31 weeks (out of 40)
received from babycenter:
You are now 31 weeks pregnant (or in your 32nd week if that's how you prefer to count it).
How your baby's growing
Your baby's movements are probably changing - they may seem less frequent and less forceful because she's running out of room in your uterus and can't turn somersaults any more. Your baby can now move her head from side to side, her organs are continuing to mature and a layer of fat is being laid down beneath her skin.
not true! the lil one's movements are definitely more obvious these few weeks! sometimes i could even feel my shirt moving because of the punches/kicks! she was really "inert" when i was in my 2nd trimester, thankfully she started moving in recent weeks, HAH!
How your life's changing
Until your baby drops down into your pelvis (at about 37 weeks for first pregnancies and not until delivery if you've already had a baby), you may be feeling breathless, as though you can't get enough air. This happens because your uterus has grown so large it presses up against your diaphragm - the large flat muscle that aids breathing. Relaxing helps, so try to rest as much as possible. Resting can also help if your baby is measuring small for dates.
BREATHLESS - definitely! i feel so unfit because i feel breathless just climbing up a short flight of stairs. this is frustrating... i can't wait to start running and going to the gym!
Is your bump giving you backache? Switch to low-heeled shoes if you haven't already and avoid heavy lifting, which puts a strain on your softened ligaments. Your doctor can advise you where to buy a maternity corset which supports your back and holds you in place - not sexy but helpful if you find getting around uncomfortable. A lot of women experience hip pain as pregnancy progresses and, in some women, the ligaments supporting the pelvis loosen so much that the joint that holds the pelvic bones together doesn't work properly. This condition is called symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) and is very painful. Oh, the joys of pregnancy!
BACKACHE - YES definitely! both upper and lower back - i'm like having a SORE BACK, especially at the end of the day. i'm already in flats (even before pregnancy) because my feet just can't take heels (except during formal dinners). i'm also trying not to sit at my desk for too long because i start feeling the strains after a while. but thankfully no hip pain *touch wood*
If you and your partner are getting nervous about the big day, it may help to go over what you learned in your prenatal classes and practise the breathing exercises you've learnt. Why not run through which pain relief methods you’d be prepared to try and in what order. Will you be going straight for an epidural or are you planning to use entonox for as long as possible. And what are your views on pethidine and meptid?
OH NO, we did not attend any prenatal class because many people have feedback that they are pretty much useless - apparently you won't think about the breathing techniques when you're in pain and it's really more of the threshold one can take, and baby handling methods can be learnt on-the-job (errr, will be dependent on my mum in the early stage, and i hope i'm a fast learner when it comes to this, hehe). well, but we did sign up for a short baby preparation workshop next month - mainly to teach us about breastfeeding and bathing the baby, hopefully this will be good enough! as for PAIN RELIEF - well...... i think we'll just see how it goes. dr has said that most mothers opt for epidural anyway, and please don't take this as a sign of weakness!
btw, i ordered a customised name tag for the little one from fairylovingcreations at esty.com (samantha's not her name, btw :-P). the cherry patterned alphabets will be mounted on pink wooden plaque, and hung somewhere in her nursery with a cream-coloured ribbon. she's going to be at my mum's place most of the time (and fully during the confinement month), so we have to do up two rooms for her! it's double of everything - two cots, two mattresses (at least), two set of bedsheets to prepare, etc. anyway, i really enjoy ordering from etsy - i'm envious of the creativity of the esty sellers (for one, i wish i can sew like them! then i'll be able to do a patch-work quilt for the little one like the one my grandma made for me), they're passionate about their art work and creations, and when you approach them, they're very accomodating to your requests, and you can trust them to give you a high-quality product at the end of the day. can't wait for collect it in about a week's time!
scribbled at 11:30 am
.::.
received from babycenter:
You are now 31 weeks pregnant (or in your 32nd week if that's how you prefer to count it).
How your baby's growing
Your baby's movements are probably changing - they may seem less frequent and less forceful because she's running out of room in your uterus and can't turn somersaults any more. Your baby can now move her head from side to side, her organs are continuing to mature and a layer of fat is being laid down beneath her skin.
not true! the lil one's movements are definitely more obvious these few weeks! sometimes i could even feel my shirt moving because of the punches/kicks! she was really "inert" when i was in my 2nd trimester, thankfully she started moving in recent weeks, HAH!
How your life's changing
Until your baby drops down into your pelvis (at about 37 weeks for first pregnancies and not until delivery if you've already had a baby), you may be feeling breathless, as though you can't get enough air. This happens because your uterus has grown so large it presses up against your diaphragm - the large flat muscle that aids breathing. Relaxing helps, so try to rest as much as possible. Resting can also help if your baby is measuring small for dates.
BREATHLESS - definitely! i feel so unfit because i feel breathless just climbing up a short flight of stairs. this is frustrating... i can't wait to start running and going to the gym!
Is your bump giving you backache? Switch to low-heeled shoes if you haven't already and avoid heavy lifting, which puts a strain on your softened ligaments. Your doctor can advise you where to buy a maternity corset which supports your back and holds you in place - not sexy but helpful if you find getting around uncomfortable. A lot of women experience hip pain as pregnancy progresses and, in some women, the ligaments supporting the pelvis loosen so much that the joint that holds the pelvic bones together doesn't work properly. This condition is called symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) and is very painful. Oh, the joys of pregnancy!
BACKACHE - YES definitely! both upper and lower back - i'm like having a SORE BACK, especially at the end of the day. i'm already in flats (even before pregnancy) because my feet just can't take heels (except during formal dinners). i'm also trying not to sit at my desk for too long because i start feeling the strains after a while. but thankfully no hip pain *touch wood*
If you and your partner are getting nervous about the big day, it may help to go over what you learned in your prenatal classes and practise the breathing exercises you've learnt. Why not run through which pain relief methods you’d be prepared to try and in what order. Will you be going straight for an epidural or are you planning to use entonox for as long as possible. And what are your views on pethidine and meptid?
OH NO, we did not attend any prenatal class because many people have feedback that they are pretty much useless - apparently you won't think about the breathing techniques when you're in pain and it's really more of the threshold one can take, and baby handling methods can be learnt on-the-job (errr, will be dependent on my mum in the early stage, and i hope i'm a fast learner when it comes to this, hehe). well, but we did sign up for a short baby preparation workshop next month - mainly to teach us about breastfeeding and bathing the baby, hopefully this will be good enough! as for PAIN RELIEF - well...... i think we'll just see how it goes. dr has said that most mothers opt for epidural anyway, and please don't take this as a sign of weakness!
btw, i ordered a customised name tag for the little one from fairylovingcreations at esty.com (samantha's not her name, btw :-P). the cherry patterned alphabets will be mounted on pink wooden plaque, and hung somewhere in her nursery with a cream-coloured ribbon. she's going to be at my mum's place most of the time (and fully during the confinement month), so we have to do up two rooms for her! it's double of everything - two cots, two mattresses (at least), two set of bedsheets to prepare, etc. anyway, i really enjoy ordering from etsy - i'm envious of the creativity of the esty sellers (for one, i wish i can sew like them! then i'll be able to do a patch-work quilt for the little one like the one my grandma made for me), they're passionate about their art work and creations, and when you approach them, they're very accomodating to your requests, and you can trust them to give you a high-quality product at the end of the day. can't wait for collect it in about a week's time!