31 Weeks & 2 Days

This was a busy week, appointments-wise. But first the non-appointment-related stuff....

This week I have been pretty tired. It could have to do with this stage of pregnancy, but it was also a very busy week, so that could explain it too. Also, Bud has been putting more and more pressure on my bladder, so my visits to the bathroom are becoming more and more frequent - including during the night, which probably also helps to explain the tiredness. I'd really LIKE to be sleeping well NOW because a good night's sleep will be nothing but a memory once Bud is actually HERE - but it's getting more and more difficult to sleep soundly at night. Oh well...such is the life of a pregnant woman, I suppose.

Bud is moving more and more all the time. This week it's been a lot of pushing by her, instead of so much kicking. Often I can feel exactly where her head is, but I haven't managed to pin-point any other body parts. Just her cute little head that's still on top (I'm urging her to put in down, but she's not listening to her Mom...practice for the future, I suppose).

So this week I had an appointment with my OB again. My bloodpressure is still a little elevated, but he's still not worried about that. It was pretty soon after I got there (walked), so I'm not surprised it was a bit elevated. It was much lower than the reading last week at the endocrinologist (I'm always elevated there). Bud's fetal heart rate was good. Fundal height (i.e. uterus length) is 32cm. Interesting b/c I'm 30 weeks, so it would normally be closer to 30cm. Which begs the question.....were we right about the due date the first time?? Hmmm.....more on that in the Fetal Assessment section below. My ankles are swelling a bit, but he's Ok with it. Baby is still breech from what he can tell. He showed me how to feel her head and it's definitely on top! I asked him what the reasons would be for inducing any earlier than 38 weeks, and he said if (a) the baby is big (re: diabetes), but he said that is very unlikely given my good control, or (b) if she's no longer getting adequate nourishment from the placenta. So it sounds like 38 weeks is definitely what we're aiming for.

We also had another fetal assessment this week. Bud is over 4lbs now (we can't remember if she said 4lbs or 4.5lbs). She is at the 60th percentile, size-wise. She was 40th last time, but they said the difference is due to the margin-of-error, and that her growth is perfect and that she's still definitely the right size for her age (i.e. new due date is still considered correct). This is a much more precise measurement than the fundal height measurement at the OB's office (i.e. a tape measure on my belly). They said everything looked great and there were no concerns. She is still breech, and has her feet up by her ears (she's doing yoga already!), but still has plenty of time to turn. We only got one picture and it's very hard to distinguish because she was being very difficult and moving around a LOT. I'm attaching it anyway....you folks can see if you can decipher it any better than we can. The resident doctor who was observing could see my belly moving from about 4 feet away. They seemed surprised, but pleased, at how much she was moving - although it made taking some measurements difficult, and made a good face-picture impossible, unfortunately. Maybe next time.

I also had a massage therapy appointment this week. I can't remember if I've mentioned this previously, but I have been getting massage therapy every two weeks and I HIGHLY recommend it during pregnancy. It really helps my back and my hips during pregnancy, and it's very rejuvenating too!

And, once again, here are the Bud facts for this week:
- Bud now has less room to move and can't do the back-flips and somersaults we're both used to.
- By this stage most babies have turned head down into the "cephalic" position ready for birth. A few (like our sweet, stubborn Bud) take a little longer. Bud still has time to turn.
- Bud's arms, legs and body continue to fill out and they are finally proportional in size to her head.
- Bud weighs about 3.3lbs/1.5kg (more, according to the fetal assessment...see above) and looks more like a newborn.
- Bud measures about 16"/41cm from crown to toe. (This may also be more, but they don't check this at the fetal assessment.)
- Bud will likely gain at least 2 more pounds by delivery.
- Bud's organs are continuing to mature and she is passing water from her bladder.
- Brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight (about what, I have no idea).

And, lastly, here's the picture from fetal assessment:

EDIT: My mom just noticed that the name on the picture is not mine. The picture is definitely mine because I do remember that pose and I was there when this picture showed up on the screen, but somehow they got the wrong name on it. I'm going to contact them about it. In the meantime, here's a cropped version to protect the identity of the woman whose name is on my baby's picture. :)