Week 36

Phew, what a week it has been!  I thought I would have all the time in the world once I stopped working but I have been staying busy getting things for the shower (I'll do a separate shower post, too much to talk about!) and then picking up lots of baby items that we felt like we should have in case she comes early.  We got the crib up this week and it looks great!  The bedroom is actually quite cozy with her furniture and doesn't feel as crowded as we thought it would.

So we had our ultrasound last Friday and the baby looks great, and big!  : )  The ultrasound was much different than the earlier ones because she is so large now that you can see very little of her in one shot (like just her mouth and nose) rather than the whole body like before.  They measured the diameter of her head and abdomen and the length of her leg and arm bones, then put those measurements into the computer which spits out an approximate weight... 6 lb 5 oz!  I included a couple of the ultrasound pictures below.  The first shows her head/face from the side and the second is just her nose and mouth (sideways).  We can' wait to meet her! 

We saw the doctor yesterday who informed us that this is still an estimate of her weight and that this she is in the 70% percentile for size, so she is definitely large, but not TOO large. It was also interesting that the doctor measured me at 36 cm this week, while the doctor at 34 weeks measured me at 37 cm... I guess it's not very exact since they are just holding a tape measure up to your belly and where they start and stop is up to them! ( I have been seeing different doctors to this point since you don't know who will deliver you out of the doctor group, but I will see the same doctor every week now.) The doctor also basically said there is no way to know whether you will be able to deliver the baby vaginally until delivery comes since there are so many factors... how much the baby's head molds, your pelvis, how strong your contractions are, etc. So I am just hoping to not go though labor to only have a c-section at the end, but I guess we will see what happens! The doctor also said the baby is not really engaged yet, she has started to drop and she could feel her head, but when she pushed on it it still appears to be floating rather than completely engaged in the pelvis.

Week 36 Update (babycenter.com):
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.


At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Week 35

We had our 34 week appointment last Wednesday and all is well... the baby's heartbeat was good and she is still in a head down position.  However, the measurement from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus is generally in line with the number of weeks you are and I was measuring 37 cm at 34 weeks!  Yikes!  I am really hoping that this does not mean the baby is huge as that really makes me scared of labor!  The doctor didn't seem concerned at all, they already ruled out gestational diabetes previously with a blood test, so most likely she is either just large, she will come early, or there could be a lot of amniotic fluid in there that's causing the larger measurement.  The doctor said we could do an ultrasound to check her growth if we wanted so we said we'd love to!  Not only would we love to see her again, but I do think it will make me feel better to know how big she really is and if there is any reason for concern.  I guess my biggest concern with her being large is that I would go through all the pain of laboring for hours, only to have her delivered by C-section if she doesn't fit through the birth canal.  If that were the case it would be nice to just know that going into it!  So we have an ultrasound scheduled for this Friday 4/9 and then my 36 week appointment is Tuesday 4/13 where we will discuss the findings with the doctor.  She will also perform my first internal exam at the appointment to see if I have started to dilate.  So the next week should be an exciting one! 

We had a great Easter weekend.  We played twilight golf on Friday, which I later decided might not be the best idea anymore as my back was killing me the rest of the night.  We had Joel's parents over for hamballs on Easter and the dinner was delicious.  Although we were interrupted from our cooking by a rather large (7.2!) earthquake!  The shaking started and we realized it was an earthquake and usually that's about it, but this time the shaking continued for 30 seconds or so and continued to get stronger.  This was the first earthquake where I was actually scared!  The shutters were shaking loudly and a picture frame fell upstairs in the loft and we decided to go outside (since we're on the top floor there's not really anything above us out there).  The shaking stopped and all was well, but it added some excitement to our Easter!  There were several aftershocks yesterday afternoon and a few that woke me up last night while we were sleeping, but nothing as long or strong as the original. 

We got the glider chair assembled last night and we have been enjoying rocking in it, even without the baby!  I can't wait for my shower on Saturday... it will be great to see everyone!  Tomorrow is my LAST day of work!  How crazy is that?!?  I am definitely looking forward to it and cannot believe it is finally here.  It is just a reminder that the baby will literally be here before we know it! 

