31 Weeks: What's Happening

As far as growth goes, your baby's still on a roll, measuring an impressive 18 inches and weighing in at more than three pounds. At 31 weeks pregnant, you can still expect your baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before you two meet. Your baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever. Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip, and she can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, your baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only because she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for you — and your baby — yours will be one of the very first scents she breathes in, a scent that will quickly become her very favorite.

So what's your little dove doing all day while you're busy feathering your nest for her arrival? Making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb (what a little sucker!). Your baby is also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of awake (and moving) periods and sleeping (pretty still) periods.

Staying Well

Mick said he wasn't feeling great on Sunday night--then I had to leave on Monday morning to work out of town for a couple of days, and he was feeling even worse when I left. As the day progressed, he got worse and was running a fever. Luckily, Mick is off on Mondays so was able to rest for the day, but by Monday night, he hadn't seen much improvement.

For those of you who know Mick well, you know it takes a lot for him to break down and go to the doctor...even more for him to actually miss work, but by Tuesday morning, he knew he wasn't well enough to work, and went to see the doctor. It turns out he has the flu, so it's probably better that I had to be away from home. The doctor told him we need to sleep in separate rooms, even though I've had the flu shots, just to be safe.

Today, Mick was back at work and although not 100%, he's feeling much better. Wiggles and I are feeling great, and hoping to stay that way!

Breastfeeding for Couples Class

This afternoon, we went to our second class at Northside--this one was called Breastfeeding for Couples. It was about a 3-hour class, and covered things like different positions for feeding, how to help the baby latch on, and the benefits of skin to skin contact.

There wasn't much in the class that I hadn't read elsewhere (I've been doing a lot of reading), but Mick said it was really helpful to him. He learned about some of the things he can do to be helpful during breastfeeding (like being the bouncer when it's time for guests to leave!). He'll also help with burping, changing, rocking and snuggling with her, all of which I know he'll be good at :).

30 Weeks: What's Happening

Your baby's between 17-18 inches long now, and she weighs over 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. 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).

Even though your baby's height and weight haven't changed much in the past week, the big news is her brain gain. Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now, her brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue — a necessary change as your developing baby prepares for life outside your womb, and the street smarts she will need.

Baby Essentials Class

This morning, we went to a class at Northside Hospital called Baby Essentials. It came recommended by my doctor, who said most people go through a lot of preparation for the birth, but don't know what to do once the baby gets home. It was a 3-hour class where we learned how to bathe, change and swaddle the baby. There was also some helpful information about choosing the best gear and products for her. We came away with a list of resources and websites for things like ensuring the carseat is installed properly, which will certainly be good to know! They also gave us a copy of the DVD called The Happiest Baby on the Block, which I've heard good things about, so I'm looking forward to watching it.

Here's a picture of our practice baby, and the diploma we received for completing the class :).

Counting Kicks

Around 28 weeks, a lot of experts recommend pregnant women start counting the baby's kicks. I won't go back to the doctor until February 5, but I thought it wouldn't hurt if I did it anyway. There's a neat website (http://www.countthekicks.me/) that gives a lot of information about it. Once in the morning and again at night, I sit or lie down and count 10 movements. You're supposed to give the baby up to 2 hours to move 10 times, but Wiggles hasn't taken more than 15 minutes so far! The only time she seems to settle down is when she feels her daddy's warm hands :).

Clumsiness

I've been reading a lot about how pregnant women get clumsy as the baby grows. It makes sense, since your center of gravity is shifted, and you're carrying around a lot of extra stuff you aren't used to. Tuesday morning, I experienced this first hand--I was taking Gracie and Bella outside with a handful of dog biscuits (sort of our morning routine before I leave for work). Most of you know that our deck in the back is on the 2nd floor, and you have to walk down a flight of stairs before getting to the yard. Well, as I got to the bottom two stairs, my pant leg caught under my shoe and I fell--hard. Gracie immediately came to my rescue to see what happened while Bella scurried around picking up all the biscuits that flew out of my hand. They are so different and funny!

It scared me more than anything, but I'm fine--just quite bruised up. My hip got the worst of it, and my arm is bruised and sore. Mick has now banned me from walking down the stairs unless I have approved shoes on :).

