babycentre says..
35 weeks pregnant
By this stage, your baby doesn't have much room to roam. Your little one is so snug in your uterus that you may notice he doesn't seem to be moving around as much anymore. Don't be surprised if you see an arm, elbow or knee poking against the skin of your tummy as he stretches and squirms, though. His head may drop down into your pelvis ready for birth — this is known as "engagement" — although some babies, especially second or later ones, don't engage before labour begins.
I say...he's moving loads! he is engaged though! his little head is tucked in there and he's just squirming away. i see he's flailing arms, legs and hands as well as his bum which he likes to estle into my ribs. it's very very uncomfrotable, but cute!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Today's Scan
They say I'm 34 weeks and five days pregnant. The scan went well. Bronco buried his head in my pelvis. still always trying to hide when he sees the camera. he moved quite a lot and the scanner kept having to chase him and take the photos quickly before he moved again. he's facing my left arm. we couldn't take his head measurements becasue he was too far down. i hope that doesn't mean he's engaged! becasue i couldn't get a good view while she was measuring him, i asked for another view of his face. she zoomed up and focussed on his face where he promptly stuck his tongue out at us! we both laughed! he's such a little character already! he's done some funny stuff in his scans. although he's a big baby he's still inhuman range thankfully! next appointment is next week...
Sunday, August 5, 2007
35 weeks and counting down
iVillage says...
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU
This last month of pregnancy is a busy time. You'll need to pack your bag if you will be giving birth in a hospital or birthing center, arrange for child care of your other children and care of the house and pets, buy diapers and baby clothes and a car seat (essential!). You might also want to make an appointment with a pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner to ask about newborn exams and tests and find out if the staff is supportive of breastfeeding.
I say... thank god for Carolyn! she's already got most of what i need together in a bag. stuff i would have never thought of without asking other mums. I bought his clothes for the entire first year at three months, so I'm certainly set there! i haven't managed to get a car seat yet though. I've already done the breastfeeding class, so fingers crossed.
iVillage says...
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
The average baby weighs about 5 pounds at 35 weeks and is about 15 inches in length, but then again an "average" baby can just as commonly weigh 7 pounds at this gestational age. During the last six weeks of pregnancy, your baby will put on most of his or her weight. In general, babies gain about half a pound per week in the last important month of gestation.
I say... I'll find out tomorrow at my scan! i had loooooads of braxton hicks today, so he must be running out of room. i was at the top of a ladder putting away clothes when i got the strongest ones. i had to brace the ladder and the wardrobe until they went away. i have a few more things to put away, but i may just wait until the morning. double height ceilings are no place to spend time during pregnancy!
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU
This last month of pregnancy is a busy time. You'll need to pack your bag if you will be giving birth in a hospital or birthing center, arrange for child care of your other children and care of the house and pets, buy diapers and baby clothes and a car seat (essential!). You might also want to make an appointment with a pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner to ask about newborn exams and tests and find out if the staff is supportive of breastfeeding.
I say... thank god for Carolyn! she's already got most of what i need together in a bag. stuff i would have never thought of without asking other mums. I bought his clothes for the entire first year at three months, so I'm certainly set there! i haven't managed to get a car seat yet though. I've already done the breastfeeding class, so fingers crossed.
iVillage says...
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
The average baby weighs about 5 pounds at 35 weeks and is about 15 inches in length, but then again an "average" baby can just as commonly weigh 7 pounds at this gestational age. During the last six weeks of pregnancy, your baby will put on most of his or her weight. In general, babies gain about half a pound per week in the last important month of gestation.
I say... I'll find out tomorrow at my scan! i had loooooads of braxton hicks today, so he must be running out of room. i was at the top of a ladder putting away clothes when i got the strongest ones. i had to brace the ladder and the wardrobe until they went away. i have a few more things to put away, but i may just wait until the morning. double height ceilings are no place to spend time during pregnancy!
