Well, friends, we’re here. Hitting 30 weeks makes me feel like I’m ACTUALLY, FINALLY in the last stretch of this pregnancy, even if I do still have 10+ weeks to go. I’m definitely not one of those people who things their pregnancy flew by. And, it’s not even because I’m dying for it to be over or anything, I just feel like I’ve been pregnant since 2016.
Symptoms
Insomnia
The pregnancy insomnia is still going STRONG for me. It’s definitely been the Hallmark of this pregnancy – I’m actually writing this post at 1:25 am. On average, 2 or 3 hours is considered a “good night’s sleep” for me.
Insomnia is definitely frustrating. It’s hard sitting awake in the middle of the night utterly exhausted but your body just won’t sleep. That being said, there are way worse pregnancy symptoms out there so overall I feel pretty grateful that this is my worst struggle. If anything it has gotten this “usually a morning-lover” girl to embrace late nights, which I know I’ll need once our little guy arrives and I’m waking for night feedings.
On this note, I have been sleeping better the last 5 days, and I think it MAY be associated with anemia. I had been doing some reading into insomnia causes and one of the things that definitely kept me up at night was Restless Leg Syndrome. One cause for RSL from what I read was iron deficiencies. At my most recent doctor’s appointment, I inquired about it and they told me they check iron levels at this point in pregnancy. Turned out I was quite anemic, and they put me on a double dose of a slow release iron supplement. Since I’ve started taking that my RSL has decreased A LOT and I only spend 1-3 hours awake each night! It’s hard to know for sure if it’s connected because it has only been about 1 week, but I’m suspicious they were connected! So, if you’re someone who is struggling with the same issue and have tried all the other things, I encourage you to check your iron levels!
Shortness of breath
Wow, the shortness of breath is real life. In my job, I have a handful of instances where I talk for long periods of time (teaching webinars or training someone on something.) I’ve been struggling with the fact that I actually run out of breath just from talking! I have had to try to slow myself down or find ways to give myself talking breaks to catch my breath! Earlier this week while teaching a webinar I’m pretty sure all the registrants thought I was teaching it from a treadmill!
Food Cravings
My intense pickle/soup/salty cravings seem to have really died down the past 2-3 weeks and lately, I’m ALL ABOUT FRUIT. Pretty much every week is marked by a fruit I can’t stop eating. First, it was green apples, then raspberries, then cherries, then watermelon, and currently I’m onto peaches. I can’t complain about fruit as a craving. I’m just making sure not to overdo it since fruit is definitely super good for me, but also high in sugar.
I definitely get some other not-so-healthy cravings – mainly my usual sweet tooth cravings I would have had before pregnancy like cake or donuts, they are just a little bit STRONGER of cravings during pregnancy. I don’t indulge in every whim of a craving. I know myself and I have a horrible sweet tooth. Giving in to all my cravings would leave me binging on desserts 3 times a day. I’ve been pretty good about replacing my craving with something healthier like a granola bar with chocolate chips, apple slices with peanut butter, frozen fruit, etc. These things usually satisfy the sweet tooth enough to make the craving go away. And, when it doesn’t, then I indluge!
Body Changes
Weight gain
Obviously, the pounds keep on packing on as this bump keeps on a growin’. However, I don’t personally weigh myself at home. My doctor weighs me at every appointment and always lets me know I’m right on track and that’s all I need to know. So long as the doctor says the weight gain isn’t too high (or too low) then that’s OK with me. I feel like if I obsessed over every pound gained I might drive myself a little nuts over it.
My skin hasn’t changed all that much through pregnancy. The only noticeable changes are that the skin on my bump can get quite itchy! I find that coconut oil works great for this. That, and giving the bump time to breath (meaning giving it some time where there isn’t any cloth on it.) I think some pregnancy clothing, especially the maternity pants with the belly bands, can irritate the skin over a long period of time because the skin doesn’t get a chance to breathe.
The other glorious side effect I have is cellulite. Mind you, I’ve always had some cellulite but it’s way more stubborn on my legs during pregnancy. Usually, with some simple exercise and eating well, I can diminish the look of it drastically. But, right now, even with the copious amounts of water I drink, a healthy diet, and my 100+ squats a day, it’s still stubborn as all heck. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the fact that besides my belly, I’m pretty sure the only other main place I’ve really put on weight is my thighs. Which, I’m pretty sure is a normal place to pack on extra weight to help you carry the pregnancy.
Other Updates
Time to start the nursery!
We ordered our nursery furniture (or at least some of it) about 2 weeks ago and so this week we’re going to start to put it together! I’m excited to get to have a project to work on and piece the room together. I’m one of those people who has to decorate a space in stages. I need to get the rug and main furniture in there and see how it looks before I can decide on little things like side tables, curtain, etc. I’m also a notorious planner. I don’t like leaving things to the last minute, so waiting until 30 weeks to start the nursery seems unbelievable to me. I’m definitely anxious to get in there and get decorating! And, I’ll definitely be sharing the finished room with you.
Baby shower
Our baby shower is next Saturday, which is so wild. I always felt like our shower was forever away but here it is! We’re having a co-ed shower of guys and gals (and children), at an outdoor restaurant. It’s not going to be some Pinterest-worthy scene, but instead we’re focusing on making it just relaxed and easy-going. We want it to be a fun way to visit with our friends/family and celebrate our growing family.
Preparing for Baby
Now that I’m in the 10-week span, I’ve definitely been thinking about the things I really need to buckle down and do before this guy arrives! That includes, obviously finishing the nursery. But some of the other things I need to start thinking about doing are:
- Picking a pediatrician – my doctor keeps bugging me about this, haha! I need to make that happen!
- Making final decisions on baby care – I’ll be sharing more about this soon as far as if I’m going back to work, my maternity leave, what we’re choosing for daycare, etc.
- Packing a hospital bag- I have a good friend who went into labor almost 4 weeks early which makes me a little anxious so I’d like to have my bag packed JUST in cases! I haven’t even thought about the hospital bag so it’s definitely something to tackle in early September.
- Installing the carseat
- Taking pregnancy classes – I shared in a past post that we did sign up for a few pregnancy classes including a Breastfeeding class (that was highly encouraged by our OB), and a newborn care class. Before pregnancy, I sort of scoffed at all the pregnancy classes and baby books out there. I mean, being a parent is instinctual right?! And how hard can it be?! But, now that I’m in it I find these things to actually be extremely helpful. Raising a newborn is a big responsibility and I feel like why wouldn’t I want to be as prepared as possible? I took Driver’s Ed for 12 weeks before driving a car but wasn’t going to read one book or take one class before taking home a baby for the first time? I think we think we don’t need these classes because we should just “know” these things. Or, like I said, it should just be instinctual. But, I have found the classes (and books I’m reading) make me feel more empowered and confident in my upcoming role of new mom.
I’m sure I’m missing some other things, but hey – I’m sure I’ll figure it all out as it comes. If I forget anything, Amazon can ship me anything I need in about 24 hours anyway…right?