28 Weeks Pregnant
– Body Shot –
Today I am officially 29 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and I’m in the last lap of this race! The third trimester is definitely bringing me some of the best and some not-the-best feelings. I have gained a total of 27 pounds so far and am continuing to grow to support my developing baby. My feelings and emotions are definitely all over the place; I feel like my mind never sleeps. Nothing bad or anything, just a bunch of anxiety and anticipation about a few things, like labor being right around the corner, planning the baby shower, packing the hospital bag, putting the nursery together – on top of – applying for grants, loans and other assistance, keeping the house in a comfortable order, and completing all my other daily activities. I feel like everything is creeping up on me all at the same time! But not to worry, I am expressing all these roller-coaster emotions by blogging, reading positive, uplifting things, and doing my prenatal yoga almost every day. These activities help to keep my mind off of the things that need to be done and instead exchanges those feelings for thoughts of comfort – like knowing that things will get done when they need to be. As a result, I have become a master at controlling my anxiety.
I really want to talk about one of the biggest highlights of my pregnancy so far since my last post:
This morning, while I was reading aloud, I saw the baby moving in my belly. I read out loud to Natalia because I found out that babies learn in utero before they’re even born. Also because my pregnancy tracker app suggests that I read, sing or talk to my baby a few minutes a day. Anyways, I put my hand on this lump, because one side of my belly is bigger than the other, and when I pressed down, it must have startled her because she started moving like crazy! My belly started rumbling and shaking, almost vibrating, there was so much going on in there! It literally made me laugh out loud. So I took a break from reading and started to play back with her. I would push her and she would move, and then she’d kick me just to see if I would push her back, and I would. It was such an unfamiliar wonderful moment that filled my entire body with love and happiness. It truly is the best feeling in the world to have this kind of bonding interaction with my unborn baby. She makes me the happiest mom in the world!
Photo from Google Images
Natalia is EXTREMELY active; I feel her moving all throughout the day, every single day. I feel like I know everything about her, from her minutes of play time to her cycles of sleep, to her telling me she’s hungry or when she just wants me to talk to her. She wakes me up in the morning before I do, and she keeps me up when I’m ready to sleep. She has periods of outrageous movement, causing me to twitch, jump, and jerk most of the time. It really takes my breath away. In the past few weeks I have been feeling so much intense fetal movement that it’s as if she’s turning inside of me, and I can feel everything. It’s absolutely amazing to know that I can actually feel her turning and where her body parts are located inside of me. The fact that the last ultrasound Dr. told us exactly where the baby is located helps also.
Photo from Google Images
My BIGGEST relief: getting closer to not being pregnant anymore. I’m really starting to miss sleeping on my stomach and being able to bend over without straining for breath or space. The morning sickness and non-stop trips to the bathroom are two additional things I’m looking forward to NOT having to do. I’m even more excited about getting closer and closer to meeting Natalia and holding her for the first time! I can tell it’s going to be very emotional for me and I’ll probably cry; but they will be tears of joy and happiness. My eagerness to becoming a mother has brought out some of my “newly discovered” natural motherly instincts already. I see myself noticing children everywhere, the way they act, talk and respond to their environment, the way their parents treat them, feeling sorry about crying children and babies. What a change! I never used to notice these things. It’s funny how experiences like this can change everything about you (well, not everything).
Yesterday morning I attended my Pregnancy Care Class that I go to every two weeks. I watched a video about the kinds of things to expect during the third trimester including labor and delivery. It was a very informational video that I learned a lot from, and it was accompanied by a set of questions about the DVD and then another set of questions about my personal third trimester experience. Every time I attend a class and complete a questionnaire, I receive “mommy money” which entitles me to their resource room where I can use the “mommy money” to buy diapers, formula, baby clothes, toys, etc. It is such a helpful place that I am fortunate enough to have discovered and is conveniently located 15-20 minutes away from my house. I am very appreciative of this class that is available to me for free. It’s not even as crowded as I would expect it to be! I guess it’s because I live in a small town area with few people, which I think is one of the greatest benefits of living in the country.
Next week I’m going to start planning the next baby project: my baby shower. The invitations, the location, the decorations, everything! I’m very excited about this part. Luckily I have a few girlfriends who are going to help me out, so it won’t be so stressful for me. I also have to update my baby registry so that I make sure that everything I will need is going to be on there for people to see. I’m very happy with my pregnancy, the way things have been going for me and baby, and the exciting new things that are to come.
29 Weeks Pregnant – Lazy Pic (: