Wrapping Up Week 30!!!

This 2/2/09 picture shows us the growing belly that Antoinette has really begun to display. She's in rapid belly expansion mode. The baby's development inside there is also continuing to move along. He's now taking up the entire uterine cavity. When he's not moving, he will sometimes sit in a head up position. The little guy is also developing his exit strategy now as he occasionally orients himself in a way to allow him to rest his head on Antoinette's pelvic bones. Baby's at this stage of development have been shown to have the capability of tracking a light source as it moves across its Mother's belly. His digestive track and lungs have also become highly developed from a functional standpoint, but they still have a way to go to reach full development and efficiency. Especially those lungs.

For Moms at this point, discomfort is the name of the game as a rapidly expanding belly begins to put strains all over the body. Sleepiness and fatigue are also beginning to increase to 1st Trimester levels. Lower back strain is going to increase, even though Antoinette's has been centered in her upper back between her shoulder blades. She'll address this and other issues at her Doctor visit tomorrow, as well as getting her Gestational Diabetes results. Increased pregnancy hormones will loosen up her joints, but they also increase mood swings and raw emotion.

For some women, the 30 week mark begins the onset of the infamous Braxton-Hicks contractions. The volume of amniotic fluid actually begins to decrease as it competes for space with the growing baby. Pressure on the diaphragm may cause a feeling of shortness of breath. This should get worse until Week 34, at which point it will subside a bit as the baby's head begins to move downward. There is also a dramatically increasing frequency of bathroom use.

At this point, it is a high priority for healthy expectant Mothers to continue light workouts, such as walking or yoga, and to guard against urinary tract infections that can be an issue during pregnancy. Preparations for a labor and delivery plan are going to begin soon. Tomorrow begins Week 31...