30 Weeks Pregnant

As your baby’s birth draws ever closer, these coming weeks may trigger a variety of mixed emotions. Now fully into your third trimester, you may have only 6 to 8 weeks left before your baby’s arrival. As your pregnancy hormone surge many women experience a variety of symptoms including anxiety, fear the unknown and mild mood swings. While some ups and downs are normal, make sure to let your doctor know if you are suffering extreme symptoms which could be indicative of depression.
Many women begin to feel anxious about the birth itself and start to seek out answers from others. One great resource is in childbirth classes that will probably be offered either through your OB/GYN’s office, or the hospital or birthing center where you will be delivering. Many women worry about making it to the hospital on time, how to know they are in labor, and understanding what could happen during the delivery. Remember that all of these fears and questions are normal, and they are people ready and willing to help you find the answers.

Baby’s Development
Right now, your baby weighs around 3 pounds and measures between 14 and 17 inches from head to heel. He or she has a clearly defined sleep cycle and you should be able to notice periods of time when your baby is much more active. Right now, your baby is actively practicing many of its bodily functions and movements that will be necessary for life outside the womb. As baby grows larger, the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby will decrease as will the strength of those little kick should have felt for the last several months. With less room to move, you will feel pressure, rolling, and stretching that can sometimes be uncomfortable, but those big movements will soon be restricted by your baby’s size.
The baby’s brain is developing rapidly as it controls baby’s day-to-day activities. Able to fully open his or her eyes, baby’s vision continues to develop and will be about 20/400 at birth—making it easy to see caregivers at a close distance, but little else.

Changes With Your Body
These last several weeks may leave you feeling fatigued, and wishing you could take a nap. Priceless nights make it even more difficult to sleep deeply and all that tossing and turning generally be pretty worn out during the day. If necessary, you may have to try sleeping with several pillows, were sitting up in the recliner. If possible, try to squeeze in a short nap during the day.
A growing belly means a change in your center of gravity. This shift could increase your chances of falls, so make sure to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. If you need assistance lifting, climbing or carrying things let someone else help user to do not enter yourself or your baby. For some women, the shifting gravity changes the structure of the feet causing them to widen, which is why some women claim their feet grew during their pregnancy.
As pregnancy hormones begin to loosen the supporting structures of the pelvic bones, you will begin to develop a signature pregnancy waddle. If you have not already started swaying from side to side and holding your lower back, those days may be close ahead.

What to Expect
As baby’s size and your uterus press against your lungs, you will notice that you seem to run out of breath more easily than ever before. While it may seem uncomfortable now, there will be a bit of relief when baby descends into the lower portion of the pelvis a few weeks before birth, which will allow your lungs to expand more fully.
Doctor’s appointments should still be twice monthly and your physician will continue to monitor your vital signs and urine output for any signs of complications. Unless your physician suspects an issue, there probably will not be any more ultrasounds unless your baby is a breach or transverse presentation if this is the case, your physician may check regularly for signs that your baby is turning to a head down position for birth.
As usual, make sure to report any signs or symptoms of preterm labor or blood pressure complications to your doctor as soon as possible. Leaking fluid, abdominal pain, bleeding, headaches, nosebleeds, and chest pain should all be reported.

Tips/Advice
Try to make a list of everything that has to be done. While your instinct in S2 may not be fully engaged, and you are still waiting on a baby shower or two, do your best to plan what things you can. If there are large items such as cribs, baby swings or other furniture that you intend to purchase for yourself this baby a good time to get those items out of the way.

Source : www.pregnancyweeks.us

29 Weeks Pregnant

By this stage of your pregnancy, you should be on target with your weight as your total gain is about 19 to 25 pounds. And just when you thought those old symptoms were gone, the pregnancy hormone progesterone causes a relaxation of the digestive tract and in combination with your growing uterus, you can expect to be revisited by your heartburn and indigestion during your third trimester.
Other digestive issues will continue to persist, including constipation and hemorrhoids. You may be able to combat constipation naturally drinking a lot of water and eating more fiber in your diet. If you feel the need for medication to ease your constipation, make sure you discuss them with your doctor, and never assume that it is safe.

Baby’s Development
By now the baby is growing at a fast pace as the pregnancy comes to an end. The baby will be about 14-1/2 inches long and 2-2/3 pounds. Your baby’s development will require the need for a healthy diet as babies bones begin to harden. It takes about 250 mg of calcium, and to help your babies bones form properly, and it is essential for you to take in calcium rich foods, as well as those high in vitamin C to provide your baby with everything that he or she needs.
During this week, your baby is continuing to add additional fat, under his thin skin. His brain is growing and progressing rapidly, he can hear well, and may even be able to shield his face from bright lights of held up to mom’s abdomen.

