37 Weeks!

37 and 7, to be exact and officially full term (!).  It's totally surreal to think that the baby could come anytime between now and 42 weeks.  Yikes.

What's up with Babyopolis?

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard).

Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

 What's up with Stephopolis?

NO MORE COMMUTING! This is a big deal and definitely deserves caps lock! As of last Friday, I stopped traveling to and from UBC, which was leaving me exhausted and drained on a daily basis.  And as of today, I'm officially on vacation/maternity leave!!! So exciting.

Now I get to switch from work mode into 100% baby mode, which means finishing up the last of the 'nesting', including making freezer meals, assembling the final pieces for the hospital/labour bag and finalizing practical arrangements (like cat care). 

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 35 weeks 7 days (38 weeks tomorrow!)
• Cravings: Sweet and sour things.  I would kill for a lemon cupcake.
• Complaints: Heaviness and feeling very clumsy. Also, insomnia (which everyone tells me is my body getting ready for the months ahead!)
• Workouts:  A few walks, but it's super hot again (ugh), so just some exercises around the house.
• Appointments: Midwife appointment.  Pretty routine :)
• Support: We went ahead and hired a doula to act in a support role for the birth.  She'll play a key part in keeping both Adam and I calm and focused and I have no doubt that she'll prove to be invaluable.  We've had two meetings with her already and she's already given me a lot of peace of mind in regards to coping with the pain of labour/birth.  
• Photos: The lovely Emily of Pink Licorice Photography took some maternity photos with Adam and I atop Burnaby Mountain.  I'm looking forward to seeing them all, but I've included one 'teaser' here :)

35 Weeks!

 First of all, sorry for the huge gap between blog posts.  Life caught up with me and, honestly, more often that not, my first priority after getting home from work has been napping, not blogging! But here we are, at 35 weeks and 4 days :)

What's up with Babyopolis?

Your baby now weighs about 5.25 pounds and measures approximately 18 inches from head to toe (coconut sized). His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles.

This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products.

There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in your uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size. You've probably put on between 25 and 30 pounds and your weight gain has hit its peak. Even your belly button has got bigger and has popped outward. You may be feeling breathless now that the top of your uterus is up under your ribs.

 What's up with Stephopolis?

I feel very elephantine at the moment.  I think baby's growth spurt has been catching up to me and I feel like I am 100% full of baby.  And he definitely loves to make his presence known.  His favorite thing to do (besides shove feet in my ribs) is to stretch out to full capacity and stick various body parts out every direction.  While entertaining, this activity is also getting quite uncomfortable.

6 more days that I have to physically commute in to UBC and I am definitely in countdown mode.  When I'm at work, everything is fine, but the I am tired of the bus/train combo. 

I've also been having sleep problems, which I can attribute to heartburn and hormone-induced insomnia. FUN.  But, apart from being vaguely uncomfortable, I have no major complaints.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 35 weeks 4 days
• Cravings: Nothing specified.  I just want to eat. A lot.
• Complaints: I just want to be done with work and have the ability to nap during the day.
• Workouts:  I've been pretty lazy.  Mostly just walking around campus and up/down stairs.
• Appointments: Midwife appointments are ramping up and I'm getting all sorts of handouts about 'what to do when you think you're in labour'. Yikes.  
• Classes: Birth class! We attended 'baby bootcamp' for two full Sundays in a row and we learned about birth (natural and with interventions) and breastfeeding.  It was a really empowering class and helped dispel a lot of my anxiety about labour and birth.  Of course, the whole process is still a huge unknown, but I now feel prepared for all possible outcomes.  And, as an added bonus, Adam got to role play the part of a women going through a C-Section and I was an Anesthesiologist. haha.
• Tours: Royal Columbian Hospital maternity ward.  We were led around the birth and recovery rooms at RCH and learned about newborn procedures and the specifics of our particular hospital, including what to pack in the hospital bag... (more on that below)
• Nesting/Organization: The baby room is done (apart from some minor, minor things).  We still have a few things to buy, including receiving blankets and another car seat base.  But we've ordered this cute decal for the baby room, which should really pull everything together.  The one other thing we really need to start putting together is the hospital bag (which is actually two bags - a labour bag and a post partum bag).  We have most of the necessary supplies, we just have to go into assembly mode!

Week 32!

