10th Doctor Visit

We had our 10th doctor's visit this past Thursday and again, all has checked out well! The baby's heartbeat was in the 140s for the first time ever and he or she was also making their transition to the left side of mommy's belly, which is what we want to help avoid any back labor! The results of our Group Beta Strep Test came back negative as well...woo hoo! Mom's belly measured at 37cm...exactly where it should be for this stage of pregnancy. Mom is still keeping up with her water aerobics and yoga, so this must really be helping to keep her and baby so healthy! We had another "routine" normal visit and still feel very blessed that all is going exactly as it should be!

Here's what is happening at 37 weeks...

Your baby has likely hit the six-pound mark by now, and her length is approximately twenty-one inches. The weight on your abdomen probably feels like twice that. Your baby is practicing her breathing, but she has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. Your baby' intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. It'll become your little darling's first bowel movement, hopefully after she is out of the womb. Her body fat has increased to about eight percent. By birth, it'll be about fifteen percent. If your baby is a boy, his testes will have descended into his scrotum. While your baby could be born at any time, the longer she stays in, the more time she has to develop the connections in her brain in the pleasant peace and quiet of your womb. At this point, she can do all the things a newborn can, with the exception of breathing air and pooping in a diaper. Just as you're feeling stretched, your baby is being squeezed on all sides. Some of your antibodies are crossing the placenta, giving your baby's immune system some support for her first days in the world. If you breastfeed, you'll later be giving her immunities in your milk.

"Babymoon"

So, about a month ago we took a "babymoon" to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We searched for quite some time for the perfect place to vacation for this very special trip. We finally ended up deciding to travel to the same spot where we honeymooned 3 1/2 years ago...we figured why not...it's our special place and it just keeps getting even more special with each visit! The resort was as beautiful as we remembered and we really enjoyed every moment we spent there. Being 34 weeks pregnant led to Priscilla's lack of ability to do much so we spent lots of time relaxing by the pool and thoroughly enjoying all of the yummy all-inclusive resort food! Mom-to-be was a trooper and we did do one excursion, which consisted of swimming with sting-rays and sharks...it was very cool! The one souvenir we decided to bring back with us were our maternity pictures...the scenery couldn't be beat! The really awesome thing about these photos is the fact that Arturo, the same resort photographer, who took our honeymoon photos shot these as well. He's an awesome photographer...we've attached the link to the photos below...we hope you enjoy as much as we do!

http://picasaweb.google.com/npmetros/MaternityPhotosInPuntaCana#

9th Doctor Visit

We started our weekly visits to the doctor on Thursday. We had another boring, normal (aka all is good) check-up. My stomach measured 35 1/2 cm, which is about average. They say your stomach measurement should roughly correlate to the number of weeks along you are. The baby's heart rate remained steady at around 150 bpm. The prenatal water aerobics and yoga is paying off for Mom, as we're at 15lb weight gain overall. They also performed a Group Beta Strep test.

We decided to pass on the more intrusive exam. The doctor said they normally start checking now to see if the cervix has started to dilate or efface. However, they said its only done because most people want to know and any measurements they get are meaningless. After hearing this, we decided the nether regions will be violated plenty soon enough. There's no reason to start early.

Here is the latest on what is happening with the baby's development at week 36:

With one month to go, your baby weighs about six pounds and is fattening. Her full length from crown to feet is about 20 1/2 inches. Has your baby's movement slowed down? If so, you shouldn't worry. Five to ten percent of all mothers report that babies start to slow down as they grow larger and get more cramped for space. Still, you should be able to feel your baby move more than ten times a day. If you're concerned, try drinking a sweet beverage, such as orange juice, and then lying on your side for a while. Most babies will wake up and start to move. If you're still concerned, contact your healthcare provider.

8th Doctor's Visit

The visits to the doctor have started to come fast and furious now. We're going every 2 weeks, and after our next visit we'll begin going once a week. Everything checked out normal once again, which is music to our ears right now. Boring is good! The scale is staying kind, Mom's blood pressure is good, and Baby's heartbeat came through loud and clear. We were given some information on some new supplements to take to help with the thinning of the cervix and group beta strep test that we take next appointment. With all the pills I'm popping right now, I'm starting to feel like a walking pharmacy.