34 Weeks!

How your baby's growing:

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 your life's changing:

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short). Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem.

Slide your way to slumber "In the third trimester, turning over in bed is a nightmare. The solution? Big satin pajamas and even satin sheets — the slipperiness of satin helps tremendously!" — Carrie

34 weeks and exhausted!!! Part of the exhaustion is probably from the trip we just took, but I don't remember being this exhausted at 34 weeks last time. I kind of remember actually having energy and then being told I had to do bed rest and was going nuts! This time I might actually welcome bed rest! (ok, not really...).

Things are still going extremely well. I feel good (except the tired part), the baby is moving a lot, and things in general are good. I go back to the doc this Thursday for my normal appointment and at this appointment we'll schedule the c-section.

We've decided to take VBAC off of my chart. I don't know if I blogged about this before or not, so this might be a repeat. But VBAC stands for vaginal birth after caesarian. I wanted to try for a VBAC this time and not go straight into the elective c-section. We originally put that on my chart. However, if I choose to do that, we can't schedule the c-section until the last minute. I'll get a bad time and potentially not even my doctor. If I don't put it on my chart (which I have now taken it off) and I go into labor on my own (you can't induce with a VBAC, you have to start labor naturally) then I can choose to do a VBAC or the c-section. Either way, and at least I'll already have the c-section scheduled. So that's our plan. And I pick the date on Thursday.

That's all that's going on, I think. No other news. :)

Happy 34 weeks Baby A!

Upcoming appointments:

Thursday, February 17 - Dr. Appointment

Friday, February 18 - Ultrasound and Monitoring