Baby Jensen | Weeks 29-32

12/30/2014
WEEK 29

Trimester: Third.

Baby: Size of a small cabbage [17 inches, 2.9 lbs]. Over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double -- or even come close to tripling -- her weight. Her brain is now in charge of maintaining body temperature and controls breathing. Baby's irises can now respond to light by dilating and contracting. All the internal organs are maturing and preparing to function on their own at birth. Her skin is beginning to look less wrinkly and more like it will look at birth. Her head is much more proportionate to the rest of her body. At this point, baby girl is bursting with energy and I'll be feeling every bit of it.

Movement: Getting stronger and more frequent. Sometimes it feels like she's kicking, sometimes it just feels like stretching, sometimes it feels like dancing, and sometimes it feels like she's moving in slow motion. Lately Jay has been concerned that she doesn't like him because so often she stops moving when he puts his hand on my belly. I don't think that's any indication at all for how she feels about him. I think the warmth from his hand is soothing to her and that's why she stops moving.

Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom [getting more and more frequent], exhaustion, back aches, heartburn [getting a little more frequent], gas, occasional shortness of breath [sometimes it feels like she is pressing against my lungs with all her might], constipation, mild cramping, round ligament pain, heightened sense of smell, moodiness, and dehydration. [Every time I wake up to use the restroom in the night I have to chug a glass of water. I'm drinking more throughout the day, but I'm still PARCHED all the time.]

Cravings: Eating has been great since week 27. My appetite continues to increase and there are rarely foods that sound nauseating. Currently my favorite snacks: cutie oranges, apples, Go-Gurt's, cheese on crackers, Special K granola bars, cream cheese on toasted bread, and ice cream.

Sleep: Besides one or two [sometimes more] trips to the bathroom, sleep has been great.

Exercise: Walking.

Stretch Marks: None.

Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds. 

Swelling: None.

Maternity Clothes: Most of my tops still fit, though they're snug. I do have a pair of maternity jeans and a pair of normal pants that still fit, but I end up wearing leggings majority of the time. Getting dressed for church is for sure a struggle. The only thing I fit into is a couple of my dresses and maxi skirts. I'm grateful to have clothes that still fit but I do miss having a few more options in my wardrobe.

Belly Button: In.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Next doctor's appointment.

Best Moment of the Week: We're slowly making plans for the nursery and purchasing a few necessary items for our girl. We didn't initially plan to paint her room because putting extra money into a rental home didn't make sense. Long story short: I decided the room needed some fresh paint. Dad's coming to town next week and he's going help me with this little project. The further I get into planning, the more stoked I am about putting together this room!

Worst Moment of the Week: None.

1/6/2015
WEEK 30

Trimester: Third.

Baby: Size of a butternut squash [17 inches, 3.1 lbs.]. Baby is now able to see, and even though it's dark inside my uterus, her eyes are wide open and scoping out the environment. Her brain is growing rapidly, due to which she will not gain much weight of height this week. Red blood cells are forming in her bone marrow. She is shedding the lanugo present on her skin. The hair on her head is growing thicker. Fluid is present in the alveoli [air sac] inside the lungs to help her take her first breath at birth. Baby may begin to position herself for birth anytime from now on.

Movement: Getting stronger and more frequent. Sometimes it feels like she's kicking, sometimes it just feels like stretching, sometimes it feels like dancing, and sometimes it feels like she's moving in slow motion. Lately Jay has been concerned that she doesn't like him because so often she stops moving when he puts his hand on my belly. I don't think that's any indication at all for how she feels about him. I think the warmth from his hand is soothing to her and that's why she stops moving.

Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom [getting more and more frequent], exhaustion [not as bad this week thanks to those nesting instincts, I've had more energy than ever! But I do have to take it slow otherwise I'm hurting at the end of the day], back aches, heartburn [getting a little more frequent], gas, occasional shortness of breath [sometimes it feels like she is pressing against my lungs with all her might], constipation, round ligament pain, heightened sense of smell, and dehydration. [Every time I wake up to use the restroom in the night I have to chug a glass of water. I'm drinking more throughout the day, but I'm still PARCHED all the time.]