Week 35 Update from whattoexpect.com:
Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 20 inches and continues her steady weight gain to 5.5 pounds. While she won't get much longer, she will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat — right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There's a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal. And now that she's head-down in preparation for delivery, chances are your bladder is feeling the squeeze.

Week 34

34 weeks means only 6 weeks to go!  Baby seems to be doing well and growing a lot.  I'm thinking she has either started dropping or is just big enough that she is putting serious pressure on my bladder because I feel like I always have to pee now (I couldn't even make it through a Target run yesterday!).  She still gets the hiccups a couple times a day and while I definitely still feel her moving around in there all the time, the movements are generally not quite as strong as they were a few weeks back, probably because she is running out of space.  I can't wait until she is here so I can post pictures of her instead of me!  We have our 34 week appointment on Wednesday, then at 36 weeks they start to check me for dilation and I go in weekly.  In case you aren't counting down the work days... I am!  Only 5 more work days until my leave starts!  I am so looking forward to long walks outside and reading lots of baby books.  : )

I feel like the blog is getting a bit boring ( although I guess it's good things are uneventful at this point!) so I thought I'd share a sneak peak of the furniture and bedding we selected for the baby...  we went with the Kendall furniture collection in espresso (first two pictures below) and the Sweet Lambie bedding (third picture below) both from Pottery Barn Kids.  The dresser/changing table topper is set up (as it was delivered assembled) and already filling quickly!  We plan to set up the crib/bedding in a couple more weeks and enjoy the extra space while we can. 

Week 34 update from BabyCenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Week 33

Not a whole lot to report this week... things are going well and no big news!  The baby is definitely growing and still finding a way to squirm around a lot in there.  Now that she is so big you can see her movements from the outside of my belly as well.  Sometimes when I get up at night to pee the baby starts to move around or gets the hiccups, which prevents me from getting back to sleep.  Then my mind starts to wander and I am usually up for hours which is no fun!  I am having more Braxton Hicks contractions these days, sometimes several in an hour, but they aren't painful or very regular so I'm not worried. 

I am getting excited for my shower in a couple of weeks and my mom being in town.  And Joel and I are looking forward to putting the crib up after the shower.  It will definitely feel real seeing the crib in our bedroom!  We had our Newborn class tonight taught by a pediatrician which was really informative.  Update on the work countdown... 9 more days! Crazy!  : )  We signed up for a breastfeeding class but it's not until April 28th so hopefully she doesn't decide to make her appearance before that. 

Week 33 update from babycenter.com:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Week 32

We had our 32 week doctor appointment this morning.  The appts are fairly uneventful these days (no more ultrasounds), the usual... pee in a cup, listen for the heartbeat, the doctor measures the belly and feels how the baby is positioned, and lots of time for questions/discussion.  Our doctor group has 7 doctors and I have decided to see all of them since any of them could be delivering me.  I have seen 6 of 7 so far and really liked them all.  Today, the doctor said I was measuring 32-33 inches (which should be pretty much in line with how many weeks you are).  He also said that the baby is head down, so that is good news!  I frequently notice a big curved bump on the right side of my belly and that is where her back is, with her feet coming down the left side of my belly.  She is still being extremely active which is always fun!  The doctor also said I was having a contraction when he was feeling my belly, so I guess what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions actually are.  I wasn't sure because they don't hurt at all, my belly just gets extremely hard.  From here we have a similar 34 week appointment, and then weekly appointments from 36-40 weeks which include pelvic exams to see if I am starting to dilate.  I can't believe how fast it's going! 

I am counting down with only 15 more days left of work since I get the month before off!  Even more exciting coming off of busy season!  I am really looking forward to having more time to relax, exercise, and read lots of baby books. 

Joel marched in the St Patricks Day parade last weekend with the Friendly Sons of St Patrick and I went to watch this year.  It was pretty entertaining to see him and his group, but overall the parade was a little lame and I discovered that beer gardens are not fun places for pregnant women to hang out (surrounded by drunk people and the smell of beer- yuck!). 

