Week 37 of pregnancy

Baby weighs close to 2.8 kilograms and may be about 50 centimetres long from head to toe. Your baby's head is now cradled in your pelvic cavity -- surrounded and protected by your pelvic bones. This position clears some much-needed space for her growing legs and buttocks. 

Many babies now have a full head of hair, with locks maybe around 2.5 centimetres long. But don't be surprised if her hair isn't the same colour as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes taken aback when their children are born with bright red or blond hair, and fair-haired couples likewise can produce babies with dark hair. And then, of course, some babies don't have any hair at all. 

Speaking of hair, most of the downy coat of lanugo that covered your baby from 26 weeks has disappeared, and so has most of the vernix caseosa, the whitish substance that also covers her. Your baby will swallow her lanugo and exterior coating, along with other secretions, and store them in her bowels. These will become your infant's first bowel movement, a blackish waste called meconium. 

http://www.babycenter.com.au/37-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2LOdYLVy


I went to see my obstetrician on 15th feb and she told me that baby's head is still floating. If it doesn't engage by the end then we might have to do C-Section. It doesn't sound good as I already got umbilical hernia and if it doesn't get fixed by exercise then that would mean I would be getting operated for it again. It's such an amazing feeling when ponyo/enyo stretches her body parts and I feel her tiny feet, hands, bum, face . Though it get's bit uncomfortable at night but I am enjoying it. I will be seeing obstetrician again on 22nd feb. For last 3 days my belly button has started to pain.

Aarav's bday party and baby shower was a success. Everyone enjoyed it and Aarav loved his inflatable dinasours. Got many pink dresses for Ponyo :)

Week 36 of pregnancy!

Baby is still gaining weight -- about 28 grams a day. She weighs around 2.7 kilograms and is 45 centimetres long from head to toe. 

You may begin to feel an increased pressure in your lower abdomen and notice that your baby is gradually dropping. This is called lightening or engagement, and your lungs and stomach will finally get a chance to stretch out a little -- breathing and eating should become easier. However, walking may become increasingly uncomfortable -- some women say it feels as if the baby is going to fall out. Also, you may still feel as if you need to go to the loo all the time. 

The good news is that by the end of this week, your pregnancy will be full-term and you could give birth any day now. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term -- a baby born before 37 weeks is premature and after 42 is post-term.) At your weekly visit, your doctor or midwife may check to see if you've started dilating (when the cervix opens) and effacing (when the cervix thins). The midwife will also check what position the baby is in, in order to estimate how far the baby has dropped into the pelvis. This information will be entered into your maternity notes so that your midwife in will know the position of the baby when you go into labour. 


http://www.babycenter.com.au/36-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2LOc34Px6

Feels like baby has moved down as I feel too much of pressure in pelvis. Not sure if she has engaged as I got very weak muscles so it's quite possible that she will float till the end. On 16th february, we are having my baby shower and Aarav's 3rd bday party. His birthday is on 28th feb but we doing it early as 28th might get too close to due date. I have selected Dinasour as his bday theme, have ordered all party supplies, got his dino t-shirt, his bday cake is also in shape of dinasour. Feel so excited. I haven't prepared my maternity bag. Most probably will do it after 16th. My in-laws have come to help us during the delivery and it feels nice to have them around. Specially, we don't need to worry about Aarav a lot as someone is here to look after him.

35 weeks of pregnancy

Baby now weighs about 5.25 pounds/ 2.4 kilograms and measures approximately 18 inches/ 45 centimetres from head to toe. His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. 

This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products. 

There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in your uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size. You've probably put on between 25 and 30 pounds/ 11 and 13.6 kilograms and your weight gain has hit its peak. Even your belly button has got bigger and has popped outward. You may be feeling breathless now that the top of your uterus is up under your ribs. Try getting down on all fours to take deeper breaths. Although the pressure on your bladder will make the bathroom your second home, don't drink any less water -- your baby needs the fluids. But you may like to cut down on diuretic drinks like tea and coffee, which will make you have to urinate even more often. 

http://www.babycenter.com.au/35-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2Kdm9tUQM

Day by day it's becoming very tiring. It feels amazing when ponyo protrudes her body parts out. Just in couple of weeks she will be out in my arms. I feel excited the same way I used to feel during Aarav's time. No matter, you are first or second time mom, every pregnancy makes you feel more happy.

Week 34 of pregnancy

Baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds 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.

Read more at http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg34&pe=MlVDRlhJcnwyMDEzMDEyOQ..

