Your Pregnancy: Week 30

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Week #30 of Pregnancy

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Your Pregnancy: Week 30

By Erin Horner, edHelperBaby

Your Baby

With only ten weeks until his due date, your baby is busy adding more and more fat to that lean little body of his. These fat layers are vital as they will help him regulate his body temperature after birth. His skin is also becoming more pink and smooth. This week your little one may begin the process of moving his head down into a vertex, or birth position. If this is your first baby, the process will probably begin now as opposed to later in any subsequent pregnancies. This week is also an exciting one for your baby as she can now begin to taste things. Her taste buds are developed and she may be enjoying all that comes along with this new found sense. Researchers believe that the amniotic fluid in the womb takes on some of the same flavors as those things that you are eating. So if you have been craving pickles and ice-cream, there's a chance that your little one may be developing a taste for it too!

Your Body

This week you may begin to notice that you are no longer as steady on your feet as you used to be. This is due to several changes that your body is experiencing. Most obviously, your center of gravity has officially shifted thanks to the expanding, albeit beautiful belly that has taken over your mid-section. Your joints are also becoming less stable as they are loosening up in preparation for the delivery of your baby. Simply being aware of these changes in your body and your sudden lack of grace will help to keep you and your baby safe as it will help to prevent an unwanted fall. Here are a few other safety tips to keep in mind as well:

Shower Safety. Getting in and out of the shower is perhaps one of the most accident prone places for a mommy-to be. Be sure that your shower or bathtub has a non-stick surface. You can purchase an inexpensive tub mat, or vinyl non-slip sticker strips at most home stores. This will help to provide some much needed traction and keep the wet floor from being too slippery.
Trip proof your home. I once heard a parent say that if you want to find your child's missing roller skates, simply walk through your house with the lights off! Even when we are more stable on our feet it can be so easy to trip over things left in unexpected places. Now, the odds are really in your favor when it comes to losing your balance and taking a spill. Take a moment and peek at the different things that are lying around your home and move them (or have your partner move them) if they could inadvertently become a tripping hazard. Pay attention to loose throw rugs, items left on the stairway, toys or laundry left outside a child's door, furniture that blocks the hallway, etc.
Don't climb on anything. This may seem a bit obvious, but now is not the time to drag out the ladder and try and change a burnt out light bulb deep within your vaulted ceiling. Nor is it the time to stand on a chair (especially one that moves) and try and reach something on the top shelf of your pantry. Remember, a small fall hurts, but a tall fall really hurts! Keep yourself and your baby safe by keeping both feet on the floor, unless you are sitting down, in that case be sure to put both feet up!

You're Wondering. . .

I am starting to feel sweaty all of the time! Even when I am not doing something strenuous, I find myself sweating like I'm in the middle of a work-out. Why am I suddenly so sweaty?

I remember being pregnant with my second child and literally breaking into a sweat as I got out of the shower. This made the whole process of showering a bit more difficult as I felt just as yucky when I stepped out, as I had when I stepped in! As your pregnant body continues to grow and change, your metabolism is in overdrive and all of the extra blood that is being pumped through your body is warming up your skin. In an effort to cool down, your body begins to sweat in places you didn't even know were prone to perspiration; your belly, your neck, down your legs, or on your chest. Try the following three "D's" to help alleviate your symptoms:

Dress in layers. As you begin your day, dress in layers that are easy to remove when you start to feel your body working up a sweat. Also, try to avoid wearing heat trapping fabrics such as polyester or other synthetics.
Drink up. One of the best things you can do for your body now (and always) is to drink plenty of water and other non-dehydrating liquids. These liquids will help to keep your body cool from the inside out.
Deodorant. Feel free to liberally use deodorant, antiperspirants or talc powder over the next few weeks. Many stores carry body powder in a variety of scents. Find a few that you really like and "powder-up" each morning. Think of it as a warm-up exercise as you prepare to use baby powder on your little one. Not only will you feel better if your body isn't as sweaty, but you'll smell great too!

Your "To-Do" List

Take some time this week and sign-up for a child birth preparation class. These classes are a wonderful way for you and your partner to bond as you prepare yourself for baby's upcoming birthday. Most classes will teach you about labor and how to recognize it when the big moment arrives. They will also teach you coping techniques for your pain and anxiety throughout the labor and delivery process. Many classes will also explain in great detail, and probably with a video, baby's trip through the birth canal and glorious exit from your body. While these types of discussions or videos can be a bit uncomfortable, they will help to prepare you and your partner for all that is about to happen. Remember, with great knowledge comes great power, and by learning all of the nitty-gritty details now, you and your partner will be able to have some honest conversations about your thoughts, feelings, fears and expectations for your little one's arrival. Most of these classes are 6-8 weeks long, so be sure to sign-up now so that there is enough time to complete the entire course before your due date.