What's up with Babyopolis?

Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches / 42 centimetres long from head to toe. Although his lungs won't be fully developed until just before birth, your little one is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs and practise breathing.

You're probably gaining a pound/ 450 grams a week, largely because your baby is likely to gain more than half his birthweight during the seven weeks before delivery.

 What's up with Stephopolis?

I know it says that I'm probably gaining 'a pound a week', but I real feel like I'm gaining a pound a day.  I feel heavy right now, and I think it's a combination of the heat, lots of walking and being just shy of 33 weeks pregnant. 

The baby is moving all. the. time.  My midwife gave me a handout on 'kick counts' and cautioned that fetal movement usually gets more subtle and less dramatic in the last weeks of pregnancy.  If this is the case, my little guy did not get the memo! It seems like he completely shifts his position at least once a day and likes to shimmy his feet a lot.  I also get pointy knees/elbows/other limbs jabbing me all the time.  And one of his movements actually took my breath away during a meeting today.  He kicked out so hard that a portion of my stomach moved quite dramatically and it caught the attention of another meeting attendee who was like '...are you ok?!'.

And even though I haven't been as consistent with the exercises my physio prescribed for my SPD, what I am doing seems to be working.  My pelvis isn't as sore and I'm sleeping better at night.  It could also be attributed to the fact that the baby has shifted into a head-down position which means that some of his weight is higher, and off my pelvis.  Whatever it is, I hope it stays like this!

That's not to say that I'm completely pain free, though.  I'm getting some lower back pain now and it's a struggle to sit at work for any length of time.  I have to go for lots and lots of short walks - at least I work on a pretty campus!

And, because I can't find the camera this week, instead of a picture of me, you get a picture of a 'large jicama' (which apparently equates to the baby's size this week).  What a weird looking veg.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 32 weeks 6 days
• Cravings: Cherries.  And ice cream. Mmm.
• Complaints: Heat. And my commute
• Workouts:  Physio exercises and wandering all over campus
• Appointments: Midwife appointment last week (everything is measuring perfectly!)
• Babyopolis stuff: The baby room continues to become assembled! We now have a crib mattress, a laundry hamper and so. many. clothes.  This is going to be a very well dressed young lad!  We still have to get the crib bedding and this baby carrier. 
• Emo moments: Two.  The latest one (tonight) revolved around being overwhelmed at the sheer amount that I don't know and can't anticipate about this little baby.  He's so safe and content right now, but I'm worried about what happens in 8 weeks... I'm also wracked with indecision about all the decisions that come with having a newborn.  Like, what kind of baby monitor should we buy? What type of bottle (I plan on nursing, but I also want to pump eventually).  Arg. So many choices. 

Week 30

Opps. I totally haven't posted in almost a month.  Poor, neglected blog!

What's up with Babyopolis?

Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. While your baby may soon slow up growing in length, (he measures about 15.7 inches/ 40 centimetres from crown to toe by now), he will continue to gain weight until he's born.

This week your baby continues to open and shut his eyes. He can probably see what's going on in utero, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. If you shine a light on your stomach, your baby may move his head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. Some researchers think baring your stomach to light stimulates visual development. But don't expect 20/20 vision when your baby is born -- newborns can see a distance of only about 8 to 12 inches/ 20 to 30 centimetres. (Children with normal vision don't reach 20/20 vision until about age 7 to 9.) To complete the picture, your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes.

A pint and a half/around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby but that volume decreases as he gets bigger and has less room in your uterus. As you and the baby continue to grow, don't be alarmed if you feel breathless, as if you can't get enough air; it's just your uterus pressing against your diaphragm. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. At about 34 weeks (or just before delivery, if this is your second or third pregnancy), your baby's head will move down into your pelvis as the baby gets into the right position for birth. That will make breathing and eating a lot easier.

 What's up with Stephopolis?

Stephopolis is hot :( While the temperatures in the lower mainland are still pretty moderate, I'm really feeling the heat this summer.  I think I'm the only one actively hoping for cool, rainy days! I know better than to mention my weather wishes at work, for fear of being run out of the building.

I'm also getting pretty tired of my commute to UBC.  The combination of car, train & bus twice a day is starting to take it's toll.  I'm looking to increase my work-from-home days in August, but until then, it's still a tough 4 hour journey.

