Friday, August 31, 2007
36 Weeks
At the end of this week, you're going to reach an important pregnancy milestone: Your baby will be considered full-term! That means you could give birth very soon. Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term. (Yayyyy, how exciting that Noah is full term and could hypothetically be born next week!) The countdown continues… and in fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: their muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and you’ll definitely be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm). Finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, although they’re still swallowing fluid, and some vernix caseosa. Just in case you didn’t get it quite yet: you’ve got yourself an adorable and hungry 6 lbs 20 inch baby—are you ready? Your baby will still continue packing on the pounds - at the rate of about an ounce a day...until he is ready to be born.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
At my last appointment, our new OB (we switched to a female OB who is wonderful!) discovered that Noah appeared to be 'upside down' and mentioned possibly having to have an ECV, which is typically performed at 36-37 weeks to help turn a breech baby. She recommended having an ultrasound at my next (yesterday's) appointment to confirm whether or not he was breech. Well, the very good news is that Noah decided to turn!! Although it is still possible that he will flip back, we are hoping and praying he stays in the vertex position.
Unfortunately, P wasn't able to see the ultrasound, but the technician was able to burn a CD of some photos, so we have photos to share :-) Our new OB also has a 3D/4D ultrasound machine so we even have a partial face photo :-) He had his face buried again in the placenta (it must be comfortable! :-) so the photo is a little distorted, but still adorable :-)
You can see his little fist up by his face...he is definitely getting cramped in there!
Unfortunately, P wasn't able to see the ultrasound, but the technician was able to burn a CD of some photos, so we have photos to share :-) Our new OB also has a 3D/4D ultrasound machine so we even have a partial face photo :-) He had his face buried again in the placenta (it must be comfortable! :-) so the photo is a little distorted, but still adorable :-)
You can see his little fist up by his face...he is definitely getting cramped in there!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Celebrating a decade together...
Today marks our 10th year 'couple' anniversary...amazing to think that an entire decade has passed since the day we decided to be together. I am so blessed and thankful to have met such a wonderful life partner, spouse, and soon to be father of our first little miracle. How fitting, too, that Baby Noah's due date is also on the 27th, a day that we have celebrated for so long :-) Here's to many more decades together...
Although we planned to spend our anniversary together, P had to leave today for a sudden shift from his home rotation to one that is 4 hours away. We found out late last week that another student was bumping him from his current rotation, and his coordinator decided to shift P to a different rotation. It might just be my late stage in pregnancy, but this time having P only home for a day and a half on the weekends is torture. We are really hoping that the rotation following this one will remain at home, because I think we may have a tiny visitor coming... :-)
Although we planned to spend our anniversary together, P had to leave today for a sudden shift from his home rotation to one that is 4 hours away. We found out late last week that another student was bumping him from his current rotation, and his coordinator decided to shift P to a different rotation. It might just be my late stage in pregnancy, but this time having P only home for a day and a half on the weekends is torture. We are really hoping that the rotation following this one will remain at home, because I think we may have a tiny visitor coming... :-)
35 Weeks
Sorry for the delay in updating, I've had a killer migraine this past week and unfortunately, haven't been able to take anything for it :-( Here is the 35 week update, and I will hopefully post again after my doctor's appointment today...
At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds, most of your baby's growth over the next month before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips).
His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys.
~ Most babies born now will survive and without many long-term problems.
~ Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week. These layers of fat will help him regulate his body temperature. They also provide those cute little dimples on elbows and knees!
~ His hearing is fully developed.
~ Your baby's brain power is continuing to grow at an amazing pace.
~ It's getting crowded! Your baby is now taking up most of the uterus (which has expanded to a thousand times its original size) and you may even feel like your chest has run out of room! Soon enough though, baby will move down and you'll be able to breathe easily again (just not walk so easily! Ha!).
At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds, most of your baby's growth over the next month before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips).
His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys.