29 Weeks: What's Happening

At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby is almost 17 inches tall now (nearly as tall as she will be at birth), and close to three pounds (a weight that will likely more than double — and may even come close to tripling — by delivery time). Her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat you have, Mom) actually serves as an energy source. Which explains why your energizer baby feels so…well…energized! Space in your baby's living quarters is now at a premium, so you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because your baby is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar you ate half an hour ago. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day!

Luckily, your baby doesn't have teeth yet that would need a brushing after that sugary treat, but it won't be long before you'll need to buy that first baby toothbrush! You'll recall that your baby's baby-teeth buds formed weeks ago, but now the buds for permanent teeth are forming in his or her gums as well.

And back to those kicks, who's counting? Actually, you should be. Now's a good time to start doing a kick count twice a day to make sure baby's doing just fine (plus, it's a good excuse for a rest). Lie down (preferably after a snack) and keep track of your baby's movements. You're looking for at least ten movements in an hour's time (don't forget to count movements of any kind — kicks, flutters, swishes, rolls, and so on).

The Nursery Furniture Arrived!

After a LONG ten weeks, our nursery furniture finally arrived! We went to pick it up this morning with a lot of help from Emily's uncles. Of course, as they were loading the trucks, it started to rain.

Luckily, we don't live far away and nothing got wet on the way home. It all looks so beautiful in her room. Now the only thing left will be finishing touches!

Getting Spoiled

Dr. Graham told me I needed to stop air travel after 32 weeks (which will be the first week of February). Most of my work-related travel is driving, so that was easy enough to plan. I made one last trip to Jacksonville, FL this week and was automatically upgraded on both flights. It was nice to be in first class, because there were a lot more people willing to help me with my bag, which makes Mick happy :). Let's just hope Emily doesn't think she'll always be in first class when she flies!

I told Mick that Emily must have thought she needed to swim home, because she moved nonstop on the return flight to Atlanta. I can definitely tell she's growing much bigger and starting to get cramped in there!

A Doctor for Wiggles

We had a couple of pediatricians picked out to visit based on some recommendations from Dr. Graham, and our first appointment was scheduled for last Friday. We had some snow and ice Thursday night, so the doctor called to move us to Monday. As is typical in the South, things shut down when there's ice on the road!

We went this morning, met the doctor and toured the office at Johns Creek Pediatrics and really liked what we saw. Each doctor (there are four in the practice) has her own hall in the office with street signs and wall murals--it was really cute, and very baby-friendly. The office is very close to home and is right across from one of the day cares we're considering. They have separate sick and well waiting rooms, as well as a separate infant waiting room, which was pretty neat.

Not that this was part of our decision, but the doctor has two Golden Retrievers, so she won't judge us when we come in with dog hair on our clothes :). She also gave us some good tips on getting Gracie and Bella acquainted with Emily at a safe pace!

28 Weeks (Hello, Third Trimester!): What's Happening

Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs. By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing. The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity — so you too can breathe a little easier now. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.

Braxton Hicks Contractions

Sometime toward the middle of your pregnancy (or even earlier), you may notice the muscles of your uterus tightening for anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds. Not all women feel these random, usually painless contractions, which get their quirky name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872. As your pregnancy progresses, these contractions may become more intense and even painful at times. When they start to become more intense and frequent, they're referred to as false labor. False labor may feel like the real thing, but the contractions will still be irregular in intensity, frequency, and duration and can taper off and then disappear altogether. In other words, if you ever notice that your contractions are easing up in any way, they're most likely Braxton Hicks. Doctors and midwives believe that Braxton Hicks contractions are part of prelabor and serve to get the process of effacement and dilation (when the cervix begins to thin out and open up) going in preparation for delivery.

I posted this info because I've been having these contractions pretty frequently within the past couple of weeks. I wasn't sure what they were at first--they just feel like pressure, and then my belly gets really tight and feels firm for 30-60 seconds. Not at all what I thought they would be!

27 Weeks: What's Happening

This week, your baby weighs just over 2 pounds and is about 15 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Your baby also now has eyelashes on her eyelids, her eyes can move in their sockets, and she can tell light and dark, but she cannot discern specific objects yet. Her senses are becoming fine-tuned and more responsive to light, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Her skin is becoming smoother as body fat accumulates beneath the skin. Since her brain is developing further, she now can direct breathing movements. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Choosing a Day Care

We started our day care search this afternoon by touring a place called Creme de la Creme, which is only about 4 miles from our house. It's a really neat place, and the people were so nice. There are only three infants enrolled now, and one teacher in their room (there's a maximum 1:4 ratio with the infants). Even though we know it will probably be July before she has to go to day care, we're trying to get a jump start on making some of these decisions. This is the first place we've seen, so we aren't sure yet, but we did really like it.