Also, adding to the fun of the heat & commute, is a minor diagnosis of SPD, which basically means that my pelvic ligaments are overextended and it makes walking long distances quite painful.  I have physio exercises that are helping mitigate some of the discomfort, but it means I have to be really mindful of every movement.

I'm also feeling really unwieldy these days. I'm clumsy and don't have a good sense of my own proportions anymore (as evidenced by the fact that I keep running into things with my belly).  Luckily, all of my maternity clothes are still fitting well, so at least I'm comfortable in that regard.  But I feel HUGE and I still have 10 weeks to go. Yikes.

But, in happier news, we had a lovely trip to Alberta to pick up some baby furniture and visit with family and friends.  We were able to spend some time with another pregnant friend (Hi Lauren!) and Adam's parents hosted a lovely baby shower for us.  This little baby is going to be very spoiled :)

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 30 weeks 6 days
• Cravings: Cherries.  I have eaten my weight in cherries over the last few weeks. Mmm.
• Complaints: SPD & heat. Blech.
• Workouts:  Lots of walking across campus for various project meetings. Hoping to go for a swim soon!
• Appointments: Nothing until next week.
• Babyopolis stuff: The baby room is coming together! There were some touch and go moments with the crib, but everything is now assembled and we've purchased most of our 'big ticket' items.  The only things left are the mattress and bedding for the crib and possibly a glider.   It's so strange walking into that room and picturing a baby in there!

26 & 27 Weeks!

Clearly, I cannot get myself organized enough to post on a weekly basis, so you might have to deal with doubled up posts!

What's up with Babyopolis?

Measuring your baby from top to toe with his legs extended, he is about 14 inches/35.6 centimetres. He weighs a little more than 1.6 pounds/ 760 grams. Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born. (26 weeks)

Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimetres from head to toe. His eyes open and close, she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and he may suck a finger or thumb.

Sweet dreams, little baby! Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.

Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of the hiccups, which are common this week and throughout the pregnancy. Your baby has them but is breathing in amniotic fluid rather than air. (27 weeks)

      
What's up with Stephopolis?

These last two weeks have been busy!

Gestational Diabetes Test

As you might remember, I failed my gestational diabetes screening, so had to return to the lab for the full test.  The full test, if you're wondering, requires:

• 12 hours of fasting
• drinking a 75mg glucose drink in 5 minutes
• 3 blood tests in 2 hours

UGH. It was unpleasant.  I booked the re-test as early as I could (8:20) on Saturday morning and took Adam with me.  I can't say I was the best company that morning, but I managed the ordeal by imaging the epic breakfast I would have in a few hours time...

The worst part of the procedure didn't emerge until that afternoon when I noticed that both arms were marked with intense blue bruises from the needles.  Even now, 5 days later, the bruises are still quite prominent.  They don't hurt, but they sure look ugly.

But, according to my lab results (which I viewed online), it looks like I passed! None of the results were out of range and I haven't heard from my midwives, which makes me think that no news is good news.

Infant Care Class

Right after the gestational diabetes test (and after breakfast!) we headed to the BC Women's Hospital for our 3 hour infant care class.

Adam and I realized that neither of us has had much exposure with newborns or young children, so we figured we would benefit from a crash course in all things baby.

The class was super helpful and very informative.  Taught by a registered nurse (and mother), we learned about everything from what newborn babies REALLY look like (ie: not super cute, and sometimes cross eyed...) to diapering and bathing and how to decipher baby's cries and what is considered 'normal' in terms of newborn sleep.

A lot of it was common sense, but there were a few things that surprised us.  For instance, we had planned on buying a few swaddlers and swaddling our baby but, according to the latest research, full swaddling (including the arms), inhibits a baby's natural ability to self-soothe by sucking on his/her fingers and babies will normally sleep with their arms outstretched, and pinning their arms to their sides isn't a natural sleep position.  Instead, the instructor recommended either swaddling from the armpits down or using sleep sacks.

