35 Weeks

From Baby Center:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she'll do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby's risk of infection.

This is also a good time to create a birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process.

Note from Jen:

Well, 5 more weeks to go! Overall I feel great although my feet are getting pretty swollen by the end of the day and I am starting to waddle a bit :) Mylanta and Rolaids seem to be doing the trick at managing all the heartburn.

I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and although it was really rushed, I did find out that I do not have Group B strep... so no antibiotics needed for me at delivery. Yeah! I also found out that my doctor will be here when I deliver and is going on vacation a few weeks after my due date, so we are good. She is going to Peru and is going to hike the Inca Trail, so most of the appointment ended up being us talking about the trip and giving her advice about the hike.

Van is still breech and I was given a few more exercises to do to encourage him to turn. If he decides to stay upright until my next appointment at 27 weeks, we have to schedule that c-section. He must like things planned as much as we do! Still hoping he turns, but whatever happens, happens. I am just thankful that we live in a time where c-sections aren't as big of a deal and it is not a risk to either of our lives that he is breech.

Anyway, our trip to Yosemite last week was a blast! I even made the hike up the Mist Trail all the way to Vernal Falls. Yep, I rock :) I'll post pictures and a rundown of our trip later this week or next.

As for baby stuff, this week I plan on packing up my hospital bag and finish up on my birthing plan. I am also getting together all the disability paperwork and finishing up everything here at work. The plan right now is to work until June 15th which just so happens to be my next doctor's appointment.