At 34 weeks we are getting so close and boy am I ever starting to feel it! Pregnancy has definitely “gotten real” in these last couple of weeks and I’m feeling pretty big and slow.
Before I get to this week’s update, here are some scenes from my baby shower last Sunday. This was a small shower with family and close friends. We have one more at the studio in a couple of weeks with more of our yoga community, staff and students. 🙂
BABY SHOWER
Lots of blue and white hydrangeas along with onesies and stuffed animals for simple decor.
Cupcakes. Strawberry, red velvet, peanut butter and chocolate and vanilla.
The food was done by Tanner’s sister-in-law’s sister (did you get that?). She owns a catering business and I always love her food! We had bite-sized meatloaf, endive cups, veggies and dips and…
GRILLED CHEESE! How awesome that they incorporated one of my top pregnancy food cravings into the menu!? 🙂
My plate + a strawberry cupcake.
There was also a mimosa bar that I couldn’t personally partake in but I was glad that others could! Getting so close to the day where I can have a cocktail!
Gifts. I received so many amazing things from our registry including a high chair, a pack and play, an activity gym, breastfeeding supplies, a cradle/bassinet, tons of books, the cutest outfits and more. But gosh, the cards are what got me. My friends and family wrote the sweetest notes.
Speaking of family, I was so thrilled that my mom, aunt and cousin could be in Charlotte for the shower. It was so special to have them here.
I was so happy to celebrate with such loving and supportive friends. Remember these ladies from when we used to train together at 5:30 a.m.?
Sweet Virginia. <3
And many more…I won’t post photos of everyone in attendance because it probably doesn’t mean quite as much to you as it does to me. 😉
I felt very fortunate to have all the “moms” there (my mom, Tanner’s mom and his step-mother) as well as Tanner’s sister and sister-in-law.
The two beautiful hostesses, Dorie and Tanner’s sister-in-law, Mandy. Mandy and Bryan were so generous to open their home to all of us for the shower.
And finally…”ready to pop” prosecco favors. We snuck a few of these home and I can’t wait to pop one after he’s born!
It was a such a sweet day for me and this baby boy. I am lucky to have so many amazing and inspirational women in my life and I know that they will be such a wonderful source of knowledge and support once he is here.
34 WEEKS PREGNANCY UPDATE
Baby boy is the size of a butternut squash and this is a food comparison I can get on board with.
- At this stage baby can weigh anywhere between 4.2-5.8 pounds and measure 17.2-18.7 inches.
- Baby is doing a lot of listening to voices and sounds.
- We’ve reached a big milestone. Babies born between 34-37 weeks generally do fine in the outside world. My doctor told me at 34 weeks they will no longer try to prevent labor. This feels significant for me because 34 weeks was my doctor’s goal for me to get to after the scare I had back at 28 weeks. YAY!
- The white waxy coating protecting baby’s skin (the vernix) thickens this week.
HOW I’M FEELING AT 34 WEEKS PREGNANT
I’m feeling…very pregnant! Holy cow.
Body changes/weight gain: I haven’t stepped on the scale in a few days but we are definitely over the 20 pound mark. I also feel like my breasts are starting to grow again and are starting to get more tender again. No stretch marks (knock on wood) and just a faint line down my stomach.
Symptoms:
- Dry hands and feet. Using lots of lotion and body oil these days.
- I’m definitely starting to waddle.
- Everything is making me more tired. I walked the dogs 3.5 miles yesterday and was absolutely wiped out when I got home last night. I took a hot bath and then vegged on the couch the rest of the night.
- Same pelvic pain I’ve been having upon rising from seated.
- My vision seems blurrier which is apparently common due to hormones and excess fluid.
- General discomfort, especially when going to sit down or stand up, rolling over in bed, bending over, etc.
- Low back/sacrum pain. I rolled over in bed a few nights ago and felt a bunch of stuff shift in my low back. It did not feel good and hasn’t felt great ever since. I’m going to see my chiropractor tomorrow.
- Heartburn on and off. I’ve heard this means he has a lot of hair. Haha.
Workouts/Workout Modifications: Since we last chatted I’ve walked most days anywhere from 2-3.5 miles, taught two strength classes and done a couple of hot yoga classes.
Sleep: I get up three times a night to go to the bathroom BUT sleep has been good the last week. I think that carrying this baby and extra weight around all day is making me super tired. I’m grateful to be sleeping somewhat well (minus the frequent pee get ups) again. I will take all of it I can get before he gets here.
Movement: he is moving like a crazy baby these days. Pretty much anytime I sit down and put my hand on my belly I can feel him doing something in there. He loves to do his exercise routines at 3-4 a.m. and sometimes it literally feels like he’s doing jumping jacks in there. I can feel his knees and feet a lot on my right side body and up near my ribs. He also gets the hiccups at least 2-3 times a day. Last night I was in the bath reading a book that was propped on my belly and the book was jumping because of his hiccups!
