30 Week Bumpdate!
I’m sharing my 30 Week Bumpdate, how everything is going in the Third Trimester, and how I’m preparing for Baby Boy!
WHITE DRESS: PINK BLUSH MATERNITY | SANDALS: LETIH | KENNEDY’S DRESS: OLD NAVY | KENNEDY’S BOOTIES: OLD NAVY
Hey guys! It has been a while since my last Bumpdate post, keeping you updated on how everything is going. The past few weeks have been a little hard on my physically and emotionally. I wasn’t feeling all that great and kind of had a feeling something wasn’t right. I also have just haven’t been able to keep up with everything like I used to and have been feeling overwhelmed with all that is on my plate. I feel like with my pregnancy with Kennedy, I had so much more free time to prepare and soak everything in. It’s been much harder to do that this time around. So emotionally, this pregnancy has been a little harder on me. Last week I had my 28 week appt and also had my blood work done. I got a call from my doctor the following day saying that my blood platelets have been dropping continuously since my blood work that was done in the beginning of my pregnancy. He referred me to a high-risk pregnancy doctor to go over my blood work and see what she thinks. Over the weekend I was feeling super weak, nauseous and tired, and also Alex was gone on a trip, which didn’t make things easier. So it made it more difficult to keep up with Kennedy and everything going on. On Tuesday, I went to drop off Kennedy at my mother-in-laws house. I was at a red light and all of sudden felt really dizzy and had trouble breathing. I didn’t know what was going on and was waiting for this long light to turn green so I could pull in somewhere to get off the road. I kept driving and it was still hard to breath and swallow, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I tried calling my dad to help distract me from what was happening until I could get to Alex’s office, which was only 1 block away. I could barely talk and knew something was wrong. I safely arrived at Alex’s office building and from there he was able to drive me to the ER. After doing some tests, the doctor concluded that the baby was most likely pressing against the major artery that delivers blood flow to my brain and heart. They also did a test to check the baby and monitor everything. The baby looked super healthy and was active, but they noticed I was having some contractions. Luckily I was only having about 4 in 1 hour. I tracked them again the next day and I was having about 4 in 1 hour still. She said that it was nothing to worry about but to just keep an eye on it if they increase. I met with the high-risk OBGYN right after I was discharged from the ER. She looked over my blood work and said I have a condition called Gestational Thrombocytopenia. When women are in their third trimester of pregnancy, this condition can develop. But thankfully in most cases it goes away a few weeks after giving birth. This condition can cause the blood platelets to drop below the normal range. When the blood platelets are low, it is hard for the blood to clot and you can bleed excessively if something major happened. Mine have continued to drop each time I get my blood work done, but it won’t affect me or the baby. The main thing it will cause an issue with is delivery- because this is a major event that involves lots of bleeding and blood loss. Basically you need the blood to be able to clot to stop the bleeding.
Another thing my doctor told me is to be prepared to have a natural birth without an epidural. It is too risky to administer an epidural when someone has low blood platelets. She said I will mostly likely get steroid injections around 37 weeks to see if that will help increase the blood platelets. IF they do significantly increase, I can maybe get an epidural- but she said to not count on this happening. So I am getting myself mentally prepared now for that, and most likely she said that is the course we will have to take. I’m starting a birthing course next week on The Bradley Method, which I hear great things about. It helps you to mentally prepare yourself for a natural childbirth and learn pain-coping techniques during labor. My doctor also said I might have to have the baby early around 37-38 weeks. So having all these things happen in the same day and hearing all this news really was hard. But I’m trying to be positive and not let it get me down. As long as my baby is healthy and will be okay, that is the only thing I care about right now! If you have had an all natural birth, I would LOVE to hear about your experience and if you have any tips or advice!
In this last trimester, I’m going to try to focus on spending as much one-on-one time with Kennedy before she is no longer our only baby! I want to make sure she feels special and apart of what is about to happen in our lives- it will be a big change! We went and got a 4D ultrasound from The Big Reveal Ultrasound here in Orange County! It was SO cool and such a fun experience to go as a family to this ultrasound. We got to see him live in a video on the TV screen, and he is quite the mover! They took 4D ultrasound photos of him, made a movie for us to keep forever, and Kennedy had a chance to see her brother up close. It was such a great experience and I HIGHLY recommend it. After that, Kennedy has been really excited for “baby bruder” and runs around the house holding his ultrasound photo. I think it is a great way to have a young sibling really try to grasp what is in mommy’s tummy and to feel included in some way! You can check our their IG and website here!
