30 weeks

Dates and numbers:
There are 68 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 212 days pregnant.
I am 7 months pregnant.
I am in my 7th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

I may feel as if I have been pregnant forever at this point. (No kidding!) It might be hard to imagine being pregnant for another ten weeks (or seven!), but my baby still has a lot of growing and developing to do! By this time, my baby's crown-to-rump length is a little over 10.8 inches and the total length of my baby is about 17 inches! My baby weighs about 3 pounds now (I was told on Friday 3lbs 70z.) My uterus can be felt about 4 inches above my bellybutton. My uterus, baby, placenta and the amount of fluid will get larger over the next ten weeks. I should be gaining about a pound a week at this time. (Ok, but not the baby right?!)

Because I am getting larger, I am probably becoming slower and clumsier (It's true). I should try to be careful to avoid dangerous falls. Good posture when sitting and standing can help me feel better during my pregnancy. I also should be rolling over on my side to get up after lying down because my muscles have stretched to accomodate my growing uterus.

Even though my baby is cushioned by the amniotic fluid, s/he can feel and respond to pain. My baby now does `practice breathing` to get ready for life outside of my womb. If I have an ultrasound at this time, I will be able to see this (it looked like baby was making sucking motions). If my baby swallows amniotic fluid down the wrong passage, s/he will still get hiccups that are noticeable by me. If my baby were born at this time, s/he would be able to keep her/himself warm.

The skin begins to smoothen as fat deposits accumulate underneath. The fat insulates and is an energy source.

My baby develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive.

The brain is fully formed, and the child can feel pain. the baby may even suck his/her thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers.

So 7 weeks to go--49 days.

If you like numbers

Well we had an ultrasound yesterday and a non-stress test. I didn't realize I was going to have the NST and had booked the ultrasound for 8:10 am. Needless to say I had to call the school during the NST and ask my co-worker to take my kids until I got there. She is truly wonderful. For me the non-stress didn't involve no-stress, that would have been a relaxing massage... Still it was good to hear the baby's heartbeat and to feel and see the kicks.

So numbers--mine are good but here's about baby:
approx: 1569 grams/ 3lbs. 7 oz.
63rd percentile for 30 weeks ( I was at the end of 29weeks)


Measurements: (first number represents weeks, second number represents days)
H (head) 31-6, 30-5
A (abdomen) 30-1
F (femur) 30-1

Fetal Assessment Total Score /10
Fetal Mov't 2
Fetal Tone 2
Fetal Breathing 2
Fetal Fluid Volume 2
NST (Non-stress test) 2

(2 is normal for each category.)

The ultrasound is a photo of the baby's head to the right. S/He is facing out. The baby's mouth was making sucking motions. Very cool.

29 weeks--7 months--57 days to go!

Well this week on Friday we will have another ultrasound. I'm really looking forward to seeing baby and hearing how he or she is doing...even though I get to feel that whenever I get kicks. I am feeling well and, as you've noticed, I'm counting days now too. 57 to go!

Dates and numbers:
There are 76 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 204 days pregnant.
I am 6.7 months pregnant.
I am in my 7th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

At this point in my pregnancy, my baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 10.4 inches and the total length of my baby is around 16.7 inches. My baby weighs about 2.7 pounds and continues to grow every day. If I measure from my bellybutton, my uterus is 3.5 to 4 inches above it. Total weight gain at this point is usually between 19 and 25 pounds.



Babies that are born prematurely can be very tiny. Even a baby that is only a few weeks early can be very small. My baby will grow rapidly from now until week 36, and then at a slower rate thereafter. Generally, boys weigh more than girls at birth. The average baby's birthweight at full term is 7 to 7.5 pounds. (I can dream can't I?)

I might notice some leakage of colostrum from my breasts around this time. Colostrum is a sticky, watery substance that provides my baby's first food if I choose to breastfeed. Milk does not come in immediately after delivery and colostrum is high in calories and enough for my baby's first few days of life. My baby is stimulating the production of colostrum. The baby's body is ensuring that there will be a readily available food supply after delivery.

My baby will continue to open and close his/her eyes in the womb and may be able to see silhouettes of objects or even people in the right amount of light. My baby should be moving many times throughout the day. Some of my baby's movements will be predictable and if I notice a decrease in fetal movements, I should lie down and do a fetal kick count. I should feel your baby move approximately ten times in an hour.

