38 Weeks....we are nearly there

Development is complete, baby's main job is to gain weight. The body continues laying on the fat stores that will help regulate his body temperature after birth. The amniotic fluid, this is approximately equal to 4 or 5 cups.

Baby may have a full head of hair now, an inch or more long, but some babies are born with only peach fuzz. Speaking of hair, most of the downy coat of lanugo that covered the baby for weeks has disappeared, but you may see some on the upper back and shoulders when he arrives. Almost gone has most of the vernix caseosa, the whitish substance that also covered baby.

The baby will swallow the lanugo and exterior coating, along with other secretions, and store them in their bowels. These will become his first bowel movement, a blackish waste called meconium. The child's intestines are accumulating lots of meconium. About 30% of babies move their bowels before birth. Usually this is a sign that the baby is under some stress and can cause pneumonia if the baby inhales any amniotic fluid with meconium in it. If there are signs of meconium in the amniotic fluid at birth the care provider will make sure that the baby's throat and lungs are suctioned thoroughly.

This week, the baby weighs around seven and a half pounds and measures about 20 inches (51cm) head to toe. until delivery.

37 weeks........

The baby is considered term now.
The baby now has a good proportion of fat on their body, increasing from only 30 grams at 30 weeks, to around 430 grams at term (approximately 16% of their total body weight).
Some physical signs that indicate the baby is born on time is having small pads of breast tissue under their nipples (in both boys and girls) and fingernails reaching the tips of the fingers, often looking manicured!
The baby's overall growth slows down considerably now.
They do not grow as much in length and put on approximately 230 grams per week (about an ounce a day). Also, the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby slightly decreases from around 37 weeks
The baby has learned to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing so it can do all three when breastfeeding after birth. babies practice shallow breathing before birth, using amniotic fluid.

36 weeks

The baby's face has filled out significantly and looks smooth and plump.
Because the baby has powerful sucking muscles and has had layers of fat forming for quite some time now, the cheeks have filled out like a newborn's.
The baby's skull is firm, but not hard. Every baby's head has the ability to give slightly so that there is room for him to fit down the birth canal during delivery.

The amount of amniotic fluid is at its maximum amount now and the baby may not be moving as much as he had been.

The placenta is now one-sixth of the fetal weight.

35 Weeks, whats happening....

• The Baby is about 47cm crown to heel and weighs almost 3 Kg.
• The body is growing round due to developing fat layers.
• The baby's reflexes are coordinated.
• Lungs are almost fully developed.
• About 90% of babies born this week survive.

Most babies gain about half pound per week in the last month of pregnancy. Fat stores accumulate in the legs and arms. These layers of fat will help them regulate their body temperature. Baby still doesn't have enough fat deposits beneath its skin to keep warm outside the womb. If born now the baby would probably be put in an incubator, about 90% of babies born this week survive.

Lungs are almost fully developed. The baby's reflexes are coordinated, they turn their head, grasp firmly, and respond to sounds, light and touch. He is about 6 pounds and growing fast, it is getting short of space in the womb.

35 Weeks

Well we are officially on the home stretch. I didn't get to update after we saw the obstetrician so I will now...
We have a plan of sorts, If all goes well and bub cooperates we will be having a c-section on the 29th April at 39 weeks. They are fully booked the week before. After talking to the OB and discussing past birth history, baby size and the meaning of life we decided that this would be the best option for the baby and us. Not a decision taken lightly as no one wants to be cut open and the 6 weeks out of action is not ideal.
So my mum is coming to stay with the kids while I am in hospital and Darian will be on holidays for 3 weeks when his sister comes over from South Africa on the 10th May. So I will have someone home with me for the full 6 week recovery.

So as of today we only have 28 more days at the most until we meet our little man.

Baby Update....

Well yesterday Darian and I went and had our scan to check the size and fluid around the baby. I was a bit nervous as I really don't want another whopper like Matthew....

Well our little man is happy where he is and is weighing approx 2.6kg or 5lb 11oz, so he is just a little over average (about the size of a 36 weeker) and if he does what he should and only put on half a pound a week from now on he will only be between 8 and 9lb...which is fine by me...

He also has lots of fluid around him still so we were able to get some nice profile shots....

