I’m rolling into the final 10(ish) weeks of pregnancy today! My due date is in 69 days but in my prenatal yoga training we learned that full-term can be considered anywhere between 38-42 weeks so…we shall see!
The weeks seriously seem to be flying by. I can’t believe that Thursday is March 1. I’m going to be meeting this baby so soon!
30 WEEKS PREGNANCY UPDATE
Baby is the size of a zucchini. They have to mean one of those gigantic ones you see at the farmers market during the summer, right? I feel like your average zucchini doesn’t weigh 3 lbs! My other app says a cabbage. Baby is averaging anywhere from 15.2-16.7 inches and 2.5-3.8 pounds!
- Eyesight is continuing to improve, though still blurry. Baby is now good at opening and closing eyes.
- Brain is getting more wrinkly to hold more essential brain tissue.
- Immune system growing stronger by the day.
- Brain and body fat beginning to regulate body temperature.
HOW I’M FEELING AT 30 WEEKS PREGNANT
Weight gain/body changes: I think I’m finally over the 15 pound mark and hovering closer to 17ish.
I said this last week but over the weekend of February 17, my belly seemed to pop overnight and it’s been growing ever since. I feel so pregnant now and my belly is starting to get in the way sometimes.
I’ve also said this in previous recaps but I want to reiterate that I’ve definitely lost muscle tone and increased body fat…and cellulite!
My innie is on the verge of becoming and outie. No stretch marks yet. No dark line down my belly yet.
Workouts/Workout Modifications: since I last checked in, I’ve taught one strength class, walked a good bit and done two yoga practices. No running, no jumping, no spinning, nothing high intensity.
Symptoms:
- Still breaking out like crazy on my cheeks, especially my right one. There is nothing clear about my skin right now. It’s so congested.
- Digestion is getting noticeably slower and everything from liquids to food seems like it just kind of “sits” up high in my stomach and on the verge of coming back up. Some heartburn on and off but nothing too terrible.
- Starting to experience some general discomfort.
- Still getting Braxton-Hicks but they have definitely calmed down a good bit. I mostly get them if I have to pee really badly or right after I go to the bathroom and later in the day/evening if I’ve been on my feet a lot.
- Peeing ALL.THE.TIME. There was one day last week where I swear I peed more in a single day than any other day in pregnancy. I felt like I was in the bathroom 2-3x/hour. Makes sense as baby G’s head has been using my bladder as a cushion here lately. No complaints from me though…stay head down buddy!
Sleep: I have just accepted that sleep is going to be hit or miss. I shared on Instagram that I was up super early at the beach one morning because of insomnia/indigestion and so many ladies commented that they dealt with the same thing in the third trimester. Some even said that newborn sleep was better than third tri sleep! Crazy!
I had my first labor dream last night. Ahhhh.
Food aversions/cravings: okay, I was determined to get back to cooking some healthier/more well-rounded meals this week and so far, so good! I made stuffed spaghetti squash on Sunday night and shepherd’s pie last night. Both tasted delicious! I have leftovers for the next two nights.
That being said, there was no seafood or red meat/pork on my meal plan for the week.
Also, I’ve eaten salads for the last two days for lunch…and I baked a lemon yogurt loaf cake last night. Balance. 🙂
Accomplishments:
- The crib has been assembled. Dresser up next!
- I booked a birth class at the hospital. It’s for two hours on a weeknight for three consecutive weeks. It covers what to expect during labor and birth, signs of early labor, Lamaze relaxation and breathing techniques, Cesarean birth and pain management choices. Information also given on infant care, safety and adjusting to parenthood.
- I have narrowed down pediatrician choice to two practices and there are two doctors at each practice that I’m interested in.
- Baby shower dates have been set and invitations have either been ordered or sent out for both. (Edited to add that I’m not planning these…but I was active in the date picking and invitation list making. Haha!)
- As I mentioned last week, baby has a first name but there is currently an intense debate happening over middle name.
