34 weeks--3 weeks to go!

Well another week down. Not much further now. I need to get through this week of work and then I think I'll enjoy the wait more.

There are 41 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 239 days pregnant.
I am 7.8 months pregnant.
I am in my 8th 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 this week is approximately 12.8 inches and the total length is around 19.8 inches at this time. My baby now weighs almost 5 pounds (on Thursday I was told 5 lbs. 11oz). From my bellybutton, it is about 5.6 inches to the top of my uterus. Measurements of my uterus vary from woman to woman. I should not worry if I do not measure the exact same as my pregnancy friends or family members as long as I am growing appropriately. When my uterus grows and gets larger at an appropriate rate, it shows that my baby is growing well inside of my uterus.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are going to get stronger and more frequent within the next few weeks. Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like a tightening at the top of your uterus that spreads down and then relaxes. Many women mistake Braxton-Hicks contractions for true labor contractions, but this is rarely the case. Braxton-Hicks contractions will diminish if I get up and walk around and they should not be painful.

My baby's hair continues to get longer and thicker. My baby's hair color probably is not going to be the same color from birth onwards, so yI should expect it to change in colour. My baby is shedding most of lanugo, but the amount of vernix caseosa is increasing. My baby is taking calcium from me to lay down lots of bone.

If I were to deliver my baby now, it would probably be called a pre-term infant instead of premature. The only difference is in the maturity, particularly lung maturity. A pre-term baby is less likely to need intensive care because his/her lungs have developed. Doctors can test lung maturity with an amniocentesis that checks levels of surfactant.

The baby now rests on my uterus and is no longer floating.

Fingernails now reach over the finger tips and the baby can scratch him/herself.

4th ultrasound

Well today we got to see baby again. He or she is measuring approximately 5 lbs. 11 oz. Yes--I am 33 and a half weeks. So we'll see what this baby weighs at 37 weeks! All things are good. It didn't even take long to get a strip during the NST (Non-stress test) because the baby was so active. I wish I could be so active! 10/10 for a score (fetal tone 2, fetal mov't 2...) During the ultrasound we could see a foot right by baby's head--contortionist? Just two and a half weeks and there will be more room for baby and for me.

33 weeks--4 weeks to go!

Dates and numbers:
There are 48 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 232 days pregnant.
I am 7.6 months pregnant.
I am in my 8th 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 weighs about 4.4 pounds at this point. The crown-to-rump length of my baby is approximately 12 inches and the total length is around 19.4 inches. Measuring from the top of my uterus to my bellybutton is 5.2 inches. Total weight gain at this point of pregnancy is usually 22 to 28 pounds.

With the exception of crying, my baby is capable of doing everything that a newborn baby will do. My baby is restricted now inside of the uterus, but still can kick and move. My baby sleeps a lot of the time, just as newborn babies do. My baby's eyes move in the manner of REM sleep and researchers believe that babies can dream vividly in utero. When my baby is awake, s/he is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. My baby will probably have settled into the birth position by now and my caregiver can most likely tell which way my baby is presenting. If my baby were to be born now, the lungs would probably be strong enough to function properly, but my baby may still need extra care from specially trained doctors and nurses.

During these last few weeks of pregnancy, most women experience an increased urge to urinate. The uterus puts a lot of pressure on the bladder and can send me to the restroom frequently. My uterus has actually grown 500 times throughout my pregnancy! Red blood cell production catches up with the production of plasma and physiological anemia may begin to fade at this time.

My baby's eyes open during alert times and close during sleep. The eye color is usually blue, regardless of the permanent color as pigmentation is not fully developed. The final formation of eye pigmentation requires exposure to light and usually happens a few weeks after birth.

32 weeks--5 weeks to go.

8 months!

Well another week down and we're are now at the 8 month mark. I have twelve teaching days left--which is good because lately I have the kids come to me as I sit and teach. That is okay but I'm sure they'll appreciate a teacher who moves around a bit more.

Dates and numbers:
There are 54 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 226 days pregnant.
I am 7.4 months pregnant.
I am in my 8th 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)

By week 32, my baby weighs nearly 4 pounds (I think more)! The crown-to-rump length of my baby is approximately 11.7 inches and the total length is about 18.9 inches. My uterus is now 5 inches above my bellybutton. Some doctors do not see their patients every other week until now. (I am going every other week to my obstetrician and then every week by week 34).


This pic is of a sleeping boy. the baby sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming.

Now that my baby has grown so long and my uterus is higher, I might notice a new discomfort. My baby is probably head-down and may occasionally stretch out and kick me in the ribs. The pressure on my rib cage can make me sore, especially if one of my baby's feet become caught. I can prevent this by sitting up straight as much as possible. Because my baby's demands for vitamins and minerals are higher than ever right now,I should continue to take your prenatal vitamins for the entire pregnancy.

This week my baby's movements will peak. I should continue to monitor the fetal movements daily and address any concerns with my caregiver. The wrinkles in my baby's face are disappearing and fat is still being deposited throughout the baby's body.

The body growth slows down from now on.

Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position.

As a preparation for breastfeeding, my baby has learned to root for the breast. The baby will turn his/her head if touched on the cheek and open his/her mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time the baby can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.

31 weeks--6 weeks to go!

Dates and numbers:
There are 61 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 219 days pregnant.
I am 7.2 months pregnant.
I am in my 8th 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 is continuing to grow each week that I remain pregnant. My baby's crown-to-rump length is nearly 11.2 inches and total length is approximately 18 inches. My baby weighs approximately 3.5 pounds at this point (probably 4). My uterus is about 4.4 inches above my bellybutton and continues to get larger. An average weight gain at this point is between 21 and 27 pounds. The weight that I gain is made up of my baby, placenta, blood supply, uterus, breasts, fat, water storage and amniotic fluid.

Because the ligaments and muscles supporting the small of my back relax and loosen in order to get ready for childbirth, my back may be aching from now on (yep). There is usually nothing that can be done to prevent backaches, only to make them more comfortable. Many women get heartburn during these last few weeks of pregnancy because the oversized uterus leaves less room for the stomach and the contents within the stomach. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help relieve the discomforts of heartburn.

This week marks an incredible milestone in my baby's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in my baby's lungs were present but not functionable. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in my baby's lungs. Surfactant prevents my baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. My baby can hear my voice and other familiar sounds that s/he will recognize after birth. My baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. My baby's fingernails have grown to the end of her/his fingers and s/he may scratch her/himself while s/he is in the womb.