Cravings: Eating has been great since week 27. My appetite continues to increase and there are rarely foods that sound nauseating. Currently my favorite snacks: cutie oranges, grapes, Go-Gurt's, cheese on crackers, Special K granola bars, chips, and ice cream.

Sleep: Besides one or two [sometimes more] trips to the bathroom, sleep has been great.

Exercise: Trying to keep up on my daily walks. The weather has been extremely cold which makes it difficult to get out for very long.

Stretch Marks: None.

Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds. 

Swelling: None.

Maternity Clothes: Most of my tops still fit, though they're snug. I do have a pair of maternity jeans and a pair of normal pants that still fit, but I end up wearing leggings majority of the time. Getting dressed for church is for sure a struggle. The only thing I fit into is a couple of my dresses and maxi skirts. I'm grateful to have clothes that still fit but I do miss having a few more options in my wardrobe.

Belly Button: In.

Childbirth Class: Jay and I attended the first of our 5-week Prepared Childbirth class. It's a small class with about 6 couples. And the teacher is a bit of a loon. We both agreed that it was enjoyable and will be well worth our time. Along with the class, I'm continuing to read "Mindful Childbirth". I know there's only so much we can do to prepare for the day that our little girl comes into the world but as I've said, knowledge is a powerful thing and having all of these tools available for me to study has brought a great sense of confidence in my ability to birth this baby.
What I'm Looking Forward To: A visit from dad! He's going to be helping me with a couple of nesting projects. 

Best Moment of the Week: It's been a really great week. With more energy than ever, I've been in full blown nesting mode. I've organized just about every cupboard, drawer, closet, and room in the house. This is nothing too unusual for me- I've always been a neat freak but with a baby due to arrive in two months, I have definitely felt a stronger need to prepare by getting the house in perfect order. 
Worst Moment of the Week: None.

Other: As mentioned, I'm feeling more mentally prepared for giving birth, but I will still have occasional moments of mild panic. The other night while laying in bed Jay suggested we pack our hospital bag. My stomach dropped and I thought to myself no, no it's way too soon, we're not there yet! We agreed that it probably was a little soon especially since a lot of what we plan to pack are things we're currently using on a daily basis- such as toiletries, but wow it's so surreal to think that we are coming up to that point. 

1/13/2015
WEEK 31

Trimester: Third.

Baby: Size of a coconut [18 inches, 3.2 lbs.]. Baby is quickly approaching her birth length -- though she's got to pack on another 3-5 pounds before delivery day. Her brain is now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. Lanugo [body hair] is continuing to shed. Even though the lungs are the last of all the organs to develop fully, baby is practicing breathing 30 to 40 percent of the time. Bones are busy hardening and preparing to support her body after birth. The adrenal glands, which produce those important hormones called steroids, have doubled in size in the last ten weeks. Steroids are responsible for the growth and development of sex organs. She's putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why I'm noticing more defined patterns of wakefulness and movement.

Movement: Sometimes it feels like she's kicking, sometimes it just feels like stretching, sometimes it feels like dancing, and sometimes it feels like she's moving in slow motion. I love it all!

Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom, exhaustion [not as bad this week thanks to those nesting instincts, I've had more energy than ever! But I do have to take it slow otherwise I'm hurting at the end of the day], back aches, heartburn, gas, constipation, occasional shortness of breath [sometimes it feels like she is pressing against my lungs with all her might], round ligament pain, heightened sense of smell, and dehydration. [Every time I wake up to use the restroom in the night I have to chug a glass of water. I'm drinking more throughout the day, but I'm still PARCHED all the time.] New this week: colostrum production. I noticed it after a shower and it was a weirdly exciting moment.

Cravings: Eating has been great since week 27. My appetite continues to increase and there are rarely foods that sound nauseating. Currently my favorite snacks: cutie oranges, grapes, Go-Gurt's, cheese on crackers, Special K granola bars, chips, and ice cream.