Fun shares:
- He moves all the time! Big moves, jumps, thumps, rolls, kicks, etc. It’s awesome.
- I am starting to think so much about what (and who!) he’s going to look like and what it’s going to be like to meet him.
- No strangers have attempted to touch my belly yet. But my friends/students are welcome to! 🙂
- One of my students said told me she felt the baby kick her when I was assisting her in half moon last last week!
QUESTIONS
Middle name…how much do you think it matters?
Any tips/strategies for dealing with indigestion/heartburn in the third trimester? Things you took? Foods you avoided?
Child care…this one is a doozy. Given that I’m self-employed I don’t really get a maternity leave. My plan is to take a few months off of teaching but to keep writing/blogging throughout. After that…I have no idea. I’ve thought about day care waiting lists but I just have no idea where to start because my schedule is so untraditional. Anyone have advice on how you made this decision or options to consider?
Middle name was our second favorite name. I don’t think it really matters though 🙂 whatever you pick will be great! I never had heartburn so I’m no help there. I did find kombucha worked well for indigestion. I ate a lot of cereal and almond milk, felt easy on my tummy. Also drank a lot of smoothies towards the end bc full meals made me feel tired and just yucky! Too much “sitting on my tummy”. Seems like a nanny or a mothers morning out type program could work better for your schedule — I agree, that’s a tough one! You look amazing! Home stretch, mama!
Your comment made me crave cereal! 🙂
I’m also doing a lot of smoothies here lately. I had one for lunch yesterday.
I am leaning towards some sort of nanny or nanny share. We shall see what works out!
We agonized over the middle name and it ended up not mattering at all. 🙂 We actually picked a Russian middle name because my husband is Russian and we wanted something his family would be comfortable pronouncing; our thought was that they could call him by his middle name instead of his American first name. But they just called him by his first name and I hardly ever even think of his middle name!
I’m lucky enough to have my MIL watch my son during the week, but in your situation I think a part-time nanny might be the way to go? I’m not sure how it is in your area but I live in a city where daycare waitlists are insanely long and then you have to commit to a fixed schedule; everything is really rigid. An in-home provider might be a little more flexible than a center, though!
This is such an interesting story Laurel!
I am leaning towards a nanny or nanny share option. Yes, daycare here is CRAZY expensive with crazy long wait lists.
Maybe you could find some responsible, reliable college student help? My mom and MIL keep my son when i work at the hospital, and I have a nursing student come by a few mornings each week for me to do grad school work. When he is old enough maybe preschool would be a good option for you to have some consistency with time to work (and some YOU time!)
I am REALLY hoping to find someone like that for the early days and definitely planning the preschool route when he’s older.
You’re planning your own showers? I think usually someone would do that for you.
Nope! Just helping with dates and invitation lists as I’ve had to get together all the addresses and let them know who I want to invite! 🙂 That is all!
My first has two middle names, my grand mother and dh’s Grandmother. My second just has a name we liked. I wanted my other grandmothers name, but it didn’t really “fit” with the first name.
I’ve heard fermented food helps with heart burn, I don’t remember if it did for me or not.
I’m also self employed, I relied heavily on family at the beginning, but I also found a great stay at home mom who could watch my oldest when I worked during “normal” hours, daddy often did pick up at the end of the day. I’ve not used one myself, but I know a few people that have had a nanny or nanny share and been very happy with the arrangement.
Ha! Maybe I need to go the two middle names route then!
I am thinking a nanny or nanny share will probably be my best option. We shall see!