We'll meet with a pediatrician next week to start that search too!

We're Normal!

We saw Dr. Gomez this morning for the last time! I say this with mixed emotions--happily, because he told us the placenta has moved to exactly where it should be, so he released me and I'm no longer considered high risk. Sadly though, because we really liked Dr. Gomez, and enjoyed all the extra ultrasounds--it was like a little visit with Wiggles every time we went in :).

The top picture is her face, turned sideways. The dark circles are her eye sockets, and we think it looks like she's smiling! Her heart rate was good (156), and she weighs 2 lbs, 4 oz right now. He guessed that she's probably about 14 inches long, but said it was tough to tell for sure since she was all balled up and practically folded in half.

The second picture is of her profile. It's cool to see how much bigger she looks now--only her head will even fit in the picture! All of her measurements were right on track, and she was moving like crazy. It's funny to be able to feel her kicks now as I watch them on the screen too.

These will most likely be the last pictures we have until little Emily comes into the world!

Check Up with Dr. Graham

I went for my monthly checkup and glucose tolerance test today with Dr. Graham. All of my bloodwork was fine, and my blood pressure is still good at 110/70. Emily's heartbeat was about 145 beats per minute, which is good.

Dr. Graham measured me and said I'm measuring about a week ahead--he wasn't concerned about it, and said it's normal to be up or down a centimeter or two. I asked him about weight gain, and he said I was gaining a little bit faster than he wanted me to. I've gained a total of 16 pounds throughout the first 26 weeks, and although he said that's fine, he also said he thought I'd be happier if I limited my weight gain to about 10 more pounds over the next 14 weeks (he's right, by the way). He asked about eating habits, and I found out that I'm eating way too much fruit. All this time, I thought eating an entire container of strawberries or cantaloupe was a great thing--because of the high sugar and high caloric content though, it can be overkill. So I'll switch some of my snacks to carrots and snow peas, and cut back on the OJ. I've probably put on an extra pound or two over the holidays too, since I went from eating almost no junk food to sampling some of the homemade desserts I've been around lately :).

The other thing we discussed was the medical records I received from the hospital where I had scoliosis surgery back in 1992. Amazingly, they were able to send me 123 pages of records and not a single x-ray! These would have been useful for the anesthesiologist in the hospital if I ask for an epidural--at this point though, Dr. Graham said I should think about IV pain medication or prepare myself for the idea of natural childbirth. Since I don't want IV drugs (anything I get through an IV also goes to the baby), that only leaves me one option! I'll still take the records to the hospital, and if I ask for it, there's a chance the anesthesiologist will be perfectly comfortable giving the epidural.

26 Weeks: What's Happening

Look who's looking. Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that she is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!"). The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until she's close to six months old.
Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity. Her lungs are now capable of breathing in air. The alveoli begin secreting "surfactant," which keeps them from collapsing. At this point, she is only taking in small breaths of fluid in the womb, but she could probably survive and breathe outside the womb with medical assistance.
At your baby's current height and weight (about 14 inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate she's growing, she will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for her to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.

More Christmas Gifts

We went to have Christmas lunch with Rob, Brad and Zachary today, and although we had agreed not to exchange gifts, I guess Emily wasn't included in that agreement.

She'll be all set to have her first bath at home now, thanks to her Uncle Rob & Stacy. She's equipped with a cool new rainforest bathtub, hooded towel, plenty of washcloths, and lots of Johnson's Baby wash, shampoo, lotion and powder. There's even a little rubber ducky to tell us if the water is too hot for her!

Merry Christmas!

For a weekend we thought would be quiet with just the two of us, we've been up to quite a bit already. We finished up our shopping yesterday, and bought our gifts for each other (yes, very last minute!). Then we went over to a Christmas party last night at a neighbor's house, which was nice. It works out much better for us to shop last minute, because Mick and I finally waited until Christmas morning to exchange gifts. We usually have a tough time being patient.

Gracie and Bella had stockings full of new toys, so they were very excited too. Here's Gracie showing off her new Santa.

Tonight, we're heading to another Christmas party...pretty unbelievable that Mick is agreeing to two nights of this!