Talia has her new plate

I took Talia to the orthodontist yesterday to get her new plate inserted. She chose the bright pink one with glitter in it...very funky!

You cant notice it at all until she speaks, but I assured her that in a few days you wont hear the lisp. She was very excited about showing her friends at school.

She is to go back in 6 weeks to get it tightened.....right when bubs is due.

Yesterday after school she walked through the door and came straight to me for a cuddle, she then burst into tears "mum I am soooooo hungry I couldn't eat my lunch".....to poor baby.
She is finding everything including last nights ice cream difficult to eat...LOL
This morning she needed a panadol as her teeth are starting to ache being moved....I think we are in for a rocky few weeks...

There is no point taking photos as you cant tell she has anything in her mouth...

33 Weeks

The baby weighs about 2.1kg (2,100 grams or 4 lbs 10 oz) and measures about 45 cm in length (17.75 inches).

The baby is now fully formed physically and has a firm grasp reflex. They can now determine the difference between sweet and sour tastes. Premature babies born as early as 33 weeks have been observed to suck harder on a teat dipped in glucose. However, even unborn babies can detect subtle changes in the flavour of the amniotic fluid they float in. It is believed the fluid acts as a 'flavour bridge' to their mother's breast milk. Breast milk changes flavour depending on what the mother eats (such as sugar, garlic or curry) and so does the amniotic fluid. Observations of unborn babies have demonstrated that they swallow more frequently when surrounded by sweet tastes and swallow less fluid if it tastes bitter or sour.

With the exception of crying, the baby is capable of doing everything that a newborn baby will do. The baby is restricted now inside of the uterus, but still can kick and move. The baby sleeps alot of the time, just as newborn babies do. The baby's eyes move in the manner of REM sleep and researchers believe that babies can dream vividly in utero. When the baby is awake, he is listening, feeling and learning. There are billions of neurons in the brain that make trillions of connections. The baby will probably have settled into the birth position by now and your caregiver can most likely tell which way the baby is presenting.

32 Weeks

The baby is about 44 cm long (17.25 inches) and approximately 1,900 grams in weight (1.9 kg or 4lb 3 oz). The baby's lungs continue to mature, producing increasing amounts of surfactant. This is a fatty liquid (phospholipid) that lines their lungs, assisting the tiny sacs within (called alveoli) to expand efficiently for breathing after birth. The baby's sucking and swallowing action (required to drink milk) fully coordinates between 32 to 34 weeks.


Today I went and saw the obstetrician and all is well. My blood pressure is perfect and I am huge, I saw a new doctor today (government hospital) and the first thing he said was " you look more like 36 weeks not 32"...great start. I then had to go through the plan with him, the whole size scan at 37 weeks and then depending on the size of bubs depends on how he comes out.
Well the doc measured my fundus and I am measuring 38 cm....which concerns not only him but me as well...the baby still is sitting high. The heart beat was sitting a nice steady 150 beats per min...so the plan has changed

I am to go for a size scan before my next appoint at 34 weeks to check for the size of bubs and the amount of fluid surrounding him.

31 Weeks...

The baby weighs about 1.7kg (1,700 grams or 3 lbs 12 oz) and measures about 43 cm from head to toe (just under 17 inches).
He has now put on enough weight to make him look a little chubby! The fine hair that covered their entire body (called lanugo) disappears from his face, but remains on his body. Most unborn babies sleep about 90% of the time, in between short bursts of movement when awake (every 1 to 2 hours). It is common for babies to be active during the evenings, when their mother is trying to sleep, between 9pm and 1am!

This week marks an incredible milestone in baby's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in baby's lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in baby's lungs. Surfactant prevents baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. The baby can hear my voice and other familiar sounds that he will recognize after birth. He is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin's color is pink instead of red at this point. His fingernails have grown to the end of his fingers and he may scratch herself while he is in the womb.

Well we are down to the single digit countdown and I cant wait. Only 6 weeks until our size ultrasound and then things will start to happen. I am having trouble sleeping with the pain in my back and hips but I know I will have even less sleep when he is out :)

We have had confirmation from our Real estate agent that we can sign for another year, so this is good news...no moving house for another year...great relief...

and my husband has organized broadband for me :)....this has been an on going saga as before we couldn't have it because we would loose our international rates to South Africa and that was more important. I can live with dial up....but good news is that they have changed their policy and now we can have both....just waiting for the modem to be sent out....10 to 14 very long working days....

