Day 70: 37 Weeks

After all the complications earlier in pregnancy that caused preterm labor and bed rest, this baby has decided he's staying put (though he's getting lower and lower).  We reached 37 weeks today, and there's no sign that Baby Boy would like to see us yet.  I would have never thought we'd get to this point a couple of months ago when I first started having contractions, so I'm glad we've made it this far.  Now Baby Boy can put on some weight and have his all his systems be fully formed and healthy when he's born.  However, we can hardly wait to hold this little one in our arms. 

Highlights of Week Thirty-Seven (35 week fetal age):

• Baby about six and a third pounds and is about 18 inches+ long, so 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 his basic physical development is now complete - he'll spend the next few weeks (hopefully) putting on weight and developing fat layers to help him keep his temperature and blood sugar stable.   Baby will put on about half a pound a week from here on out (about an ounce a day). 
• Lungs should be just about fully developed (boys' lungs do generally take longer to develop than girls' lungs, however).  Baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid.  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.
• Hair on head is growing and can be a 1/2 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 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 now developing daily activity and sleep cycles.
• Baby’s digestive system is putting on its finishing touches in preparation to take baby’s first meal in a few weeks’ time.  

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 42: The 33 Week Mark

Today Baby and I reached the 33 week mark!  I'm still experiencing symptoms of preterm labor off-and-on (I had a bout of contractions and uterine irritability last night), but I am managing to hold on to this baby and will continue to do so for as long as possible.  Although babies born at this stage fare pretty well, Baby Boy still has a lot of growing and developing to do, and the further along I can get him, the better.  B was born just two weeks from now, but I'm hoping this baby holds out longer than that.  My next hurdle is 34 weeks (my doctor's second goal for this pregnancy).  My doctor is allowing me a field trip in a wheelchair in the middle to end of next week for an hour or two, as long as I'm not very active.  The possibilities of where to go are endless. . . a restaurant, a baby store, the library . . . I'm getting excited just thinking about it.  34 weeks here we come!

Highlights of Week Thirty-Three (31 week fetal age):

Baby's length is 17+ inches and baby's weight is about 4 pounds, 8 oz.+ (the size of a large pineapple) Baby sleeps in 20-40 minute periods and could be dreaming in utero. Baby is head down in pelvis.  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). Immune system developing. The diameter of the head is about 8.5cm. Lanugo, the baby fuzz that protects baby's skin in utero is starting to disappear. Baby drinks about a pint of amniotic fluid a day to practice swallowing and breathing.  Baby has also started urinating. Baby will gain about half a pound this week and fat tissue accumulating. Hair (or peach fuzz) continuing to grow on head. Finger and toenails continuing to grow. Baby's pupils can constrict, dilate and detect light entering his or her eyes.  Just FYI:  Babies born this week usually face several weeks in the NICU for various reasons.  Lungs may need more development so baby can control his respiratory rate, eating is usually an issue (sucking reflex is weak and baby gets fatigued easily), and baby may have problems controlling temperature. But babies born at this stage, usually fare well and do not usually suffer permanent effects from prematurity.

Day 41: Staying the Course

After almost 6 weeks of bed rest, lots of contractions and uterine irritability, two scares that required hospital visits, J's state boards, meltdowns from B, and other stresses, I finally feel I can breathe a sigh of relief.  Tomorrow I'll be 33 weeks along!  Baby Boy would likely do pretty well if born at this stage, though he'd still be early and have to stay in the NICU.  My cervix, albeit very short, is hanging in there, and I haven't had many unbearable contraction episodes this week.  I'm managing to stay busy and positive and am still plugging along.  I am also confident in the blessing I got last week that said that my body would be able to continue to protect the baby for "several more weeks."  Now that J has passed his test and we're in less of a crisis mode as far as Baby Boy is concerned, I feel a lot more safe and secure, and I'm grateful for that.  That doesn't mean I won't stay the course.  I've made it this far and won't give up anytime soon.  I'm still hoping for 36 weeks or beyond, but in the meantime, I will just take it day by day and count every day I stay pregnant as a blessing.

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

Day 28: 31 Weeks!

Today I am 31 weeks along with Baby Boy.  That means I've been on bed rest for four weeks now and we're still hanging in there with five weeks of strict bed rest left!  We're hitting the weekly milestones slowly but surely, and now it's on to week 32!  

Highlights of Week Thirty-One (29 week fetal age):

Baby's length is 16 1/2 inches and baby's weight is around 3 pounds, 5 ounces (about the size of a coconut or cantaloupe) The head is almost 3.5 inches (8cm) in diameter. The feet are nearly 2.5 inches (6cm) long. Can move his head from side to side. Lots of movement. Brain is continuing to develop and nerve cells are developing to allow baby to perceive through all five senses and control temperature. Fat is starting to accumulate underneath the skin.  The eyes have now completely opened and are responding to light and darkness. A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump. Lungs and digestive tract are maturing. Reproductive organs reaching maturity. Immune system developing.