34 weeks!

Today is 34 weeks and I'm STILL feeling really good. I'm more tired, it's harder to sleep at night, get comfortable, and definitely to bend over (I squat). I have random pelvic pain when I am standing and at night when sleeping. I would imagine this is due to the extra weight. He's still really active, more of a large shift or pressing against my belly with his butt, back, or foot. It's fun because I've started to be able to "play" with him. For example, when he presses his foot out, I rub it or poke at it and he moves it around, like I'm tickling him!! I definitely want to post a video of my moving belly, maybe in a couple weeks.

Here is my 34 week pics:



Here is what babycenter says for the week:

"How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing: By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short). Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem."

No itchy red bumps, yeah!!

We took a tour of the maternity floor at Centerpoint, where little Eli will be born. It was really informative and we got to see the labor & delivery room and the post partum room. All rooms are private, which is nice, and since it is a new hospital, everything is very "pretty". What will happen is if I start to go into labor during the day, I will go see my doc first (the clinic is in the hospital) and then I will be told whether or not to go home or to go to the labor & delivery unit. If it is after hours, I will go to the ER and then to the labor & delivery unit to be monitored to see if I go home or stay. They have great security as Eli & I will both wear a security device that when Eli is close to me, it will play a lullaby. If he gets close to an exit, his device will sound a ferocious sound. Also, they believe in "rooming in" which means he will be with me in my room 24/7 except for when the pediatrician sees him and if I request he go to the nursery for a couple of hours. Overall we were impressed!!

Well, we are still working on getting everything together for his arrival. Today we bought some "safety" items like a fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, additional smoke detectors, door latches, outlet covers, etc. I also bought travel items to pack in my hospital bag that I will put together soon. We're getting so close!

We look forward to our childbirth class starting in 1 1/2 weeks and finishing up a lot around the house and in prepping for Eli's big day. Thanks for reading!!