30 weeks: counting kicks

Baby has doubled in height over the last six weeks and she won't get much longer. From now until delivery she'll focus on gaining weight at her own rate. She's swimming in about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid, and as she grows, the amniotic fluid will decrease. Right now she can move around a lot but that'll change as the pool drains and she runs out of room.

At the last prenatal appointment I got a card to start counting baby's movements. It was presented as an optional activity so we've only done it once so far. You write down the start time, wait until you feel baby move 10 times, and then write down the stop time. If you feel baby move less than 10 times in two hours then there's a problem. Baby moves plenty so I'm not at all concerned. The one time we did it she moved 10 times in less than 10 minutes. Evan was the counter and I was the timer. Sometimes her kicks and jabs are so strong my belly contorts in freakish ways. I keep meaning to get a video of that but haven't been successful yet. She gets hiccups once or twice a day usually, that doesn't count for movements, but she does wiggle around when she has the hiccups. I wonder if she gets sick of having the hiccups like we do.

The injury to my symphysis pubis that happened a week ago today ended up getting me laid up for a week, doctor's orders. Today is my last day staying home and off my feet and I'm really hoping to go back to work tomorrow. It has been so boring. I feel for people who get put on bed rest for weeks. I missed Erica's 40th birthday party, Nora's first birthday party, meeting Evan's out-of-town friends for a drink, and shopping at the Just Between Friends sale with Kellee. Not to mention the weather was so nice this weekend. It still hurts to walk but less so. I'm wearing the support belt all the time now. I'm such an idiot for doing this to myself. Pregnancy has been a humbling experience, that's for sure.

On the bright side, I have noticed that I am shedding way less than I did before I was pregnant. My hair is thicker and stronger. I used to end up with a handful of hair every time I combed conditioner through it in the shower and that doesn't happen anymore.

29 weeks: baby yawns

Baby now weighs somewhere between 2.5-3.5 lbs and is about 15-17" in length. She's long and lean. At this point she's continuing to work on putting on some weight and her bones are hardening. I need to make sure I'm getting lots of calcium for her. Researchers have speculated that babies can even dream at this point based on brain activity. I wonder what she would dream about? Meeting her mommy and daddy on the outside like we dream of meeting her?

We had our monthly growth ultrasound on Thursday and she's still right on track. In fact, she's measuring in the 82nd percentile for growth compared to other fetuses her age. Yikes! My OB thinks she had a growth spurt recently and she might not stay in that percentile. It's a relief that she's nice and healthy, though. During the ultrasound we saw her yawn! It was just like we yawn, a nice big one. I had no idea that a fetus could yawn. We got a couple pictures, as usual. They're both of her left profile.

Profile of her head:

The yawn, with some body parts pointed out for reference. This was much cuter in action:

We had a little scare this week with some mild contractions. I had been experiencing a very tight belly for several days, most of the day, and by the third day I thought I should let someone know. I called the advise nurse line and she said it could be nothing or it could be something, the only way to know was to go into labor and delivery and be monitored for a bit. I went in for an hour or so and they hooked me up to some sensors on my belly. I wasn't dilated at all so I was diagnosed with an irritable uterus. It's similar to Braxton Hicks except more intense. Apparently it's pretty harmless, although there is about a 10% higher risk of preterm labor with this condition. It can be caused by stress, dehydration, a full bladder, or physical strain. Laying down for a bit seems to be the cure. At first I had a pity party for myself imagining this level of discomfort and pain for another 11 weeks but then I remember how grateful I am for carrying her and anything I endure is worth it. 

As for me, I'm learning to master the art of squatting instead of bending over. Slip on shoes are my friend. Veiny boobs have arrived. And today I am retiring my running shoes in favor of walking shoes due to some serious pain in my symphysis pubis after a run to the point of having difficulty walking for the rest of the day. 

We toured and got on wait lists for a couple day cares this week. We tour another day care tomorrow and hope to tour a fourth one as well. It's a little distressing to not be able to get a guaranteed admittance until closer to our need date because it just depends on if there's an opening at that time. Both ones we've seen so far seem great.

28 weeks: baby is the size of a pumpkin

Our little pumpkin is gaining weight like crazy from here on out and putting on layers of cute little baby chub, or goosh as my friend Karen says. She can taste, smell, and produce tears and is basically just putting on the finishing touches because all the major organs are formed.

Holy crap, look at that belly! I'm reminded of the I'm Pregnant and I Know It music video on YouTube. "Just look at my belly..." Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and am caught off guard for a second - whose body is that?! Oh ya! I'm outgrowing some of my maternity clothes now. I put on a shirt the other day and noticed my belly was hanging out of the bottom. I didn't realize that might happen. Nevertheless, I love my pregnant body and this growing baby bump. I really do! What a privilege to go through this journey of growing a human.

