34 Weeks Pregnancy Bumpdate

        Typical Stuff

Photo from Babycenter

According to my Ovia app: baby girl is the size of a basketball hoop- wow! She weighs about five pounds this week and is pretty close to being done.

She will continue to gain more chub as the weeks continue. My childbirth class instructor told us even if the baby goes over by a week they aren't getting bigger... in the skeletal sense anyway. Just that baby may be a bit squishier.

Symptoms

Back Pain 

Oh yes... it has begun. The oh so common complaint of pregnancy: back ache. I have dealt with back pain throughout this pregnancy but OH MY LORD; this week takes the cake. The past two days my back bones have been popping when I walk (down in my pelvis). It feels like I'm defective and every step is full of discomfort. I try to keep going for my daily walks though. I know it will be good for labor!

I'm Hungry... but I'm full... 

I have heard friends complain about this during their pregnancies but I NEVER understood how somebody could possibly be hungry yet full at the same time. Well, I get it now. The second I start to get a little hungry I have a five minute window until I turn into the ravenously hangry pregnant woman who appears in your worst nightmares. This woman sometimes thinks the project she is currently working on is more important to finish than getting a snack. So, hangry pregnant woman gets even more hangry. Then she finally eats anything she can get her hands on. Then, the hangry bitch is frustrated because her stomach is full from half a protein bar but she is still ravenous. Sometimes she'll try to eat more anyway but then we have the whole acid reflux/ general puking issue. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

Swollen/ Veiny 

The veins in my body poke out... it's not cute. My feet and hands are the worst. My breasts are extremely veiny as well but they don't really poke out like the foot/hand ones. When I get hot my hands and feet also turn a lovely tomato red color.

Emotional

Imagine a pleasant morning: Birds are chirping, I'm eating honey nut cheerios in bed, and casually browsing Facebook. Then it happens. A photo (or worse, video!) of an abused dog. I begin getting teary which quickly leads to a full on crying session. We're talking puffy eyes and snotty nose- it's ridiculous. My dogs are used to this by now. They know usually after a few minutes to expect me to run to them with hugs, kisses, and promises of how happy I'll make sure their life is. The same situation happens when somebody's dog on Facebook or one of those Pinterest stories dies.

My husband thinks I'm so ridiculous, but I can't help it! There are, of course, other sad things that get me going but the dog one is kind of comedic. 

Braxton Hicks/ Cramps

They're happening so much more frequently! I know this is just my uterus preparing for my baby girl's imminent birth. It's so exciting! On top of the usual Braxton Hicks, this week I've had deep uterine cramps. I feel like it's where my cervix is, but who knows. I told my midwife I was having period-like cramps deep down and she said it's normal as long as they aren't consistent. 

Cloth Diapers

I am so excited! Most people look at me like I've just admitted to murder when I tell them I plan on cloth diapering, but I am thrilled to do it. I ordered her newborn stash over the weekend and it just arrived. Her newborn set up is mostly prefolds/ covers. I also have three fitted diapers. I'm prepping them in the wash currently. I definitely need to learn a couple of folds before her arrival though.

Midwife Appointment

My last appointment was July 12th (33 weeks). My uterus was measuring perfectly on time and Emilia's heart rate was 150, I believe. She kept kicking the heart rate monitor which was SO cute! At the next appointment, hubby and I will be getting the whooping cough vaccine. 

Weekly Bumpie 

34 Weeks

Happy Gestating!

29 Weeks Pregnancy Bumpdate

Typical Stuff

Picture from Babycenter

According to my Ovia app: baby is the size of a Hawaiian pineapple! The womb is running low on space so movements will be much more defined this week. Baby may also weigh almost 3 lbs! Whatttt, how crazy! Baby is putting on some chub in order to help keep herself insulated upon delivery. 

The third trimester is kind of funny. For example, getting that last item on the bottom shelf at Target may not have been a huge deal a couple months ago, but now it's a whole ordeal. First, you have to do this super attractive squat/ bend motion just to lower your body to the ground. Then leaning toward the prize (in this case: L'Oreal mascara) while holding onto your shopping cart (or as we say, "buggy" here in Georgia) for dear life. Once the item has been grasped, you begin the journey back up. This is when I usually drop whatever it is and give up, but that's okay. You have to laugh it off!

On a total side note, I felt the baby have hiccups for the first time! I was wondering when I'd finally feel them since it is something people mention often about their pregnancies. Yep, Sunday night I felt the little repetitive jolts for about four minutes. It was so cute!

