What have we been up to the last four weeks? Bryan and I have both been busy with school - he is coming to a close on his program and will be turning out in June - I believe his last final is 2 days after our due date. My program is year-round and will go throughout the summer every Wednesday night, but I've spoken to my summer teachers, and they are willing and ready to work with me on missing a few classes and making up the work. Other than that, we have just been relaxing at home, and slowly getting things ready for the baby. I also have been helping my mom with some of the fun details of the shower - decoration ideas and dessert table =) The shower is coming up this weekend and I am VERY excited!!! Hopefully this beautiful weather that we have had will continue on for the party!
All of our doctor appointments have gone well. I had my 32 week check up - and everything is great. I have gained one more pound, and Dr. Azad said that I will probably gain a total of 4 more - a half a pound a week. Hopefully thats IT! Ha! We talked about the birth and discussed pain medication, and I felt really comfortable with her views and attitudes about the birth process. Her cesarean rates in her private office are only at 2% overall, and she seems to have a very patient attitude about just letting things happen on their own time, so that made me happy. Overall I feel good, am healthy, and am excited!
Below are the photos from the maternity session that we did with my friend Kristen. These are just 3 of my favorites. I think all together we took around 485 photos - so she still has a lot of editing to do. I might have a few printed and put out for the shower =)
Hanging by the pool with the ladies this last Friday when we had 90 degree weather.
How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist.
Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.
Many women are still feeling sexy at this stage — and their partners often agree. You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks or their labor starts.
