Thirty-Six Weeks

36 Week Doctor Visit

Just a quick update about my doctor visit yesterday. Not much to report - my blood pressure and baby's heart rate are good as always. I've gained a total of 31 pounds. *gasp!* That's really about it! I could have gotten checked, but I chose not to since it's uncomfortable and really pointless. Even if I were dilated a bit, it wouldn't necessarily mean I'll go into labor soon. And if I'm not, that doesn't necessarily mean it will still be a long time. So, why get excited or disappointed unnecessarily? Plus, I haven't felt any contractions, so I'm pretty sure there's no action going on yet. From now on I go back to the doctor every Monday until baby comes (or until she's really late). I've already got my appointments booked!

36 Weeks

We are now 36 weeks along - one more week til this baby is considered full-term! I'm still not expecting baby action any time soon, but I can definitely feel that she has dropped. I'm not having any contractions lately, not even Braxton Hicks, but I have been getting cramps and aches any time I get up too quickly and when I laugh. I'm not sure if that means anything, but I am definitely analyzing every cramp and twinge I get to see if it could possibly be a contraction. For now though, I'm pretty sure I haven't had one yet.
Baby's bones have hardened now, and her muscle tone has improved. She is pretty much ready to launch anytime at this point. Her lungs are still maturing, but she is getting closer and closer to being able to breathe on her own. The amniotic fluid is decreasing more and more as Baby takes up more room in there. She's probably somewhere between 18" and 20", and weighs 6-6.5 lbs. (about as much as a crenshaw melon, whatever that is!)
I'm feeling pretty decent right now. As you know, Friday was my last day of work, so I'm looking forward to finally being able to get a good nap in every day, as well as not having to sit in front of a computer all day. This past week I have been getting headaches every morning, which is NOT fun for me. I'm hoping that extra naps will help that! This weekend has been especially brutal. Generally I feel good, other than the exhaustion. I do have a really hard time getting comfortable, but I am managing okay. Leg cramps haven't been too bad this week. There's nothing quite like waking up in the middle of the night to stretch and suddenly being overcome by a cramp shooting up my leg!

36 Weeks

Now that I am home during the day, it's time to finish up my final baby preparations. Today I plan to get all of our cloth diapers organized by size, and get everything in her room put away. I still need to buy an organizing shelf for the closet, which I plan to do this week. Mike and I finally ordered a new glider for the nursery, which should arrive in a week or two. For the rest of the week, I plan to pack my hospital bag and prepare and freeze meals for after baby. All that along with napping should keep me pretty well occupied for a while! My next doctor appointment is tomorrow, so we'll find out how much more weight I've gained (hopefully not too much!) and whether or not she's still in the head-down position, which I'm pretty sure she is. I'll update again soon!