Welcome to the third trimester. The home stretch! Around
this time you will begin to really put on the weight, this will last
until about week thirty-six. Although some cultures dictate otherwise,
weight gained during pregnancy is not fat or unhealthy, but rather,
necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby.
The weight that you
gain will be distributed in several places. The average breast before
pregnancy weighs about 7 ounces and during pregnancy each breast can
weigh up to an average of 28 ounces! Some of the weight will go to body
fluids (amniotic fluid, blood volume, etc.). Baby:
Your
baby's skin is very wrinkled from floating in water. This will stay
this way until a few weeks after birth as your newborn fills out into a
baby. Although take heart in the fact that your baby's looks are
assuming the looks that they will have at birth! Baby has also hit the
2 pound mark (900 grams).
While you have been feeling movements for awhile, those
other people in your life may not have been able to. Around this time
it may become possible for them to begin feeling the baby from the
outside. It is a really neat to share the experience with others.
Finding
a comfortable position for sleeping is a new task! Between night time
wakings to go to the bathroom, to get water or snacks, you need all the
sleep you can get.
A body pillow will enable you to support your
legs and your growing belly! If you don't have one, try making use of
several regular pillows. Baby:
Veins are visible through your baby's skin, although it is quickly changing from transparent to opaque.
Your
baby can hear you and those around you. Although we assume that the
uterus is a quiet place, the baby has been surrounded by noise for a
long time. Things like your heartbeat, digestion, and other body
functions are heard by the baby as well as external noises. Now you may
feel the baby jump at a sudden noise.
The uterus also allows
some light to be seen. So your baby is aware of lightness and darkness.
S/he weighs 1 pound 12 ounces (794 grams) and measures 32.5 cms or 12.8
inches total length.
At this point in pregnancy you probably still feel
really good! Soon you will begin to see your practitioner more often.
When this happens, many women begin to get the feeling that they are
"running out of time."
Fixing the baby's room or deciding where
to let the baby sleep is one of the things you need to work out your
feelings about now. Although, let me tell you from experience that you
should reserve the right to change your mind once the baby gets here! Baby:
Baby
weighs 1 pound 9 ounces (709 grams). The bones are continuing their
ossification process, meaning that they are becoming harder.
Your fundus (top of the uterus) reaches just above your
navel! You are now aware of your baby's movements and may even be able
to tell the sleep/wake cycles of your little one. It is important to
recognize the signs of premature labor. Premature labor is actually
more common in the summer months, thought to be caused by dehydration
in some women, so continue drinking lots of water! Call your
practitioner if you have any of the signs of premature labor. Baby:
Your
baby is almost completely formed, and is beginning to deposit brown fat
on his or her body. The purpose of the brown fat is to retain body
heat. Newborns are bad at regulating body temperature at first.
Babies
born at this point have some chances of survival with very special
care. They will be in the Intensive Care Unit, probably for many
months. A major problem with premature babies is lung development.
S/he weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length!
For those of you who know who Samantha is, you will know what a devastating event this was. Samantha was my beloved dog, i've had for the last 17 years. She has been with me threw so much. She's driven with me cross country 5 times now. Lived in 20 different houses, put up with cats, and annoying ass puppies. Her death was some what of a surprise, call me naive but i believed she would be around forever. But shes in a better place right now, free from seizures, free from Venna, eating tons of ice cream and hot dogs.
