James's toenails are now visible and he's starting to lose the lanugo (the fine downy hair covering his body). His skin is starting to plump up a bit as he adds more fat to his little body. His lungs continue to develop and he's absorbing more nutrients as he prepares for birth. Baby websites say he's about 16-16.5 inches long and weighs 2.5-3.8 pounds (we know he weighs more than that, but the length is probably not too far off). He'll gain about 1/2 a pound per week until he's born.
This week's vegetable is the strangest food comparison to date. One website says he's about the size of a squash. What kind of squash? We're not sure. The other vegetable is a jicama. Yes. A Jicama.
This, apparently, is a jicama, also called a Mexican Turnip. It usually weighs 1-2 pounds but can get up to 20 pounds.....so how is that a good comparison for a 32-week-old baby? We're not very clear on that.
He's getting so big!
James has some days where he's very wiggly and others where he's silent. I love it when people are able to feel him kick and move! It's awesome. But only when I know those people. I'm not big on strangers touching my belly, but luckily that hasn't happened much. I've had more people commenting on my pregnancy, and a few retired military guys say something along the lines of "Boy, good luck raising a kid in the world we live in..." Thanks, guys! Today James is big on kicking my ribs. Silly baby. He has also been having frequent hiccups, which is the gosh darn cutest thing in the world.
I'm feeling a lot of pressure on my pelvis/hips/lower back (same as last week), but am noticing that I get out of breath easier than I did a couple of weeks ago. Crazy info tidbit: my blood volume has increased 40-50% since I got pregnant. That explains some of the headaches. I'm uncomfortable, but some days are better than others. Some nights are better than others, too. I am so blessed to be able to carry our son, but am eager to hold him in my arms. :)
We had our first nonstress test this morning. One band is wrapped around the top of my belly and a little disc is placed underneath the band to monitor any contractions I may have. A second band is placed on my lower belly with another disc underneath it, but that one has ultrasound gel on it. It is used to monitor James's heart rate. They couldn't find James's heart rate with the little disc, so they did the other half of the nonstress test first, which is an ultrasound machine used to measure amniotic fluid. Side note-he is still head down! They found where his heart was located, measured the amniotic fluid, then hooked me back up to the other machine. James did not like the little disc-he kept kicking it and dislodging it. I was reading but had to stop to hold the disc in place. It took about 20 minutes for him to calm down so the disc could get a good reading. They monitored him for about 30 minutes and his heart rate was great, averaging 155 bpm. I have an allergic reaction (severe itching) to the gel once it's removed from my belly, and when they were trying to find James's heart rate with the disc the first time they rubbed the gel all over my belly. It was hard to sit still when I just wanted to scratch my belly like there was no tomorrow! My blood pressure and heart rate were both in a normal range.
One cause for concern is my amniotic fluid levels. Since our ultrasound in December, a few techs have mentioned that I have high fluid levels. Today, they diagnosed me with polyhydramnios, which is an elevated level of amniotic fluid. It can be caused by diabetes, a certain condition with twins or multiples in utero, or incompatible blood types between mom and baby, but I don't have any of those issues. It could also be an indication of a birth or swallowing defect, but all the tests run on James so far haven't shown any cause for concern. About half of the time the doctors don't know what causes the condition. It can lead to early labor, my water breaking too early, or placenta abruption, or can cause no issues whatsoever. The good news is that although my levels are high, they're not extremely high. There's nothing that can be done about this issue, so I just need to take it easy, stay hydrated, and pray that he stays in the womb as long as possible. Both Matt and I will be surprised if he makes it to May, considering his position right now and this issue.
I have one more class to attend-a Childbirth prep class with my mom. My seventh and my last class! Between classes and reading, I feel prepared, but can anything really prepare a woman for labor, delivery, and taking care of a baby? That being said, I have no doubt in our ability to care for our son. I am so excited! When I was at the hospital today, I picked up the pre-admissions packet I need to fill out so I don't have to deal with paperwork while I'm in labor.
This week will be so much fun. My mom flies in Thursday (WOOHOO!), OB appointment Friday, and my shower on Saturday. I am so excited to see friends and family. I hope the OB does a little ultrasound on Friday to find James's heart rate (instead of using a doppler) so my mom can see James "live."
Much love from our family to yours!
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