34 Weeks Pregnant

Friday begins week 34 of pregnancy.  I get some of these emails early.  I get about 3 each week.  It is really interesting to find out what is going on with our baby.  It eases my mind, and answers a lot of questions.  If it weren't for these emails, I would constantly wonder what was happening in there.  It's especially helpful when the emails are so accurate.  At 34 weeks it says his movement should be less frequent because he doesn't have as much space to move around in, but that I will now be able to feel the slightest movement.  I can also tell if I feel him poking out his bottom, kicking, or jabbing me with his fists.  It's pretty strong.  It is uncomfortable, and the other night I told Kris I was mad at Ethan because his movement hurt. 
We still have not gone to the Pediatrician's office to talk to them.  The OB told us to do that when we met with him a month ago.  I guess with the moving and Kris working so much, it has been hard to find time.  I may just have to go one day while Kris is at work.  There are so many things to think about when having a baby.  I am going to have to add him on my insurance.  We also don't know what we're going to do about childcare.  Kris's uncle said he may be able to get us a scholarship for a year of childcare at Covenant Presbyterian Church.  That would be so awesome!  We are also trying to find a new vehicle.  Kris just called me and said he found one he wants us to look at.  I hope we like it.
My husband has blue eyes and I have green eyes.  Ethan's eyes are sure to be blue when he is born, but I hope they stay blue for the rest of his life.  My husband's eyes are so pretty.  This week's Pampers email discussed having a birth plan.  We talked about this in the Childbirth Preparation Class.  There will be two people in the room with me: my husband, Kris, and my mom.  After Ethan is born, we will have an hour of private time, they say skin to skin, and it will just be me, Kris, Ethan, and probably the doctor in the room.  The class instructor said this is important because it is the first time you are a family with your new baby, and you want to have some time alone.  She also said I will be exposed, so you wont really want "Papa" in the room during that time.  We learned that it is best to breastfeed as soon as possible after the baby is born.  This will make it easier for him to catch on to the process.  Some babies don't do as well breastfeeding because a mother waits too long, or doesn't understand the right technique.  Thanks to the breastfeeding class, I feel so much more prepared.  I am excited about doing it for his benefit and mine.  Breastfed babies are more healthy.  I will blog later on about breastfeeding.  Guys, this is natural.. so let's be mature.

 Pampers Email for 34 weeks:

Making the drop. If your baby is a boy, his testicles are now descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Occasionally, one or both testicles fail to move into position before birth. In this case, your baby's testicles will probably drop before his first birthday. If your infant's scrotum seems large right after birth, don't worry: The swelling is due to extra fluid and will go away in a week or so.

No vacancy. Your baby is moving around less frequently, mostly because of the cramped quarters. Of course, it may not seem as if he's settled down—now that he's so big (about 4.7 to 5 pounds and 15.5 to 16 inches long), you can feel even the slightest movement. In fact, since your baby is right up against the wall of the uterus, you're probably getting good at guessing which body part (foot? elbow? arm?) is protruding.

Baby blues. "Guess what color my eyes are now?" Regardless of the eye color your baby will end up with, right now his eyes are blue. The pigmentation process in his iris won't be complete until his eyes have been exposed to light for several weeks after birth. His final eye color may not be evident for years.


Your Pregnancy

Is it show time? With only a few weeks to go, it's a good idea to know the signs of labor. Labor is different for every woman, but the most common symptoms are regular contractions that occur at increasingly short intervals, lower-back pain accompanied by menstrual-like cramps, a broken bag of waters (rupturing of the amniotic sac), or a blood-tinged mucous discharge, which may indicate that your cervix has started dilating. Be aware that the presence of any of these symptoms doesn't necessarily mean that you're in labor. You may have signs of labor days or even weeks before you actually give birth. Let your health care provider be the judge; if you have any of these symptoms, call him or her immediately.

Finalizing your birth plan. Most likely you've done some research and thought a lot about how you want your labor and birth to go—which family members you want present, whether you want pain medication, and so on. You've probably also discussed your wishes with your health care provider. Now is a great time to go over your preferences again with your doctor or midwife to refresh her memory and to make sure you're both still on the same page.

From the experts. You may find that as your breasts enlarge, the stretched skin becomes itchy. "You might want to try a soothing lotion on them, one without irritating perfumes," suggests Elaine Zwelling, R.N., Ph.D. "Vitamin E ointment, cocoa butter, or a purified lanolin balm will work well too."