Week 30 – Baby is Getting Brainier And You Get Up and Go May Get Up and Leave

Baby keeps on growing and that includes their now almost fully functional brain. Meanwhile this week you are probably beginning to realize just why so many people told you to make the most of your time during the second trimester of your pregnancy because boy, is this third stage ever proving tough…

Your Baby in Week 30 of Pregnancy

This week Baby is still getting bulkier, but the other really big development is just how large their brain is getting as well. However, up until this week the surface of Baby’s brain has been smooth and pink. Now it is developing all of those characteristic grooves and indentations you remember from those pictures in science class of what a human brain really looks like. These changes are occurring so that there is room for the significant increase in brain tissue to that is happening as Baby makes even more steps towards being ready to greet the big wide world and take a first look at everything going on around them.

Baby will reach another big milestone this week in that his or her bone marrow will completely take over the production of the red blood cells their body needs, which is excellent for them as it is one step closer to being able to survive outside the womb under their own steam. This also means that as all of their systems are beginning to fire on all cylinders, including the ability to better regulate their body temperature they can begin shedding the fur like lanugo on their skin, although there may be a little bit left on their back and shoulders when they are born that will disappear a few days afterwards.

Your Body in Week 30 of Pregnancy

All of that get up and go you may have had during your second trimester that was such a joy after the fatigue you experienced in your first trimester may be getting up and leaving right now, and that overwhelming tired feeling is probably creeping back, little by little, every day. As unpleasant as it is to have that always tired feeling return it is inevitable. Baby is growing at a rapid rate and putting more demands on your body every day, and will continue to do so until they are ready to leave their womb home and there is no way that anyone’s body, however fit you are and however healthy you are eating, can really be expected to ‘carry on as normal’ in the face of all of this extra work.

The key is not to fight the tiredness but give in to it whenever possible. Start asking for help when you need it and do not be too hard on yourself if making it past 8pm is getting harder and harder every day. Thanks to Baby’s increased activity, a full night’s sleep can be hard to get as well, so take whatever chances you can to rest.

If you are still working, which many women are, it is likely to be tougher than ever to get through the day right now. Ideally you would be able to begin your leave right around now, but for many modern mums to be that is not possible for financial reasons. If you do still have weeks to go before your scheduled leave date take things as easy as possible and do not be afraid to ask for help. People at work are likely to be far more sympathetic than you might imagine.

And speaking of leave dates, you really should have one. Some women proudly state that they worked right up until ‘the minute’ Baby was born as if it were a badge of honour but giving yourself at least a couple of weeks of real rest before the Big Day is, if it is at all possible, a far better idea. This is not a tooth extraction you are scheduled for, you will be delivering a baby, a rather Herculean task and the modern trend towards minimizing the effort of labour is a little disturbing. There is nothing wrong with stopping work and taking some much needed time for yourself before the big event as soon as you are able to and you should take no notice of anyone who tells you otherwise!

Tips for the Thirtieth Week of Your Pregnancy – Have You Considered Cord Blood Banking?

Years ago, when a baby was born and the umbilical cord was cut it was discarded without a second glance as a part of the general clean up after woman had given birth. Over the years though researchers discovered that the blood that is contained in the umbilical cord is actually very powerful stuff that contains a high concentration of stem cells that can be used to help cure number of blood cancers, diseases that are particularly prevalent in children.

In some other countries cord blood banking is something of a big business proposition. In the US for example parents pay large fees to have their own child’s cord blood collected at birth and then stored in case they ever need it. The process in Singapore is rather different though and it is one that is designed to offer help to everyone.

The Singapore Cord Blood Bank was established to provide a unique resource for doctors who are looking for the stem cells needed to help Singaporean patients. Since it began in 2005 a number of hospitals participate in the program, including KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (KKH), National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) Gleneagles Hospital (GEH), Mount Alvernia Hospital (MAH), Mount Elizabeth Hospital (MEH), Raffles Hospital (RH), Parkway East Hospital (PEH) and Thomson Medical Centre. Through the generosity of Singaporean families to one another hundreds of lives have already been saved.

From 28 weeks on, a couple interested in participating in the Cord Blood Banking program can talk to their doctor about it and the arrangements can be made. It is a rather wonderful thing that so many parents have taken the extra time to do so and it is something well worth considering.