I went to see my obstetrician on tuesday(29th jan 2013) and we saw the baby happily kicking around. Her head has gone down but she hasn't engaged yet. Doc said as my muscles are very weak she might engage during the very last moment.
6 weeks more to go and my bundle of joy will be in my hands. Though I am excited about bub's arrival, somewhere I feel nervous about post natal recovery period. With muscles being so weak, it's going to be a tough time for me. My mom had an fracture in her left hand few weeks back and she got operated 3 days back. Hopefully in couple of weeks she will be fine. I miss my parents a lot, I really wish they were here to provide me emotional support.  My in-laws will be here soon , so that's some relief. Aarav will have someone to look after him when I will be in hospital. Don't know how will I stay without him in hospital. He sleeps with us during night and we both have become so much used to of it. I hope when bub arrives, he doesn't feel neglected.

Week 33 of pregnancy

Baby now weighs about 2 kilograms and measures approximately 44 centimetres from head to toe. Your baby should already be getting ready for delivery by turning upside-down -- his head should be pointing down. 

Your doctor or midwife will be paying careful attention to your baby's position in the coming weeks -- some babies do decide to turn back round again. 

Your baby's skull is still quite pliable and not completely joined, in part so he can ease out of the relatively narrow birth canal. But the bones in the rest of his body are hardening. Your baby's skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled. 

If you're a first-time mother, your child's head may move into the pelvis this week and press firmly against your cervix. (This happens for about half of all first-time mothers.) If you're a second-time mum, you can expect this to happen a week before labour -- and for some this won't happen until the start of labour. 

You may notice that your feet and ankles are quite swollen by the end of the day. Water retention, also known as oedema, is often worse in warm weather and late in the day. Surprisingly, keeping hydrated helps reduce water retention. Your body -- particularly your kidneys -- and your baby need plenty of fluids, so drink up. If you suddenly feel swollen or puffy in your hands or face, however, call your doctor -- it may be a sign of pre-eclampsia

http://www.babycenter.com.au/a778/fetal-development---33-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2IxJp834n

7 weeks more to go. For last 2 days, I have started feeling too much of pressure in my pelvis. Seems like, bub has moved down. I am seeing my obstetrician on next tuesday. I have to prepare my maternity bag now.
Ponyo's movement have decreased but she is awake during night time. Still not getting much of sleep. During day time, I feel very tired but by evening I feel bit energetic. I have to plan out Aarav's 3rd birthday and baby shower for next month.

Week 32 of pregnancy

Baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches / 42 centimetres long from head to toe. Although his lungs won't be fully developed until just before birth, your little one is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs and practise breathing. 

Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn't necessarily mean thick hair later on but children with fine hair in childhood usually have thinner hair in adulthood. 

If your baby is a boy, his testicles should be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Sometimes however, one or both testicles won't move into position until after birth. In two-thirds of all baby boys who have undescended testicles at birth, the condition corrects itself by the boy's first birthday. 

You're probably gaining a pound/ 450 grams a week, largely because your baby is likely to gain more than half his birthweight during the seven weeks before delivery. Make sure you are eating well in these last few weeks.

http://www.babycenter.com.au/a779/fetal-development---32-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2I5iUIXNN

Feel so relaxed now as Monday was my last working day. For last 2 days, touchwood, I am able to sleep little bit and don't feel very tired. Saw my obstetrician last week and we heard ponyo's heart beats. What an amazing feeling to have two hearts beating in one body. My in-laws will be coming here end of january, that's   bit of relief.  It will be nice to spend some time with them before bub comes out. Aarav's new child care is starting from 29th jan which is bit closer to where we live, so that's a relief as well. In the next few weeks, I have to finish lots of pending house work. Feel really good now that I don't have to worry about going to work for a year:)

Week 31 of pregnancy

Baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to her head. She weighs about 1.5 kilograms and looks more like a newborn. She measures about 41 centimetres from crown to toe. 

You may notice your baby isn't moving around as much. Don't worry; she's just running out of space in your uterus. As long as you can feel her squirming, you'll know she's just fine. Believe it or not, she still has plenty of growing to do. You can expect her to gain at least 900 grams more before delivery. 

Your baby's organs are continuing to mature and she is passing water from her bladder: good practice for the urinating she'll do after she's born. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for -- brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight. 

You've probably gained around 1.5 kilograms this month. Gaining 450 grams a week is quite normal during the last trimester as your baby has a final growth spurt before birth. 

http://www.babycenter.com.au/a780/fetal-development---31-weeks-pregnant#ixzz2I5hZPE7D

It has become very tiring now. For last few days , I have started getting mild pain around belly button which gets worse when I do little bit of exertion. My maternity leave is supposed to start from 28th jan but looks like I will be taking early leave. Seeing my obstetrician on thursday. I am not able to sleep now during nights because of heart burn . Ponyo gets very active during night time. when she goes to sleep, i too get some sleep :)