Food aversions/cravings: I’m pretty cool with food right now minus it just makes me feel super nauseous to eat a lot of it at one time. Even things like smoothie bowls just sit so high in my stomach that I feel sick after I eat them.
Fun shares:
- I’ve had a bit more motivation to actually get dressed and not look like the above photo (which is my norm…haha) while I have this bump for a little while longer. I want to try to make some weekend plans and friend get togethers in this home stretch.
- Tanner and I have been leaning towards this one first name since December. I would say that he’s more attached to it than I am but I really like the name. But now I’m finding myself wanting to Google baby names and rethink it all! Is this normal? We also are still working through a middle name and obviously our last name situation is a bit complicated so there’s a lot of naming stuff to sort out. Not sure all that really falls under “fun share” but oh well.
- Lots of nursery progress has been made! We have a crib and crib mattress now and I’ve ordered crib sheets and bassinet sheets from Etsy. I also ordered the sweetest mobile for the crib. I’ve done a good bit of closet and dresser organization in the nursery and things are starting to come together.
QUESTIONS
Did you have one name and stick with it or did you also waffle back and forth/second guess?
What’s your best advice for the final weeks of the third trimester? Anything you wish you would have done or that you did and you’re grateful for?
Who did you have in the delivery room?
Jen the photos of your shower are SO sweet- they brought tears to my eyes. It is so evident that you and baby boy are beyond loved. What an exciting time!
Thank you so much Katherine! I can’t believe we’re getting so close to meeting him!
Seeing how the progress photos each week have the same background, would be cool if in future progress photos your pose would be like the week 33 pose (nose and breast in line with line on the wall. Great way to highlight the progress as your tummy moves further and further in front of the line!
Haha…that was totally the original plan for documenting the photos but I kind of failed at it! 🙂
Beautiful!
Thanks Linda! 🙂
Beautiful dress! Where did you end up getting it?
Pink Blush online!
We had the hardest time with names! I have two boys and recently had our third (and last) child, a girl. We literally read through and talked about hundreds of names because we couldn’t agree on anything. It was so agonizing. Eventually we narrowed it down to 20 or so, then brought our top 5 to the hospital and chose one the day after she was born. Even now I am not totally in love with the name, but it’s not something totally crazy and it has some sentimental meaning, so it works. So no, I don’t think you’re crazy for second-guessing the name ? I think I just went overboard because it was our first and only girl and the last chance to name any children. As much as I have wanted to just have a name decided before my kids were born, though, we’ve always waited until aftee, just because it really helps to see them and feel their little personalities and try the names on for size. And I had my husband with me for labor and delivery, then friends and family visited later. That’s what I was most comfortable with, and what I’ve done for all three of my children. We had a game plan for pain management and my husband was great at coaching me through labor. But everyone is different! At the end of the day, do what puts you most at ease.
Why are names SO hard! It’s crazy. It’s a daunting task to give someone their name for the rest of their life!
I think I might need to go in with a few ideas in mind and see what name seems to fit him best.
I don’t have kids, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think it’s a great idea to have several options and then see which one seems best once he’s born! I know several people who had a particular name picked out months before the baby was born, then once they were holding them after birth, thought “But he doesn’t look like a ___!”
I love reading your posts on pregnancy, even though I’ve never been pregnant (we adopted). Actually, I ran into an 8-month pregnant woman on the weekend, and I felt like I could be more sympathetic to her discomfort, thanks to your posts! 🙂
Thank you Ella. That means a lot to me!
We really struggled naming both our children but Noah did not get his name until after he was born. We had 3 first names picked out and we looked at him and agreed he looked like a Noah! Charlotte was not only classic but the only name we both loved and agreed on before birth and my husband let me pick a trendy middle name that I loved!
We had all intentions on having my mother and his mother in the delivery both times but it didn’t work out that way either time ? His Mom didn’t make it in time to the first birth.
Everyone came prepared and was ready for the 2nd birth but I asked for an epidural and family had to step out….well needless to say….I ended up not getting the epidural because baby was crowning AND both mothers (and my midwife) missed the delivery.
So no matter how much you try to plan just go with the flow! The only one in charge is that baby and you will learn that real soon.
Just enjoy these last few weeks! I loved playing with their toes or poking at them so they would poke back or wiggle around. I loved interacting with them even before they were born!
Best of luck, you’re so close!!
Oh my goodness, I had no idea about that story with your second. How wild!
I’m glad to hear that Noah didn’t get named until after he was born. I might have a few names in mind too and just see which one strikes me as the best fit! 🙂
I am DEFINITELY trying to relax my need to control/plan things as I know I’m going to learn many lessons on that in motherhood. 🙂
What a beautiful shower!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 And it is so crazy to watch your bump grow!