My parents (well, mom mainly) said she wishes she used her maiden name as my middle name. A little non-traditional but she said she lost the Irish since my last name is German 😉
Some people don’t have middle names! It’s totally up to you
I love the family middle names. <3
Hi Jen, these updates are so fun. 🙂 I don’t yet have children but love following your journey–especially being that we’re the same age, and I hope to become pregnant within the next couple of years. I feel so encouraged whenever I see first-time moms in their mid- to-late 30s, when everyone I know seems to be on number 3 by now. Anyway, regarding your question about childcare: When I was in my early 20s, a family I knew hired me to care for their toddler and baby part-time/as needed while the mom worked. She had a non-traditional schedule that included some work from home and some outside the home. Depending on her schedule I was sometimes there all day and other days just for a few hours. In addition to work, she’d often schedule appointments, workout, or run errands during the times she knew I’d be there. I know it worked out really well for her, and it was a great experience for me (I developed such a special bond with her and her little ones!). So, just a thought–an in-home care giver or “nanny” with a flexible schedule might be the way to go. 🙂
Hey Jen – thank you so much for taking a moment to comment. I can completely relate to feeling like you’re “behind” if you wait until your mid- to late-30s to start a family. For me, I just 100% knew it was the right thing to wait. I’m glad I did. I will always be here to support you in that!
I am really hoping to find someone like how you helped the family you worked for in your 20s!
Thank you for the dinner idea tonight! That picture looked amazing and I made it for my family. We didn’t have spaghetti squash or brocolli so I used quinoa and spinach- amazing! Thank you for always having great info and ideas. Regarding middle names, I named both my kids after people I loved, and everytime I think of their middle names or use it for any paperwork for soccer or school registrations, it always makes me think of my family.
Oh YAY! So happy to hear this!
I also love meaningful middle names.
Our kids’ middle names are the most meaningful family names! I only had heartburn with 1, but I avoided any acidic or heavy food at night and it helped a little.
I love family names! I am trying to avoid heavy and acidic foods and definitely helps.
I go by my middle name (so does my Dad!) so it matters! I am so that person who touches pregnant women’s bellies – it’s like a magnet effect!
I think it matters too! And haha on the bellies! 🙂
The middle name is sort of important because it is used when you mean business, when your darling little boy hears his middle name used on him he figures I better quit what I am doing and listen to mom.
Haha! So true Russ!
Hi Jen!
I’m not pregnant, but I have suffered from acid reflux and slow digestion in the past. Digestive enzymes are great. After a few weeks they helped me wean off acid suppressing medication (after taking it for several years!). There are two kinds you can buy: pre-meal and post-meal. I buy mine from Amazon and only take the post-meal ones occasionally now if I eat a bit too much or eat something rich or high in fat. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much Michelle! This is a great tip!
I love middle names! My son has my grandpa’s middle name, and my daughter has my mom’s middle name. My son never got to meet my grandpa but has asked a lot of questions about the person he shares a name with. I love that! And I still remember when my daughter realized she and my mom shared a middle name — it was a sweet moment.
Child care was tricky for us because while I work a traditional schedule, my husband does not. We only need child care 1-2x/week but the days always rotate. A family friend and then later my mom watched our kids. We are so grateful to them.
I LOVE the family names!
And yes, childcare is proving to be something overwhelming to consider.
My dad passed away 2 weeks before I had my daughter (Cordelia Rae) so she took his name as her middle name and I can’t help but feel that they are very connected even though he didn’t get a chance to meet her!
That is so sweet Tiffany. I’m sorry you lost your dad, especially at such an important moment in life. Sending lots of love to you.
If you’re at all considering daycare, definitely get on waiting lists ASAP. Some are well over a year. Doesn’t mean you have to go, but for the registration fee, you’ve at least parked your spot. If your hours are non traditional and you can trade off with daddy, so you’re not having to pay for 40+ hours a week, then maybe a nanny is the way to go. We tried everything under the sun and finally hired a nanny through an agency; we don’t foresee ever going back. It makes life so much easier for us! (Disclaimer: we have two kiddos so the nanny price tag doesn’t seem quite so bad compared to daycare times two.)
Yes, it’s so like that with daycare in Charlotte which is so crazy. I am leaning towards a nanny or nanny share in the beginning.
I would look into a nanny share or even am sure pair. Both are actually pretty reasonable and might work best for your untraditional schedule. I would say daycare is likely your least attractive option bc the hours are going to be very rigid and you will likely end up paying for a lot of hours you don’t need. A college student, one who is majoring in some kind of early education, could make a great option for you.
