Reaching 30 weeks has produced a plethora of feelings and emotions. I don’t even know where to begin to explain. Excitement, nervousness, gratitude, and anxiousness are all collaborating in my mind as it becomes more and more real that our baby is coming. We are so close! I am relieved that our baby shower has come and gone. Knowing myself, I knew that having a baby shower somewhat early was in my best interest to avoid unnecessary anxiety closer to my due date.
Now, I have the opportunity to focus only on preparation: preparing myself and preparing our home.
Author’s Personal Collection/Brittany Jones
In speaking of my baby shower, I’d be remiss if I did not mention just how phenomenal it was. My mom graciously planned and executed our winter wonderland-themed celebration and it was everything I envisioned. From the hot chocolate bar to the snowy white centerpieces, I was in awe of what I walked into.
Author’s Personal Collection/Brittany Jones
I truly felt the love and genuineness from all of our guests, not to mention my cousin and her son (my baby cousin) flying in all the way from Atlanta and an unexpected surprise arrival from three of my closest friends from California and Atlanta, who had originally said they would not be able to attend. I was completely swept off my feet. It was a day to remember!
Author’s Personal Collection/Brittany Jones
Now, it’s crunch time!
There are only 10 weeks until my due date and time is flying! I found it helpful to maintain a to-do/focus list to ensure that I am on top of everything that needs to be done as we prepare for Brielle’s grand arrival. Here is what I’ll be focused on from now until birth:
Increasing my positive eating and drinking habits and resting.
Coming into my third trimester has brought a wave of food cravings more than ever. While I don’t deprive myself, I also don’t indulge. My goals are to double up on my fruit and green veggies and to drink more water than I’ve been (if that’s even possible,) while being consistent with taking Floradix, a natural iron supplement to combat anemia. I am also listening to my body and resting more as needed. I feel a decline in stamina which is predicted in the third trimester and I am going to embrace all the needs of my body as it signals me to just chill.
Walking and stretching in moderation.
Staying off my feet is most definitely a priority to avoid increased exhaustion and pre-term labor. However, it is advised to walk at most 20 minutes a day and to stretch in moderation to physically prepare for labor.
Create our birth plan.
I will be prioritizing time to communicate with my husband and our doula to complete a detailed birth plan.
Education.
While labor and birth are most definitely walking into the unknown, we want to do our best to be as prepared as we can possibly be. That includes listening to my Christian Hypnobirthing tracks and completing our natural birth courses.
Moisturize!
My moisturizers of choice have been cocoa-butter and African herbal oil and they’ve been doing me quite well. I haven’t had any stretch marks up until just recently when I noticed one little mark slightly arising. I usually apply the cocoa butter and oil to my belly every morning but I’m going to also start applying it at night.
Moving into our new apartment and decorating Brielle’s nursery.
There isn’t too much I can do to assist in the moving process but I’m very excited about decorating the nursery in the bohemian floral theme that I envision.
Remaining present and aware of each moment.
Pregnancy is flying by. I imagine having more children in the future but only God knows. This pregnancy has been a beautiful experience. In spite of combatting the trauma and anxiety of being pregnant after loss, I really can’t complain. Through each trimester, my symptoms have been mild and controlled and my mental health has been vibrant. I’ve found more peace and joy in these past months than I knew to be possible and I’ve grown tremendously. As pregnancy winds down, I want to embrace every moment that I have left of it in case this experience doesn’t come again. Whatever God’s will is for my future, I am beyond blessed to have experienced not only pregnancy but a pregnancy this fulfilling at least once.
Love you so much. Your pregnancy have been very exciting for me as well. My prayer is that the birth of Brielle will easy. I know it will be simply Beautiful.
Ma’💗