Is it just me or does that squash look like a GIANT WANG?
One week away from week 30!!! For some reason week 30 has been considered the beginning of the "home stretch" for me. I am SO READY for week 30! But for now I'll concentrate on week 29.
Here is the update for 29 Weeks from http://www.babycenter.com/. My commens today are in BLUE.
How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash - or veggie that looks like an enlarged wanger.) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain (Feels like it's the size of a baseball to me!). To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
How your life's changing:
Your baby's very active now. (You can say that again!)Your practitioner may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks (I've been really bad about my kick counting BUT I have been getting so many kicks that I am not worried about it. I can get 10 kicks in 10 minutes before I even get out of bed -- and the doctors want 10 in 1 hour. ) and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.
Some old friends — heartburn and constipation — may take center stage now (Yes, thanks!). The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract (Everybody just blames the progesterone? Nobody wants to blame the enormous iron pills I'm taking now???? Sounds suspect to me!). This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which in turn can cause gas (pardon me....)and heartburn (I've learned to follow every meal with a tums or a Pepcid!)— especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation as well.
Your growing uterus may also be contributing to hemorrhoids(Beware - TMI - I get these in "real life" but haven't had them too bad in pregnancy, which is odd. I'm hoping for a comfortable 2 more months!!). These swollen blood vessels in your rectal area are common during pregnancy and usually clear up in the weeks after giving birth. If they're itchy or painful, try soaking in a sitz bath or applying cold compresses medicated with witch hazel to the affected area. Also avoid sitting or standing for long stretches. (This makes me laugh -- and forgive the FRENCH but what the fuck else am I supposed to do during the day? Dance?) Talk with your practitioner before using any over-the counter remedies during pregnancy (I've got the A-OK on Tucks), and let her know if you have any rectal bleeding. To prevent constipation, eat a high-fiber diet (Check!), drink plenty of water (Leave me alone already! I drink gallons a day!), and get some regular exercise (hmmmm....no comment....don't tell my dad but I am not the most active of girls! I have been cleaning the house and doing the laundry though! Doesn't that count?).
Some women get something called "supine hypotensive syndrome" during pregnancy, where laying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. I get this at night if I accidentally roll over on my back in my sleep. It's weird but it wakes me up.)You might note that you feel lightheaded if you stand up too quickly, too (Not had an issue yet but I have passed out from standing up too fast in the past...so I'm careful about it). To avoid "the spins" lie on your side rather than your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.
Here is the update for 29 Weeks from http://www.babycenter.com/. My commens today are in BLUE.
How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash - or veggie that looks like an enlarged wanger.) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain (Feels like it's the size of a baseball to me!). To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
How your life's changing:
Your baby's very active now. (You can say that again!)Your practitioner may ask you to spend some time each day counting kicks (I've been really bad about my kick counting BUT I have been getting so many kicks that I am not worried about it. I can get 10 kicks in 10 minutes before I even get out of bed -- and the doctors want 10 in 1 hour. ) and will give you specific instructions on how to do this. Let her know if you ever notice a decrease in activity. You may need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition.
Some old friends — heartburn and constipation — may take center stage now (Yes, thanks!). The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract (Everybody just blames the progesterone? Nobody wants to blame the enormous iron pills I'm taking now???? Sounds suspect to me!). This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion, which in turn can cause gas (pardon me....)and heartburn (I've learned to follow every meal with a tums or a Pepcid!)— especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation as well.
Your growing uterus may also be contributing to hemorrhoids(Beware - TMI - I get these in "real life" but haven't had them too bad in pregnancy, which is odd. I'm hoping for a comfortable 2 more months!!). These swollen blood vessels in your rectal area are common during pregnancy and usually clear up in the weeks after giving birth. If they're itchy or painful, try soaking in a sitz bath or applying cold compresses medicated with witch hazel to the affected area. Also avoid sitting or standing for long stretches. (This makes me laugh -- and forgive the FRENCH but what the fuck else am I supposed to do during the day? Dance?) Talk with your practitioner before using any over-the counter remedies during pregnancy (I've got the A-OK on Tucks), and let her know if you have any rectal bleeding. To prevent constipation, eat a high-fiber diet (Check!), drink plenty of water (Leave me alone already! I drink gallons a day!), and get some regular exercise (hmmmm....no comment....don't tell my dad but I am not the most active of girls! I have been cleaning the house and doing the laundry though! Doesn't that count?).
Some women get something called "supine hypotensive syndrome" during pregnancy, where laying flat on your back causes a change in heart rate and blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy until you change position. I get this at night if I accidentally roll over on my back in my sleep. It's weird but it wakes me up.)You might note that you feel lightheaded if you stand up too quickly, too (Not had an issue yet but I have passed out from standing up too fast in the past...so I'm careful about it). To avoid "the spins" lie on your side rather than your back, and move slowly as you go from lying down to sitting and then standing.
