pregnancy recap, weeks 28-32

like I did with baby boy Luca, I’ll be doing monthly pregnancy recaps to document the...

like I did with baby boy Luca, I’ll be doing monthly pregnancy recaps to document the progress of this pregnancy and hopefully relate to some of you who are pregnant as well or interested in becoming pregnant! in this week’s recap, I’ll be recapping week 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32. I’m currently 28 weeks pregnant.

the recap, weeks 28 – 32

this is the “sh*t’s getting real” stage. it’s the stage when you realize you’re less than 2 months away from meeting your little baby and that means you’re extra tired, your belly is big and heavy, and your to-do list is suddenly a mile long. for me, weeks 30-35 are really when I get totally ready for the baby, meaning, I get the nursery (mostly) finished, order everything for the baby’s arrival (diapers, bassinet, etc), and pack the hospital bag.

I like to get most of the work for the baby’s arrival out of the way by week 36 so that I can focus on finishing up work and not have all the distractions and stress of “am I ready? do I have everything for the baby?” and can really make sure I’m ready to go on a work-free maternity leave. plus, I like to add in a little week or two cushion there to relax before my due date – take half days of work, slow down, nap, spend extra time with Lu and the baby, get the freezer prepped, and so forth. that’s just how I did it the first time and it worked out well!

so, if you’re asking, “how early should I be getting XYZ done?” – it’s never too early! the earlier you accomplish these things, the less stressed you’ll be at the way end of your pregnancy, when you SHOULD be the least stressed and should be focusing on taking care of yourself.

now, let’s talk about the last few weeks! the biggest update is that all of the furniture has arrived for the nursery and everything is purchased, it just needs to be put away and organized. last weekend, I spent two days washing everything (clothes, towels, linens, etc), which is now a huge sigh of relief (I hate laundry!) on Monday (May 6), the Horderly team is coming over to convert our bedroom into baby girl’s nursery, and I cannot wait. I’ve been sharing little sneak peeks over on Instagram. once everything is put in its place and the nursery is truly ready, I will just have to do the final cute little decor touches and I’ll feel ready. there’s something so therapeutic about having a nursery ready for baby’s arrival. I give a lot of credit to my Jewish mamas who don’t setup the nursery until the baby is here! whenever I walk into my bedroom now, it just seems so much sweeter. I love looking at our glider and thinking, “I’ll be snuggling her here soon.”

probably the most exciting part of the past few weeks was our baby moon! we went to Miami for a long weekend (a Thursday through a Sunday) and it was the perfect amount of time to getaway and feel refreshed. the weather was absolutely incredibly perfect – literally not a cloud in the sky, low humidity, and 80-85 degrees, just how we like it! we spent most of our time by the pool or the beach, relaxing. I got very into mocktails and had fun indulging a little extra in desserts, being lazy (we only worked out once!), and sleeping in.

we stayed at the Edition Hotel and loved it. the service was incredible, it was hip and trendy but family friendly (lots of babymooners and young families!), and I felt like I was somewhere new and special. we had an unbelievable couples massage one day, and spent a couple nights dining out – we loved KYU Miami and Swan, can’t recommend them enough! it was fun to get dressed up and feel pretty! but mostly, we relaxed!

another big milestone is that we weaned Luca off his pacifier! I was so so anxious about doing it, but we started slow and I learned that, like with everything in motherhood, it’s generally harder on the parents than the actual baby/child. I’m going to be writing a post about this, but this was on my check list of things to do before baby girl arrives. I didn’t want Luca to question why the baby gets a pacifier and he doesn’t – it’s just a lot of change all at once, also. SO, we’re now paci free and it’s like the paci never existed! I do miss cute photos like these, though:

as for working out, I’ve been trying to incorporate more strength workouts into my exercise routine, as I slow down with Peloton, to help with my overall strength, which helped me in labor and I hope it helps again! I also just feel my best and most energized when I am stronger. the rides on Peloton are getting more difficult, and I’m more out of breath than ever, so we’ll see at my next pregnancy update whether or not I’m able to continue the Peloton.

other fun updates

  • feeling full all the time: I’m an eater, so this is very hard for me to deal with. I eat with my eyes and I always end up overstuffed and uncomfortable. I’ve been trying to do the mini meals thing all day, but on the weekends especially, it’s hard, and I find myself getting very full and upset that I can’t eat more, haha!
  • heartburn: this has gotten worse and I’ve had to eat Tums every single day. it’s definitely manageable, but it usually hits an hour or so after I’ve eaten, like clockwork.
  • baby kicks: stronger than ever and all.the.time. sometimes I really wonder what she’s doing in there, haha.
  • back pain: my back pain has actually gotten better, and I think it’s because I started adding more strength training workouts into my routine and using the Snoogle pillow more.
  • hot flashes: oh my gosh, I thought I was getting hot flashes this pregnancy, but they’re really in full force now. sometimes I literally can’t focus because they come on so strong! I literally sweat. it’s nuts! they last a few minutes (no more than 5 minutes) and are wild. I just drink cold water and stick my head in the fridge.
  • itchy belly: my belly has started to itch more than usual, a sign that it’s going to be growing bigger and bigger!
  • shortness of breath/out of breath: I noticed this first with my workouts, but then just in my everyday, even when I’m just sitting around. I find myself holding my breath or just breathing very heavily. baby girl is pushing all of my organs around in there and putting pressure on my lungs for sure! to combat this, I usually just get up, stretch, and do some hard deep breaths.

maternity favorites

here are a few things I’m loving right now:

  • this rain jacket: it’s been raining on and off for what seems like WEEKS (ugh, April showers bring May flowers!) and I couldn’t survive without this comfy rain jacket that cinches at the waist to make it a bit more flattering!
  • zoe organics belly oil: I use this at night now (doing two a days with the belly cream) and I love wearing it at night, because I wake up and my belly feels so hydrated and smooth.
  • this ribbed jersey dress: I am definitely going to be living in this the next few weeks – it’s so comfortable and cute, paired with a denim jacket and sneakers.
  • the world’s most comfortable maternity joggers: no joke, I wear these everyday. no shame.
  • thigh chafing guards: the other day I wore a dress out and I pulled these out of storage and I was so lucky I still had them – they’re the best for those who aren’t blessed with a thigh gap! they’re miracle workers.

for more favorites, follow me on @inspiralizedali on Instagram, and check out my Pregnancy Favs highlight icon!

and that’s it! see you in a month for a recap of weeks 33, 34, 35, 36… and maybe 37, and 38! I’ll probably stop the updates after the next one!

with love, Ali

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