Baby Bump week 39

Week Thirty-nine:
Baby:
Baby Size: 20 inches
Baby Weight: approx 7.25 lb.

As your baby prepares to join the outside world, he's continuing to build a layer of fat and slough off the outer layers of his skin.  The vernix and lanugo are nearly completely gone although you may see some traces of it after birth. 

Your placenta is also still hard at work providing critical antibodies to help protect your baby from infections in the outside world.Although, if you choose o breastfeed, your baby will get many of her needed antibodies for your breast milk.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

If you have chosen to deliver in a hospital, you may be wondering when is the right time to go.  You've probably heard mant forms of advice and there is no real right answer since instructions vary from practioner.  However, it's always best to follow your medical proctiononer's instructions. 
If you thinkyour beginning labor, you should monitor and measure the frequency of your contractions: time the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of another.  Time the duration of each contraction from when it starts to when it stops.

How I feel:
I didn't realize how exhausted I was I thin k I slept most of today.  I better get it in now because when our bundle of joy comes there will not be any more of that.  The test results came back, but I will have to ask them tomorrow if the lower numbers are good or bad.  I started wearing stockings to reduce the swelling, which seems to be helping my kankles.  The tinggling in my fingers seems to be getting worse though.  Ohh well as long as our baby girl comes out healthy, I can deal with this.  A few more weeks of being uncomfortable is worth a lifetime of having a family.

Week 39 Covered

Week 39 Uncovered

Week 39 front view

Baby Bump week 38

Week Thirty-eight:
Baby:
Baby Size: 19.75 inches / leek

Baby Weight: just over 6.8 lb.

Although your baby is full term with fully functioning organs, his brain and nervous system will continue to develop well into childhood and her teen years.

You may be wondering what your baby looks like.  Many parents are often surprised by the hair or eye color of their baby at birth, but note these characteristics may change as they grow older.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Before your pregnancy your uterus weighed only two ounces.  By now, it has stretched large enough to hold your baby and weighs around two and half pounds.  Your baby is now considered full term but she will continue to grow until you deliver.

Your breasts will also reach their full size and your overall weight gain will slow, stop or even drop a little.  At this point, waiting for your baby is a challenge.  Many practitioners recommend taking this time to relax and move towards planning and preparing for your time with your newborn.

How I feel:

Nervous! 

I have been doing so much reading about what to expect when you go into labor and knowing the signs, but I know that I will just know when it is time.  I hate the unknown, but I know that no matter how much I plan or prepare there is nothing that can truly prepare me for the birth of our beautiful daughter.  It will happen when it happens and we are as ready as we will ever be.  Work stuff is ready for me to go, and our home is 90% ready, but everything Bo needs to come home is done.  Now we just really can’t wait to meet her and see who and what she looks like.

Week 38



Week 38 uncovered




Week 38 Front


Looking at these pics I feel like I doubled from last week WOW!

Baby Bump Week 37

Week Thirty-seven:
Baby:
Baby Size: 19.25 inches swiss chard
Baby Weight: just over 6.3 lb.
This week your baby is now considered full term.  That means all of your baby's organs should be fully developed and prepared for the outside world.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Just weeks a way from your due date it's normal to feel tired of being pregnant and anxious for delivery.  You might experience lightening, when your baby drops down into your birth canal.  This doesn't happen to everyone, but if it does you may notice more room in your abdomen and easier breathing.  However, in return you'll feel more pressure in you pelvis and on your bladder which can be generally more uncomfortable.

How I feel:
This week has actually been good.  Mornings I sometimes even forget I'm pregnant, then about ten o'clock hits and I am reminded by the ten times I have gone pee already.  It has been a lot better since she started to "lighten".  I have been a lot crampier though, which just reminds me that I need to take it easy because I want her to be at least 38 weeks before she decides to join our world.  Josh has been such an amazing husband though, he won't let me lift, work, or do anything but relax when I get home from work.  This has been very hard for me because there is so much that I want done around the house before she gets here, but I know it will all get done with time, and I need to take care of me and baby Bo.


Week 37 covered



Week 37 uncovered

Week 37 front view

Does she look lower?

Baby Bump Week 36

Week Thirty-six:
Baby:
Baby Size: 18.75 inches
Baby Weight: just over 5.75 lb.