~ Most babies born now will survive and without many long-term problems.
~ Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week. These layers of fat will help him regulate his body temperature. They also provide those cute little dimples on elbows and knees!
~ His hearing is fully developed.
~ Your baby's brain power is continuing to grow at an amazing pace.
~ It's getting crowded! Your baby is now taking up most of the uterus (which has expanded to a thousand times its original size) and you may even feel like your chest has run out of room! Soon enough though, baby will move down and you'll be able to breathe easily again (just not walk so easily! Ha!).
Thursday, August 16, 2007
34 Weeks already!
According to some of my pregnancy books, this is already considered the 9th month, since 38 weeks is considered full term. Time is flying by even faster, but slow at the same time...we are just so excited to finally meet Noah!
This week, your baby's crown-to-rump length this week is 12.8 inches and the total length is 19.8 inches at this time. Your baby now weighs almost 5 pounds. And, your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out.
Braxton-Hicks contractions are going to get stronger and more frequent within the next few weeks. Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like a tightening at the top of your uterus that spreads down and then relaxes. Many women mistake Braxton-Hicks contractions for true labor contractions, but this is rarely the case.
If you were to deliver your baby now, it would probably be called a pre-term infant instead of premature. The only difference is in the maturity, particularly lung maturity. A pre-term baby is less likely to need intensive care because its lungs have developed. Doctors can test lung maturity with an amniocentesis that checks levels of surfactant.
This week, your baby's crown-to-rump length this week is 12.8 inches and the total length is 19.8 inches at this time. Your baby now weighs almost 5 pounds. And, your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out.
Braxton-Hicks contractions are going to get stronger and more frequent within the next few weeks. Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like a tightening at the top of your uterus that spreads down and then relaxes. Many women mistake Braxton-Hicks contractions for true labor contractions, but this is rarely the case.
If you were to deliver your baby now, it would probably be called a pre-term infant instead of premature. The only difference is in the maturity, particularly lung maturity. A pre-term baby is less likely to need intensive care because its lungs have developed. Doctors can test lung maturity with an amniocentesis that checks levels of surfactant.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
33 Weeks
N-Day is approaching rapidly - 46 days to go!!!
A few updates. It has been incredibly hot here (August in the south :-)...this week we have even had heat warnings, a step up from a heat advisory, with the heat index from 110-120 degrees. Even our AC doesn't seem to be working effectively, so we are doing our best to stay cool.
This past weekend, we toured the hospital where we'll be delivering...it's pretty nice (well, as much as one can think hospitals are nice :-), although P has seen more spacious and comforable rooms - more 'hotel like' rooms - during his OB rotations :-) We wish we were in an area that had more choices - we would prefer a birthing center type environment or just one that wasn't so stark. We interviewed and picked out a pediatrician too - one more thing crossed off our big 'to do' list. And, we've been gradually accumulating (and receiving, thanks to everyone!) more baby loot. We had no idea how much baby stuff we would be needing, there is so much! P and I also have been watching all sorts of baby care DVD's when P has time(since we're not sure if P's schedule will let us take any classes) and it feels like I have read a million baby books.
Noah has been moving around quite a bit still - P can usually tell when Noah decides to play 'stretch the uterus' or participate in Karate 101 because I either start laughing or wincing because he found a fun nerve to kick :-) I finally got my hair cut this week (amazing how long and crazy thick it has become since the beginning of pregnancy) and the hairstylist pointed out that she could see Noah moving while she was washing my hair :-)
With P's graduation also looming near, we have been updating P's resume and hitting the job boards in the hopes of finding a job anywhere in MN. Some of the websites are specifically dedicated to CRNA's (with enticing names such as 'gaswork' or 'gasjobs' ;-) but we have found the highest amount of jobs by using job search engines - they are thorough and search a ton of corporate and job websites on a daily basis. We've also sent his resume off to a bunch of recruiters. We hope that with all of our efforts, something will turn up in MN, even if P has to settle on a few things (type of experience, benefits, salary, etc.) or if it ends up being in an area other than the cities. For some reason, there is a greater demand for anesthetists in the Southeast - P has a number of 'standing' offers down here and we had hoped it would be similar in MN :-) Most of his class have accepted positions already, so we hope we are able to do the same very soon!!