I had a prenatal appointment on Friday and fundal height measured 27 cm so right on track with growth. My OB said she was happy I gained 8 lbs since the last visit because now I'm back on track with where my weight gain should be since I lost a smidge the month before with the stomach flu. I was a little worried I might get in trouble for gaining so much, so phew! I also had a one-hour glucose tolerance test to screen for gestational diabetes. You drink 10 oz of this super sweet liquid, mine was lime flavored, and then they draw your blood an hour later to test your blood sugar. I FAILED! I had to go back in this morning for a 3-hour glucose tolerance test, the last chance test. You fast for 10 hours, then get a baseline blood draw, then drink the sugary drink, and have your blood drawn on the hour three more times to test your blood sugar. Lots of hanging around waiting and getting hungry. Last night the last thing I ate was salted caramel gelato and I was thinking, "I probably shouldn't be eating this but it's soooo good." Thankfully, I got the result of each blood test within 20 minutes electronically each time so I saw I passed every single time. Woohoo, no diabetes! Now I can make those carmelita bars I was eyeing. No I'm serious.

nom nom nom

I also got a kick count card with instructions on counting baby's movements at this last appointment. Evan is out of town for work so I plan to wait until he's back to give it a go. I feel her wiggling in there all day every day so I'm quite confident she's moving plenty. I talked to someone recently who said her baby moved a lit in utero and continues to be a little wiggle worm as an infant, too. I wonder if that will be true for our little wiggle worm. She had the hiccups the other night and it was the first time I noticed. Little rhythmic taps for 15 minutes or so paired with some wiggles. So cute.

On a sad note, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the explosions at the Boston Marathon today. Unbelievable.   

27 weeks: hello third trimester!

It feels like we turned a corner and now we're in the home stretch. If baby were born now she'd have an 85% chance of survival with medical intervention. There's some relief in that. She weighs about 2 lbs and is about 15" long. Her little brain is getting heavier and she's showing lots of brain activity. The amount of amniotic fluid has reduced by half so there's a better chance of seeing some little knees and elbows poking out. Last night I felt a big hard spot on my belly - it seemed like it could've been her back. She moves so much every day and the bigger she gets the harder it is to ignore. Sometimes it's just shifting and other times it's a big, hard jab. She's amazing, it's truly amazing. As I type this my belly is bouncing all over the place. It's like she knows what I'm typing. That or she's just feeling the coffee I'm drinking. We bought some saltwater taffy at the coast last weekend and the other night I ate five in a row. She was more active than ever before. Baby had a sugar high!

As for me, my belly continues to expand by leaps and bounds. I've gained 8 lbs in the last month! Holy crap. In addition to my belly, my ta-tas have also finally crossed into the next cup size. This is exciting new territory. I bought two new bras this weekend, the cheapest ones I could find at Target, a two-pack for $18.99. I just don't know how much more they'll grow and I know it's temporary. My ribs have also expanded, which is kind of a weird feeling. They're further apart in the front like my rib cage opened up. I wore a dress yesterday to my friend's baby's dedication and it was snug in the ribs. I wore it 6 weeks ago and it wasn't snug at all.

In other exciting news, we went to Babies 'R Us on Saturday to register for baby stuff. We did a lot of registering online already but we wanted to go in and scan some things we knew were in the store for anyone who prefers to actually go in the store. Friends have been supremely helpful in recommending items (did you know you can set up an "advice team" on amazon.com?), as have resources like Lucie's List and Amazon reviews. Despite our preparation we still got overwhelmed by the options a couple times. Like when we were standing in front of the wall of sippy cups. Whoa. Who knew there were three stages of sippy cups? It was a fun experience.

26 weeks: baby is the size of a cabbage

Baby is about 14 inches head-to-toe and weighs about 2 lbs now. Her eyelids are separated now, and she has eyelashes, so she could bat them if she wanted. Her hearing is completely formed now and will just get more and more sensitive. Sound can pass into the uterus very easily, which is probably why she responds with some wiggles when Evan talks to her close up. It is becoming a morning ritual to say goodbye to me AND her in the mornings.

I'm still feeling pretty dang good and I sure am grateful for that! I'm not swollen, I'm not in pain, I'm not nauseous, and thanks to the Boppy Total Body Pillow, sleep is okay. It sure helps the hips to have something between the knees, otherwise there would be pain. I continue to be amazed by my giant appetite. I still have digestive issues since everything is rearranged and crowded in there, but I have gotten used to it. Baby is growing bigger by the minute and so am I. It's official: I can no longer paint my toenails. I wonder if and when my innie will become an outie. I still have the belly button piercing in and it's not bothering me at all.

I tackled a fitted crib sheet sewing project on Wednesday. I felt the pressure not to mess up and throw money spent down the drain. Thankfully it turned out! I hope baby likes it. I'm proud of myself. Evan and I picked out all the fabric together so it feels extra special. Here' a picture. I think I'll tackle the crib skirt next.