Week 30 update

Lately I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. Braxton Hicks contractions are like practice contractions of the uterus that begin as early as 2nd trimester but usually aren't noticed until the third trimester. Every now and then my uterus will get rock hard for about 30-45 seconds and then fade away. When I first started noticing them I was afraid I might be going into pre-term labor but after talking with my doctor and doing research online, I realized that this pattern of contraction is normal.

In general true labor contractions will get longer in length, closer in frequency and stronger in intensity. A Braxton Hicks contraction might get closer together but not consistently, or they may feel stronger but go away when you move around.

Since realizing that these contractions were actually a good thing (bringing more blood to the placenta) I've used them as a chance to practice the relaxation and breathing techniques that Gene and I have been learning in our Bradley Method birthing classes.

On another note, I've noticed that our dog, Chaser, is becoming instinctively more in tune with the pregnancy. Every now and then when I'm sitting on the couch, he'll come up and put his chin on my belly and give me the sweetest "googley" eyes. He normally sleeps in his bed which sits at the foot of our bed, but during a few nights where my Braxton Hicks contractions where especially uncomfortable, he came and slept on the bed next to my feet. And during my numerous nightly trips to the bathroom, he'd follow me to the toilet and then walk me back to bed!