Pregnancy Update: 38 Weeks!

What's going on with me this week:

Babycentre says:

"If you don't know already, can you tell if you're carrying a boy or a girl? One hint may come from the size of your baby – boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls. Babies at week 39 weigh between 3kg and 3.2kg and continue to build the fat stores that will help regulate body temperature after birth".
What's I feel this week:

I'm not going to lie to you, I'm feeling pretty fed up this week.... I have been having severe mirgraines now for the past three weeks and have been in and out of hospital having blood tests. Luckily this week is half term which means my mum is at home and able to help with Cameron and give me a bit of a rest sometimes but I am dreading the next week or so after that as I will be alone with Cameron in the week and my migraines make it impossible to do anything. I am really hoping the consultant will be willing to at least try giving me a sweep prior to my due date if nothing happens on its own, but apparently they usually don't even worry until 41 weeks with your second.

I am massive now and finding it hard to walk around. I have been getting irregular tightenings every so often which are reasonably painful but go away after a little while so not progressing enough for labour just yet. I have also been having a lot of lower back pain and generally I am uncomfy in any position whether it be in bed on either side or sat on the settee. I have spent most of my time lately on my birth ball, not just hoping to get something started but as it is the only place I feel a bit comfortable.

I will be very relieved when this baby arrives, although I must admit I am also getting a bit nervous remembering the pain from the first time- eek! Apparently the full moon tonight is meant to bring on labour so cross your fingers for me....


What's going on with my baby this week:

Babycentre says:

"Your baby's organ systems are fully developed and in place, but his lungs will be last to reach maturity. Even after your baby is born, it may take a few hours before he establishes a normal breathing pattern. After he's born, he'll have a series of brief tests which will measure his health on what's called the Apgar scale.

Wondering what colour your baby's eyes will be? Most white European babies are born with dark blue eyes and their true eye colour – be it brown, green, grey or blue – may not reveal itself for weeks or months. The colour of your baby's eyes in the first minutes after birth won't last – exposure to light changes a baby's initial eye colour. Most babies of African and Asian descent have dark grey or brown eyes at birth, but it won't be clear what precise shade their eyes will be until after the first six months or year".
What my baby looks like inside this week:

What my bump looks like this week:

Ready to pop!

Pregnancy Diary: 36 Weeks!

What's going on with me this week:

Babycentre says:

"You may begin to feel an increased pressure in your lower belly 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 their 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. Babies between 37 weeks and 42 weeks are considered full-term. A baby born before 37 weeks is premature and after 42 weeks is post-term.

Your may have noticed that your breasts are leaking a little. This is quite normal. They are producing the rich, first milk called colostrum that will give your baby a great start in life. If you feel like you're going into labour, your doctor or midwife will check to see if the neck of your womb (cervix) is starting to open. They'll look to see if your cervix is dilating, or widening, and effacing, or thinning.

Your midwife will be keeping an eye on what position your baby is in, to estimate how far your baby has dropped into your pelvis. This information will be entered into your maternity notes so that your midwife will know the position of your baby when you go into labour".

What I feel this week:

The end is finally in sight! I feel great now I have reached 36 weeks. With only one week until I am full term and able to safely have the baby, I am starting to feel very excited to meet our baby girl. I still don't feel that I will get to my due date (though she will probably stay in and end up overdue just to prove me wrong now!). I have my consultant appointment and growth scan this week so will see whether the fluid levels around baby are still growing or have reached their peak. There is a chance that they could decide to induce or give me a C-section if the levels are continuing to rise so I am preparing myself for this possibility. I also have my 36 week checkup with the midwife tomorrow so am hoping everything is still ok when I see her. I had a bit of a scare at the end of last week as I have been having severe migraines. I have been given codeine for them but after taking one and feeling very spaced out and sick, I don't think I will be using them again. My boobs haven't leaked, though they have begun to feel very heavy and hard lately so they could be about to, which I am prepared for with plenty of breast pads! Overall I am trying to be positive, something I haven't been much over the last eight months. I will be attempting some of the old wives tales once I get to full term next week (watch out for a future post on what these old wives tales are and whether they have worked for other mums). I am struggling to walk far and feel very fat and unattractive at the moment but I know it will all be over soon and totally will have been worth it! It's just a waiting game now...

What's going on with my baby this week:

Babycentre says:

"Your baby is still gaining weight – about 28g a day. She weighs nearly 2.7kg and is about 47cm long from head to toe". (Not much this week basically!).

What my baby looks like inside this week:

What my bump looks like this week:

Mahussive....