Week 30: viable, still feeling normal

Little one and I are doing well, though I am definitely experiencing more aches and pains than I was a month ago. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome reared its ugly head last week, and was particularly excruciating when I was camping in high altitude (7000 feet). I got some wrist braces to wear at night, and the problem has almost completely gone away. Rib pain is still there but I'm used to it, or maybe ignoring it - it's not slowing me down so much. Shortness of breath has gone away except camping at 7000 feet, and walking up the steep hills around my neighborhood.

My husband and I attended an excellent hypnobirthing class this weekend, which did a lot to normalize the process of labor and childbirth, as well as teach some particular relaxation techniques (breathing, massage, and guided visualization). My husband was nervous about the workshop beforehand; I think he had a stereotypical vision of hypnosis in his head, and imagined himself dangling a pocketwatch in front of my face and trying to put me in a stupor of some kind. He was pleasantly surprised.

The only negative thing about the workshop was that it got me worried all over again about fetal position - my midwives say they don't even start thinking about fetal position until week 32 or so, but my one fear about what could go wrong is that this baby won't get the message that she is supposed to end up head-down, spine forward. Am trying to focus on things I can do to help without dwelling on guilt about things I haven't done so far. Leaning forward, or even just vertical, is really painful on my shoulders and back. May look up my old chiropractor.

Have made very good progress cleaning out the baby room, hoping to prime and paint tomorrow. Getting tired of hauling boxes around, but glad to be forced to purge old files, letters, etc. Still feel physically normal most of the time, forget I'm pregnant. Climbing, I've had to cut out overhangs (muscles haven't kept up with weight gain) and I get tired faster, but my body is basically continuing to do everything it's supposed to do.