Your baby is still gaining weight and becoming rounder in appearance.  Bythe end of this week your baby will be considered full term.
The presention of your baby is likely head-down.  For babies that are not, your practioner may recommend an external cephalic version, a technique to manually manipulate your baby into the head down position.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Just a month away from your due date it's normal to feel tired of being pregnant and anxious for delivery.  You might experience a process called lightening, when your baby drops down into your birth canal.  This doesn't happen to everyone, but if it does you may notice more room in your abdomen and easier breathing.  However, in return you'll feel more pressure in your pelvis and on your bladder which can be generally more uncomfortable.

How I feel: 
So tired, and my feet are starting to swell.  I continue to have braxton hicks on a consistant basis, but I figure out that I need to drink more water.  Which has really helped, but she continues to kick my organs, which often stops me in my tracks.  I am so ready to be done.  SO READY!

Week 36

Week 36 Uncovered

Week 36 front view

Watch baby Bo grow.

Baby Bump week 35 and Midwife apt.

Week Thirty-five:
Baby:
Baby Size: 18 inches
Baby Weight: just over 5.25 lb.

At this point, all of your baby's major organs should be nearly complete.  Your baby's kidneys are completely developed and her liver is functional and capable of processing waste products.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

around this time many practitioners recommend that a Group B streptococcus (GBS) culture be taken from the rectal and vaginal area.  While harmless in most healthy adults, it can be passed onto your newborn during delivery and cause life-threatening infections.   Many women are unaware they carry GBS in their system because it may not exhibit and symptoms.  With proper preparation, testing and treatment, if necessary, overall risk is low.

How I feel: 

Nauseous I think this is worse then the first trimester because now I am bigger and going up and down the stairs is a little harder then when we lived in the apartment.

I also have been have Braxton Hickscontractions like crazy, they often wake me up in the middle of the night.  I think she might come in the middle of the night.  I look forward to that one with Josh, hehehehe

She has also started to lower, so now I have cramping from her wanting to to get ready come out.  I guess it is just all part of the process.  We are getting so excited for her arival. 

Doctor Apt.

I had my seventh doctor appointment

Everything was great.

She said I could travel to Sauk for Christmas, we were very excited to hear that.

Now for housekeeping:

Blood Pressure: 96/64

Baby's heart beat: 152

Fundal Height: 35 cm

Total Weight gain: 38 lbs. 

Week 35 Side

Week 35 Side uncovered

Week 35 Frontview

Baby Bump Week 34

Week Thirty-three:
Baby:
Baby Size: 17.75 inches melon
Baby Weight: just over 4.75 lb.

The waxy protective coating, vernix, is becoming much thicker this week as teh lanugo continues to shed and may be almost completely gone by now.
Inside your baby, teh lungs are continuing to mature in preperation breathing in the outside world.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

You might be feeling just like you did your first trimester, tired and exhausted.  Your body is going through significant physical strain, not to mention the overall discomfort of all that extra weight and difficulty sleeping are playing their toll.

As your baby moves lower in the birth canal and exerts more pressure, some woman have an uncomfortable sensation that the baby is about to fall out.  Other women feel a pricking or tingling sensation in hte pelvic area, also common and not something to worry about.  These feelings may not go away until after you deliver.  If you have concerns, talk to your medical practioner.

How I feel: 
Moving takes a lot out of you, that is all I have to say.

Week 34 Side

Week 34 Side Uncovered

Week 34 Frontview

Prego Pics

This weekend Rachel came over to do our pregnancy pictures. She sent a couple so we could decide which one to put on our Christmas card, but I am so excited to see the rest of them when she is done editing them.

Here is a sneak peek.

My grizley man thinks it's the play-offs (He is not shaving or cutting his hair until after Bo is born)

Baby Bump Week 33

Week Thirty-three:
Baby:
Baby Size: 17 inches
Baby Weight: just over 4.25 lb.

Over the next four weeks your baby will put on another half pound per week.  This rapid weight gain will slow down by next month.

The skeleton is also hardening although the bones in his skull will not fuse together completely, but will overlap allowing for continued growth all the way up until early adulthood.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

This month your body will still gain about a pound a week.  You might find the extra weight makes it hard for you to get comfortable or sleep and you'll likely feel more tired this month than the previous.  The extra fluid your body is retaining might also cause arching and numbness in your extremities; remember to stretch and rest frequently.

How I feel: 
Uncomfortable 18 out of 24 hours.  I feel like a big baby because I am constantly in some kind of annoying uncomfortableness, if its not my back it's my upper right region, or I have to pee every 5 minutes.  Everyone at work laughs at me because I am always leaning to one side or the other to get comfortable. I am also starting to swell in my legs and feet, and my hives are back.  Gotta love that.  Overall, baby is good, and so am I.  =)

Week 33 Covered

Week 33 Front Uncovered

Week 33 uncovered

Baby Bump Week 32

Week Thirty-two:
Baby:
Baby Size: 16.7 inches / large jicama

Baby Weight: just over 3.75 lb.

