From whattoexpect.com:
Your little one is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will slow down now in preparation for birth, so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and so he or she can store up the energy needed for delivery.
By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb.
According to babycenter.com, the lanugo (fine, down hair) and vernix caseosa (waxy coating) that covered Baby Girl's body are now disappearing- meaning a cuter newborn. As the lanugo and vernix caseosa dissolve into the amniotic fluid, Baby Girl will swallow them and they become the meconium that will make up her first bowel movements. Our Baby Girl is making poop!
This morning was our birth plan meeting with the midwife. Tyler was able to come with to participate, which meant so much to me. Because many of the details that are important to me are standard for our midwife group, there wasn't much to plan. For example, it's the norm for the midwife to place the baby directly on the mother's bare chest after birth, delay clamping the cord, and allow as much skin-to-skin bonding time after birth as the mother wants, without whisking away the baby to be bathed, weighed, stamped, and pricked as soon as she comes out. We are opting to forgo the Hep B shot and eye drops at birth, and we'll only administer the vitamin K shot if the midwife sees a reason at the time of birth. The best part of our birth plan is that Tyler is going to be able to catch the baby! I think it's pretty fitting. He helped put her in there, he can help get her out. Another stage of life coming full circle.
We walked out of the appointment and twice between the office and the parking garage, Tyler said to me, "That was really fun." We just had a conversation with our midwife that included the terms discharge, bloody mucus, merconium, and vagina, and the experience still rated positively.
Tyler, you are going to be a great Dad.
Christmas 2008
Yay for making it to 36 weeks! I love your blog, Em --- I read the whole thing in one sitting (was a great way to catch up!). You look beautiful and happy, and I can't wait to visit you post-baby! Give yourself, Tyler, and that little belly hugs from Kevin and me. :)
ReplyDelete