37 Weeks, 1 day – The 38th Week

My Symptoms
Today I feel good. There are good days and harder days. I think I’ve been doing a bit of nesting. Eric mentioned it, but I don’t feel like I’ve been doing so much. I did get the Christmas decorations up, finished wrapping presents, vacuumed and steamed upstairs again, and of course all the Thanksgiving preparations. I told him if I was really nesting, I’d tackle our bathroom. Physically, I think Grace has dropped more. I wouldn’t quite describe it as a bowling ball between the legs, but there sure is a lot of pressure and it hurts a bit when I stand up or walk around. I’m just very “sore.” No contractions to speak of, but I do head to the restroom at least once an hour (that’s being conservative) while I’m awake and another 2 or 3 times during the night. Sleep isn’t too bad although I was wide awake at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday. I made myself go back to sleep though. I think my belly button is slightly out (and if you noticed the difference in my belly measurements from the last 3 weeks, you’d understand). It’s not really poking out, but if you run your hand over it, you can feel it. We had a little scare yesterday. I got up around 8:15 a.m., ate breakfast, etc. By 9:00 a.m. I realized I hadn’t felt Grace move since her hiccups at 5:00 a.m. So I decided to sit down watch a little TLC and do a kick count. By 10:00 a.m. I had only felt 1 really strong movement and maybe 2 smaller ones. My doctor said 6 in a hour is what to aim for and the books usually say 10. So I decided to try some other things for the next hour. I can usually get her moving by sort of massaging my belly where she is, but that didn’t work. So I decided to get an ice cube and put it on my stomach and see if I could make her move. I got 5 movements over a 15 minute period, but when I stopped with the ice, she stopped. I usually can get 10 movements in less than 10 minutes on a normal day. Eric called at about 10:30 (he was at work) and I mentioned that Grace wasn’t moving much. He suggested drinking a caffeinated Coke and eating some chocolate and laying down to count again. So I did, and he came home (poor guy was worried). Starting at 10:30 a.m. I started counting again. It took about a half hour, but I finally got my 10 movements, so we decided things were ok, and not to go to the hospital. Saturday evening she was a little better and today has been moving lots all day. I felt her 10 times before getting out of bed this morning. Ok, that’s long enough for now. Less than 3 weeks to go!

The Baby
At this time, your baby weighs about 6.8 pounds. Crown-to-rump length hasn’t changed much; it’s still about 14 inches. Total length is 21 inches.

The fluid in the amnionic sac has increased from one drop to one liter. The placenta has grown to about seven inches in diameter and weights about one to two pounds.

Your baby has really fattened up. She likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's probably between 19 and 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test with your pinky! Her organs are fully developed and in place, but her lungs and brain — though developed enough for her to function now — will continue to mature right through childhood. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

The baby may be gaining as much as 1 ounce (about 28 grams) a day at this point! However, your weight gain has slowed or stopped. Hang in there! If you haven't written a letter to your baby, now would be a good time to do so.

The Mom
Many women don’t grow larger during the last several weeks of pregnancy, but they feel very uncomfortable. The distance between your uterus and the pubic symphsis is 14.4 to 15.2 inches (36 to 38 cm). From your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is about 6.4 to 7.2 inches.

Pack your bags and put them by the door! No need to stress on what to bring; we've got a checklist of the absolute necessities and some luxuries that might make your experience a little more comfortable and enjoyable. Even if you plan a home birth, you should pack a small suitcase. You’re waiting now. Your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent and intense. You may feel large and ungainly but, unless your water has broken, it’s fine to have sex. As a matter of fact, intercourse and nipple stimulation are some methods people use to induce labor naturally.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. Take it easy through the day — this may be your last opportunity to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too. Though she's crowded, she should still be active. Swelling of your feet is normal in these last weeks, but if you notice any swelling of your hands or face, sudden weight gain, persistent or severe headaches, blurry vision or spots before your eyes, or upper abdominal pain, call your practitioner right away, because these are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia. Encourage your partner to relax and enjoy some activities he won't have time for after the baby arrives.
You may begin to feel electrical buzzes down your legs and inside your vagina. This is caused from the baby hitting nerves as s/he settles into your pelvis. A lot of time and effort has been spent educating mom about the process of labor, we are going to talk about a common fear for men this week: BEING IN THE BIRTH ROOM! I highly encourage men to go in to watch the partners give birth. It is one of the most amazing experiences you will ever be able to have. As a doula, I am constantly in awe of birth, even though I see it on a routine basis. Be assured that you will only have to watch or participate as much as you feel comfortable with. For some men this will be little more than holding your partners hand and gazing into her eyes. Let me assure you that this is a great thing to do! If you wish to take a more active role this may include labor support (breathing, massage, heat and cold packs, etc.), cutting to cord, helping to catch the baby. These are all fine, but should be discussed with your practitioner ahead of time, so that they know your preferences. A note about cord cutting: The umbilical cord contains no nerves, so neither the mother nor the baby will feel the cut. The cord is also a tough, fatty substance (this protects the cord from compression inutero) so expect to give it some effort to cut it.