We have another class coming up in August which has a dedicated focus on labour and birth, which I'm looking forward to! I know this baby has to come out one way or another, but I'd like to be as prepared as I can be for the experience :)

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 27 weeks, 5 days
• Cravings:Black Tea Lemonade from Starbucks
• Complaints: I have crazy pelvis pain and it feels like I've been kicked in the crotch.  Not a nice feeling! It means that my walking has really slowed down and I feel quite cumbersome.  And, at time of writing, there is a baby limb in my ribcage.
• Workouts: Lots of swimming!! I adore swimming right now.  It's so nice to feel weightless and float around.  The worst part is getting out of the pool when gravity kicks in again.
• Appointments: Routine midwife appointment next week
• Babyopolis stuff: I've been scouring Craigslist to find baby items that we don't mind getting used and, so far, I've scored a cuddly wrap.  We're also getting a ring sling made by a dear friend and we'll be buying a Beco Gemini (which Adam is rather excited about!).  I'm going to see a lady about a bassinet on Friday, because we refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for something that the baby only uses in the first few months. 

Weeks 24 & 25

Opps.  Another double week post!

What's up with Babyopolis?

Your baby's growing steadily. His body is filling out and taking up more room in your uterus (womb) but his skin is still thin and fragile.

For all you know, your baby may also be developing a weakness for sweets! His tastebuds are forming, and, believe it or not, acquiring a sweet tooth is all part of it. The other big milestone your baby reaches is that he may now survive, with specialist care, if she is born prematurely. (24 weeks)

Your baby's beginning to make some breathing movements, though there's no air in his lungs as yet. But his senses are developing fast. At 25 weeks, fetal brain scans show that babies respond to touch and if you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which researchers say shows that the optic nerve is functioning. Your baby rivals the average rutabaga in weight -- about 1 1/2 pounds. (Length: 13 1/2 inches, head to heel.) (25 weeks).

                                      Hmm. Apparently, I like to wear this shirt on picture day!

What's up with Stephopolis?

Some good news and annoying news this week.

The good news: We had a wonderful 3D ultrasound done and scored some amazing pictures of our little boy. 

The bad news: I just barely failed my 1 hour gestational diabetes screening test, so I have to go back in for the dreaded 3 hour test (which includes 14 hours of fasting. Ugh).  This doesn't necessarily mean that I have gestational diabetes (plenty of women get flagged after the first screening and go on to pass the 3 hour test), but it does mean that I'm feeling some pressure to pass with flying colors.  I'm also low in iron, so I have to start supplements this week.  So, not dire news, but a bit stressful.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 25 weeks, 5 days
• Cravings: Cupcakes, cinnamon buns
• Aversions: Nada
• Workouts: Lots of walking
• Appointments: 3D ultrasound!
• Babyopolis stuff: I think we've made a decision about the type of stroller we want (we debated the pros/cons while sitting in gliders in a baby store!)

22 & 23 Weeks!

It looks like I missed week 22 entirely, so you get a combo 22 & 23 week update :)

What's up with Babyopolis?

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. (22 weeks)

With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when he hears them outside the womb. (23 weeks). From here.

What's up with Stephopolis?

Ugh. Rib pain And hip pain.  All par for the course, according to my midwife, but that doesn`t mean it`s enjoyable! I feel heavy this week and like my gait has changed, which makes for some very slow walks across campus! Baby is crazy active now and every night before I go to sleep and every morning after I wake up, I make a point of lying on my back to say `hi`to the baby.  On my back is where I feel the strongest movements - the ones that actually push my belly out into weird positions. Very cool (and slightly alien-esque).

These two weeks were also milestone weeks in that Adam was able to feel the baby move for the first time.  At first, he was unsure if what he was feeling was me or the baby, but after a few tries he felt some of the big rolling movements that baby likes to do, and there was no doubt.

I also had an article that I wrote waaay back at 11 weeks (!) published here.  It talks about some of my fears and anxieties about losing control, some of which I still feel today, but now I`m much more comfortable with my pregnancy.

Bullet points!

• How far? I'm 23 weeks 6 days
• Cravings: Rice crispy squares (indulged), cinnamon bun (haven`t yet indulged), hamburgers (indulged)
• Aversions: Nada
• Workouts: Missed yoga because of the garage sale, but did lots of walking
• Appointments: A routine midwife appointment where she confirmed that the scan we had a few weeks ago looks perfect and all of my measurements are on track
• Babyopolis stuff: Because of aformentioned garage sale, Adam and I scored a bunch of baby clothes for pretty cheap :) Still don`t have any big ticket items, but we cleared the room out so we can start filling it back up with baby stuff!