I also had crazy Braxton Hicks with my first and ended up being a week late, ha! Don’t let them worry you, although I know it is hard! And pregnancy insomnia is by far the worst!!
That first line is supposed to say au pair… autocorrect!
That is definitely the route I am leaning towards.
THANK YOU so much for the reassurance on the BH contractions!
I love my middle name, because it’s my mother’s name. It makes me feel connected to her (which is a nice connection since I lost her 16 years ago).
Joy – I love family names and what a special way for you to feel connected to her.
I would love to see a post dedicated to how your handling child care and maternity leave as a self-employed person! I am also self-employed, so taking three months off is quite a challenge; it’s a quarter of my salary! Like you, my family also doesn’t live nearby so having my mom stop in regularly isn’t really an option.
My friend did a nanny share for awhile, it seemed like a good setup. I know it can be expensive though! Maybe you could find 2-3 friend or nannies who would be willing to watch the baby while you work. Since your schedule is so non-traditional, it’ be good to have backup options.
I will for sure write one once I get a better handle on it! I’m trying to give myself a lot of grace around it because I just don’t think I’ll really know until he gets here.
We used a family name for my son’s middle name. We would have used the same name for a girl. It was super important to me as it was my grandfather’s name!
Love love family names.
I love reading your baby updates 🙂
Daycare was my one big stressor in pregnancy. Ultimately, we settled on an in-home daycare and were really pleased. We wanted each of our babies to be loved and cuddled and found exactly that. Even though our daughter is now 8, she stays in regular contact with her first babysitter. I will say that as much as we adored our babysitter and still think she was the absolute best fit for our family, we did transition our kiddos to a traditional pre-school when the time/age was appropriate. We felt that our kids needed more structure and curriculum for school readiness.
Aw, thanks Kara! 🙂 I appreciate you reading them!
I do think that I’ll follow a similar route to what you guys did.
While I don’t think middle names generally have the weight or importance as first names since they are used less frequently, I LOVE when middle names have meaning. My middle name is just a generic one that it seems like every third girl from the 80’s had and my parents just picked because they liked the flow with my first name. I prefer when there is a story or connection – i.e. my daughter’s middle name is after our beloved first dog who passed away while I was pregnant (some people think this is ridiculous but whatever), my best friend’s son’s middle name is after her brother who passed away, my nephew’s middle name is my brother’s middle name as well as being the first name of three generations of maternal grandfathers. Good luck – picking names can both be fun and full of pressure at the same time!
On child care, we love our traditional center daycare, but both my husband and I have jobs with typical hours from 8-5. I agree with many of the other posters that a nanny or nanny share situation might be best for you given your schedule. Good luck – finding child care was one of the most stressful parts of pregnancy for me and it many take some trial and error to find the right fit, but once you have what works for you and your child, it is awesome!
I also love middle names with meaning! <3 And I adore that you gave your daughter a middle name that honored your pup. NO JUDGEMENT from this fellow dog mama.
I am really leaning towards something like a nanny/nanny share or in-home daycare.
Hi Jen!
Re child care if it’s during the day your best bet money and schedule wise will likely be an in home day care that’s flexible. Otherwise you’ll likely have to go the sitter/nanny route. Buttttt you might be able to swing some evening nanny bartering with some responsible and well qualified college students who would love to take yoga classes or do yoga teacher training. ?
One additional note is that you may want to try to condense your work schedule into 2-3 longer days for the sake of child care and being able to focus on your work and have a routine for your little one. Just a thought! ?
Thanks for the insight Jenny! I am definitely open to in-home day care or a nanny/nanny share as well as changing/condensing my schedule. I’m trying to just give myself a lot of flexibility with it and make a decision once he’s here and I have a better idea what I might want.
I actually think middle names have more meaning than first names, usually. (For me anyway). They’re sort of connectors to meaningful people in your lives. My middle name is my grandmother’s and my daughter’s is my mother’s. I’m even beginning to like the idea of multiple middle names. The more names, the better!