30 weeks

The baby has grown to be about 42 cm long from head to toe (16.5 inches) and approximately 1,500 grams (1.5 kg) in weight (3lb 5oz).
The baby's brain is increasing in size and complexity and the pupils of their eyes can now respond to light, allowing the baby to focus more readily and see dim shapes. The baby now has definite sleep and wake patterns, although they may sleep up to 95% of the time and have noticeable rapid eye movements (REM), which indicates they may be dreaming! Many women notice their baby tends to be more active when they are resting, perhaps because when you move your body naturally rocks your baby to sleep.



well I am 3/4 of the way through my last pregnancy and the way I feel at the moment it cant end too soon. I feel huge and I know I look huge because strangers ask how over due I am or am I having twins...this is so not funny any more.

That's enough of my whinging, I know I should be grateful that I have a happy and healthy baby kicking inside me....

29 weeks and a catch up...

At this stage the baby weighs about 1,350 grams (3 lbs) and measures about 40 cm in length from head to toe (15.75 inches).
The baby is now developing a special layer of fat called brown adipose tissue (or BAT). BAT is the baby's main source of heat production after birth (similar to the fat of hibernating animals). Newborns have a limited ability to shiver, sweat or move to regulate their own body temperature. By 40 weeks, BAT makes up 2 to 7 % of the baby's total body weight. Premature babies have trouble keeping warm after birth because they lack BAT. This is why they are cared for with overhead heaters or humidicribs in intensive care nurseries.


So apart from a ever expanding girth ( will get a photo on soon, I promise) I am doing OK. The pregnancy is going well and the little man is moving all the time. I am getting extreme back pain when I sleep and try to turn over or get up. I have spoken to the doctor and its just my ligaments stretching and not being happy about it. Apparently its going to get worse not better..lucky me.
The heart burn has settled down and apart from being tired late in the day I am feeling good.
I have started to nest. We have moved Meg and Matthew around. Matthew is now in the smaller bedroom as he is by himself and we have moved Meg into the big room as she will be sharing her room with the baby once he goes into his cot, as well as Sharon (Darian's sister) will be sharing with Meg when shy flies from South Africa in May....

I have done all the shopping I need for the baby, apart from nappies. I Will get them once I know how big this boy will be...

The girls are doing fine, they love their new school and have started walking too and from. This has been making my life a bit easier.
Eloise is loving her riding lessons. She has started to canter this past weekend.
Talia's big news is that I finally got her seen by a orthodontist....and just after her birthday she will be fitted with a plate to start moving that front tooth back. She will still need top and bottom braces but not until she is 13 or 14.

Matthew has just had a growth spurt, he has gotten tall all of the sudden and his speech is slowly getting better. He is seeing a O.T once a week who is not only working on his fine motor skills but is working on his balance and coordination.
Matthew has also started going to daycare one day a week, he has only been once and enjoyed it. They are aware of his delays and are really good with him....

So that's it in a nut shell. I will get Talia to take some photos this afternoon and post them.... :)

27 weeks.......

The baby is now 37cm long from head to toe (14.8 inches) and weighs about 1,100 grams (2lb 7 oz).
The baby is now developing their immune system, as natural antibodies pass from my blood stream to them through the placenta. The baby is now capable of coordinating a suck and swallow action, needed to drink milk after being born. However, this reflex does not fully mature until about 34 to 36 weeks. The baby may look around and is capable of distinguishing light from dark and tracking movement.

First Day Of School

Today is the first day back to school for the girls, Talia starts year 5 and Eloise starts year 2.
Not only is it the first day for the school year but their first at their new school.
It didn't start off good. I was up until 5am with Matthew who had nightmares all night
(ahhh 3, the age of fears) so I was a cranky mummy. I hate feeling like that, so the girls fed off my crankiness.