Thanks Nicki! 🙂 And it’s crazy for me too!
Isn’t it humbling to be celebrated so well by the people you love? Such an exciting time for you!
Not to alarm you, just wanted to say, if it’s your palms and soles of your feet that are itchy, tell your doctor ASAP. Persistent itchy palms and soles (usually just those places) can indicate liver problems—very rare but it just happened to an acquaintance of mine and your saying you had dry hands/feet made me think of it.
Yes, it was such an amazing afternoon. <3
Luckily, I haven’t been itchy…just dry! 🙂 I have a friend who has dealt with cholestasis in pregnancy so I know the warning signs of that!
Hi Jen, please do not give your child Tanner’s last name. Based on your recent posts here, it seems like your relationship is rocky. My parents were not married (common where I’m from, Europe) and I had my “father’s” (using the term loosely) last name. It was a daily reminder that I don’t belong, because my mom had her maiden name and so did everybody else in my family. When we traveled internationally, she was constantly questioned by immigrations to the point where she began carrying a copy of my birth certificate with her. It was awkward in school, because everybody (both kids and teachers) have the subconscious expectation that mother and child have the same last name. After I turned 12 my “father” was absent and the last name situation became even more hurtful. When I got married I COULD NOT WAIT to get rid of my “father’s” last name. I just don’t wish this feeling of not belonging with your mom/closest family on anyone. That is why I wanted to speak up even though you will probably not post this. Take good care of yourself. I am so happy for you that you have a wonderful support system. Best wishes to you and your boy!
Hey Simone,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. This is definitely something that I have taken into consideration, especially as he becomes of school age. It seems logistically challenging for us to have different last names and I appreciate your input on the emotional side of it as well. <3
Have a good day,
Jen
I don’t have children so I can’t weigh in on your questions, but can you please tell your friend (I think it’s Dorie–if not, it’s Tanner’s sister-in-law) that I love her scarf with the mama and baby elephants? It’s so cute and perfect for a baby shower! Thank you!
That is Dorie and yes I will tell her. She loves all things elephants! 🙂
Hello!
We went back and forth on names. We had picked out Clementine and had stuck with that for months until Donovan said he didn’t care for it 3 weeks before our baby came. I threw out Olive thinking he’d hate it but he loved it! She was named Olive Mae and she is absolutely an Olive! Btw, I craved olives my whole pregnancy and now Olive loves them too. 🙂
I wish I would have slowed down. I felt this need to get everything done before each of my girls. Knowing that they are newborns and don’t care if their room is perfect, or the house is clean, is a gentle reminder to just turn off the anxiety.
I also chose to take a breastfeeding course. It was last minute but I’m glad I did. She was extremely helpful and gave me lots of advice and her cell number! Again, she soothed my anxiety and pressure I was putting on myself about breastfeeding.
The only person I had in the room was my husband. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go and I felt it was so personal and special that I wanted just us to be the first to see our girls. We had family in the waiting area and Don would go out and chat with them. We also waited to let everyone know we were in labor because we didn’t want them sitting around for hours waiting.
Oh and coffee! When Olive came, and she had nursed, etc. I had a small cup of coffee. I was so nervous the caffeine would affect her but the nurse said a small cup after nursing was okay.
Side note: The nurses were absolutely amazing. I asked them so many questions and they were extremely helpful and kind. I had no idea how to bathe a baby, nurse, swaddle, etc. They were there with me every step of the way. So take advantage!
You’re in the home stretch!
Somer – your comment is so incredibly helpful. Thank you for taking a moment to share…everything from the naming story to the breastfeeding course to the coffee to the nurses! Thank you!
We were set on the name James(after my grandfather) up until about 7 months. My husband is a nurse anesthetist and came home from work one day and said how do you feel about the name Slater. I said I like it but what sparked your interest in this name. So many people think it came from AC Slater from “saved by the bell” but it is actually much more sentimental. My husband administered anesthesia to a little boy a few times that was having radiation treatments for cancer. The little boy really liked my husband as he did this little boy. The little boys middle name was Slater and that is what his parents called him. It just seemed to fit, and he is definitely a Slater!! The one thing I did in my last few weeks was take long naps! I had an open mind about how I probably wasn’t going to get much sleep once he arrived and that was an understatement. So I cherished those long naps! Took time for myself as well! Good luck Jen!!+
Naming can be so difficult! With our son, we were 100% set on a first name for years (I don’t know why – we just both had the exact same name that we loved, what are the odds?). I was torn about the last name, too — actually, I took two years after I married my husband to take his name, haha! 😉 When I did change my name, I took his last name and changed my middle name to my maiden name. I decided to give my son my maiden name as his middle name and his dad’s name as his last name. I really like the way it sounds and it’s so, so special to me that we have the same middle name that is also my maiden name. 🙂
We are due with a girl (NEXT WEEK, WOO!) and naming her has been 10x more difficult! We didn’t have a set name, and I’m in the same boat — I really like my husband’s #1 name but I might prefer other names?? She is getting my first name as her middle name. I never really thought about passing down “my names” to my kids until I was pregnant with my first, but I really get a lot of pride sharing my name with my children. 😀
You baby shower looked like it was a wonderful celebration! Can’t wait to virtually “meet” the little guy!
