40 weeks!!!

How your baby's growing:
It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs in at a little over 7 pounds and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.


So here we are...40 weeks! Didn't think I'd make it this far! I've been to the Doctor twice now this week. Tuesday I was still 1 1/2 centimeters but about 40% and he could feel her head. Today I was the same but her head was lower...which would explain the intense pressure I'm feeling. He said she was anterior(face down), which I am thankful for! He's hoping to see me this weekend, but if not I have an appointment on tues and he said we would schedule an induction at that appointment.

39 weeks

Your Baby
She's reached her birth weight (typically between 6 and 9 pounds) and length (18 to 22 inches), and all systems are go! Since only about 5 percent of women give birth on their due date, baby could be making her appearance at any moment. Labor may begin in several ways: mild cramps (the most common scenario), a painless trickle of straw-colored fluid caused by the rupture of the amniotic sac, or a scheduled induction or cesarean section.
If your delivery is scheduled, you'll check into the hospital and either be prepped for a c-section or given prostaglandin gel (to soften the cervix) followed by oxytocin through an intravenous drip. If you're waiting to go into labor naturally and your water has broken or your cramps are growing steadily more painful, call your doctor or midwife for instructions. She'll probably tell you to wait until the contractions are five to eight minutes apart before heading in to the hospital or birthing center. This can take many hours, especially for a first birth, so try to get some sleep, take a walk, or watch a movie--even anything that relaxes and energizes you. Think of yourself as a runner on the eve of her first marathon--a little scared, but even more excited!


I am so ready for her to arrive! Seems as though the membrane stripping didn't work, but my doctor said he could do it again at my next appointment on tuesday. This weather hasn't been fun for me...I'm thankful for Matt's air conditioning!! Now I need to make it through the weekend without going into labor. Addy's 1st birthday is saturday and I plan on being there!

I just returned from my doctor appointment. I was 1 1/2 centimeters and 30% effaced. He did the membrane stripping which I thought was going to be horrible, but because I was dialted some it was nothing! He could feel her head so she's nice and low. He said if this works I could go into labor tonight or tomorrow. He also is having me tested again for pre-eclampsia(sp?!), because of the swelling in me legs/feet/ankles and I had some protein in my urine. If that comes back positive and I haven't gone in to labor yet, they will be enducing me. So fingers crossed, we'll have a baby by this weekend!!

38 weeks

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's nearly 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.


2 weeks and to go and boy am I ready!!! I have an appointment on tuesday...and if she's still in hiding my doctor is going to strip my membranes to try to help move things along. Aside from super swollen feet and ankles and me being totally neurotic...I'm sure driving Matt and my family insane, I'm hanging in there. The heat hasn't been getting to me too badly, thank goodness for A/C!

37 weeks

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs a little over 6 pounds and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

We had kind of an exciting weekend. Friday morning I woke up around 1am with really bad lower back and leg pain...it continued all through the night and the next morning and I had lost my mucas plug. So I called the doctor and they asked me to come in. They said it could be pre-labor, and they did an exam...she thought the baby might be breech so they did an ultrasound just to be sure and everything was fine...she's in head down position. They told me to push the fluids and get lots and rest, and then she added "Welcome to labor!". So I went home and took a nap, but continued to feel a little worse. Started getting really crampy and having what felt like contractions. I went to my families softball game and felt even worse. Really sick to my stomach and the contraction feeling got worse. I went home and was ordered(by Matt...from California)to call my doctor, who told me to go to the hospital. Angela picked me up and off we went. Sure enough I was having contractions...2-4 minutes apart...then I started throwing up. After an exam the nurse said she could feel the head, my cervix was softening but I wasn't dialated and I had bloody show. I was starting to get dehydrated. They had a hard time finding a vein the do an iv. They pushed some saline through and some anti-nausa medication and around 4am the contractions stopped. I was still dry heaving and feeling pretty ill so they kept me overnight. About 7am I started having small contractions again and I'm still having them, but it sounds like that's just going to be par for the course until I have her. My whole family had this bug last week and I thought I was in the clear, but I guess not! I'm feeling much better today, and I'm so glad she's being a good girl and letting Matt and my Mom get home from vacation before she decides to make an appearance!