Your baby is really plumping up and will gain almost half his body weight by the time your deliver.  This needed baby fat will help to keep your baby warm in the outside world.  The layer of soft lanugo hair is also starting to shed.  

Over the next few weeks your baby's real hair and skin will become soft and smooth.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

As you approch your due date it's normal to have anxiety.  Now is a good time to discuss your birth plan with your practitionor to help ease some of your concerns and questions.

Inside your body you're likely yo have more lower back pain as the growing weight of your uterus and belly pull your body forward and strains your back.

How I feel: 
She is very high and in my rib cage and she loves to hang out on my right side.  I can no longer sit for longer then an hour at work.  I have to get up and move around a lot or I am very uncomfortable.

 Week 32 Covered

Week 32 Uncovered

Week 32 Front

Baby Bump Week 31

Week Thirty-one:
Baby:
Baby Size: 16.25 inches 

Baby Weight: just over 3.3 lb.

This week your baby is gaining more weight as baby fat is filling in underneath the skin.  Your baby's color is also becoming less red and more pink in color.

By now your baby's irises can dilate and respond to changes in light.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

As you prepare yourself for your coming baby, your breasts are also working hard to prepare for your hungry baby.  It's common to have some discharge or leaking of colostrum.  Many woman find comfort by going up a bra size and using nursing pads to prevent unexpected leaks.

Some woman are just now experiencing their uterus practice for labor, Braxton Hicks contractions, which feel like sporadic uterine contractions.  It can be difficult to distinguish Braxton Hicks contractions from signs of preterm labor.  If you are unsure and your contractions become longer, more intense and more frequent, call your practitioner immediately.

How I feel: 

Besides the constant upper right pain and being tired all the time, I'm good.

I did have to buy a bigger bra though.  I can't believe how big these things are getting.

Week 31 Covered

Week 31 uncovered

Week 31 Front view

Some extra shots trying to get Josh to take some good pics 

Left: my love for baby Bo

Right: My happy face while I'm trying to get Josh to take "good" pics of me and my belly

Baby Bump Week 30

Week Thirty:
Baby:
Baby Size: 15.7 inches / Cabbage
Baby Weight: just over 2.75 lb.

As your baby continues to practice breathing you may notice a bout of hiccups.  Many mom's have described this feeling as a series of small twitches.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

With only 10 weeks to go you may wonder how much more your uterus will grow.  By this time you may have gained anywhere from 25-35 pounds, depending on your pre-pregnancy weight, and you will continue to gain weight, and you will continue to gain about a pound a week.

And for many women, as your due date approaches, it's a common and very normal time to feel more emotional than usual.  You'll experience more frequent mood swings, and very likely some anxiety over the coming baby and the new responsibilities that lie ahead.

How I feel: 
Heart Burn! It really sucks!

Sleep!  What's that? (I think she is getting me ready for when she comes)
Pee!  Ten times a day
Emotions!  Off the chart, I cry at least once a day for what reason who knows.  Poor Josh, he often doesn't know what to do, and I never know what to tell him.
Movement!  All the time it's great except when she kicks my diaphragm (I like breathing)
Fear! Everything! Will we get the house?, Will I go into labor early? Will the delivery go well, Will I get postpartum because of my anxiety?, Will I be a good mom? Will I get everything done for work before I go on maternity leave?
Joy! Despite all of the fear, I can't wait to meet baby Bo!

Week 30 Covered

Week 30 Uncovered

Week 30 Front view

 

 

 

Baby Bump Week 29

Week Twenty-Nine:
Baby:
Baby Size: 15.25 inches / Butternut squash
Baby Weight: just over 2.5 lb.

Over the next three months your baby is in for a major growth spurt.  Because of this, you may have noticed smaller movement inside your belly.  This is due to the increasingly cramped space.

More importantly, you should still notice fetal movement and it's a good idea to monitor the frequency.  You can do this by lying down in a quiet place.  It's often recommended to do this after dinner when many babies are more responsive, generally between 7pm and midnight.  

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Your third trimester will bring back some of the fatigue you felt in the first trimester.  Your body is working extra hard to carry oxygen and nutrients to your baby and your diaphragm will be pushed up by your still expanding uterus, causing your to feel short of breath.  Fortunately, your baby will become very active and you can start to feel your baby's kicks each day.