Changes With Your Body
Your growing belly in your third trimester can present a series of new symptoms. For some women, there may be a feeling of maintenance or dizziness online on the back. As the uterus begins to place more weight on the vessels around behind it, many women make spearing its a temporary reduction in blood flow when lying on their back. It is always best to lay on your left side turbines this problem and to provide the baby with the optimum amount of oxygen. If you find that you are having periods of lightheadedness or dizziness when changing positions, make sure to move slowly, and to rise to a seated position carefully until you are steady on your feet.
Dizziness may not be your only problem from your belly’s weight. Some women experience extreme pain that runs through the gluteal muscles on either side of the body down the back of the leg and into the heel. This pain is typically triggered by the sciatic nerve. Some women find sciatic trained to be nearly impossible to cope with. In some cases, you may try stretching exercises, heating pads, or in extreme cases, physical therapy may be necessary to help alleviate the pressure on the nerve. Sleeping with a pillow between the knees at night may also help to alleviate symptoms.

What To Expect
This is an exciting stage in your pregnancy. So many changes are happening and you are coming into the last months of your pregnancy. In week twenty-nine, you should be getting plenty of rest and eating well to provide your baby with the optimum nutrition. Remember to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water, a continuing your prenatal vitamins as prescribed.
Because pregnancy weakens mother’s immune system, take special caution to prevent illness make sure to use good hand hygiene and protect yourself from those who are ill.

Tips/Advice
If you have not already written out your birth plan, this would be a great time to sit down with your partner and discuss your hopes and wishes for your baby’s delivery. Make sure to discuss every option and possible complication. Communicate to your partner what your wishes are and make sure to listen to your partner’s needs as well.

Source : www.pregnacyweeks.us

28 Weeks Pregnant

Welcome to the first week of your third trimester! Weeks 28 through 40 signal your last several doctor’s visits and plenty of plans for baby’s arrival. While this week is not ideal for your baby’s delivery, keep in mind that anything can happen. He or she would be very small if born right now, butyour baby’s chances of survival could still be positive with intensive care. Certainly it would be best for baby to remain in your body for the next several weeks.
Doctor visits should be every two weeks now, as they continue to monitor both yours and your baby’s progress.
If you haven’t done so already, there are plenty of prenatal classes that you can enroll in. In these classes, you will help you learn what to expect for the rest of your pregnancy, your birth and during your postpartum period. While these classes are optional, they may be beneficial– especially if you have very little experience with babies.
You may have already started getting the nursery ready for the baby and your list of names has probably grown. Do not hesitate to use this time to begin bonding with your baby and have not already done so.

Baby’s Development
By now, the baby is about 16 inches long and will weigh approximately 2-1/3 pounds. Now packing around 2 to 3 pounds of body fat, your baby is beginning to plump up. Covered in a fine, downy hair known as lanugo, your baby is warm and happy in their watery home. This week, baby’s eyes will Be open and the eyebrows and eyelids are very well formed. The eyelids can open in the eye is fully developed.
Though still extremely premature, babies born during this week have the potential to survive with intensive care that could last weeks or even months. Your baby is continuing to practice his or her breathing movements, strengthening their muscles by kicking rolling and stretching and getting ready for their life outside.

Changes With Your Body
The last trimester may bring on a variety of troublesome symptoms. Hemorrhoids, varicose veins, leg cramps, backaches, and oh yes—the arrival of your baby! Don’t worry, not everything is bad during these last few weeks.
Your weight gain should be between 17 and 24 pounds during this week. While certainly there are many women who are far below are far above this average, research has proven that women who gain too little weight are more likely to deliver a low birth weight and preterm baby. And women who gain too much weight may struggle with the prolonged or difficultlabor. It will be to your best interest to keep your weight in check.
Your belly is now very easy to distinguish. Rising about 3 inches above your belly button, it may seem like every stranger in town wants to pat your stomach. Do not be afraid to say “hands off” when necessary. Thanks to the increasing weight of your uterus on the blood vessels of your lower extremities, you may be struggling with hemorrhoids, varicose veins and leg cramps. If any of these are interrupting your day (or your night) talk with your doctor about options to relieve your discomfort.

What To Expect
If your doctor has not already completed a glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. You may expect to have that completed during your 28th week. This test may be conducted in a variety of ways, which include either a finger stick or a complete blood draw from your arm after you drink a highly concentrated, sugary liquid. If your test is abnormal for any reason, your physician may order an additional screening of the same type for diagnosing you with gestational diabetes. Remember not to eat or drink anything on the morning of your test.
Your expanding uterus is now pressing up against the diaphragm or the muscle that helps you breathe. Many women experience shortness of breath because of this. If you have any shortness of breath, that last for long periods of time or keeps you from being able to get any breath all make sure to report this to your physician. The typical shortness of breath will simply leave you feeling like you have just run a race and you are trying to recover.

Tips/Advice
This may be a good week to begin considering a pediatrician for your baby. If you have not already found one and might be a good idea to talk with those around you can get an idea of what doctors may be available. If you anticipate that your baby may have any special needs such as a genetic or birth defect. It would be especially important for you to schedule an appointment with a pediatrician before your baby’s delivery to talk about any special needs or care that may be required.
Source : www.pregnacyweek.us