30-Week Pregnancy Update: Baby the Size of a Butternut Squash

I woke up this morning with an old children’s rhyme stuck in my head: It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man (Jacob) is still snoring. Not sure why it popped up, but it made me smile.

I’m feeling much better today — thank you for the well wishes. A few green smoothies and extra rest over the last couple of days helped me recover from a mild cold. For me, sickness usually means a runny nose, sore throat and extreme tiredness, so this was manageable and short-lived.

How Hunter is growing

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a little over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing to make room for his developing brain.

To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you’ll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid and iron. Because his bones are absorbing lots of calcium, be sure to include good sources of calcium such as milk, cheese, yogurt or fortified orange juice. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby’s hardening skeleton each day. — from BabyCenter

It’s wild to think that from now on he’ll gain about a half pound each week. That means my belly will keep growing fast — time to fatten him up with nourishing food.

How I’m feeling

This past week was tiring, mostly because I had that cold. My second-trimester energy seems to be waning; working a full eight hours has felt tough. Thankfully, my workplace approved (after I provided a note from my midwives) letting me leave a few hours early when I’m especially fatigued. Going home in the afternoon and lying down for a couple of hours has been blissful and genuinely helpful.

I usually struggle to rest when I have a long to-do list, so being able to pause before preparing dinner or teaching class has been a real relief.

Activity and movement

This week was quieter than usual, but I still kept moving most days. Highlights included:

Saturday — a 60-minute walk with Jacob and Joe to get coffee
Sunday — a 2.3-mile run
Monday & Tuesday — 20-minute brisk walks with Joe
Wednesday — a 60-minute full-body strength session in the morning and teaching BodyPump in the evening
Thursday — rest day due to feeling under the weather (I subbed my cycle class)
Friday — a 20-minute brisk walk with Joe and Jacob

I’ve been enjoying more walks lately, although I missed some strength and cycling sessions this week. Next week I plan to resume strength training and try one or two water-aerobics classes, including a prenatal option. I’m looking forward to getting back in the pool; I think the last time I swam was very early in this pregnancy. Today I’ll try on my bikinis to see if any still fit or if I need to find a new one for water classes.

Belly and baby movement

My belly has grown noticeably and watching it shift is fascinating. Sometimes the shape is lopsided depending on where he’s positioned. At our 30-week midwife appointment we could feel his back pressed against my left side — that side was firm while the right was softer. Later the right side popped out instead. He’s definitely active and changing positions often.

Contractions

Braxton Hicks contractions have become less frequent. They were more common when they first started, but now I get about one or two randomly each day. My midwife suggested he may have been turning a lot; he was breech at our 28-week check and head-down at 30 weeks. He seems to be getting ready, though hopefully he’ll stay put for a while yet.

Quick facts

How far along: 30 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gained: 28 pounds
New show I’m watching during rest time: Grey’s Anatomy
We attended our first Bradley Method class on Tuesday — more details after a few classes
Free newborn cloth diapers we already have: 3 (won one during a class, received one for registering at a local store, and got another because our Bradley class is held at that store)

What’s on our Saturday agenda? We plan to pick up and set up the crib — a bit more progress on the nursery!

— Heather