This week's update...
33 Weeks
For all the weight and bulk you're lugging around these days, you'd think your little champ should weigh much more than a 4 and a half lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that's about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they're getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we're sure you've already noticed they're getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it's possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly.
Back in the second trimester, and even in the very beginning of the third, your baby had so much room in your womb that she could belly dance, somersault, kick box, and do a full aerobic step class (all before lunch); in fact, you felt so much movement you might have wondered whether you were gestating a baby or a litter. But your baby's come a long way, baby, and as he has grown bigger, his personal gym has grown smaller. There's room for movement, certainly, but not the kind of punches you're used to. Instead, you'll feel more twists and wiggles, stretches and turns.
And it's not just less vigorous movements that you'll be feeling now that you're in your third trimester, but also less frequent movement. Fetuses, like newborns, have interludes of deep sleep (and it's too bad they don't occur when you're sleeping. In fact, your baby is more likely to be up and about when you're trying to catch some winks and will be lulled to sleep when you're active).
Edited to change a few things: I published instead of saving it, and our Internet just crashed - perfect timing :-)
A few updates. It has been incredibly hot here (August in the south :-)...this week we have even had heat warnings, a step up from a heat advisory, with the heat index from 110-120 degrees. Even our AC doesn't seem to be working effectively, so we are doing our best to stay cool.
This past weekend, we toured the hospital where we'll be delivering...it's pretty nice (well, as much as one can think hospitals are nice :-), although P has seen more spacious and comforable rooms - more 'hotel like' rooms - during his OB rotations :-) We wish we were in an area that had more choices - we would prefer a birthing center type environment or just one that wasn't so stark. We interviewed and picked out a pediatrician too - one more thing crossed off our big 'to do' list. And, we've been gradually accumulating (and receiving, thanks to everyone!) more baby loot. We had no idea how much baby stuff we would be needing, there is so much! P and I also have been watching all sorts of baby care DVD's when P has time(since we're not sure if P's schedule will let us take any classes) and it feels like I have read a million baby books.
Noah has been moving around quite a bit still - P can usually tell when Noah decides to play 'stretch the uterus' or participate in Karate 101 because I either start laughing or wincing because he found a fun nerve to kick :-) I finally got my hair cut this week (amazing how long and crazy thick it has become since the beginning of pregnancy) and the hairstylist pointed out that she could see Noah moving while she was washing my hair :-)
With P's graduation also looming near, we have been updating P's resume and hitting the job boards in the hopes of finding a job anywhere in MN. Some of the websites are specifically dedicated to CRNA's (with enticing names such as 'gaswork' or 'gasjobs' ;-) but we have found the highest amount of jobs by using job search engines - they are thorough and search a ton of corporate and job websites on a daily basis. We've also sent his resume off to a bunch of recruiters. We hope that with all of our efforts, something will turn up in MN, even if P has to settle on a few things (type of experience, benefits, salary, etc.) or if it ends up being in an area other than the cities. For some reason, there is a greater demand for anesthetists in the Southeast - P has a number of 'standing' offers down here and we had hoped it would be similar in MN :-) Most of his class have accepted positions already, so we hope we are able to do the same very soon!!
This week's update...
33 Weeks
For all the weight and bulk you're lugging around these days, you'd think your little champ should weigh much more than a 4 and a half lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that's about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they're getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we're sure you've already noticed they're getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it's possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly.
