Day 77: Ready When He Is (38 Weeks)

We're at 38 weeks. This boy is welcome to come any time now. I've been having inconsistent contractions for the last few days,but am still not in labor yet. Whenever Baby Boy does decide the time is right, we're ready when he is.

 

Highlights of Week Thirty-Eight (36 week fetal age)  *Photo shows a baby at 38 weeks, but is not our baby.

Baby is close to seven pounds and is about 18-20 inches long, and he doesn't have much room to maneuver now.

Baby is head down in pelvis to prepare for delivery.  The head diameter is over 3.5 inches.

Most of Baby's basic physical development and systems are now complete - he'll spend the two weeks putting on weight and accumulating more body fat, at the rate of about an ounce a day, to help him keep his temperature and blood sugar stable.   

Although lungs are one of the last organs to mature, they should be basically developed by now and are now secreting surfactant which will keep them from sticking together and help Baby breathe outside the womb.  I figure since Baby Boy got the steroid shots for his lungs months ago, his breathing should be fine once he's born.

Could have a full head of hair, of an inch or longer.

Brain is continuing to develop and mature.

He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair (lanugo) that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that has  covered and protected his skin during so far.  Baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

Baby’s digestive system is putting on its finishing touches in preparation to take baby’s first meal in a few weeks’ time.  

Day 63: Bye, Bye Bed Rest (36 Weeks)

Today my bed rest sentence issued exactly nine weeks ago was finally revoked because Baby Boy and I made it to week 36!   Baby Boy is growing and weighing in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce and is about 17 inches long.  The ultrasound technician commented on his short little legs, but having another baby who is on the short side is no surprise to J and I who aren't very tall ourselves.  My stomach is measuring around 35 weeks because baby is low in my pelvis, but I'm still growing and Baby is still moving even in the very cramped conditions my bicornuate uterus provides!  Because he's so low, some of these ultrasound shots have part of his forehead cut off, and he kept moving his hand in front of his face (no, that's not a foot in the third photo below), but I liked being able to see my baby's little face and knowing he's doing OK.

I have also been taken off of Procardia and Progesterone which help to prevent early contractions and cervical change.  Some women go into labor within hours of stopping the medications and others last 10-14 days or more.  So we shall see what happens from this point.  Right now besides some back pain and feeling completely out of shape (after only getting up to go to the bathroom and the table for two months, even walking or sitting is fatiguing), I'm pretty asymptomatic.  Who knows when the contractions will start and send me in to actual labor?  People ask me when I think this baby is coming, and honestly, I have absolutely NO idea.  

 

Highlights of Week Thirty-Six (34 week fetal age):

• Baby weighs just over six pounds and doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's about 17 inches long. 
• Baby is head down in pelvis to prepare for delivery.
• Most of his basic physical development is now complete - he'll spend the next few weeks (hopefully) putting on weight and developing fat layers.   Baby will put on about half a pound a week from here on out. 
• Lungs should be just about fully developed (boys' lungs do generally take longer to develop than girls' lungs, however).  Circulation and immune systems are basically good to go, too.
• Skin is getting smooth and soft and his gums are rigid.  Baby's bones and skull are still relatively soft to make for an easier delivery and will harden after birth.
• His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. 
• Baby's reflexes are coordinated.  He can turn his head, grasp firmly, and respond to sounds, light and touch. 
• Eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping.
• He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair (lanugo) that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that has covered and protected his skin so far.  Baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.
• Baby is sporting full-length fingernails and toenails and hair is growing on head.
• Baby is now developing daily activity and sleep cycles.
• Brain development continues to advance quickly.
• Baby’s digestive system is putting on its finishing touches in preparation to take baby’s first meal in a few weeks’ time.

Day 62: Last Day of Bed Rest!

My last day on bed rest

If all goes well, I will be officially released from bed rest tomorrow afternoon, so today should be my last day of bed rest.  I go in for an ultrasound and if everything looks good, my doctor will tell me that I no longer have to be horizontal 24/7!  So far, I'm not feeling any real labor symptoms and feel like we're in for the long haul (March 17th is my official due date), but anything could happen once they take me off of Progestrone (Prometrium) and Nifedipine (Procardia) which have worked to keep my cervix from shortening and my contractions from progressing.  I'm looking forward to an ultrasound to check Baby Boy who seems to be moving less and less as the conditions in my bicornuate uterus get more cramped.  I just want to make sure everything looks good with Baby Boy and am excited that today was my last day of bed rest. 