Symptoms

Nesting

Finally! It has begun! These past few days I have gone through more boxes than I care to admit. Why all the boxes, you ask? Well, we moved into our house! Two years ago... oh boy. Don't judge! Life got busy. It has felt so great to get rid of the junk I know we don't need. Getting organized has been my heroine this week.

I have gone through our closet and chosen items of clothing my husband and I haven't worn in years for donation. A few are bridesmaids dresses so I may try selling those, but otherwise, Goodwill it is. Yay, donation tax write off!

In this whole "declutter and organize" process I have found myself making a mess. But it's a productive mess! For example, a ton of my bedroom's belongings are sitting in the hallway because I shampooed the carpet. To my husband, I'm a destructive tornado. But it's okay... I know by the end of this it will all be PERFECT! (Wishful thinking..?)

Acid Reflux 

This has been a fun one. I've had it for a few weeks now, but this week has been a whole new level. Almost every time I lay down I end up puking in my mouth, even if I haven't eaten in a while! Tums have been helping a bit; at least I like to think so. I find it happens more often if I am eating regular size meals rather than small meals/ snacks throughout the day. My stomach can't handle it anymore, I suppose.

Swelling

I didn't expect to be one of those swollen pregnant women simply because I had made it 28 weeks with none. What was I thinking?! My body is carrying WAY more blood than usual and creating a human life. Plus, it has been in the 90 degree range for two weeks now. Least to say, the feet have gotten steadily more veiny, more red, and slightly puffy. My ankles still seem fine, for now, as do my hands (sometimes they get more veiny, but rings still fit).

Back Pain

This one I've been having since the first trimester; however, this week has been pretty brutal. I'll start cleaning and very quickly am in so much back pain that I have to take a break. The way I described it to my husband was as if somebody was trying to pull my back apart from the hips. Sounds fun, right?

Sciatica 

I seriously can't move when this happens! It only happened briefly (under an hour) twice this week, but it's not fun. I really think swimming and butterfly stretches helped with this!

Favorites 

The dark chocolate chunk kind bars! Ahh, they're heaven. I always try to keep one stocked in my purse since I turn into a hangry bitch without warning. Plus, they're easy to grab without having to do any sort of time consuming prep work. Another bonus, all the natural ingredients make me feel like I'm doing my baby a good deed when I eat (ahem, devour) one.  

Swimming! This hot weather has been pretty awesome in regards to pool days. I find that swimming has helped me get some cardio without overheating. Also, it helps keep strain off my abdomen and lower back. I noticed after an hour of swimming/ floating in the pool a huge relief in my back pain.

Midwife Appointment

So my last appointment was Friday, exactly on my 29 week gestation date. The nurse who measured me said, "oh! You just look small. You're measuring exactly 29 weeks". This was such a relief to hear! I've been pretty on track this whole time, but literally EVERYONE comments on how tiny the bump is. I'm sure that will change in these upcoming weeks though. 

I discovered I have slightly flat nipples which could present an issue when it comes time to breast feed. My midwife said they aren't completely flat, but mostly. I may have to start the baby off with a nipple shield in order to extract the nipple better, then feed her normally. I am really hoping this doesn't present huge hurtles with breast feeding since it is so important to me. 

Childbirth Classes

This one is sooooo exciting to me! Wednesday was my first class (which I ran about 15 minutes late for, uh). I love the instructor and the easy going feel to the whole class. It's very discussion based. 

The location is in this older warehouse type of place (which I love) and the inside is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye: high ceilings, string lights, a plush rug, and comfy seating. Am I the only one who does better in a well decorated environment..? 

Anyway, we discussed basic things such as the anatomy of a pregnant woman, the five warning signs to go to the hospital for, and pregnancy do's and don'ts. That last part I found very interesting. For example, we talked about how alcohol is quite stigmatized in America. Apparently, women in Europe drink moderately throughout their pregnancies with no side effects. The rule here was, "drink like a European woman, not an American frat boy". Then we got into the research behind fetal alcohol syndrome and how it cannot be properly researched since it would be unethical to submit the test group of womens' pregnancies to the possibility of fetal alcohol syndrome. Really nobody knows how much is "too much" alcohol. I am still staying away from the wine, but it is nice to know this information!

I may do a post on the five signs to go to the hospital for which we covered in class. (:

Weekly Bumpie 

Baby was laying weird when I took this. The bump is not round here! Oh well. 

Happy Gestating! (:

Fetal Movement Bonus Video!

Sorry for the bad quality. She's so active in there though!