Thursday, February 7, 2008

34 Weeks = cantaloupe

Today I am up 2 pounds over last week for a total of 14 pounds. I'm also seeing some swelling in my hands, although my feet were better this morning. Last night I had a really brutal headache. I took codeine and I used ice packs on my head but it didn't seem to do much to ease the pain. I was able to sleep ok and I felt better when I woke up this morning. Not great, but better than last night.

Max is very active already this morning. Maybe he is making up for sleeping through Kick Counting Time last night. 7pm came and went and it wasn't until 9pm that he decided to demonstrate that he still knows how to kick.

I don't have a doctor's appointment this week. I go in next Thursday for my next check up.

Here's the 34 week update:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc
How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.
How your life's changing:By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/pregnancy_week_34.htm
How Big is the Baby at 34 Weeks Pregnant?
By 34 weeks pregnant your baby is now almost five pounds and just shy of 20 inches long!! More so than ever before your baby resembles a miniature being from pregnancy 34 weeks on.
Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is continuing to grow and fill out during pregnancy week by week. In fact, that is his primary job during pregnancy at 34 weeks and beyond. Not much changes from 34 weeks pregnant and on except your baby is adding valuable meat to his bones. Keep in mind that the weights presented each week in our week to week guide are only estimates. Some babies will weigh in a bit larger and others a bit smaller. Some babies will also be longer or shorter. Every baby is unique.
There are many factors that make estimating the weight of your baby challenging as you continue pregnancy week by week. Many women like to get an estimate about how big their baby is during their prenatal visits. However, most estimates can be as much as 1 to 2 pounds off in either direction.
There are many reasons for this. It is difficult to guess how much the baby will weigh combined with the placenta and amniotic fluid. Even with ultrasound your healthcare providers best estimate may be off. Ultrasound however can be a valuable too to help predict the weight of the baby.
During an ultrasound your healthcare provider will take many measurements to help estimate the baby's weight and size. Among the more common measurements include the diameter of your baby's head, the circumference of the head and abdomen and the length of your baby's femur.
Estimates are more likely to be within ½ to 1 pound when an ultrasound is used.
Your Growth and Development
Your uterus at pregnancy 34 weeks is now just about 5.6 inches from the top of your navel. You may notice that you look similar to or different from other pregnant women who are as far along as you are. Every woman carries her baby differently. Some tend to carry more wide, while others carry lower or higher. It really depends on a number of factors. You may even carry differently from one pregnancy to the next!
There are many women that believe the way you carry represents the gender of your baby, but by and large this is an old wives tale! It is fun to guess however, particularly if you are waiting until delivery to determine the sex of your baby!
Changes in You
You probably are getting a little bit uncomfortable by pregnancy week 34. You are also likely to start feeling anxious to meet your newborn baby during pregnancy week 34 or thereafter.
Some women start to worry about whether or not their baby will fit through the birth canal at about this point in time. Generally your healthcare provider will not be able to predict whether or not your baby is too big to fit through your pelvis. This diagnosis is typically made during labor, when your physician can determine how the baby is fitting into your pelvis.
Just because you are petite doesn't mean that you won't be able to delivery a large baby. There are many women who are petite that go on to deliver babies 8 pounds or more.
Some women also start wondering when their baby will 'drop' sometime after week 34 pregnancy. Dropping is the term that refers to the process whereby your baby's head enters the birth canal. It generally occurs in first time mothers a few weeks before delivery. In moms who have already given birth, it may not happen until a day or two before labor begins.
When you do drop you should notice a change in your abdomen. You might notice your baby is resting lower. You might also notice that it suddenly becomes easier to breathe, in part because you have 'lightened' your load and now have more room available in your upper abdomen.
It is also common to start feeling some pressure in the vagina after the baby drops. Some women worry that their baby might fall out. Talk to your doctor if you feel the pressure is severe. Your healthcare provider can check to see exactly how low the baby's head is. Usually everything will be fine, you simply need to adjust to your baby sitting a little lower than you are used to.

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