My mother and her siblings have no middle names. First and last only. I think this is beyond weird! 🙂
Haha, I love the multiple middle names train! And I agree it’s a little weird not to have one!
Yell the full name (first/middle) out loud. You’ll be using it a lot when you are disciplining/trying to get his attention, lol. I love my kid’s middle names I use their full names often and I’m glad we picked something we really liked. But the importance is really up to you and how you plan to use it.
Haha! Great tip! 🙂
I know you’ve mentioned your weight gain being on the lower end. I wanted to share that I am an active exerciser, of a similar stature, and gained 20 lbs total. My baby was healthy with no issues, and so was I. I’d let your body do its thing. If your baby is measuring on track, it’ll be fine.
Thank you Mary! This is reassuring. Baby is on track and doctor told me today that my belly measurement is right on track too!
Hey Jen! Congrats on 30 weeks! You look great! I’m sure you can’t wait to meet the little guy! I must have missed what “Baby G” relates to? ? My brother and I both have my mom’s maiden name and we love it!
A couple of my friends work part-time and use nanny’s that come to their house.
I used to eat small meals st the end of the day (at least 3 hours before bed) and we put the top of our bed on blocks to raise it a couple inches to help with the reflux. Sorry girl!! It’s amazing though, the second I gave birth I could eat and then fall asleep with no reflux at all so there is hope! Xox
We have a first name selected that starts with G. 🙂
I am really hoping to find a nanny or nanny share situation over the traditional daycare since my schedule is so all over the place.
So good to hear that all goes back to normal after baby with digestion!
I had a work from home non traditional job when our first babe arrived and we did a home daycare until he was 18 months and then switched to a preschool. The home daycare ended up being ideal bc it was so much less expensive and smaller than the traditional daycare setting. For our daughter we hired a nanny off of care.com and have adored her and the flexibility she gives us with our work hrs. I will say it took us a while with both kids to find the right fit for childcare but I reccomend going with your gut and trusting your momma intuition. You look amazing! I’m 28 weeks with our 3rd and have loved following your pregnancy updates ?
I am really hoping something like a home daycare or nanny/nanny share works out for us. I am trying not to put too much pressure on myself with childcare until I have a better idea of what I want my work/mom balance to look like after he’s here.
CONGRATS on baby #3! I hope you are feeling well!
Jen,
My heartburn was awful and as you know Jacob came out with a head full of hair. I noticed it got worse when I had anything with tomatoes!! I started getting my pizza without the marinara sauce and no spaghetti sauce for me! The only thing that helped me was Prilosec? I hope I’m spelling this right or Tums. Home stretch girl!!! ♥️
I hope my boy comes out with a head of hair too! 🙂 Definitely trying to cut back on the acidic foods. Luckily it hasn’t gotten too bad yet.
I like using the middle name as a way to honor family members (or anyone important). My daughters each have a middle name after one of our maternal grandmothers and my son has my maiden name.
I wouldn’t have survived any of my 3 pregnancies without daily or twice daily Zantac.
I so agree with this Stacy! I think the names are a great way to honor people.
I am one of three kids and my parents picked first and middle names for all of us that they wanted to be able to say without trouble when we were in trouble. Seems like they weren’t the only ones after reading the other comments, haha.
I do like the idea of using a family name for the middle names if there is a family name that feels right.
Also, major life events are the times the full name will be on display. Keeping that in mind might help in picking the middle name : )
Haha, this getting in trouble thing is hysterical.
I love family names! And I’m definitely wanting the more meaningful/traditional choice with middle name. 😉
I have four kids and love their middle names (all family names), I think it matters because random middle names seem pointless to me? Might as well not have them if they don’t mean anything? But to each their own!
I totally agree Claire! I want to use a family name for a middle name. (Actually for both names!)
Hi! Middle name, I think it is a personal preference. For my daughter I was adamant that her middle name would be in memory of my brother. For my son it was less important but we chose a family name from my husband, but I think if you don’t care no worries-not having one, one, or two is unique to each family.