HOW FAR ALONG: 30 weeks today! Baby is the size of a zucchini [15.7 inches and 3 pounds].
DUE DATE: June 6th
SIZE: My doctor measured him yesterday and he is 3 pounds!
WEIGHT GAIN: So far I have gained around 35 pounds. Everybody is different and so is every pregnancy! I’m not worried about my body changing and weight gain, because i know it is all for my baby! I don’t count calories or diet at all anymore. I try to eat healthy and nutritious foods, that I know are good for his development and the health of my pregnancy. But I do indulge in a sweet treat or ice cream during the week!
NAME: We are still having a hard time deciding on his name! I had no clue picking a boy name would be soo hard- haha! I have a short list though of a few names now, and I’m leaning towards one of them now. So we will see what we decided on! I will be sharing his name once he arrives!
HOW I’M FEELING: Overall I’m feeling pretty good, but to be honest with you guys the past couple weeks have been kind of hard. I am usually overall really exhausted by the afternoon and have to take a 1-2 hour nap. I’m trying to think positive thoughts and just cherish these last weeks of my pregnancy!
CRAVINGS: I haven’t had any major cravings lately, mainly just fruit and refreshing drinks like pink lemonade or smoothies! Some nights I have major chocolate chip cookie cravings. I love the eat that with Trader Joe’s Vanilla ice cream!
AVERSIONS: I don’t have any aversions right now!
PHYSICAL CHANGES: I can feel the swelling showing in my face and hands right now. Luckily it isn’t as bad as my pregnancy with Kennedy, but I definitely notice it esp in photos. My bump is getting so big, and it’s crazy to think it’s going to get much bigger these last weeks!
MOVEMENT: Baby Boy is moving around all day long, and he moves a lot when I’m trying to go to bed! I think he is just getting mama ready for when he is here- haha! He is super active and is always changing positions. He has hiccups a couple times a day. He sometimes will wake me up super early in the morning so I can eat breakfast! Then he stops kicking after I eat lol!
BELLY BUTTON: It’s an outie! It popped really early this time!
MOST EXCITED ABOUT: I’m so excited to meet him and finally hold my sweet boy!! I daydream about him all the time and can’t wait to see what he looks like. I just can’t wait to snuggle him and have him earth-side in my arms.
LEAST EXCITED ABOUT: I’m least excited about the delivery process. I’m trying to be positive about now having to most likely give birth naturally without any pain meds. I have a low pain tolerance so that is kind of freaking me out right now. I know nothing goes exactly as planned with births, so I’m just hoping and praying it goes fast and is easier than my last delivery.
Some Skincare Questions:
For stretch marks I have switched off between the Mama Mio cream and the Burt’s Bees Cream. I have been using the Burt’s Bees Mama Belly Butter lately and I am loving it so far! My belly is getting much bigger and itchier, so this helps with that which I love.
For tanning I have been using the St. Tropez mousse tanner in the color Dark. I always apply it with a mitt and I love the color the next day. I will exfoliate in the shower at night and apply the tanner at night. I wear a long sleeve shirt and bottoms to avoid getting it all over my sheets. In the morning I shower off, but avoid using soap bc I notice it won’t be as dark the first day. So I just rinse off the excess tanner in the morning. The color develops even more during the day and looks great even after just one application! I started using these tanning drops for a couple days and loved the results as well. I think those will take daily use to see the same results as the St. Tropez, but I like how I can just mix it in with my moisturizer to just maintain the tan.
PRENATAL VITAMINS: I take Forte Elements!
FAVORITE BABY PRODUCTS:
Little Unicorn Swaddles + bath towels
Uppababy VISTA Stroller + Uppababy MESA Car Seat
….. and much more! I will be sharing everything I got for Baby Boy + my Baby Registry Must-Haves soon! I will also be sharing more in detail why I love each product!!!
HOW I’M PREPARING FOR BABY:
We are almost finished with baby boy’s nursery! I’m hoping it will all be completed by the end of April- I can’t wait to share it with you guys!
I am preparing for the baby by taking some online baby classes and re-reading a couple favorite baby books I loved with Kennedy! Below is a list of everything I’m doing to prepare:
Wee Bee Dreaming Newborn Sleep Guide
I’m currently reading Baby Wise
*Photos by Gina Luna Photography
I have had 2 natural births, my first was 20 hours and my second was only 2 hours. The Bradley Method worked great, and making sure to get up and move around, do not stay in the bed!! And when the contractions get bad getting in the water is very helpful. And say lots of prayers for a safe and fast delivery. 🙂