We actually had family visit this weekend and Great Grandpa brought a train for B.  I went to Church with extended family for an hour today and then we had dinner together, so I was up and around for a little while throughout the day.  But I figure since everything is quiet and this baby should be good for at least another week (hopefully), doing a little more on my last day of bed rest is acceptable.  As long as I don't go into labor tonight, right?  Haha.

Day 49: 34 Weeks, The Countdown Begins

Today I am 34 weeks pregnant and the countdown is officially on.  I have 14 more days of bed rest (if all goes well and the baby doesn't come before that).  After seven weeks of bed rest so far, two weeks seem very doable (though I doubt they'll pass any quicker than previous bed rest days).  I'm also looking forward to a wheelchair field trip this week (after I get the doctor's OK tomorrow).  I'm still not completely decided on where I want to go, but I'm thinking that on Thursday night, we'll be going to our favorite Mexican food restaurant and to check out car seats (our infant seat is nearly outdated) and Pack N Plays at Babies R Us.  I'll report on the field trip later this week, but I'm definitely excited.    

 

I'm glad that my contractions haven't become regular and that my cervix has stayed stable for the last six weeks and thus Baby Boy has stayed put.  34 weeks is a great milestone because Baby has an excellent chance of survival and will likely face few health effects.  Right now the baby is putting on weight, learning to suck, and developing his lungs.  This pregnancy is still going strong, and I'm not giving up anytime soon, as I don't want to deliver a second premature baby.  One preterm baby was hard enough, and Bryson was only mildly premature.  B came at 35 weeks, just one week from now.  At that point I'd gone back and forth from the hospital several times because I  was already dilated to a 4 1/2 and had been having contractions one to two minutes apart all week.  The doctor broke my water because my labor was progressing so slowly and I was in A LOT of pain.  B had jaundice and was in the NICU for five days to learn to eat.  Having a premature baby in the NICU was a very difficult experience that I do not want to repeat, so That was a very difficult experience that I do not want to repeat, so I wouldn't get my water broken this time around, thus giving this baby as much time as possible. I'm hoping that given a similar situation this pregnancy, doctors will be able to control my pain until this baby is actually ready for delivery.  Each day counts, so as long as Baby Boy is willing to hang out, so am I.  Now it's on to 35 weeks, and then AT LEAST 36.    

Highlights of Week Thirty-Four (32 week fetal age):

A baby at 34 weeks gestation (not our baby)   Baby's length is 17+ inches and baby's weight is between 4 3/4 and 5 pounds (about the size of a bag of sugar) Baby sleeps in 20-40 minute periods and could be dreaming in utero. Baby is moving around less frequently, mostly because of the cramped quarters.  I can feel even the slightest movement since Baby Boy is right up against the uterine wall, and I'm getting pretty good at guessing which body part (foot? elbow? arm?) is protruding. Regardless of the eye color Baby Boy will end up with, right now his eyes are blue. The pigmentation process in his iris won't be complete until his eyes have been exposed to light for several weeks after birth. His final eye color may not be evident for years. Baby is head down in pelvis to prepare for delivery. His testicles are now descending from his abdomen into his scrotum (a reason Baby Boy needs to get through this week). Baby will gain about half a pound this week and fat tissue is accumulating so Baby's arms and legs are starting to fill out.  Fat accumulation will help him regulate his temperature after birth. Hearing is fully developed (We've been talking to him for weeks now, and B always tells him goodnight). Although Baby's central nervous system is still maturing, his lungs are nearly fully developed (boys' lungs do generally take longer to develop than girls' however). Eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. Fingernails are almost completely formed. Lanugo, the baby fuzz that protects baby's skin in utero is starting to disappear. The cheese-like coating on baby's skin, vernix caseosa, is getting thicker to keep Baby moisturized for the big day. Hair (or peach fuzz) continuing to grow on head.  The baby’s skeleton is hardening (though skull bones won't fully fuse together until early adulthood, when brain and head has done all is growing).