You look amazing, Jen! What mobile did you order? Where did you find it? I’m in the market for one to add to my registry! I don’t know why, but its one of the hardest things for me to choose.
My husband and I are still thinking of names too. We are pretty set on two boy names, which we have liked since we found out we were pregnant, but we can’t decide on a girl name. Names are hard!
Hello Jen!
Your baby shower was so beautiful! Such awesome family & friends! I don’t have any children but my brother and sister-in-law are married and have 2 children. They decided to hyphenate the kids’ last names. So their names are Marissa SIS last name-Brother’s last name. I thought that was kind of cool because they are part of both of them. That way baby boy has both of you and Tanner’s last name. I just another option.
Enjoy your day!
I’ve been following your entire pregnancy and can’t believe you’re in the final stretch! So exciting!
We had a very strong contender for a girls name even before I got pregnant (luckily we had a girl because boys names would have been SO much harder for us personally). It was my husband’s beloved grandmother’s name and both of us have cousins with the name so it felt like a good family name for both of us. But even though we didn’t feel as connected to other names and otherwise didn’t agree on other names, I had the same feeling as you and couldn’t 100% commit to the name, i.e. I still called her “Baby” up until she was born and still looked at baby naming websites just in case another one jumped out at me. Nothing ever did and once she was born, we just went with it. Of course now I can’t imagine her as anything else!
I didn’t do much resting in the final weeks. I felt very antsy and the anticipation of
my daughter’s arrival made me want to stay busy. I had also lost my job 3 weeks before she was born so staying busy with cleaning, organizing, and preparing was another way I worked through my emotions on all the ways my identity was changing. I think you should listen to your body and do whatever makes you feel best. So many people just told me to relax and just put my feet up, but that would have driven me crazy – when I’m anxious, I need to move and do things. And in hindsight, the day before I went into labor, I had a major burst of energy that resulted in a huge cleaning spree, a massive grocery shopping trip, and a 2+ mile walk – clearly the nesting kicked into overdrive as labor drew near!
I only had my husband in the delivery room. I love our families, but I felt like this was a very personal journey for just me and my husband to undertake together. Plus, my labor went unexpectedly fast so there wouldn’t have been time for anyone else to attend anyway. Family showed up shortly after she was born and got to meet her then, which ended up being perfect for us.
I love reading your updates, and the baby shower looked gorgeous!
We had a first name right off the bat; we had actually picked it while dating in college. But a middle name proved tricky. We finally settled on one sometime in the second or third trimester, but it didn’t stick – instead, we came up with a new middle name while I was in labor and we legally changed it when she was 2-1/2! (So my advice is that if any of the names feel wrong when you’re filling out the birth certificate – go with whatever name sounds right! We didn’t trust our instincts when she was born and ended up fixing it later.)
It was such a fun and special afternoon and I’m so glad I could be there to celebrate! Your questions were fun in this post!
If you aren’t set on the name, wait until you hold him and you will know. We went with a few options, had a favorite but didn’t force it.
Go to the Ballantyne on a weekday if you can for a treatment and enjoy a day at the pool (confirm they still allow this). On weekends, you can’t use the pool anymore and I had to pull the pregnancy card last summer because that’s all I wanted in those final weeks!
Just Jeff in the delivery room. I was relatively calm, but it emotions can be all over the place and for me, that meant none of our parents could be there 🙂 just too personal! They came in for a bit while I was laboring and it was “easy”, but that was it.
I have 4 and all were named well before birth! In fact, the night #1 was born I said to the midwife, ‘our second will be called …’ and it was the case. My advice as a parent and teacher, don’t over think it, don’t stress, go with your gut feeling
Advice! 2 days before my daughter was born, I went to see “Train Wreck” by myself! I had my favorite snacks, amazingly I did not get up to pee once (!), and just enjoyed the company of “one” before everything changed. She was born on her due date – so FYI it really does happen!
i cannot answer any of your questions, but just had to say how much i love these updates and posts and i’m so very happy and excited for you guys!
I forgot about the waddling!
Only my husband in the delivery room.
Take daily walks during the last few weeks, schedule meet ups with all of your friends… coffee, dinner, etc. it helps bide the time and distract you and while people will come visit the baby you won’t have one on one deep conversation time for a long time!
Great point on having deep conversations now. 🙂