34 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 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.


* How far along?: 34 weeks, 1 day.... 6 weeks left.... 41 days to go!

* Total weight gain: up 2 pounds since my last appointment 2 weeks ago-- for a total of 25 lbs

* How big is baby?: my books say around 19 3/4 inches long and almost 5 pounds!

* Maternity clothes?: yep... just bought a new pair of jeans and a sweater

* Stretch marks?: i know i said yes a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed to have disappeared... weird, i know... i guess it wasn't really a stretch mark i was seeing.... very happy about that!

* Sleep?: rolling over is rough and i wake up with achy hips from laying on them... feels like i'm getting a bed sore! can't get enough sleep though!

* Best moment this week?: i had a doctor's appointment this evening and saw my regular doctor (i haven't seen him since the very beginning b/c he told me to make appointments with all the other doctors in the group so i would at least have met them in case they happen to be the one on call when this little one decides to come) and i told him my concern about her being breech. he started telling me there is still time for her to flip around and then said, "well, let's go take a look!" and took me into the ultrasound room. i got so excited to see her again on the screen! unfortunately, she is still breech! i kind of had a feeling she was b/c of the kicks/pokes/punches i have been feeling. they are usually always in the same spots. i guess the big hard thing i have been feeling above my belly button is her head! i think i will be able to tell if she flips. the fact that she is still breech is not the greatest news, but seeing her again and hearing her heartbeat was the best moment this week!!

* Movement?: oh yes! lots of movement!

* Food cravings?: haven't been able to resist all the holiday sweets at work :) no real cravings lately

* Labor signs?: had some braxton hicks over a month ago that i forgot to mention but nothing since

* Belly button in or out?: still in but looks weird... i'm thinking it is going to stay in

* What I'm looking forward to: Christmas with my family!!

* Milestone: my doctor said tonight that if this little girl was born at this time, she would not require steroids that are normally given for immature lungs that premature babies need, would just need to stay a little longer in the hospital and would do wonderfully.... that doesn't mean i'm ready for her to come quite yet though but it was great news to hear she would be ok!