Welcome to week thirty one!

I’ll bet that you have noticed that it’s getting harder to tie your own shoes and get comfortable behind the wheel when driving.

You may be having a lot of pelvic pressure and swelling of your hands and feet now. It is important to be doing fetal movement counts every day and be aware of preterm labor symptoms. It might be time to discuss contraception plans with your partner now so that you are prepared for after the baby comes.

You may be having a lot of pelvic pressure and swelling of your hands and feet now.

How my Baby Grows

Those little arms and legs are starting to really fill out as fat pads are plumping up the skin that used to be thin and translucent
Rapid weight gain for your baby is occurring and will continue through the rest of the pregnancy
Your baby is able to turn his/her head from side to side now
If we could hold your baby now, he/she would be the size of a coconut

Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience

Due to increased blood volume and the hormones of pregnancy your dependent areas like hands, feet and vulvar tissue are prone to significant swelling, especially in the summer months

This is usually a normal change of pregnancy, however if you are also having headaches or visual changes like seeing spots you should tell your doctor or midwife
Two things that will help the most with this swelling are drinking enough water so that your kidneys can rid your body of the extra fluid and elevating your legs and feet several times during the day above the level of your heart if possible, although any elevation is helpful
Sciatica is the very uncomfortable, shooting pain that you may experience shooting down you lower back and legs

It is caused by pressure which pinches and inflames your sciatic nerve that runs down your leg all the way to your toes
A hormone called relaxin is released during pregnancy to prepare for childbirth by relaxing ligaments allowing your uterus to enlarge as baby grows, this relaxation, change your center of gravity, and sometimes how you baby is laying puts added pressure on this nerve causing the pain
After the 30th week of pregnancy about half of all women will experience something called carpel tunnel that causes numbness in the hands/wrists

This is due to fluid retention which causes increased pressure on the median nerve running from your elbow into your hand
Some women have it in both hands while others will only have it in one of their hands
If it is really causing discomfort and especially if you are working and need the pain to stop in order to do your job you may consider purchasing wrist braces at any pharmacy to wear at night as this is will reduce the swelling and improve your symptoms
Leg cramps which are often worse at night can be quite bothersome and usually increase in the third trimester, here are a few tips that may help

Make sure that the shoes you wear are well fitting, comfortable and offer you support during the day
Try taking calcium and magnesium supplements or eat foods rich in these minerals
There is some evidence that stretching your legs at night before going to bed may help, consider one of the yoga videos that StorkAdvisor has developed for you
Staying active as much as possible will also help

Pelvic pressure especially in your hips and lower abdomen increases until the end of your pregnancy putting pressure on your bladder and even making walking uncomfortable, if you have not yet tried a belly band-now is the time, they are adjustable so will grow with you and can be used again with your next pregnancy
One way that you can check on how your baby is doing is to perform daily fetal movement counts

An active baby is a sign of well being
Your baby has sleep cycles that can last 45 minutes to an hour, so try and think of a time when your baby is usually active like after the dinner meal, drink a glass of ice water, lie down on your side and you should be able to get 10 movements of some kind in a 2-hour period
By the way, hiccups do not count as they are involuntary meaning that your baby is not choosing to move

Thoughts to Consider

Contraception is a good topic to discuss with your partner near the end of your pregnancy and there are numerous options

Methods of contraception that are usually considered safe for most women if you are breastfeeding include intrauterine devices (IUDs), progesterone only birth control pills (mini pill), Depo Provera (injections every 12 weeks), Nexplanon (an implant placed in your arm lasting 3 years), and permanent sterilization (tubal for you or vasectomy for your partner)
Methods of contraception that are available if you are not breastfeeding include IUDs, Nexplanon, Depo Provera, Ortho Evra Patch, NuvaRing, combination birth control pills if you do not have estrogen related contraindications, and permanent sterilization

Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Adequate sleep even when it gets tough

This is especially true now because your baby may be active at night, and you may be experiencing leg cramps that wake you
Another reason for interrupted sleep is that you are making more trips to the bathroom during night like in the first trimester because your baby is putting a lot of pressure on your bladder