Back in the second trimester, and even in the very beginning of the third, your baby had so much room in your womb that she could belly dance, somersault, kick box, and do a full aerobic step class (all before lunch); in fact, you felt so much movement you might have wondered whether you were gestating a baby or a litter. But your baby's come a long way, baby, and as he has grown bigger, his personal gym has grown smaller. There's room for movement, certainly, but not the kind of punches you're used to. Instead, you'll feel more twists and wiggles, stretches and turns.
And it's not just less vigorous movements that you'll be feeling now that you're in your third trimester, but also less frequent movement. Fetuses, like newborns, have interludes of deep sleep (and it's too bad they don't occur when you're sleeping. In fact, your baby is more likely to be up and about when you're trying to catch some winks and will be lulled to sleep when you're active).
Edited to change a few things: I published instead of saving it, and our Internet just crashed - perfect timing :-)
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Fun facts about this month's development
Interesting facts (for our most devoted baby fans ;-) from a few different baby sources...
This month:
- Your baby's eyes are opening and closing now, blinking and learning to focus, since the pupils are able to respond to light filtering in.
- The brain and nervous system are now fully developed.
- Your baby's fingernails extend to the end of the fingertips, but the toenails will need a few more weeks yet.
- The sucking reflex becomes established at this stage and your baby is now repeatedly sucking on their thumbs and fingers.
- Your baby's movements will be strong but are probably slower than before because the space inside the uterus is more cramped. ( It doesn't appear that Noah has traded in his kickboxing and Tango lessons just yet...;-)
- Research shows that baby's brain activity and heart rate changes in response to sounds.
- Your baby is now able to distinguish between some speech sounds, and recognizes music that is played repeatedly.
This month:
- Your baby's eyes are opening and closing now, blinking and learning to focus, since the pupils are able to respond to light filtering in.
- The brain and nervous system are now fully developed.
- Your baby's fingernails extend to the end of the fingertips, but the toenails will need a few more weeks yet.
- The sucking reflex becomes established at this stage and your baby is now repeatedly sucking on their thumbs and fingers.
- Your baby's movements will be strong but are probably slower than before because the space inside the uterus is more cramped. ( It doesn't appear that Noah has traded in his kickboxing and Tango lessons just yet...;-)
- Research shows that baby's brain activity and heart rate changes in response to sounds.
- Your baby is now able to distinguish between some speech sounds, and recognizes music that is played repeatedly.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
32 Weeks!
This week's update from baby-gaga.com...
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means you’ll probably get a swift kick if you put a hot pad on your ginormous belly. We have found Baby Noah to be responsive to anything pressed on the belly - we think he likes trying to see if he can tap whatever object - our hands or the doppler or even a book ;-)- happens to be on his little house. We have also discovered that he is much more responsive to sound, especially daddy's voice. He is by far his most active (although lately it seems like he is always active) when daddy's around and really likes to kick daddy's hand! :-) For the Elton John lovers out there-- yes, baby’s got blue eyes. At this point, all babies do, although depending on their chromosomal disposition, this could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is. Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week, survive premature births. So it’s pretty much a done deal. Even if your little monkey’s planning on heading out early, their survival odds are in everyone’s favor. Time to celebrate. We’re talking baby-showers and alcohol-free punch!
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means you’ll probably get a swift kick if you put a hot pad on your ginormous belly. We have found Baby Noah to be responsive to anything pressed on the belly - we think he likes trying to see if he can tap whatever object - our hands or the doppler or even a book ;-)- happens to be on his little house. We have also discovered that he is much more responsive to sound, especially daddy's voice. He is by far his most active (although lately it seems like he is always active) when daddy's around and really likes to kick daddy's hand! :-) For the Elton John lovers out there-- yes, baby’s got blue eyes. At this point, all babies do, although depending on their chromosomal disposition, this could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is. Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week, survive premature births. So it’s pretty much a done deal. Even if your little monkey’s planning on heading out early, their survival odds are in everyone’s favor. Time to celebrate. We’re talking baby-showers and alcohol-free punch!
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