How I'm feeling:
Breathing what is that?  I sound like a horse on a regular basis, and I can feel baby Bo kicking my diaphragm on a regular basis.  I enjoy finally feeling her move, but I would love it if she would kick somewhere else.  This way I could continue to breath when I am just sitting still.  I have been sleeping better, but it still takes me a very very long time to get comfortable, so I can finally fall asleep.
 

Week 29 Covered

Week 29 Uncovered

 

Week 29 Front

Baby Bump Week 28

Third Trimester
Week Twenty-Eight:
Baby:
Baby Size: 14.8 inches / Chinese Cabbage
Baby Weight: just over 2.25 lb.

Your baby's brain has developed more tissue and had formed groves on the surface.  It's likely your baby has developed a more regular sleep schedule in 20 to 30 minute intervals.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Welcome to your third trimester! This is a common time to find out your your baby is positioned (presented) whether it's head first, feet first (breech) or sideways.  Even still, in the next month your baby is moving positions.
This trimester you will likely increase your prenatal visits to every 2 weeks to ensure your pregnancy is progressing smoothly. (I will not be going in for 3 weeks, then she is going to check if I have dilated at all to ensure that I can travel down to Iowa for Thanksgiving.)

How I'm feeling:

Tired!   

 I continue to wake up to go to the bathroom and can't fall back asleep.  Oh how I would love to get a whole nights sleep because know that once Bo arrives this will not happen again for a very long time.  I guess life is just preparing me for what is to come.  I am officially starting to feel big, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to roll over, and get up from sitting.  I am also so thankful that I am flexible because there is no way I would get my socks and shoes on if I wasn't.  I also looked up what happens to your organs when you are pregnant and I found this diagram on someones blog Mother internal organs during pregnancy

The process of what women go through during pregnancy continues to amaze me and remind me I knew nothing about being pregnant.  I have such a different perspective on how I will approach my sex ed. class from here on out. 

Week 28 Covered

Week 28 Uncovered

Week 28 Front view

 

Baby Bump Week 27

Week Twenty-Seven:
Baby:
Baby Size: 14.5 inches / Cauliflower
Baby Weight: just over 2 lb.

This week your baby looks like a thinner, redder, more wrinkled version of what she will look like at birth, but in the next few weeks more fat will fit out his appearance.  Your baby's immune system is continuing to mature as are your baby's lungs which are still practicing breathing amniotic fluid.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Just when you are getting used to your second trimester, you may find uncomfortable symptoms beginning during your third trimester.  You may notice more leg cramps due to the pressure of your uterus on your veins and nerves running from your torso to your legs.  Remember to stretch and move your legs to ease or prevent cramping.

How I'm feeling:
I have been feeling good.  I have been getting tired a lot more often and getting comfortable at night is a thirty minute process.  She also can't stop moving, especially at night.  Her new favorite place to kick is my cervix and bladder.  Gotta love her!

Week 27 Covered

Week 27 Uncovered

Week 27 Front view

Baby Bump Week 26

Week Twenty-Six:
Baby:
Baby Size: 14 inches / Hothouse Cucumber
Baby Weight: just over 1.75 lb.

By now, your baby's lungs and brain are much developed.  In fact, your baby can likely detect light and dark through the nerve.  Your baby can now also hear more than just your rumbling tummy, such as outside noises like your partner's voice.

What they say my body should be doing and feeling:

Earlier in your pregnancy your blood pressure probably dropped.  But now, the reverse effect with your blood pressure increasing a bit.

And it's likely you'll still have an aching back as the weight of your belly continues to grow and shift forward.  When moving or bending and lifting, it's important to maintain proper posture.  For additional back support, some woman favor maternity belts which provide support under your belly and stabilize your back.

How I'm feeling:

This week has been great because Bo is moving like crazy and I am enjoying knowing that she is OK in there. Josh has also started reading to her, which has been fun, the other day I actually fell asleep to him reading.  (I think hearing her daddy reading calmed her down enough to stop kicking me so I could get to sleep.)  Josh has also been putting the coco butter on my belly for me, as it has been making my hands break out in hives when I have tried to do it. Last but not least, I am hungry all the time, and love to lay and watch TV when I get home.  I am trying to enjoy every minute of this because I know it won't last long after Bo arrives.  

Week 26 Covered

Week 26 Uncovered

 

Week 26 Front

 

 

 

 

 

(Wow I look like I got punched in the face in the last pic)