Gestational Diabetes & General Update
In the US it is normal practice to test for gestational diabetes, but it is not normal here in the UK. I'm sure it's a cost-saving measure to avoid routine testing. Typically the NHS will monitor glucose levels through sporadic blood tests and urine. However, these aren't always reliable tests unless you're specifically looking for gestational diabetes. I requested a Gestational Tolerance Test and was told I didn't need one. I was adamant that I wanted one. I wanted one, because I had concerns before my pregnancy that I might be hypoglycemic and also because my grandmother had type II diabetes.
after fasting you consume sugar water and they monitor your glucose over a three hour period. if one of your tests is high for glucose they assume you're normal enough. if two or more or high they diagnose you with gestational diabetes. i had two that came back borderline and so i am now being treated as having gestational diabetes. this means i take five blood tests a day to monitor and record glucose levels. basically, gestational diabetes occurs when the body is fighting itself to give what the mother needs after having given the baby what he needs. the mother can lose out in the 26th week and require additional insulin through injection and a change of diet which excludes all sugars like other diabetics. luckily, most often gestational diabetes goes away after birth. chances are increased by 50% that the mother will contract diabetes later on and potentially with future pregnancies. gestational diabetes can be managed effectively through diet and proper care. it is on the rise in most parts of the world.
during my last visit they wanted me to start injecting insulin, but i asked for more time to manage the diabetes through diet. i had only removed sugar and fruit juice from my diet prior to my last appointment. now, I've removed all carbs, fruit juice, all beverages except water and non-decaffeinated tea and am eating five times a day of smaller portions. i am allowing myself one small starbux chai tea a day, so that i don't go completely off the wagon. it's a big lifestyle change for me. it's hard to remember to do the blood tests and to eat, so I have my phone set as an alarm to remind me to do this at various points throughout the day.
I am trying to avoid insulin, because once you're on insulin they classify you as high risk. this means that they may look at inducing me on the 29th of august rather than me going completely naturally where the baby decides to come on his own. they do this to avoid risk to the baby and also to the mother, but primarily to the baby. babies delivered via induction are typically more challenging births. this also means that I'd be on a drip and unable to do a water birth which is my preferred approach. I have an appointment for a scan tomorrow, so we'll see how things are progressing. So far, bambino is in perfect condition and in position for delivery.
i am listening to my hypnobirthing guided meditations and hypnosis which is all about how natural (and peaceful!) childbirth can be. the woman's voice is very calming and I'll have it with me on the day i deliver to help in whatever way it might. I'm also practicing breathing and visualisation of the type of birth I'd like to have.
i think he may come early... i have so much left to do to prepare the flat for the baby shower and for his arrival as well as my mom's arrival, that i hope he doesn't come too early! my mom's just had knee replacement surgery which is obviously fairly serious, so I'm a bit worried that she won't have enough recovery time. i want her to get better and i also don't want to be in the position where i have no one to look after mer much less me having to look after three people when I'm physically weak. hopefully i won't experience the baby blues like so many as that would all be a bit to much really. positive thinking! they're going to let her fly, so she must be okay enough to fly... some people get very depressed after major surgeries, i hope she's able to avoid this...
speaking of depressing, my cousin died in a freak accident recently. it still feels surreal as i had just been speaking to my cousins on email about flying out to London for a visit. We were debating about whether they should come for the shower or after or possibly even before and met the baby during my US trip in December. He was walking the dog, stopped by to talk to a neighbour and while they were talking the neighbour's car started to roll down the drive. Keith tried to stop the car (he's a big guy), but lost his footing. my cousin Lori, his wife, is struggling. they had only been married just over a year. it was their first marriage having waited 40 years to make that commitment. shocking really. we must all feel thankful for our own lives, even when things get stressful, we still have our friends, family and our future.
well, back to the flat for me! more stuff to finish and less energy to do it with! i really do love pregnancy, but i really am getting a bit worn down... I'll have to stop working soon. my office thinks I'm nuts for still working, but they still want me to be at meetings etc etc.... we're small, so it's understandable. i do love my work though, so i don't want to stop. my body is telling me i must though. I'll finish off the big stuff and hand over the other stuff soon...