Week 32 baby update (whattoexpect.com):
This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.
 

Week 31

Sorry for the delay on the weekly post!  AND, sorry for the bare belly pic for those of you who do not enjoy seeing it.  It was requested and I gave in as the weekly pics of me standing in the living room or entryway are getting a little old.  : )  The week was fairly uneventful although we did start our childbirth classes at the hospital last week.  There are 6 classes that include labor/delivery, anesthesia/C-section, birth films/tour, the newborn, postpartum/cord blood retrieval, and baby care basics/infant CPR.  We were afraid they would get a little long as they are 7-9:30 on Wednesday nights but the first class was actually great.  The night started off rough as we were running late as usual, got a $40 parking ticket picking up food from a deli at the Horton Plaza on the way, and then Joel had a piece of misplaced tuna in the new car (yuck) as a result of eating while driving!  It got better from there though...  Despite reading all the books it was sill incredibly informative and we learned a lot about labor (dilation, effacement, stages, length, tools used, lots of charts/graphics, etc, etc, etc!).  We have our next class tomorrow night and are looking forward to it!

The baby seems to be doing very well, she is still moving all over the place and kicking around in there.  Sometimes I wish there were at home ultrasounds so you could see what she is doing in there and tell what body part is sticking out!  She seems to be awake more frequently or for longer periods now than she used to.  She also gets the hiccups almost every day, but I have read that hiccups for babies in the womb aren't uncomfortable like they are for adults. 

In other news, we got the stroller ordered last night (the Baby Jogger City Select as discussed in the week 29 post)... it was hard to find it in stock anywhere as I guess it has been pretty popular since it came out this year.  The only concern is that the carseat adapters are back ordered for now, and will hopefully ship in April.  Without that, we technically can't use the stroller yet b/c it's not really recommended for babies under 6 months without the carseat attachment so their head is fully supported.  And sorry to those of you who were hoping to get your hands on my old green Saturn, but we sold it yesterday!  : )  We just didn't think it would be the best car for transporting the little one (very small, hard to get the carseat/stroller in, etc), so it was time.  We had posted it in Craigslist a couple of weeks, only receiving one response from someone who wanted to trade it for tattoo services.  No thanks!  So we gave in and paid to post it on Auto Trader and sold it the next day.  Here's the weekly update from Baby Center...

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Week 30

I guess that means we're 3/4 of the way there and only 10 weeks to go!  I know that the big day will be here before we know it!  And, we suspect she is growing a little faster and may make her appearance early, but I guess we'll see.  My mom said she had each of us 10 days to 2 weeks early, not sure if that has anything to do with how I will be though.  I am still feeling pretty good!  I am definitely starting to get more uncomfortable, bending over and standing up from a low seat can be a challenge and my quality of sleep just varies by the night.  She is still moving all over the place in there and I've noticed that sometimes when I roll over or get up to pee in the night she wakes up and then keeps me up with her activity. 

Yet another trip to USA Baby (don't love the store, but they have the BEST selection to check things out in person) to check out carseats last weekend now that the stroller decision has been made (we think, unless we change our mind!).  So many decisions come with having a baby!  Joel said he is embarrassed at the amount we go to that store, but they reassured as that there are couples that go far more frequently than us!  : )  I had always thought we would need to purchase 2 rear facing infant carseats but the girl at USA Baby enlightened me... she suggested we only buy one infant carseat and one convertible carseat (which is rear facing for the first year and then you turn it around and use as a forward facing seat).  I guess you really only need one of the infant carseats that attaches to the stroller and you can carry around.  Any moms out there who disagree please let me know!  These things are really not cheap so being able to purchase one of the two seats that we can actually use for a long time would be nice.  So for now that's the plan.  When things slow down I plan to post all of the research we did on carseats and strollers as it was quite intensive, but for now busy season is keeping my posts short! 

Not much else to report for now... here's the baby update from the Bump & What to Expect  (Sorry, I can't even commit to a site to use to update!):

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. 

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)