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Pregnancy, Weeks 30-34

About you…

You have made it to your final trimester, yeah for you! We are all excited to have been part of this wonderful exciting time in your life. We are just as anxious as you are to see what this little miracle looks like. You are probably getting tired of being pregnant by now and are ready for it to be over- it will be soon, try and be patient. Your uterus and belly continue to grow as well as that little one. It may be hard to believe that you have between 6-10 weeks left. Do you feel like you are running out of room? All this growth and extra weight that you are carrying around will possibly cause extra pelvic pain, pressure and increased swelling in your legs and feet. Another issue that may arise at this time of pregnancy is stress incontinence of urine. You may find yourself leaking a little when you sneeze, cough, lift something heavy like another child or even during exercise. Don't worry, this is normal. Keep doing your Kegel exercises to help with this problem.

Kick counts are important and should be started around 28 weeks. We would like you to pick a time of day when your baby is most active and lay on your left side after you have had something to eat and drink. Once you are in a comfortable position, begin counting how many times your baby moves. We would like you to have at least 10 in an hour. If it takes your longer than an hour to feel 10 kicks, get up, eat and move around before repeating this. If you still cannot count 10 in an hour please let the office know.

Here are a few ideas on what to pack for the hospital. Your insurance card and hospital paperwork, glasses or contacts and supplies, toiletries, loose fitting clothes to wear while in the hospital and go home in. Also, during labor you may want to bring massage oil/lotions, music, books or magazines, hard candy/mints, gum, focal point, friends and families contact numbers.

Your mucus plug…how important is it? This is a buildup of mucus that lodges at the cervix. Its purpose is to act as a barrier into the uterus to protect the baby from bacteria. During these last weeks, you may notice that it has dislodged. It may be pink or brown and very thick… don't fret! This doesn't mean you are going to go into labor, it just means that you have lost your mucus plug! This mucus plug is highly overrated!!

This visit we will check your blood pressure, weight, urine for protein and sugar. We will also listen to the baby's heartbeat and measure your tummy. If not done previously we will discuss your 28 weeks lab results.

About baby…

Your baby is so amazing! During the weeks of 30-34, baby is going to weigh anywhere between 3-5 pounds and will be about 17-19 1/2 inches long! The baby is getting more fat deposits which are beginning to smooth the skin out. The thick cheesy substance called vernix covers the entire baby now. The thin fine hair (lanugo), has disappeared from the baby's face, but is and will be still present on the rest of the baby until delivery. The fingernails have grown clear to the end of the fingers. Your baby has started to "practice" its breathing motions and it now is able to control its body temperature. The baby is also opening its eyes and its pupils are reactive to light. Can you believe your baby can do all of this already?