after fasting you consume sugar water and they monitor your glucose over a three hour period. if one of your tests is high for glucose they assume you're normal enough. if two or more or high they diagnose you with gestational diabetes. i had two that came back borderline and so i am now being treated as having gestational diabetes. this means i take five blood tests a day to monitor and record glucose levels. basically, gestational diabetes occurs when the body is fighting itself to give what the mother needs after having given the baby what he needs. the mother can lose out in the 26th week and require additional insulin through injection and a change of diet which excludes all sugars like other diabetics. luckily, most often gestational diabetes goes away after birth. chances are increased by 50% that the mother will contract diabetes later on and potentially with future pregnancies. gestational diabetes can be managed effectively through diet and proper care. it is on the rise in most parts of the world.
during my last visit they wanted me to start injecting insulin, but i asked for more time to manage the diabetes through diet. i had only removed sugar and fruit juice from my diet prior to my last appointment. now, I've removed all carbs, fruit juice, all beverages except water and non-decaffeinated tea and am eating five times a day of smaller portions. i am allowing myself one small starbux chai tea a day, so that i don't go completely off the wagon. it's a big lifestyle change for me. it's hard to remember to do the blood tests and to eat, so I have my phone set as an alarm to remind me to do this at various points throughout the day.
I am trying to avoid insulin, because once you're on insulin they classify you as high risk. this means that they may look at inducing me on the 29th of august rather than me going completely naturally where the baby decides to come on his own. they do this to avoid risk to the baby and also to the mother, but primarily to the baby. babies delivered via induction are typically more challenging births. this also means that I'd be on a drip and unable to do a water birth which is my preferred approach. I have an appointment for a scan tomorrow, so we'll see how things are progressing. So far, bambino is in perfect condition and in position for delivery.
i am listening to my hypnobirthing guided meditations and hypnosis which is all about how natural (and peaceful!) childbirth can be. the woman's voice is very calming and I'll have it with me on the day i deliver to help in whatever way it might. I'm also practicing breathing and visualisation of the type of birth I'd like to have.
i think he may come early... i have so much left to do to prepare the flat for the baby shower and for his arrival as well as my mom's arrival, that i hope he doesn't come too early! my mom's just had knee replacement surgery which is obviously fairly serious, so I'm a bit worried that she won't have enough recovery time. i want her to get better and i also don't want to be in the position where i have no one to look after mer much less me having to look after three people when I'm physically weak. hopefully i won't experience the baby blues like so many as that would all be a bit to much really. positive thinking! they're going to let her fly, so she must be okay enough to fly... some people get very depressed after major surgeries, i hope she's able to avoid this...
speaking of depressing, my cousin died in a freak accident recently. it still feels surreal as i had just been speaking to my cousins on email about flying out to London for a visit. We were debating about whether they should come for the shower or after or possibly even before and met the baby during my US trip in December. He was walking the dog, stopped by to talk to a neighbour and while they were talking the neighbour's car started to roll down the drive. Keith tried to stop the car (he's a big guy), but lost his footing. my cousin Lori, his wife, is struggling. they had only been married just over a year. it was their first marriage having waited 40 years to make that commitment. shocking really. we must all feel thankful for our own lives, even when things get stressful, we still have our friends, family and our future.
well, back to the flat for me! more stuff to finish and less energy to do it with! i really do love pregnancy, but i really am getting a bit worn down... I'll have to stop working soon. my office thinks I'm nuts for still working, but they still want me to be at meetings etc etc.... we're small, so it's understandable. i do love my work though, so i don't want to stop. my body is telling me i must though. I'll finish off the big stuff and hand over the other stuff soon...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
pix from the electric weekend
Whoah, momma! These were taken on my terrace after a long non-boozy brunch at the Electric in Notting Hill.
34 weeks pregnant - the home stretch
babycentre says...
Let the countdown begin. This week marks the beginning of your last month of pregnancy. By now your baby should have fully developed lungs (the better for crying with when she's born). If you're worried about going into premature labour, you'll be happy to know that babies born at 35 weeks or beyond have an excellent chance of being healthy and strong.
I say...it's the homestretch! speaking of stretch...luckily no stretch marks and so hoping the last month won't reveal any! no third eye - aka popped out belly button! no linea nigra, an unsightly dark line of pigmentation, that typically appears down the centre of a pregnant woman's abdomen either! i got lucky in those three areas! of course, no one has actually seen my belly except the midwives who say how lucky i am. am i really that lucky if only the midwives know? probably, because at least i don't have to see them!