Your Homework: Preparing For Parenthood

One of the most important characteristics of a great parent, in my opinion, is the ability to frequently offer up specific praise towards your child. In today's society, we are surrounded by so many negative influences, that one of the most basic things that we can do as parents to contribute to the health and well-being of our kids is to create an environment where they know that they are loved, cared for, valued, and accepted. This can easily and effectively be done by learning how to specifically praise our children. For example, when little Johnny cleans up his room, his mom can respond with, "You're such a good boy, Johnny." While this is nice to hear, it doesn't really teach Johnny anything, or help him to develop a healthy sense of self-esteem. All he hears is, "My mom loves me and thinks that I am good only when I do something." If instead, Johnny's mom had responded with, "Wow, Johnny, thanks for cleaning up your room! It looks really nice and you did a great job. I bet you are really proud of yourself." then Johnny can begin to take responsibility for his actions, feel proud of his accomplishments and sense his mom's pride and appreciation.

This week, your homework assignment to help prepare you for parenthood is to practice offering up specific praise. You can do this with your partner, co-workers, or friends. Here's a quick example: If a friend stops to pick you up a bagel on her way over to your house, don't just respond with "Hey, thanks. I was really hungry!", but rather, try "Thanks so much for the bagel. It was so thoughtful of you to stop and think of me!" Instead of just hearing your gratitude, your friend will be reminded of the fact that she is a thoughtful and kind person, two traits that she should be very proud of. See the difference? One word of caution: if you aren't careful, you might blow your partner and friends away this week with all of your kind words. I, however, still think that it is a risk worth taking. By beginning to practice this technique now, it will be easier to begin using it in your role as a mommy once your little one arrives.

My Experience

This is something that my husband and I began doing with one another when I was pregnant with my second child. At first, I felt a bit hokey at times, as I wondered if every response of gratitude really needed an explanation (it doesn't by the way, but the more often the better). What I found, however, is that it really helped to strengthen our marriage. When I became more specific in the praise that I offered up to him, he began to feel more respected. He then, became more specific with me, and I started to feel more valued. Now we are both very specific with our children and the praise that we give them. We can tell that the concept is sinking in, as the other day I overheard our daughter say to her younger brother, "Wow Wyatt! Thanks for helping me put my toys away. When we use teamwork, cleaning up is a lot easier and a lot more fun!" She could have just said, "Thanks," but instead told him why she was thankful and inadvertently reminded him how great life can be when we all work together. Don't get me wrong, my kids are not perfect, they still fought later that same day and were in time-out at least twice, but for that one glorious moment, I knew that some of my parenting tricks were sinking in and that I was at least headed down the right road of this wild adventure called parenting.

When Can My Baby Hear Me?

By Emilee Rogers, edHelperBaby

When you are around twenty-seven to thirty weeks pregnant, your fetus has probably developed the ability to distinguish the voice of a stranger with the voice of its mother. What this means is, it is time to start talking to your belly more than you have been. Your little one will not understand anything you are saying yet so you can say just about anything to him. Here are some ideas for communicating with your unborn baby:

Learn some of those long forgotten nursery rhymes.
Read and repeat Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat or watch the movie version and repeat it to your unborn baby.
Perhaps ask dad to sing to your belly and you will get a kick out of that one. You could also try your hand at lullabies or make up one for just you and your baby. It could end up being that special song that calms your baby when you sing it in just the right way.

No matter what you say, you might find yourself getting a little or big kick when you start talking so be prepared to grab dad's hand so he can feel too. When dad is talking to the baby, remind him that if he listens hard enough he could hear the baby's heart beat. It might be the kick he needs to talk to your belly !

Talking to my Baby

By Emilee Rogers, About my child David Rogers

When I was ready to talk to my baby, I would make up all kinds of whimsical songs, none of which I remember now. I would sing about anything from the weather to what color mommy's shoes were that day. I read all kinds of children and adult stories to my belly. My favorite ones were Dean Koontz. It is a good thing he could not understand them! The idea was that it did not matter what I said to my baby as long as I said something. It made me feel closer to him thinking that he kicked the most when I did talk to him. I felt like I was in a little way already getting to know my baby.

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