33 Weeks

The baby is using its lungs to practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid. Your baby is drinking about a pint of amniotic fluid a day now and urinating the same amount. The early baby fuzz, lanugo, is disappearing now and being replaced by actual hair. The nails of your baby are now long enough to reach to the tip of the fingers or beyond and may need trimming as soon as they are born. They may scratch their face even before birth.You may gain a pound a week for the rest of your pregnancy. Do not stop eating or start skipping meals as your weight increases. Both you and your baby need the calories and nutrition you receive from a healthy diet. Calcium intake is extremely important during pregnancy because the baby will draw calcium from the mother to make and harden bone. This can greatly weaken her own bones and teeth because the developing fetus will take minerals from the mother's skeletal structure as needed.

32 Weeks

During this time the baby sleeps most of the day. The uterus is getting to be a small space for the baby to move about, so you may have noticed a decrease in your baby's movements. The baby is still trying to move frequently but it just does not have enough room. The baby will turn its head from side to side and move its hands. As space in your uterus becomes more cramped, your baby's kicks and other movements may seem less forceful. The baby will now weigh about 4 pounds. Half of your weight gain now will go directly to baby.

Follow-up Appointment

Starting a new medication for this bladder "stuff". I have to give it two weeks to see if it will give me some relief. Lucas had a heartrate of 152 and of course kicking the machine like always!! Following appointments scheduled: Wednesday, November 4th ~33 Week Appointment and Wednesday, November 25th ~ 36 Week Ultrasound Appointment. I am really looking forward to seeing Lucas in the ultrasound and see how much he actually weighs. Trying to stay healthy with this crazy H1N1 flu going around our school but my doctor told me she thinks there will be a shipment of vaccines in next week. I am calling the health departement tomorrow to get put on the list. Keep your fingers crossed...I am at high risk for the flu with being pregnant and my autoimmune disorder!

Another Hospital Visit...

Nurse June and I in the triage

I had another hospital visit on Friday, October 16th and hopefully the last until Lucas is ready to come. Andrew is too funny and snapped this on his phone without either of us knowing. June was a lot of fun and had us laughing the whole time! I was still having some of the same symptoms after finishing my antibotic from the bladder infection. My doctor sent me to the hospital for some fluids and meds through an iv and to have an ultrasound on my kidneys. The tests just showed that I had collic kindeys at this time and everything was ok. I have a follow-up appointment on Tuesday.

31 Weeks

Your baby continues to grow. Baby's lungs and digestive tract are very near to being mature. Now that almost all of the major organs are functioning, growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores. Baby's weight gain will exceed its growth in length from now on. He or she should more than double their weight again between now and birth. He weighs about 3.5 pounds and crown to rump length is 16.5 inches.

A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump. Baby may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that they may also prefer some types of music to others at this stage. The eyes can now completely open and the irises are now responsive to light, dilating and contracting as needed.

30 Weeks

For several months, the umbilical cord has been the baby's lifeline to the mother. Nourishment is transferred from the mother’s blood, through the placenta, and into the umbilical cord to the fetus. Their bone marrow is now responsible for red cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes. Your baby begins storing iron, calcium and phosphorus.

The fetus now weighs about 3 pounds. He will gain about half a pound a week until week 38. Baby is getting fatter and beginning to control its own body temperature. Baby continues to put on fat stores and the major weight gains will occur in the coming weeks. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing, eyelids are opening and closing.

You may be starting to experience some swelling of your ankles and legs. If you have not experience swelling yet, it is highly probable that you will, as approximately 40 to 75 percent of women experience mild swelling related to pregnancy.

Your uterus is now about 4 inches above your bellybutton. It may feel like you are running out of room as your uterus grows up under your ribs. However, your fetus, placenta and uterus will continue to get larger, you still have 10 weeks to go. The average weight gain during pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds. About half of this weight is concentrated in the growth of the uterus, the placenta, the baby and in the volume of amniotic fluid. At this point, you should be gaining about a pound a week.

Update on Appointment...Follow up from ER

I went to the doctor today after not being able to do anything this whole weekend! I was told I had a bad bladder infection. It did not show up on the ER urinalysis which sometimes happens. Just glad they caught it today because in pregnant women these can lead to kidney infections that will put you in the hospital for treatment. That is why I was having cramping, pressure and contractions. I will be on medicine for a couple of weeks to treat the infection. I am allowed back to work though...thank goodness! I do not know what I would do at home for the next 8-10 weeks...waiting for little Lucas! I am really going to make sure that I do slow down a bit at work though. Sometimes I do overdo it!! My next appointment is October 20th so I will let you know how that goes. I do have an ultrasound coming up...I can't wait to see what he looks like!

Oh...I almost forgot the best news!!! I did pass the glucose test and I am not diabetic and I was also tested for a blood disorder, FACTOR V, since it runs in my family. My doctor said she would go ahead and test for it since it can be a problem during and after pregnancy and because I have Scleroderma and VonWillebrands Disease. I tested negative for this!! I was so excited!!!

First ER visit

I ended up having my first ER visit with little Lucas. I was not feeling too good Friday morning and ended up having some unusual cramping later that afternoon that became stonger as I walked around my classroom. I was told by the nurse on call at my doctors office to go to the ER. I was not in any pain, just uncomfortable. I was told I was having some contractions and I could see them on the monitor. Lucas thinks those monitors are soccer balls...everytime they put one of those up to my tummy or even to hear his heartbeat each visit, he kicks them. He is too funny and already has a great personality like his Daddy. They gave me a shot to stop the contractions and I felt much better. I was not dialated and my cervix was still closed so they sent me home with some preterm labor preventions...pretty much bed rest until I talk to me doctor on Monday (today). I thought I had some time to type so I would let you all know what was going on and continue the story after my talk or visit with the doctor today.

29 Weeks

The baby's head is growing bigger to accommodate the brain, which is busy developing billions of neurons. The eyes can move in their sockets. They may be able to follow a blinking light. As well as your baby's increasing sensitivity to changes in light, they may also be able to taste. Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences or dislike for particular tastes at this stage.
Baby is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, they will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if baby is performing somersaults for an olympic gold medal. Baby may be performing fewer movements because living conditions in the womb are becoming more cramped. The baby is still doing a lot of kicking and stretching. Some of your baby's kicks and punches may even take your breath away.
Baby hears things better from the vibrations all around, and can now distinguish real sounds and voices. Do not forget to continue to 'teach' your baby in the womb by exposing them to music, literature, and simply talking to them. At this stage baby eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall.
At week twenty nine, your baby measures about 15 inches and weighs about 2.5 pounds.

28 Weeks Update of Appointment

I went for my appointment and gestational diabetes test. Lucas's heartbeat was great and he is moving all around! Some kicks are so strong they wake me up at night. I did not pass my hour glucose test for gestational diabetes and I am going for the three hour test Monday, September 28. The doctor said this does not mean I will or will not have it. Some patients fail the hour and pass the three hour. I will have that done on Monday and find out 2 days later. If I do not pass it, I will go to a class to start a diet and that should help. If not I will have to give myself insulin shots but, only until Lucas is born. I will be seeing the doctor every two weeks now. Andrew and I are attending a birthing class on November 14th at the doctors office. I have been very active at work with my kindergarteners. They have been keeping me on my feet all day! It is my first year teaching the inlcusion class. I am going to be starting this week and taking Mondays off until Lucas is born. My joints and muscles from my Scleroderma have been very sore and stiff. I need the extra day on my weekend to rest them so I do not go on best rest! I hope that this works and I can keep working up until Lucas is born. I will keep you posted with my test and my appointments every two weeks.