The Miracle: 36 Weeks

One more week down, one week closer to baby "E's" arrival! We went to see the doctor today and she said that I am progressing beautifully. I am measuring right where I should be with good weight gain and good blood pressure. The doctor said that the baby's head is "engaged", which means that he is in the proper "head down" position and he has dropped lower into my pelvis. So for those of you who have commented that my belly looks a little lower lately, looks like you were right! :o) He has been sitting pretty low this whole time, so I didn't really notice the change. Guess you other moms and grandmas out there are just much more observant!

For the nitty gritty details from the visit, the doctor also said that my cervix is dilated to 1cm and is 70% effaced, and the baby is at a -3 station. For those of you who have no idea what that means (and why should you? I had no idea what any of that meant until I got far enough along in my pregnancy!), maybe I can help put it in perspective. Basically, when my cervix is dilated (opened) to 10cm and is 100% effaced (softened), it means that the baby can start moving through the birth canal. The +/- number before the station means where the top of the baby's head is in relation to approximately the middle of my pelvis, so a negative number means he is higher than that point in the pelvis, a zero means he is right there, and a positive number means he is on his way out. I could get more technical, but I think you get the gist! If you want more info, look it up! :o)

I have been feeling pretty good lately. Some days I am a little achier than others, but really nothing too bad. I haven't started to notice any pre-labor contractions yet, but that is somewhat normal for a first pregnancy. I have been waking up early in the morning lately and having a hard time falling back asleep...I'm not uncomfortable, I simply feel wide awake! It hasn't left me feeling too tired yet, though. Maybe this is just my body's way of preparing me for all those late night/early morning feedings yet to come! Overall, though, I feel really great! This truly has been a very blessed pregnancy!

Enough about me...here is what is going on with "E's" development this week:

How your baby's growing: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of his first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.