really started to kick harder. I think in the last week and a half, I’ve started to feel her hiccups too!

Cravings:  I never really have “cravings” per se, but I do wish I had brought some Lucky Charms home with me. And I never got to eat my chocolate crème doughnut. Oh well. Wasn’t a true priority I guess.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

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

Looking forward to: Getting back into a workout routine at the gym! Getting on the treadmill today for 35 minutes really helped improve my mood today.

Song of the Post: Happy Phantom by Tori Amos. Reminds me of warming up in my high school modern dance class.