They both did not want the first day of school photos taken. So we have cranky kid photos


We arrived at the school early so that we could settle in. Talia found her desk, all of them had their names on so it was easy to get her settled. She is sitting with 3 other girls. I said good bye and went to Eloise's class.
This however did not go so well. She ended in tears from nerves and of course with all the pregnancy hormones running through my body I ended up crying too. I managed to wait till I got out of the class room before breaking down in racking sobs....Matthew had a good play on the playground while I composed my self...

3pm came quickly and I was glad to see a smiling Eloise at the end of the day, she even made some new friends as did Talia....I even got "Mum we don't want to leave this school"

So after a horrible start the end was good....

26 weeks.....

By this week, the baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 35 cm. Remember that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include his leg measurements! Your baby weighs almost 950 gms and is beginning to put on weight.

The baby would now recognize my voice and may be calmed by the sound of it (observed by their heart rate slowing). They may also recognize his dad’s voice and different types of music. When observing unborn babies with ultrasound they can respond to relaxing music by turning towards it, and curl up and away from very loud rock, rap and pop type music. Studies have also shown that newborns may be soothed by particular sounds after birth (as long as the baby is not hungry). One soothing sound is 'white noise', a mixture of low, middle and high tones from the full spectrum of the human ear. White noise can be created by the sound of a vacuum cleaner or the inside of a car traveling

25 weeks......

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 33 cm and the weight has increased to around 800grams and fat is still being deposited at a high rate.
The baby's eyelids are no longer fused, so they can now open their eyes and blink! It is also possible for the baby to respond to bright light (such as shining a torch through the belly). Newborns have vision that is perfectly focused from about 20 to 30 cm, usually as far away as the face of the person holding them!

24 Weeks......

This week the baby's crown-to-rump length is around 22 cms and the baby will weigh approximately 1.2 pounds. Although it weighs a little over a pound at this point, the growing baby is still tiny. The baby's face is basically complete now. The fetus's eyes are close together on the front of his face and they are still shut. The baby's ears have moved into their final position on the sides of his head. Where they are now is where they will be when the baby is born! Hair will continue to grow on his scalp and his eyelashes are well developed. Most of the baby's features look the same as they will at birth. Because the growing baby is getting plumper, he no longer has room in your tummy to do cartwheels and somersaults.

23 Weeks....

This week the baby's length, from crown-to-rump, is approximately 20 cm and the growing baby has finally reached one pound. The baby is about the size of a small baby doll and looks very human. The baby's face and body look similar to that of a newborn at this time.

Fat is still being deposited at a rapid rate, but the baby still looks red and wrinkled. Skin is being produced at a higher rate than the fat is, so the skin hangs loosely. The baby looks red because the skin is losing its transparency and pigment is beginning to form. I am able to feel the baby moving quite a bit throughout the day as he kicks and punches the uterus walls. Babies also run their hands along the umbilical cord and touch their body parts while they are in the womb. The baby now can suck his thumb for real, where he was just sticking it in her mouth. He will continue to swallow amniotic fluid and recycle it as urine. The liquids and sugars that the baby retracts from the fluid is a supplement to the nutrients that the placenta delivers. The pancreas is developing and it will responsible for insulin production, to help break down sugars.

Eloise first riding lesson....

Eloise had her first riding lesson today. She was very excited but scared at the same time. Her little head did not fit any school helmets so we had to borrow the instructors daughters.

Eloise was wonderful. She learnt to mount up, walk on, halt and started the basics of sitting and rising trot...

After the half hour she was exhausted but excited about going again in a fortnight...

22 Weeks....

The baby is approx 26 cm in length and weights 550 grams

The baby’s body continues to grow and develop every day. The organ systems in the baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. The fetal liver produces different enzymes than it will produce after delivery. The liver is responsible for breaking down billirubin, which is produced by the breaking down of blood cells. Because the life span of a fetal red blood cell is shorter than that of an adult, a fetus produces more billirubin than adults do. Billirubin passes from fetal blood to the placenta and then into your blood. Your liver helps get rid of fetal billirubin. A newborn baby that has high levels of billirubin may show signs of jaundice. Jaundiced babies have a yellowish tint to their eyes and skin and are often treated with phototherapy.

The baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about his body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and the baby may stroke its face or feel his arms and legs.