I have a friend that owns a yoga studio, she has a older women that helps her out. Have you tried asking any of your students? I bet they have some great at home people to recommend. That seems like it might be more flexible, and the friends I have that do that really like it because of the flexibility.
Looking great!!
I am definitely leaning more towards some sort of home care/nanny/more flexible arrangement when it comes to childcare. It’s just all so overwhelming because I just don’t know how my schedule will shake out OR how much I’ll want to devote to work v. mom. I don’t think I’ll really know that until I step into motherhood.
Middle names are hard! My husband wants to just use our two favorite names…but I feel like we should pluck a family name for the middle? I also don’t want to feel like I “HAVE” to do something, so hoping it just comes to us when we meet the babe!
Childcare is hard! Especially in CLT where I’m finding it’s so competitive to get into a daycare center that has a great reputation! We are on a million waiting lists (since we both have traditional desk jobs with long-ish hours). Considering a nanny or nanny share though, especially since the baby doesn’t need the socialization side of daycare right away!?? So many choices to be made. I don’t have many friends in CLT with young kids, let alone babies – so it’s hard to find guidance on this!
I love family names in general so trying to use them for both names (even if they aren’t close family!). I’m also trying to stay flexible about it until we meet the little guy!
I am really struggling with childcare and feeling so freaking overwhelmed by how I’m going to navigate it and juggle work and mom life. I feel like I can’t even adequately prepare for it until I experience what motherhood is like, you know?
I love middle names! I have my mothers maiden name as my middle name and my sister has my grandmothers maiden name. I like that we have family names but not necessarily for our first name 🙂
Love that Katherine!
This may be way off the mark for you, but have you considered an au pair? We just welcomed our third, and it’s been such a great solution for us! Feel free to email me if you want to talk about it. They come to the US on a special visa; initial commitment is one year. You provide room and board, meals, etc., and they can work up to 45 hours a week/10 hours a day. For us it’s barely more expensive than day care for one kid, and far less than day care for 2 kids. (Bonus that our childcare expense didn’t go up with a second baby!) The flexibility it offers has been really great for us.
Childcare is such a huge decision! I ended up not going with my first choice in daycare locations after I stopped by one day. It just didn’t feel right after all. However we did find one that we adored and my kids were very happy there. I’m sure you’ll find the right one for you when the times comes. Lots of choices! Look very happy pregnant 🙂
I’m always a week or two behind but for what it’s worth…
Middle name. HUGE FREAKING DEAL over here. Named after me, my mother, my grandmother, her grandmother… you get it. 🙂
I had extreme heartburn and I just took Tums 247.
Childcare… OK so my schedule is also not traditional in a sense. I blog and freelance write. We decided on part-time daycare. My daughter goes to a daycare center 3 days per week. The other two days I try to work during naps, which is less work these days as they get older they nap less. What has been nice is the 3 days is flexible. So I can swap or change the 3 days each week if she is sick or if my work schedule changes. I would definitely recommend looking for part-time care and ask about how days work / swapping. There was also an option for us to do mornings only M-F, but I prefer 3 full days. If you plan to use a childcare facility start your search NOW. The wait lists were crazy long where I live. Also, I took a little bit longer maternity due to the flexibility of my work and my daughter started when she was 4 mo.. instead of the typical 6 weeks or 12 weeks old.
Sorry if this is duplicative, but I think you’re in Charlotte, right? If you are, look at the School of Nursing or Education (don’t know if they have Ed but I know they have nursing) at UNC-Charlotte or another local school. I nannied for a family with nontraditional work schedules in college as a nursing student; the job was actually “handed over” to me by a classmate who was heading abroad for a semester. You can reach out to either their info or admissions / academic affairs office, most likely.
And, re the middle name. Please, please, please. say the whole name out loud before you pick one, and double-check that the initials don’t spell out something weird, wonky, or potentially offensive. 🙂 Just my $0.02 from seeing lots of… unusual name / initial choices over the years.