36 Weeks!!!!!

July 5th-July 11th 

How Far Along: 36 weeks!!!  Only ONE more weeks until full term and 4 until due date!

Size of baby:  Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.

My baby this week: He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of his first bowel movement.  At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.

Sleep: What sleep? Sleep continues to elude me when I need it most. Can you say frustrating????!!!!! It usually takes me a while to fall asleep, and when I do, I wake up a couple hours later and continue to wake up every couple of hours or toss and turn all night. Not to mention-I have to get up at least three times a night to pee and with the congestion it is even harder to find a position that is comfortable enough to sleep in. What makes it even worse is that no matter how tired I am, I continue to sleep badly and then cannot fall asleep for a nap during the day. 

Best Moment of the Week: I got to see my baby on the ultrasound again this week and I actually got to see his sweet little face again. 

Movement: Of course, although I don't feel him move as much due to the lack of space he has to move around. I feel less kicks and more rolls. It is also really uncomfortable and at times painful. What is cool though is that I can usually feel where the baby is laying. 

Food cravings: Still loving the popsicles and soft serve ice cream. 

Gender: BOY!!!!!!

What I Miss: A good night's sleep. Yah I know, I probally won't be getting one for a long time. 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Making it to full term next week. 

Milestones: Making it to the ninth month of pregnancy!

Emotions: So tired of being pregnant, yet terrified and excited about labor happening. 

Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, cramps, pelvic pain, foot pain, exhaustion, lack of sleep, heart burn. The one good thing I have noticed is that my skin has cleared up and I seem to have lost some weight, as my clothes are fitting looser. Not complaining about that!