34 weeks

Seriously where has the time gone?
It only seems like yesterday when we were trying to conceive so to speak, its crazy to think that our little man is due in just 6 weeks and will be full term in 3! Eeeek!! I really need to get my backside in gear and get stuff sorted out.
This weekend I have washed most of the baby clothes and been and got our moses basket from my boyfriends mum’s house so that I can wash all lining and everything from that in preparation. Its starting to feel so much more real now. I know that sounds mad especially when my belly has grown so much since the beginning but seeing some of his clothes on the washing line and his little bed in our house is so exciting.

Our little man now weighs about 5lbs and is around 45cm long from head to toe. He's filling out and getting rounder – he’ll need his fat layers later to regulate his body temperature. He is taking calcium from me to lay down lots of bone, so I better get drinking some more milk which is certainly not any such hardship as its good for my heartburn, especially chocolate mars bar milk – trust me, if you haven’t tried it then do!! heehee.


Starting NCT classes next week, I’m really looking forward to them as I will get to meet some local pregnant ladies and learn some more about whats to come and my options during labour. Hopefully I should also be finishing work tomorrow, other people in my team have been told that I am finishing although my boss hasn’t actually told me, how bad is that! Anyway, don’t get me started on that. Lol.

Weeks 30-31

Week 30 (16th August)

It feels like another milestone really. I have no idea where the time has gone really, it seems like only last month that we were trying.

Overall i've been feeling alright, same old stuff really, tired and got heartburn but hey, its just the joys of being pregnant and it'll all be worth it. Its been a good week overall, we went for our 2nd attempt at a 4D scan and it was just amazing! (see my other journal for more info and pics). It was the best scan i've ever had. This was my favourite picture, its my little man playing with his foot:

We also went shopping in High Wycombe this weekend which was good. We got a few more baby bits like some blankets, muslin squares and bits for my hospital bag. It makes me feel that little bit more prepared.

Our little man's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. His growth in terms of length will soon slow down but he will continue to gain weight until he's born. He can open and shut his eyes. He can probably see what's going on inside my uterus, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. Supposedly if i shine a light on my stomach, he might move his head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow.

Week 31, omg, only 9 to go!! (23rd August)

I find myself touching my belly more often now and sometimes its itchy, i guess thats just my skin stretching.

The only thing thats happened this week is that i went for my GTT. It was awful! I never ever wanna have another one if i can help it. The way my hospital do it, is cruel. I arrived just before 9, they took a vial of blood, then i had to drink the glucose solution which was just like fake fizzy lucozade. They then took vials 1 vial of blood at 9:30, 10, 10:30, 11. 11:30 and 12. They didn't put anything in my arm, she just used the needle thing each time. As i have bad veins, i only really have one good one that they can get my blood from so she took all 7 vials from the same place! OUCH!! She tried the other arm but didn't have much luck.

Bump pictures:

We also went out with some friends that i used to work with on saturday night which was lovely. I haven't seem them for a while and they seemed all excited about our little man too which was nice. We didn't get in until half 12! Way past my bed time. lol.

Our little man's legs and body continue to fill out and they are finally proportional in size to his head. He weighs about 1.5kg and looks more like a newborn. He measures about 41.1cm from crown to toe.

His organs are continuing to mature and he is passing water from his bladder. Also the bone marrow has taken over from the liver in producing red blood cells. This week marks an incredible milestone in his lung development too. Before now, the air sacs and branches in his lungs were present but not functional. His lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in his lungs.prevents his lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the he is able to take in air and breathe properly. Awww!!

Week 29 (9th August)

I went for my 28 week MW appointment on tuesday at 28+2 and she measured my belly, the first time she said it was 34cm, then she listened to the heartbeat and measured me again and it was 30cm. Weird! She asked me to get it remeasured when i saw the saw the consultant which was the next day. Everything else was absolutely fine, she took my blood to test the iron levels, thats about it really.
Went for my consultant appointment on wednesday and he didn't measure my belly, he wasn't concerned that it was measuring big as he said he wouldn't do anything about it at the moment anyway (hmmm, weird view in my eyes, he could of at least measured it as the mw requested!).
Oh well, he did say i had to have a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) though, boooooo!!! Its booked in for 20th august when i'll be 30 weeks and 4 days.

Bump pictures:
My lower back has been really sore this week, it started on sunday and i could barely move let alone walk on monday, i stayed off work for 3 days and rested. Also i spoke to the mw and consultant about it and he told me that i could have some stronger pain killers that paracetamol which helped thank god!

Our little man weighs 1.1kg and measures about 38.6cm from head to toe. Head hair is beginning to grow and his testicles have descended from near the kidneys through the groin en route to the scrotum, awww! Truely a little man. lol.