Let the countdown begin. This week marks the beginning of your last month of pregnancy. By now your baby should have fully developed lungs (the better for crying with when she's born). If you're worried about going into premature labour, you'll be happy to know that babies born at 35 weeks or beyond have an excellent chance of being healthy and strong.
I say...it's the homestretch! speaking of stretch...luckily no stretch marks and so hoping the last month won't reveal any! no third eye - aka popped out belly button! no linea nigra, an unsightly dark line of pigmentation, that typically appears down the centre of a pregnant woman's abdomen either! i got lucky in those three areas! of course, no one has actually seen my belly except the midwives who say how lucky i am. am i really that lucky if only the midwives know? probably, because at least i don't have to see them!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
31 weeks...
it occurred to me for the first time today that my being pregnant brings me one step closer to death. every day brings us one step closer to expiration, but key life stages really make you contemplate the next life stage and reflect on the previous one. i was watching the Edith Piaf film at the cinema tonight after having spent the day with Carolyn and her new crew and preparing the guest room for my mom. watching the film made me think about how very little anything but you're children, parents and siblings really mean. of course, there are a very select few people that might fall into the category of immediate family. i just want to make sure when i diei can feel like i didn't fuck up too many times as a parent. the last few days have been tough emotionally/hormonally. I've been able to keep it all in perspective, but the tears are certainly free flowing! must be hard for men to empathise. it's bizarre for me even when I'm in the moment, because i don't really feel sad from a logical or intellectual standpoint, but the hormones really do take over and i just cry. i'll be glad for that part to be over and a few tears is certainly worth the joy of the baby.
i'm trying to eat helthy, but it's hard when you don't cook. i'm not eating poorly at all, but i'd lik eto have more fresh organic vegetables in my diet. i've added fruit which was a big change for me. cutting out alcohol was another big change, but that was easy.
ivillage says...
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU
At this point you may be quite eager for your pregnancy to end and your baby to be born. Aches and pains, along with feelings of anxiety, may be on the rise. Your body might be weighing you down, and weird stuff (like false contractions and vaginal secretions) is starting to pop up. The final weeks may begin to drag, but you're very near the finish line now.
Read more about Body Changes.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
The digestive track is nearly mature, but the last few weeks in utero are critical for the lungs. In fact, one of the biggest problems experienced by premature babies is underdeveloped lungs. But if your little one decides to emerge before your due date, there is much that can be done in the hospital to get them -- and the rest of that little body -- ready to go home.
Read more about The Premature Baby.
it occurred to me for the first time today that my being pregnant brings me one step closer to death. every day brings us one step closer to expiration, but key life stages really make you contemplate the next life stage and reflect on the previous one. i was watching the Edith Piaf film at the cinema tonight after having spent the day with Carolyn and her new crew and preparing the guest room for my mom. watching the film made me think about how very little anything but you're children, parents and siblings really mean. of course, there are a very select few people that might fall into the category of immediate family. i just want to make sure when i diei can feel like i didn't fuck up too many times as a parent. the last few days have been tough emotionally/hormonally. I've been able to keep it all in perspective, but the tears are certainly free flowing! must be hard for men to empathise. it's bizarre for me even when I'm in the moment, because i don't really feel sad from a logical or intellectual standpoint, but the hormones really do take over and i just cry. i'll be glad for that part to be over and a few tears is certainly worth the joy of the baby.
i'm trying to eat helthy, but it's hard when you don't cook. i'm not eating poorly at all, but i'd lik eto have more fresh organic vegetables in my diet. i've added fruit which was a big change for me. cutting out alcohol was another big change, but that was easy.
ivillage says...
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU
At this point you may be quite eager for your pregnancy to end and your baby to be born. Aches and pains, along with feelings of anxiety, may be on the rise. Your body might be weighing you down, and weird stuff (like false contractions and vaginal secretions) is starting to pop up. The final weeks may begin to drag, but you're very near the finish line now.
Read more about Body Changes.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
The digestive track is nearly mature, but the last few weeks in utero are critical for the lungs. In fact, one of the biggest problems experienced by premature babies is underdeveloped lungs. But if your little one decides to emerge before your due date, there is much that can be done in the hospital to get them -- and the rest of that little body -- ready to go home.
Read more about The Premature Baby.
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