I am now 33 weeks pregnant.
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 6-7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
**Actually I am measuring 34 weeks so my baby may be closer to about 4 3/4 pounds and almost 18 inches long!
This update is a little different. So lets talk about what has been going on the past few weeks.
Well the last few weeks or so have been filled with some highs and lows and have been a little emotional for me.
The highs were two wonderful showers I had. One was a lovely family shower back home put on by my mom and sister. I also had another shower with a few girlfriends put on by two amazing and dear friends. These showers were so great that they deserve their own post because they each were so perfect and I want to talk about them more!! (which will come this weekend!) But let it be said, I felt so loved and I truly appreciated all that was done for us. I got emotional a few times after these showers were over because I feel so lucky right now.
But there were also the lows. The last couple weeks have been extremely busy and stressful at work. I have managed to keep my emotions in check for the most part, but over the last few weeks I have had a couple moments were I just lost it and either got angry or just cried and cried. I knew I had been worked up from work and upset (like really upset), but didn’t realize how much it affected me until my Dr. appointment Monday the 11th. I went in and they noticed my blood pressure was unusually high. The first time it was 138/64 the second time they took it, it was 134/72. (Mine has been right around the 120/72 mark) I am not going to lie; it freaked me out a bit. The Dr. was very calming but said that she just wanted to check to make sure it wasn’t preeclampsia. She talked to us a little bit, told me I had to do some standard tests, and that we had to wait for the results before we worry about anything. She told me to relax and take the day off work, go get my blood drawn and then I had to do a 24 hour urine collection (not fun). I did all those things, especially trying to relax.
Luckily we got a call later that week and they said it wasn’t preeclampsia and all my test results were great. PHEW.
But it is a strange feeling wondering if you did something unknowingly that could affect your baby. I think the biggest thing for me is that I allowed myself to get so worked up the past few weeks. I honestly felt extremely guilty that I did that, to the point where the other night I just broke down and cried for 30 minutes. I sometimes forget that it is not just me, but that I have to watch out for this little guy inside me. I catch myself and I have to remind myself that I need to alter what I do which means I need to get my rest, eat regularly, eat healthier foods, don’t carry heavy things, and DON’T STRESS. It is weird because in the beginning I knew I was pregnant and that we would have a child. But the bond wasn’t really there at first for me. It was all foreign to me. I couldn’t always feel him or “see” him and though I was excited at the outcome, I often times forgot he was even there. It wasn't until this last month or so that I have really bonded with our child. We talk, he reacts to me talking to him or “tickling” him, he moves all the time, I can see my stomach and see him move and know he is there. A little person WE created. And I love him already. I really didn’t think I would bond with him this much during the pregnancy, I thought I would feel it after. But I love our son SO much and the thought of something being wrong with him because of something I did or do just stings so much. I know he is fine, but I also know that I need to take it easy these last weeks for both of us.
I went back to the Dr. the 19th for a follow up and my blood pressure was still higher than normal (132/80) but she said she was not worried yet. She told me things to look out for that could be a concern, but said they will just monitor me weekly. She said it could still go down or stay the same and that I just need to take it easy so it doesn’t go up. There is still a chance I could get pre-eclampsia or have gestational high blood pressure, but I can also do things to help avoid it, like taking it easy.
The crazy person inside me says “take it easy?! Lady do you know how much needs done before this child arrives?! How can I take it easy?!” But the mother in me says “So what if things don’t get done, your main concern is the health of this child which means your health too. Just rest.” And for the record, the mother part is totally kicking my crazy parts ass! I am going to bed early (between 8:30-9:30), trying to take care of myself, not worrying about things, and just resting and taking things slow. The health of this child means far more to me than a clean house, making sure stuff gets done before he is here, and especially worrying about work or things I cannot control. So rest & sleep it is.
Besides that being my big “concern” the last couple weeks we also pre-registered at the hospital earlier this month. Wow, talk about a reality check. Sitting in a room that you may be in within a couple months as you deliver your child. Yep, it was emotional. We filled out paper work (or I did, poor Terry didn’t get asked to fill out a single form so I let him fill out one of the forms J as he wants to be included in every part of this process…so cute). I started the registration process and answered questions regarding pain medicine (YES PLEASE!), delivery, and basic information about me. They told us how they do stuff at the hospital, the security devices in place, and what we can expect before, during and after. I loved it. I love where we are going and feel very comfortable with the hospital, staff, and how they handle everything. They also installed our car seat and we watched a video on car seat safety. T. & I didn’t know what to expect, but we both actually enjoyed it because it made everything seem even more real!
In summary, the last few weeks have been a bit of a reality check for me. Between the showers, visiting the hospital, seeing a car seat in our car, seeing baby stuff in our house, and facing the reality of how my actions can affect my health and the health of our son I have become more connected to this little piglet inside me!
So even though there were some lows, there were also some wonderful highs. And as we approach the due date I am more excited than ever to meet this little boy that is just stealing my heart away!
Week 31 -
Oh yes, the kid is growing!
Week 32 -
This shirt is barely fitting my growing belly!
Week 33
I am HUGE!
