Tuesday, January 26, 2016: 34
weeks 2 days
Oh happy day! We had our LAST specialist doctor appointment
this morning at the hospital!! The
doctor said that he saw no reason for us to continue to see the specialists and that we
could deliver locally (thank God!). The
baby weighed in at 4.5 pounds and personally, I’m only up 23 pounds myself since
April (woohoo!!). Today’s specialist
doctor was really funny and a male. Up until today, we had only had female specialist doctors. He
made Adam and me feel at ease and comfortable and inserted jokes here and
there. One thing he said that really
sticks out was when he asked about the due date and I said March 7th,
he said, they should really say birth month rather than due date because the
baby isn’t that punctual. He said baby
could come three weeks early or could come two weeks later…it blows my mind to
think that the baby could be here as early as in two weeks! We better get hopping on the car seat and
finalizing name selections! I had
planned to pack our bags this past weekend but time got away from me yet again
so maybe sometime this weekend I can try.
School has just been so overwhelmingly busy as well as keeping up with
household chores. If it’s hard to keep
up now I wonder how I will juggle it all once baby gets here. Guess I will find out soon enough!
The fibroids appeared
to be smaller than the last appointment on December 8th but that
could be due to baby being bigger and not being able to see all of the fibroids
at this time. Regardless, the doctors weren’t too
concerned so we’re not worrying about it either. We also signed up for the birth classes on
March 5th (two days before the due date) which is cutting it way too
close for comfort for me but there is no other option since the February class
we had signed up for initially is cancelled.
We’re hopeful we can at least get the birth tour done one-on-one in the
next two weeks on a Saturday morning if possible.
 |
| We are one step closer to meeting baby face to face so very soon!! |
As we move along into the 34th week, here is an update on baby's progress and what to expect in the upcoming days:
Between weeks 34 and 37, your baby is continuing to refine his systems
and put on significant weight. He’s about 12.5 inches long from head to
rump; about as long as a loaf of bread.
He probably weighs about 5 ½ pounds, and might gain another ½ pound this week as his weight continues to build quickly.
The vernix (the white, waxy coating protecting your baby's skin) thickens this week. The lanugo (soft downy hair) that insulated your baby's skin so effectively for months is now almost gone. His fingernails have reached the tips of his fingers, too.
He probably weighs about 5 ½ pounds, and might gain another ½ pound this week as his weight continues to build quickly.
The vernix (the white, waxy coating protecting your baby's skin) thickens this week. The lanugo (soft downy hair) that insulated your baby's skin so effectively for months is now almost gone. His fingernails have reached the tips of his fingers, too.
Lightening is when your baby drops or settles into your pelvis in preparation for birth.
Lightening can happen several weeks before your baby's birth, especially if this is your first pregnancy. Or, it could happen the day your labor begins.
When your baby does drop into the pelvic area, he’s considered engaged or in position for birth. This can sometimes cause increased discomfort, such as frequent urination or leaking. You might also notice that your belly seems lower and more tilted forward now.
If you've experienced numbness or pain from pressure on your sciatic nerve, this also should stop when your baby drops. You might continue to notice late-pregnancy swelling in your legs or ankles throughout this week. Your doctor will continue to watch this during checkups.
Braxton Hicks contractions might continue to prepare your body for childbirth.
Lightening can happen several weeks before your baby's birth, especially if this is your first pregnancy. Or, it could happen the day your labor begins.
When your baby does drop into the pelvic area, he’s considered engaged or in position for birth. This can sometimes cause increased discomfort, such as frequent urination or leaking. You might also notice that your belly seems lower and more tilted forward now.
If you've experienced numbness or pain from pressure on your sciatic nerve, this also should stop when your baby drops. You might continue to notice late-pregnancy swelling in your legs or ankles throughout this week. Your doctor will continue to watch this during checkups.
Braxton Hicks contractions might continue to prepare your body for childbirth.
