Here's what's going on with Baby B this week:
I did have an ultrasound this morning to check on Baby B's growth. According to that, he / she is still measuring a couple of weeks ahead of schedule & could weigh as much as 6.5lbs as of now!! The ultrasound tech said that it's more difficult to get a very accurate read at this gestational stage because baby is so big & all of his / her parts are getting cramped together, so that estimate may be off. During the last week, I've also started having some REAL contractions (I've had some Braxton Hicks contractions as well, but these others were the real deal). The last time I was checked (last Thursday), I was 80% effaced & had already dilated 2.5cm! The nurses said that could have been from the recent stress on my body, & we are hoping for no more contractions for a couple more weeks (closer to week 37, when baby will be considered "full term"). Baby has definitely moved to the head-down position & is getting ready for delivery! While I've been in the hospital, I've been getting checked every 4 hours or so to make sure baby is doing alright - baby always sounds great & his / her heart rate has been in the 120s - 130s most of the time.
Your Pregnancy: Week 34 (www.parentsconnect.com)
The nursery is almost done. You've stocked up on diapers. You're ready. And you're waiting. And waiting. And hopefully, if all goes well, you'll be waiting for another six weeks. So don't drive yourself crazy, use this time to enjoy being alone, with friends and with your partner. Because soon it'll be all about baby for a couple of weeks (months, years, whatever), and you'll wish you had this downtime back.
Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...
Your baby kind of looks like she's coated in a layer of cream cheese these days. The thick, white substance that protects her skin from pruning in the amniotic fluid is called vernix. When she's born you'll probably see some vernix lingering in her "hard-to-reach" places like under her arms, behind her ears and around her va-jay-jay, if she's a she.. Other news from the womb this week:
The soft fur, lanugo, that covered your baby's body for much of her stay in the womb is now almost completely gone. Your baby begins to develop her own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta. This will come in handy when some grubby relative manhandles the baby without washing his hands first.
This week, your baby measures about 17¾ inches, as almost as long as an American Girl Doll (!) and weighs almost 5 pounds, as heavy as a bag of sugar, minus the cup you put in your decaf this morning.
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