You rescued him, nursed him to health, and after many passionate nights, he disappears. You go on with your life and find out you are carrying his child. Just as you think you've moved on an inch, he reappears.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
At 29 weeks pregnant, you're cruising along in your third trimester, and things are starting to get real: You may be experiencing "false" labor pains called Braxton Hicks. Don't worry—this is just your body's way of preparing for the big show. Here's what else you should know about week 29 of pregnancy.
Your baby's been, well, pretty see-through up until recently, when they started growing white fat deposits under the skin. This fat not only helps with the whole transparency thing, but it will help baby regulate their body temperature once they reach the outside world. Fat is also how humans store energy, including the energy needed to work our brains. (Your baby's energy is surging right now!) It also helps us stave off illnesses. Fun fact: Babies are born with about 15% body fat—that's more than any other animal. At the size of a fanny pack, your baby's reflexes like coughing are working, hair is growing, and the bones and muscles are getting stronger (as you may have noticed with those kicks!)
They always start out with the animated one, but...
Somehow seeing a birthing video is a little more intimidating when you know it's your child that is on the way. I saw this in health class in school, again in training, and I even had to do it once in the field, but now...
"Augie, you okay?" Angel looks up at me with a little concern.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Yes, I'm okay," I nod. "are you?"
"Yeah," she sighs. "I'm nervous, of course, but as long as you are there, I'll be alright."
I feel so proud that she feels that way, but also a little anxious. It's funny how I have run missions, saved my own skin when no one else would or could help, and it all was so run-of-the-mill. Now this woman I love is depending on me and I feel...human.
When the Q & A session started, I got right down to it. "What about sex in the third trimester?"
The instructor gave a small smile, but kept composure. "As long as you have no complications or conditions related to the pregnancy, sex is actually encouraged. First, it strengthens and keeps intimacy, even if it is just touching and caressing. Second, semen contains a certain hormone called prostaglandin which softens the cervix during sex and causes good contractions, and also cause women to release a happy hormone called oxytocin during sex which helps in arousing contractions. Orgasms also strengthen the pelvis and prepare the body. But check with your doctor to be sure you can."
I rubbed my beard against her cheek and breathed lightly into her ear. I didn't mean to, I'm not big on PDA, but it'd been a couple of weeks since the honeymoon, and I needed it. But she'd been tired. "In the morning, before work?"
"Sounds good," she whispers, her eyes lowering shyly. "Snuggles at night—"
"Love in sun's light?"
She turns to me. "You're a poet?"
"When inspired," I shrug, putting my arms around her. "or near one I desire."
We head home and suddenly the night felt long. I made a huge Mediterranean salad-one of her favorite things to eat besides my hot wings-and fresh bread from the bakery. We go for a walk, just a walk around the block, which is about a half mile all the way around. We had begun doing this daily. It was part of her exercise. She stretches in the morning, walks at night and she tries to stay active in between.
"I still like Skye," she shrugs. "Amara?"
"I like Gabrielle."
"But what of—"
"Three names are alot," I tell her softly. "Let's kick those around."
"This isn't soccer, August," she chides. "This is our daughter's name for the rest of her life!"
"We can always have another one."
"Another one?!" She gasps softly. "You want another one?"
"Why not, sweetheart? I loved having a sibling."
"You think I'll be a good mother?" her eyes mist.
"Of course, I do!" I shake my head at her and hug her. She chuckles softly.
"I think you'll make a great father," she whispers.
After class, we went out to eat. She likes going out to eat, and lately the spicier the better.
"Are you going to take off after the baby is born?" she asks me.
"Yes, I am taking paternity leave."
"How long?"
"We are allowed three months unpaid, but I have so much vacation time it doesn't really matter." I look at her. "Three months? Six months?"
"I don't care as long as you don't go into the field again."
"I told you, I'm done with the field." I tell her. "It would take hell and highwater for me to go back now." I kiss her nose, making her giggle, and whisper, "Too many reasons to stay home."