Research has shown that my baby is not only able to hear, but also able to recognize my voice. This shows that my baby can already learn, remember and recognize.

7 months

Here we are at 7 months!

28 weeks

Well another marker--28 weeks (7 months). We'll take a 7 month photo and post. The other night John and I went to see Bourne Ultimatum. There was a fight scene and I felt like I was in it! The baby was really punching and kicking during the whole sequence--I suspect the sound effects and noise got the baby going. John figures our child will like action movies. (Well he or she won't be able to watch ones like that for quite awhile!) Sunday--64 days to go!

Dates and numbers:
There are 83 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 197 days pregnant.
I am 6.5 months pregnant.
I am in my 7th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

My baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 10 inches and the total length of my growing baby is around 15.75 inches. My baby weighs about 2.4 pounds at this point. My uterus is a little more than 3 inches above my bellybutton. My weight gain at this time should be between 17 and 24 pounds.


Blood vessel in the umbilical cord. For several months, the umbilical cord has been the baby's lifeline to me. Nourishment is transferred from my blood, through the placenta, and into the umbilical cord to the baby.

I will probably begin visiting my caregiver once every two weeks. Week 28 is an important week for testing. I have had an antibody test. The antibody test will determine if you and your baby will have any reactions to each other's blood differences.

My baby's brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissues within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. The hair that covers my baby's scalp is also getting longer. My baby is now large enough for presentation to be determined and my doctor might be able to find out if my baby is at risk for being breech. If my baby is breech, there is still time for the baby to rotate.

27 weeks

We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our family: the MacLeods, Wallaces and a few friends. Another reason to celebrate is the fact that I am now 27 weeks--officially third trimester. We are very thankful for new life (the kicks I've been getting lately) and the opportunity to see our little one. The countdown is on--10 weeks to go!

There are 89 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 191 days pregnant.
I am 6.3 months pregnant.
I am in my 7th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)
I am now in the third trimester, and last, of my pregnancy! My baby's crown-to-rump length is about 9.6 inches and my baby's total length is approximately 15.3 inches! My baby now weighs about 2 pounds 3 ounces and is going to grow rapidly during this last trimester! My uterus is about 2.8 inches above my bellybutton.

If my baby were born now,s/he would have an 85% chance of surviving. Even though my baby is still not fully developed, s/he would be well within the limits of premature viability. I still have approximately 13 (10 for me!) weeks left of my pregnancy, and during this time my baby must continue to grow and develop. If my baby was born at this time, s/he would have several complications that would require special attention. Because babies do not have adequate amounts of fat at this time, my baby would have to be kept inside of an incubator for warmth. Because the air sacs in my baby's lungs do not yet have surfactant, s/he would require an artificial respirator. My baby's brain, liver and immune system still need to develop more also.


My baby can develop hiccups

A date

Well we have a date--as close to a date as our obstetrician can give us: December 17th. We had a good appointment today and I felt very at peace and well taken care of. There wasn't anything particularly special about today's appointment...I just left feeling good. Baby has been moving a lot (way more than his or her brother did) which I am also happy about. I want to know as often as possible how he or she is doing and kicks and turns sure let me know! The next obstetrical appointment will be Oct. 26th--that is also the next ultrasound appointment--yay! And so there will be pics. 73 days to go...wow. I am looking forward to meeting you Baby Wallace so very much.

Fetal echo

The fetal echo test went well. It can be unnerving because you lay there (or stand if you are the dad) in silence for about 20 minutes or so. The ultrasound doctor is quiet and poker-faced. (John mentioned she'd probably do well at playing poker for that reason). The news was good. There was a mention about some fluid around the heart--just to keep an eye on and be aware of but not concerned about. The pediatric cardiologist noted that the ultrasound doctor had her work cut out for her as the baby was moving around quite a bit. I think that's because the baby and I have that worked out--baby has been pretty active and I couldn't be happier about that. So we were able to release our emotions after we left the room. Rob stopped in too (he works on campus) and it was good to get through another of many revisited moments but now new moments with this baby.
Thank you for the prayers for today! Keep them coming!