31 Days to Go

Adelyn's gums are now ridged and may look at first like teeth are about to erupt.

During labor, the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby equalizes the pressure of the contractions, so one part of the baby's body is not pressed more than another. The amniotic fluid also prevents contractions from interfering with the blood flow from the placenta to the baby.

32 Days to Go

Adelyn's limbs are beginning to dimple at the elbow and knees, and creases are forming around the wrists and neck as fat deposit continues.

The circulatory requirements of Mommy's uterus have increased throughout the pregnancy as it enlarged and the baby and placenta developed. Now, near the end of the pregnancy, 1/6th of Mommy's total blood volume is contained within the vessels of the uterus.

35 weeks
Total Weight Gained: +0 lbs

Amy has already started noticing more fluctuations in her energy level. Fatigue alternates with periods of energy bursts.

Easing the Transition from One Child to Two

• Understand & Be Patient w/Izzy's inclination to possibly act like a baby once Adelyn arrives.
• Make sure to show Izzy as much love & attention as Adelyn.
• Highlight all the things that Izzy can do that Adelyn cannot even attempt.

39 Days to Go

Adelyn dropped a little more today.

Due to this drop, Amy has noticed a decrease in lap space when seated, more pelvic pressure, and more frequent urination.

Dropping usually happens about 2-4 weeks before delivery!

Easing the Transition from One Child to Two

• Make sure Izzy is Adelyn's peer, not a surrogate parent/babysitter

40 days to go

Sometime within the next 3 days, Mommy's total blood volume will have increased from 17 to 21.5 cups in preparation for birth. Blood loss in childbirth is inevitable since, among other things, the placenta has to separate from the uterine wall. With a surplus of blood, some can be lost without undue risk.

Parenting Tip
In the summer, cover your child's car seat with a sheet, towel or receiving blanket when not in use. The seat can become very hot and burn the child's tender skin. Use a car shade or apply solar film to the window near the car seat.

41 Days to Go

Right now, Adelyn weighs at least 4.5 lbs & measures almost 12" crown to rump.

[image source]

Childbirth in Other Cultures
By tradition, pregnant Arabic women would practice the dance that Westerners call "belly dancing" as a way of strengthening their abdominal muscles in preparation for childbirth. During labor, the mother was encircled by her fellow tribeswomen who danced by her bedside in an effort to "hypnotize" her into imitating the movements with her own body. The dance movements helped reduce the pain of labor and helped the mother work with her contractions to push the baby out.

34 weeks!

By yesterday, Adelyn's fingernails have reached the ends of her fingertips. We may find that we need to cut her nails after birth. Even though the nails are small, they can still scratch (babies scratch themselves because of their poor muscle control).

If Adelyn is born now, she will not only be able to make an efficient transition from the womb to the outside, but will also be able to resist disease!

At this point in the pregnancy, some women's blood pressure may be rather unstable, but Amy's has been really good!

34 weeks
Total Weight Gained: +0 lbs

How Amy Has Been Feeling
Mood: swings! Irritable, excited, impatient, etc
Energy: very very tired. Needing naps again.
Appetite: comes and goes. Sometimes none, sometimes ravishing hungry!
Baby Movement? Oh yes! She is very active at night. We'll have to fix that. ;)
Contractions? A couple a day; nothing painful, but breathing helps.
Other: Feeling like time is running out for our "To Do" list!


Easing the Transition from One Child to Two

• Trying not the imply that Adelyn needs us more than Izzy does.
• Keep the turn-taking as fair as possible.
• Have Izzy help out w/Adelyn & tell her it's practice for when she become a Mommy someday.

Did You Know?

Adelyn's growth rate is astonishing. Over the past week, her head circumference has increased by about another 9.5 mm due to its rapid brain development. The critical period for the development of her brain occurs in these last months of pregnancy.

44 Days to Go

Since the amniotic fluid volume has reached its maximum, we can now think of Adelyn as resting on the walls of Amy's uterus rather than actually floating in a fluid-filled space. She is still bathed in amniotic fluid, of course, and that fluid is replaced continuously by Mommy's efficient system.

Within the next week or so, Amy's total blood volume will increase in anticipation of the birth. The increased blood volume adds 2-4 lbs of weight.

[image source]

Did You Know? The surface of the umbilical cord contains no pain receptors, so cutting the cord at birth is not painful for the baby or Mom in anyway.

[image source]

Oops, I Did It Again...

...I lost track of time & my blog got away from me. :( Rather than trying to "catch up", I'm going to just start trying to do small posts daily. (P.S. Amazing how much LESS time you have to do things, like blog, when you have another child to look after!)

33 weeks pregnant
45 days to go

In the next 3 days, Adelyn's fingernails will reach the end of her fingertips.

Did You Know? At birth, the baby's umbilical cord is closed naturally by a special jellylike substance that surrounds the vessels of the cord throughout pregnancy. The jelly swells up with exposure to the air and compresses the embedded vessels like a tourniquet. Some naturally occurring hormones in the jelly also help to prevent bleeding. That's why when the cord is cut, it is practically bloodless.

Children are poor men's riches. ~English Proverb