Baby is full term today - week 37

  

Your baby is the length of a Leek  approximately 19.1 inches (48.6 cm) long from head to heel and roughly the weight of a small watermelon about 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg).

Your baby is now considered full term, meaning that she can be born any day. However, this does not mean your baby will stop growing. Quite the opposite — your little one continues to add fat to his or her body at the rate of half an ounce (14.2 grams) a day. 

If labor starts now, your doctor will not do anything to delay it. Your baby is ready to make his or her entrance into the world!

We are having a little trouble with extra fluid (mainly in my ankles and legs) so baby really could come any day. I am being closely monitored to make sure we are not dealing with preeclampsia. So far, so good, no protein in my urine, my blood pressure is higher but not too high. I'm trying to take it easy and may have to stop working a little sooner than I thought. We'll see. I'll keep everyone posted.

A Last Look from the Inside

On Tuesday we had another ultra-sound to check on the growth and movement of the baby. The baby scored 2 points for practicing breathing, another 2 points for movement of limbs - fingers, toes, elbows, or knees - at least 3 times, another 2 points for general movement or turning, and finally we scored 2 points for having enough amniotic fluid. Baby scored 8 out of 8 possible points. Yeah!

We are close now!

Ninth month is here - week 36

Your baby is the size of a Coconut

 

Your baby measures approximately 18.7 inches (47.5 cm) long from head to heel (about the size of a head of romaine lettuce) and weighs just under 6 pounds (2.7 kg).

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. 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 "early term." (Full-term is 39 to 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term, 41 weeks is late term, and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely your baby is already head-down - our baby is head down and has been for a few weeks.

The bones in your baby’s skull can move and overlap each other, allowing the baby to pass through the tight birth canal more easily. Don't be surprised if your baby arrives with a pointy or misshapen head. It will become more round once the bones move back into place, anywhere between a few hours or days after birth.

Week 35

Your baby is the size of a Honeydew

Your baby now measures approximately 18.2 inches (46.2 cm) long from head to heel and weighs almost 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg), or roughly the weight of a honeydew melon.

Although babies are considered preemies until 37 weeks, 99 percent of babies born at week 35 survive without any major complications.

The baby's organs are already developed and are becoming more and more defined each week. Its central nervous system is maturing, its digestive system is almost complete and its lungs are almost fully developed.

Week 34

Your baby is the size of a Cantaloupe

Baby Velez 10/2

Your baby measures approximately 17.7 inches (45 cm) long from head to heel and weighs almost 5 pounds (2.3 kg). This is roughly the weight of a cantaloupe.

His or her immune system continues to develop, getting strong in preparation for life outside your belly.

It is important to get enough calcium this week because the baby is hardening its skeletal structure. (Not a problem for me ever during this pregnancy since I drink almond milk like it is going out of style due to my constant heart burn.) Your baby will be fine if you do not get enough calcium, but you will not be because your baby will be taking the calcium from your own bones to supplement the development. So be sure to get that extra calcium (in prenatal vitamin and food form) for both of you.

Week 33

Your baby is the size of a Pineapple

Yay pineapple...something that got me through many nauseous moments.

Your baby measures 17.2 inches (43.7 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs about 4.5 pounds (2 kg).

He or she'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.

Your baby will accumulate more fat, turning your baby’s skin from red to pink. This fat will keep your baby warm from birth until it can regulate its own body temperature.

There’s not much room in your womb for your baby now. You will feel less jabs and kicks and more rolling movements as your baby’s quarters become more confined.

The developing neural structure within the brain is helping your baby listen, feel and partially see. It is also allowing for REM sleep cycles, which your baby experiences often as it sleeps 90 to 95 percent of the day at this point.

Week 32 - eight or so weeks to go

Your baby is the size of a Bok Choy or a large jicama...huh?

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Your baby measures approximately 16.7 inches (42.4 cm) long from head to heel and weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kg). Your baby has increased its chances of survival greatly. If born before this week, your child may experience problems sucking or nursing.

Although your baby is now sleeping for the majority of the day, movement will increase greatly, and fetal kicks will become more frequent.

You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 31 - little baby coconut

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) 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.

The baby is moving a lot but so far s/he has not kept me awake, although I have never been one to have trouble sleeping. There are a few times during the day when the baby is very active - usually between 4-6 p.m. and then after 9 p.m. Now the baby has started to be active in spurts throughout the day. It has been fun watching the show in my belly.

We had our appointment with the fourth midwife on Thursday and all is on track. The baby is situated with his/her head down and his/her back on my left side and feet on the right. We got to squeeze to feel the head, the back and the feet. It was really amazing! The baby's heartbeat was strong and my blood pressure was good. My glucose screening came back normal too. We are both doing very well!

Week 30

         Your baby is the size of a Large Cabbage

Your baby now measures approximately 15.7 inches (39.9 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs about 3 pounds (1.4 kg). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will shrink as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. 

Your baby is very conscious of its environment. Its becoming more sensitive to light and can distinguish between sunlight and artificial light. 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.) Its eyes can also move in its sockets and your baby is more attuned to sound, taste and smell. His or her lungs are working at near optimal levels.

At this point, you will also be able to tell if your baby has the hiccups by the rhythmic twitching in the uterus.

Week 29

Your baby is the size of a Butternut Squash

Your baby measures about 15.2 inches (38.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs roughly 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg).

Your baby’s sensory organs are well developed and he or she is beginning to regulate his or her own temperature. The bone marrow is now completely in charge of producing red blood cells.

Your baby’s lungs are also developed enough to breathe air, and it is urinating about half a liter of urine into the amniotic fluid daily.

Your baby has become more active and may give you strong kicks and punches. He or she should be moving at least 10 times an hour. If your baby moves any less, let your doctor know.

Week 28

Your baby is the size of an Iceberg Lettuce 

Your baby now measures about 14.8 inches (37.6 cm) long from head to heel. At this point your baby weighs roughly 2.2 pounds (997.9g).

Your baby’s brain is now developing its folds and grooves (called gyri and sulci, respectively), and he or she continues to add layers of fat to its body. Your baby’s muscle tone is also improving. This means increased movement, which might wake you up at night.

If your baby is a male, his testes will likely begin descending this week.

Your healthcare provider might tell you if your baby is head down (where the head is closest to your vagina, the proper birth position), feet first or bottom first, also known as the breech position. If your baby is in the breech position, you might need a cesarean section, or C-section, to deliver. However, your baby still has a few weeks to move into its final birth position.