30 Week Pregnancy Update

With only two months to go, we’re officially in the final stretch of my pregnancy! I am honestly pretty surprised by how quickly this pregnancy has gone by this time around and I’m doing my best to soak up every minute since we do plan for this to be our last one.

This baby has been super active in the womb – I’ve felt kicks since 17/18 weeks and now that he’s bigger I feel him move all the time. It seems like we’re going to have another high energy boy join our crew! We reached the 30 week mark this week and it felt like the right time for an update on all things baby, so let’s dive right in!

Symptoms/How I’ve Been Feeling

I’m so grateful to report that overall, I’ve been feeling good this pregnancy. While I had quite a bit of morning sickness and fatigue in the first trimester, that has not been an issue in the second and (so far) third trimesters.

I went in for my glucose test and lab work recently and am happy to report that I’m 3 for 3 with passing my glucose tests each pregnancy. It also felt good to say goodbye to that syrupy sweet glucose drink! My lab work did come back with a low iron reading so I’ve been adding an iron supplement and iron-rich foods into my diet to try to get that number back up. But other than that, I’m feeling good!

Energy/Workouts

To be honest, I’ve not been great about consistently working out this pregnancy, or at least not in an official way. I’m certainly getting unofficial exercise in with all the lifting, carrying, and playing around with my other two children! I’m also hopping on our stationary bike when I can for some quick cardio and that always leaves me feeling refreshed and strong.

The one big issue that I have had is recurring lower back pain – every so often, I get some sacral pain on my left lower back and it has not been fun to deal with. It often flares up after I push myself – either by working extra hard around the house or playing extra hard with the kids. I have to remind myself I’m pregnant and need to go slow, stretch, and not try to do too much at once.

Food Cravings & Aversions

Something about my boy pregnancies makes me struggle with dairy products. I didn’t have this issue with Vi, but with both LJ and this pregnancy, I have to be careful with my intake of dairy. Small amounts are okay but any more than that and I start to feel sick. I love dairy, so that’s been a struggle for me, but it went back to normal as soon as LJ was born and I’m hoping that’s the case with this baby too.

Every pregnancy I have craved more red meat than normal and this one is no different – give me all the cheeseburgers! Other than that, I haven’t had too many strange cravings other than grape popsicles and Pizza Hut breadsticks, and outside of the first trimester I’ve been able to eat most things without issue.

Sleep

Ah the ever elusive sleep. I’m by no means getting amazing sleep, but it hasn’t been too bad this time around – I’ve got my Snoogle body pillow, I try to avoid screens before bed, and I’ve got an alarm clock instead of my phone to use when I wake up in the night. It’s also super nice that my kids are sleeping in a little longer, or getting up on their own, so I’m able to lounge and rest just a bit more in the mornings.

What I’m Looking Forward To

August 10 – baby’s birthday! Unless he decides to surprise us early, that’s the date of my c-section and knowing that makes things feel extra real. I’m so looking forward to meeting this sweet boy! Since this is the first time we’ve known the sex of the baby in advance, it’s fun to think more specifically about what he’ll be like. I am specifically excited for sitting on our porch swing, rocking gently with a snuggly baby nestled up on me with a cool breeze blowing over us. I can’t wait!

I’m also looking forward to seeing my baby with his cousin, since my sister is due with her first baby literally any day now. It has been so much fun to go through pregnancy with her and I can’t wait to see these little ones grow up together!

LJ and Vi’s Awareness

This has been a huge difference between this pregnancy and Vi’s pregnancy. LJ and Vi are only 21 months apart, so he was still very little when I was pregnant with her. Though we talked about the baby and he knew I had a baby in my belly, I don’t think he really grasped what was going on. This time around, with a 4.5 and 2.5 year old, they are very aware of what’s going on and they love to talk about the baby. They’ll randomly rub my belly and say “hi baby!” or give it hugs and kisses. They tell people there’s a baby brother in mommy’s belly and they like to talk about him and snuggle up with my belly. It’s the sweetest thing!