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
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 :)
- 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.
