Week 33: Pineapple (weight)

Upcoming schedule …
Tomorrow – pre-natal appointment
Friday – podiatry appointment AND Childbirth prep class
Saturday – Childbirth prep class
Sunday – Mother’s Day!!

Phew … lots going on!! And we’re running out of weekends for Mike and I to getaway for our babymoon. We need to figure that out!! Although these last few weekends have been really fun either going to Monterey, the Oakland Zoo or just relaxing. We might even try to go the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building before my parents leave! It’s been nice to be able to do these things … and we can’t wait to be able to do more when Mr. Futz gets here.

How your baby's growing:This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

How your life's changing: As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.

You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.
Many women are still feeling sexy at this stage — and their partners often agree. You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks or their labor starts.

3 Questions About... Monitoring your baby's movements

Q1.How often should I feel movements?
Your baby should be moving as frequently as she has for the last month or so. Every baby has her own pattern of activity and there's no correct one. As long as you don't notice any major changes in your baby's activity level, chances are she's doing just fine.

Q2.Do I need to keep track of my baby's kicks?
For an added sense of security, many practitioners recommend that after 28 weeks, you formally monitor your baby's movements at least once or twice a day. There are lots of different ways to do these "kick counts," so check with your caregiver about how she wants you to track your baby's movements. Here's one common approach: Choose a time of day when your baby tends to be active. (Ideally, you'll want to do the counts at roughly the same time each day.) Sit quietly or lie on your side so you won't get distracted. Time how long it takes for you to feel ten distinct movements — kicks, twitches, and whole body movements all count. You should feel at least ten movements within two hours. (Don't worry; it probably won't take that long. Sometimes you'll feel ten kicks within the first ten minutes.) If you don't feel ten movements in two hours, stop counting and call your midwife or doctor.

Q3.What should I do if I think my baby's movements have slowed down or changed?
Let your practitioner know right away if you notice a slowdown of your baby's movements. A decrease in fetal movement may signal a problem, and you'll need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby.

This Week's Activity:Wash your baby's clothing and bedding. You know all those adorable outfits you bought or received at your baby shower? You should wash anything that will go near your baby's skin to remove any irritants in the fabrics. The gentlest detergents are those designed for babies and those that are labeled hypoallergenic or good for sensitive skin.

As for me …

• I’m VERY proud to say … I’m still not waddling!!! I know it sounds silly but I do not want to waddle at all. I will only give myself the idea that it’s ok to waddle from week 38-40 but even then, if I can help it, I won’t waddle at all. In fact, I am still moving quite well thank you very much! Although finding comfy ways to sit and sleep are becoming more and more challenging as I am certainly getting bigger.
• No achiness or numbness in my fingers, hands or wrists. They are still working just as well as they used to. I will admit that my rings are getting a bit snug but still fitting pretty well.
• Although I have a kick count card I don’t use it. Because as a general rule, Mr. Futz is very active. I do realize that he may become a bit less active due to less space, but I’ve learned that instead of being less movement, it’s just more painful for me. I swear he’s rolling over when it hurts the most. It’s like his shoulder is going to POP out of my stomach at any moment. Regardless, I certainly pay attention to when he’s active and how active. This way if it is less … I know and can call L&D.
• Of which, this past weekend we took a quick gander at L&D at Kaiser in Walnut Creek when we were there for out class. We know that we’ll get a full tour but just wanted to be a bit more familiar with where it was since we’re so used to ONLY being at the Medical Offices there and NOT the hospital.
• This week’s activity, is hard when we have limited items to date simply because we haven’t had the shower yet. However, I will say that I have already purchased detergent, etc to wash his clothes and bedding. So when we have the shower and I can put together a load of laundry, I will be prepared.

Mike and I are still talking about maternity leave and when I’ll start. Figuring out a few last details and we’ll keep everyone posted. Although we’re looking at me either starting my leave on Monday June 7th or at least starting to work from home at that point.

Hope everyone has a great week … approximately 7 weeks and he’ll be here to great us all …

And to start this on the right foot of fun … go to this site and enter your guesses in for our baby pool. I’ll be emailing out the link to everyone else (family, friends, etc) later this week so we can get a decent # of entrants. Mike and I will come up with a prize for the winning guess!!!! http://bebepool.com/go/?a=babycivello

-- danielle & mike