Sleep: Besides one or two [sometimes more] trips to the bathroom, sleep has been great. I had a dream that Jess went into labor sometime in March and I got to be in the room when she delivered my sweet niece. Then just a few moments later, I went into labor! After a very fast and smooth delivery, me and baby girl went back into Jess' room where we introduced our little ones to one another. It was a very unrealistic dream, but I woke up in the best mood.

Exercise: Walking.

Stretch Marks: None.

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds 

Swelling: None.

Maternity Clothes: Pants: down to strictly leggings. None of my pants fit, and even my one pair of maternity pants are snug. Tops: everything fits but some tops are more snug than others.

Belly Button: Out.

Doctor's Visit: Heartbeat is 147 and she is measuring just as she should. Before leaving the doctor's office, we booked the rest of our appointments up until our due date.
Childbirth Class: It was another great time at our birthing class, learning about the different stages of labor and practicing breathing and relaxing techniques. The relaxation portion at the end of the class was a little uncomfortable at first just because it's hard to truly relax when you're in a classroom full of strangers listening to cheesy nature sounds through a CD player, but I have really gotten into it and even practice breathing/relaxation techniques outside of class.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Finishing the nursery.   

Best Moment of the Week: Having dad [papa] in town. He helped me with a couple of big projects for baby and I'm so incredibly thrilled with how they turned out. Also, we made a few more purchases for baby girl including: boppy, wrap, bath, basket for the bassinet, wipes, and diapers. We're getting there!

Worst Moment of the Week: After a few too many homemade chocolate chip cookies, I had THE worst heart burn of my life.

1/20/2015
WEEK 32 

Trimester: Third.

Baby: Size of a head of lettuce [19 inches, 3.9 lbs.]. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb -- from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. She's busy looking around, practicing breathing, grabbing whatever is in reach, tasting amniotic fluid and listening to the sound of our voices. The fetal position is becoming a familiar position for baby. 

Movement: Sometimes it feels like she's kicking, sometimes it just feels like stretching, sometimes it feels like dancing, and sometimes it feels like she's moving in slow motion. I love it all!

Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom, back aches, heartburn, gas, constipation, colostrum production, moodiness, occasional shortness of breath [sometimes it feels like she is pressing against my lungs with all her might], round ligament pain, heightened sense of smell, and dehydration. [Every time I wake up to use the restroom in the night I have to chug a glass of water. I'm drinking more throughout the day, but I'm still PARCHED all the time.] 

Cravings: Eating has been great since week 27. I'm eating about every one to two hours. Yogurt, fruit, sandwiches, and chips are always appetizing. This week I resisted the temptation to buy a soda at the store but then regretted this decision throughout the rest of the week. So on Saturday night I insisted that Jay and I share a large root beer at Wendy's. It was amazing! The next day I woke up with a serious craving for Sprite. If it weren't Sunday I probably would have driven to the store. I don't know what it is with carbonation lately.

Sleep: Besides getting up frequently [two times on average], sleep has been great. I'm definitely embracing it!

Exercise: Walking.

Stretch Marks: None.

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds 

Swelling: None.

Maternity Clothes: Pants: down to strictly leggings. None of my pants fit, and even my one pair of maternity pants are snug. Tops: everything fits but some tops are more snug than others.

Belly Button: Out.
Childbirth Class: Birthing class was a little more intense as we discussed caesarean sections and other forms of medical intervention that could potentially occur during labor and delivery. Some of it was slightly terrifying but all in all it was very informative. The teacher is always sure to make a comment along the lines of: "If you need the epidural or if a situation arises and you need lots of medical intervention, that is ok. BUT if you are able to get through this without medical interventions, then great!" I realize what a personal topic this is. Having said that, regardless of whether women resort to using medication or not during childbirth, how wonderful it is to live in a time where relief from the pain is possible! 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Doctor's appointment tomorrow, and finishing the nursery.

Best Moment of the Week: We're in such a good place right now. With only approximately 8 weeks left until we meet our girl, it's finally feeling real. Jay and I are crazy excited and also feeling so prepared. There are still a few things to do but 8 weeks will be plenty of time to accomplish our tasks. 
Also, the nursery is coming along! All we're waiting on is the crib which should be delivered by the end of the month, then I can finish putting the room together. 

Worst Moment of the Week: None.