34 Weeks, 2 Days - The 35th Week

My Symptoms
This week has been better than last week. Maybe because I didn't have to travel. I was really busy, but didn't really feel too bad. Less BH contractions than last week. I still feel really big and awkward and I've noticed when I stand up after sitting for a while (mostly at work), I waddle when I walk. My hips just don't feel like they are on right. Kind of like they are out of socket. I know it's probably just the "relaxin" hormone trying to loosen up my pelvis so the baby will have an easier exit route, but it's kind of uncomfortable. I've noticed more and more than when Grace moves, my belly changes shape. I woke up this morning with my right side all hard and poked out. She must be running out of room and needs to stretch more. I'm becoming more comfortable with this whole idea and with just over 5 weeks until my due date, I think I'll be ready when she comes, emotionally that is. My head is racing as I feel like I'm running out of time. For home, I have a list of to-dos before the baby is born. Like packing my bags. I have a list, but may need to go to the store to complete it. I also want to order baby announcements soon, do the Christmas shopping, finish thank you notes, and so on. Work is another animal. My self-set goal is to have everything important finished by Thanksgiving, with detailed enough documentation or open items list that any time after that day, someone else could come to my desk and pick up where I left off. Time will tell if that one happens. I should stay late to catch up, but then I have all this stuff to do at home...

The Baby
Your baby now weighs over 5.5 pounds. Crown-to-rump length by this week is about 13.2 inches. Its total length is 20.25 inches.

During these last weeks, the fetus is gaining weight. She’s developed sleeping patterns (and they often have little to do with night and day!) Your little bouncer may be around four and a half pounds right now!

Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your baby weighs about 4 pounds 12 ounces (2.15 kilograms) right now, although later in pregnancy there is more room for variation than in the beginning of pregnancy. Your baby is putting on an average of .5 pounds a week at this point. The length is reaching 18 inches from head to toe, as opposed to the earlier measurements from crown to rump. All organ systems have been present for a long time, now they are just putting on the final touches before birth.

The Mom
Measuring from the bellybutton, it is now about 6 inches to the top of the uterus. Measuring from the pubic symphysis, the distance is about 14 inches (35cm). By this week, your total weight gain should be between 24 and 29 pounds.

You’ll be visiting the doctor more frequently now and should be tested for Group B strep. You may also have non-stress tests and manual checks for cervical effacement (thinning) and dilation. You’re eating 2400 calories a day. Keep that intake healthy! Later in life you’ll be able to pig out on junk food again. You’re growing a human being in there. Give her the best start that you can!

Your uterus — now up under your ribs — has expanded to about 15 times its original volume, and you may feel like you've run out of room! If you could peek inside your uterus, you'd see that there's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your internal organs too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and have heartburn and other digestive problems. If you don't have these problems, you're one of the lucky few. Your doctor or midwife will probably want to start seeing you every week until you deliver. She may ask you to count fetal movements, to track your baby's activity level. Between now and 37 weeks, she'll also do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). This is done by swabbing the lower end of your vagina and your rectum — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all. Group B streptococcus is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during labor and birth, it can cause complications (like pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection). Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's important to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll be given IV antibiotics when you're in labor, which will reduce your baby's risk of infection by 70 percent. This is also a good time to fill out your birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who will be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and how long you want to stay in the hospital. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Labor and delivery are unpredictable and you probably won't follow your plan to the letter, but knowing ahead of time what choices you have to make can take some of the anxiety out of the process.

Your pregnancy is progressing and you may have trouble sleeping at night. Some claim that this is mother nature's way of preparing you for life with a new baby. Others believe it is caused by worrying about the health of your baby, labor, and/or parenting. There are also numerous physical reasons that sleep may be difficult. For one going the bathroom every 45 minutes isn't conducive to sleep, nor is a constant backache. Try doing pelvic tilts before bed, limiting fluids after a certain time, and being tired when you go to bed.