Belly III

Melissa says, "It doesn't look nearly as big as it feels."

Week 34

The baby now weighs about 4.75 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. Baby's fat layers — which will help regulate body temperature after birth — are filling him/her out, making baby rounder. Baby's skin is also smoother than ever. The central nervous system is maturing and baby's lungs are continuing to mature as well.

I've had no signs of preterm, but babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Other general updates include that we've met and selected a pediatrician who we both liked and felt comfortable with and whose office is close to home (less than 2 miles!). Dr. Sue was recommended extremely highly by a couple of my coworkers who are recent mothers. I'm grateful we didn't have to interview multiple doctors. We'll also be submitting our hospital admission paperwork at the OB's office this Friday (ok, that's tomorrow...yikes!) along with paperwork so the baby can be added to our health insurance immediately.

Aside from some mild discomfort sleeping, I still don't have any real complaints. This has been wonderful and as much as I'm anxious about the fact that we've only got about 6 weeks to go, I'm excited to finally meet the little person who has been growing inside me.

Stuff for Baby Coady

We finally did it! We started our baby registry at Babies R' Us (Registry #: 92510166). Checking your regisrty online can be funny. There are quite a few Coadys and there's another Melissa Coady (in NJ) whose co-registrant is named Dan (O'Brien). A cute little coincidence. No worries, they were due in February 2008.

We've been quite fortunate to receive many gently used baby items thanks to the generosity of our friends and their desire to get this stuff out of their homes! Some of the hand-me-downs include a crib (from Nicole and Jeff Chu, for which we temporarily traded a toddler bed from the Veceres), a bassinet (from Mike Kolendo and Cindy Stein), a bouncy seat and swingy seat (again from Mike and Cindy), two Boppy pillows (from Carrie and Mark Hawkins), a breast pump (also from the Hawkinses), a diaper pail (from the Chus), bottles, cloth diapers, sleepsacks, blankets...the list actually goes on and on. I just don't have the recall capacity to list everything and everyone.

Somewhat needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, we struggled a bit to generate a registry of useful items. We managed and will go back for round 2 after some more research and after we (ok, I) recover from being in the store for somewhere between 2 and 3 hours. I think the major part of the battle was not getting completely sucked in by all the incredibly adorable stuff. But really, how can anything that small not be adorable?! I think we did an ok job fighting the total sucker bait, though I know I fell for a few things (such as the Classic Pooh hooded towel set...).

I'm sure Dan will keep me on the straight and narrow during our next visit...

Week 33

If the general guidelines are reasonably accurate, Baby Coady is roughly 17.2 to 18.7 inches long and weighing in between 4.2 and 5.8 pounds. Mom and baby are right on track for the rate of third trimester weight gain (roughly 1 pound per week).

The baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and the brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, Baby will be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, Baby's bones are hardening (Mom is making sure to get calcium through her diet in addition to pre-natal vitamins), and Baby has started to keep his/her eyes open when he/she is awake.

Week 32

By now, the baby weighs between 3.75 and 4 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, and is taking up a lot of space in my uterus. On average, women at this stage of pregnancy gain about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby (Too bad I don't weigh myself at home. The doctors office takes care of that every other week now). In fact, the baby will gain a third to half of their birth weight during the next 7 weeks as baby fattens up for survival outside the womb. Baby now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Baby's skin is also becoming soft and smooth as baby plumps up in preparation for birth.

Childbirth 101

Dan and I attended our first baby-related class this evening. Held at the local hospital, it was the first of four in the Cooley Dickinson Hospital "Childbirth 101" series. There were 8 or 9 other couples present, all due within a month or so of each other (duh...). It seems like a pretty nice group of people, some diversity but no major extremes.

I was a little surprised that the topic of basic prenatal diet/nutrition needs was discussed, however briefly, in a class you don't sign-up for until you're a month or two from the end of pregnancy. Oh well, I learned a few more sources of iron and that cottage cheese packs a wicked protein bang for your caloric buck. Good to know.

The instructor, Juniper who is a doula, demonstrated a "normal" or optimal birth with a model of a pelvis and a relatively proportionally correct "doll." Very interesting to observe, especially after her explanation of the Gallant or Swimmer's Reflex (look it up). It helps get the baby into position above the birth canal. Though the reflex should still be active several days after delivery, Dan Coady is not allowed to try it after the baby is born. We also viewed a "look at how well these women are handling labor and delivery" video. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Not every labor/birth is life or death, down to the wire...but I don't for a minute believe that they're all water births, even breathing, nearly silent introspective journeys either. I wonder when they'll show the middle ground.

Week 31

This week, baby measures over 16 inches long, weighs about 3.3 pounds, and is heading into a growth spurt. Baby can turn its head from side to side, and its arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath the skin. Baby is moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Things are beginning to get tight in there, and heartburn and indigestion are common. You may have developed the pregnant "waddle"—that happens because pregnancy softens the ligaments in your pelvis, allowing your hips to spread to make room for the baby. Don't worry, you won't walk like a duck forever!

Baby is very active, so we can only assume that space is getting tight. It isn't the activity that's keeping me from sleeping through the night, it's the fact that I get uncomfortable sleeping on one side or the other. I'm a belly sleeper and I really miss that position! Fortunately, I haven't had to cope with heartburn or indigestion. I have noticed that my scrunched stomach can't take as much food at a time as before. Oh well. At least work provides (usually) fresh fruit. This week's grapes were delicious!

Kickin' It..Part 3

The baby is kicking back...

During a flurry of activity earlier today, I placed my hand on my belly to feel the force (getting quite strong, I must say). I applied a little pressure and the baby kicked back! We've played this game a few times since then. Why do I have a feeling that the baby is going to win?