Week 28 (2nd August)

Well we went for a 3/4D scan on the 1st of august (27+6) and our little man did not cooperate what so ever! He had his face down low and his hands up in front of his face. He would not move at all. We didn't get any pictures because of this but we did get the whole experience on a dvd. His measurements were:
Head Circum. - 25.34cm, Abdomen Circum. - 22.87cm
Femar Length - 5.04cm
Overall measured 28+2 (3 days ahead) and weighing 2lb 9oz.

We're going back on the 11th August to try again, please cooperate little man!!

At about this time, he can open his eyes and turn his head in my uterus if he notices a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. His brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissues within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. His hair that covers his head is also getting longer.

Week 27 (26th July)

Our little man is being a little bit of a monster this week, i think he is going to be a night owl. He's been so much more active these last few nights and he's been keeping me awake. I've felt some kicks right up by my ribcage which really isn't comfortable. On the positive side my boyfriend has been able to feel some of the kicks too and i've been able to watch him kicking from the outside which makes me chuckle.I have also found that i get out of breath a little easier and that my legs are still getting a bit crampy at night.

This week our little man's crown-to-rump length is about 9.6 inches and his total length is approximately 15.3 inches! He now weighs about 2 pounds 3 ounces and is going to grow rapidly during this last trimester. 13 weeks left to go. Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. How random is that? I wonder what my little man is dreaming about? If he is anything like his mummy it'll be nice things like cake and long cuddles in bed. He can also develop hiccups too.

Belly picture for this week :D

Weeks 25-26

Week 25 (12th July)
Well this week i turned 25. My birthday was on the 11th of July when i was 24+6. It seems so weird to think that this was my last birthday where i wont be a mummy. Many people said to me that it'll be the quietest birthday that i'll have in while.
Belly pictures for this week:

This week out little man weighs about 1.5 pounds (660g) and is approximately 13.5 inches (35cm) long from crown to heel. He makes breathing movements but has no air in his lungs yet. He can do more with his fingers now and can make a complete fist. As he becomes more dexterous, he will be able to touch and hold his feet. Also he will begin to prefer his left hand or right hand at this time. How cool is that!
We still haven't really thought of any names for our little man yet, we are struggling although i haven't really been thinking about it these last 2 weeks. Also i am getting a bit fed up of people giving me advice. Oh you should get a flat car seat (even though they don't last very long at all!) as its better for their back and posture, alternatively don't leave them in the car seat for ages, surely that makes sense! I know i should probably just get used to it being a first time mum and all.

Week 26 (19th July)

Overall not been too bad at all, heartburn is really kicking in now so Gaviscon Advance really is my new bet friend, for those of you who haven't tried it do!! I got some stuff through from the NCT too, i've got a place on the course in my village during september. Sounds weird but i'm really looking forward to it, not only the time off work but getting to meet other local mums due at the same time as me as i don't know any local mums at all.

Our little man this week crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches and he weighs almost 2 pounds. His eyes are blue at the moment but may change colors later in life. How weird is that, its true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth, the shade of blue can vary though. I love random pieces of information like that.

Weeks 23-24

23 weeks (28th June)

Where on earth has the time gone? It sounds mad but i still don't feel that pregnant. This heat is mad. I just wish i could get some sleep at night, we've got a fan but it isn't helping that much.

These are some fetal MRI scans i found for 23-24 weeks, they are amazing!


If you fancy checking them out they are here:
http://radnet.bidmc.harvard.edu/fetalatlas/atlas.html

For 23 weeks our little man is supposed to weigh a little over one pound/ 500 grams, when we had the scan at 22+6 his estimated weight was 547g so not far off really. Weirdly the sonographer said that he was a little small but from that weight, he sounds good to me. He is supposed to measure about 11.4 inches (29 cms) from crown to heel. His hearing is well established and he can make out a distorted version of my voice, the beating of my heart and my stomach rumblings. Supposedly some studies indicate that unborn children prefer classical music, so maybe i should start listening to some and seeing if it makes him move around or anything.

Not much news, i'm still suffering with heartburn and Gaviscon advance is my new best friend. It tastes horrible but it works which is the main thing. Also i counted the days left until i go on maternity leave, 64 more working days left (13 weeks). It doesn't sound that much really.

24 weeks (5th July)
Overall not a bad week for me, not much happened, no appointments or anything. Have been feeling alright, sleeping ok mostly.

This week our little man weighs more than 1.3 pounds (600g), he still has little body fat and his skin is thin and fragile, he's now well-proportioned. His brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in my uterus. From crown to heel he could measure 11.8 inches (30 cm). His eyes are still shut and his ears are now in their final place.

I took some pictures of my belly again this week: