Week 39 Update

How your baby's growing: Your baby's ready to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) Your baby's organs are fully developed and in place, and the outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

How your life's changing:
At each visit, your midwife or doctor will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether you've started effacing (when the cervix thins out) or dilating (when the cervix opens). If the week passes and your baby stays put, don't panic. Only 5 percent of babies are born on their scheduled due date. And your baby can't make you wait indefinitely for his arrival. If you go past your due date, your provider will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue.

Pregnant women on television sitcoms always have their water break dramatically — in the middle of a crowded room, of course — just before going into labor. Don't worry about a similar scenario happening to you. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in less than 15 percent of pregnancies, and it's not normally an enormous gush — usually a small gush or a slow leak. In any case, if your water does break (or you even suspect you might have a leak), call your doctor or midwife right away, but stay calm — it may be hours before your first contraction. (If you're a GBS carrier, you'll be asked to go to the hospital so you can start getting IV antibiotics and will likely be induced at the same time if you don't start contracting on your own.) Also call your practitioner right away if you notice that your baby's movements have slowed, whether or not you're leaking fluid.

There are more common signs of impending labor than water breaking. You may notice your mucus plug — the small amount of thick mucus that blocks your cervical canal — in your undies or in the toilet. It might be tinged with a small bit of brownish, pink, or red blood (which is why it's called "bloody show"). (If you have vaginal spotting or bleeding other than mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood, call your caregiver without delay.) Labor usually starts within a day or two of seeing the mucus plug. Another sign of labor is contractions at regular — but increasingly shorter — intervals. If you've been having Braxton Hicks contractions, you'll now realize that these were just practice. Your doctor or midwife will tell you when to give her a call, but it will likely be once your contractions last about a minute each and arrive every five minutes for about an hour. (Time the contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next one.) If you're unsure about your progress, go ahead and give your practitioner a call.

Your practitioner may have you count fetal movements. Even if you aren't asked to formally count movements, call her immediately if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity. Your baby should remain as active as ever right up to delivery, and a decrease in activity could be a sign of a problem — meaning that you need to deliver now rather than later.

Today's Tummy

12 days and counting!

Well, till Ely's due date. And, as we all know, that doesn't mean much. Heck, i was 2 weeks late!

This past weekend we finished up EVERYTHING. And, I mean EVERYTHING. We even packed for the hospital. Now, we wait. And, if you know me at all, you know that I'm not very patient. But, I must say, Anthony is more anxious than I am :)

As I had promised, here are some pictures of Ely's room. The only thing missing is the chair/ottoman. It will reside where the bassinet (Anthony's dad made the bassinet!) is. (Of course, the bassinet will be in our room.)

Enjoy!

Week 38 Update

How your baby's growing: Your baby has really fattened up. She likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's probably between 19 and 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test with your pinky! Her organs are fully developed and in place, but her lungs and brain — though developed enough for her to function now — will continue to mature right through childhood.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How your life's changing:
It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. Take it easy through the day — this may be your last opportunity to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too. Though she's crowded, she should still be active.

Swelling of your feet is normal in these last weeks, but if you notice any swelling of your hands or face, sudden weight gain, persistent or severe headaches, blurry vision or spots before your eyes, or upper abdominal pain, call your practitioner right away, because these are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

Encourage your partner to relax and enjoy some activities he won't have time for after the baby arrives. Also, have him check out the inspirational reading section in our bookstore. He might find some good materials for labor day.

Getting closer...

We're at two and a half weeks and counting. The last 9 months have flown by. We're almost ready...well, I guess we're ready, but I feel like there is more to do. In the next couple of days, we'll complete the nursery (we just got the curtains). We'll install the carseat. Pack our bags. Then, just wait! Now, that will be the hard part.

There have been no signs of labor. I've have a little bit of "contracting" (I think). But, nothing to make us believe Ely is going to arrive early...thank goodness! We have it planned out perfectly for him to arrive on his due date or later. But, you know children...they have a mind of their own. Especially, any child of mine :)

Hopefully, the next post will include pictures of the COMPLETED nursery. I'll try to post weekly pictures of my tummy so you can see if there is any change!

Week 37 Update

How your baby's growing: Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full term — meaning your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel.

Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children are born blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

How your life's changing: The next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps and catch up on your reading while you can.

Have you noticed an increase in the frequency or vividness of dreams lately? Anxiety about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange pregnancy dreams.

You may be getting a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions now, and they may last longer and be more uncomfortable. Sometimes — when they start to come frequently — you may even think you're in labor. You might also notice an increase in mucus discharge from your vagina. If you see some "bloody show" (the mucus plug tinged with a tiny amount of blood), labor is probably right around the corner! (If you have other spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.)