Day 36: Time Off For Good Behavior

As a celebration for reaching 32 weeks, I had someone come in and give me a haircut, manicure, pedicure, and eyebrow wax.  All these things, except the haircut, were done at home while in a reclining or laying position (per doctor's stipulations).  It felt SO good to have my feet massaged, my hair done, and to feel better because I look better.  Let's face it, after a few days sick in bed, most of us feel our worst and don't want to look in the mirror.  After weeks of bed rest and throwing my hair in a messy bun, laying around thinking about how gross my feet were getting, and feeling like I was going to look like Bert from Sesame Street soon if something wasn't done about my eyebrows, it was time.  It was a great morale booster and felt so good to be pampered before my doctor's appointment this afternoon (Read on for news about that). 

The salon treatment and doctor's appointment today made for the most exciting day I've had in weeks.  We had some really good news.  The ultrasound showed Baby Boy is measuring great (about 4 pounds, 6 ounces), mostly because he has a big head (that measured 35 weeks while his tummy and thighs measured smaller and averaged 32-33 weeks).  The baby has his face turned toward my back, so we didn't get a profile shot but he has a very nice back of the head.  (I don't know what I'm going to do if he's already refusing to pose and smile for pictures at this very tender age).  I am also happy to report that my cervix is still stable even with all the contractions I've had lately.  There's some more "funneling/"opening where Baby's head is pressing on my cervix, but that's to be expected because I carry low and my cervix has shortened so dramatically.  

With B, my amniotic fluid levels were a little high the week he was born, which can indicate an abnormality (Down Syndrome, cleft pallet, neurological problems) or more likely, low kidney function for the baby.  So doctors will do another ultrasound in a few weeks just to make sure all my levels look good and Baby Boy is still thriving.  I'm not going to freak out unless we see that again and Baby is in danger.   I know I am being watched closely by wonderful doctors, and that is very comforting, and as I said, I know the Lord is watching out for us too. I'm pleased that everything looked good today, and I'll keep pressing on in bed rest journey so we can get to that 36 week mark or beyond.        

B's sticking out his tongue that was made blue by the Jolly Rachers that are always his first stop at the OB office.

Day 35: 32 Weeks, Time to Celebrate

We made it to 32 weeks! This is a good landmark developmentally speaking and doctors said they'd be pleased if I got  to this point, so we're celebrating (as much as I can while in bed). If the baby were born today, he'd only be considered moderately premature and could weigh up to 4 pounds. He'd be in the NICU for several weeks until he could breath, eat, and maintain his temperature on his own, but he'd likely experience few long term effects of prematurity. So 32 weeks is a good milestone, but I'm not giving up yet. This pregnancy isn't over until it's over.

When I started experiencing preterm labor at 25 weeks along, I was really scared about the survival and health of our baby. At that point, the doctor's initial goal for this baby of 32 weeks, seemed very far away, and somehow seemed even further away when I was put on bed rest five weeks ago. Anyone following out progress knows it's been a nerve wracking couple of weeks, with trips to the hospital for preterm labor, more contractions, J's test and job preparations, B being completely thrown off, and other life stresses. So I'm happy to report we reached the 32 week mark!  Now I'm charging forth to my next weekly goal, though we're shooting for 36 weeks or more. I'm excited we got to 32 weeks for the health of the baby, and also because that means only one month of strict bed rest remains!

Highlights of Week Thirty-Two (30 week fetal age):

Baby's length is 16+ inches and baby's weight is about 3 pounds, 8 oz.+ (the size of a small squash or melon) Baby now has fingernails and toenails Starting to sleep in 20-40 minute periods and could be dreaming in utero Baby is head down Brain continues to develop The baby’s skeleton is completely formed by now, but the bones are soft and flexible, and will harden later. Because of Baby's growth, there's less room in the womb for baby to move so movements may start to feel less exaggerated for Mom  Hair (or peach fuzz) growing on head Skin is becoming less translucent and more opaque as well as soft and smooth as fat tissue starts to grow under the skin Baby is practicing swallowing, breathing, and sucking moments to prepare for being outside the womb