Pregnancy Update: Week 36

Week 36: The Baby Bump

Pregnancy Highlights for the Week:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Dilated: I'm dilated to 1 cm.

Effaced: 50% effaced & lost my mucus plug!

Size: He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.

Baby changes: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position (PRAISE THE LORD---He is!). But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Best Moments this week: Thinking my water broke & taking our first trip to the hospital! Jon and I were pretty peaceful & ready in the midst of the surprise! However, my water had not broken & I was sent home!

Movement: His hiney moves from my left side to my right side & I can feel little feet pushing out on my belly.

Food Craving: None...been much less hungry lately.

What I miss: Painting my own toenails

Sleep: I've been sleeping much better & heading to bed earlier as I am getting up earlier to work long days. My sweet husband rubs my feet every night before we go to bed & that usually knocks me out!

What I am looking forward to: Our crib coming this weekend, my mom coming up to help out & Josh coming soon!

Symptoms: backache