Week 29

Weeks Until Bailey is Term (37 Weeks): 9
Weeks Until Bailey's Due Date (May 1): 12

Phew...okay, we made it another week! As you can see, I've been growing. Miss. Bailey is getting big, big, big in there and her movements are getting much more defined. It's easier and easier to tell what position she is laying in, because her feet make a much stronger feeling than her hands do.

I'm actually having a pretty easy go of it the past couple of weeks. Kelly and I got sick last week, but it was a "normal" winter cold, and not aggrevated or increased by pregnancy. I'm not having the same level of nausea that I was having for a while, and I'm craving lots of good protein and enjoying my veggies. I tried to stop drinking milk for a while and replacing it with a calcium supplement, but we discovered that my heartburn increases in direct proportion to how much my milk intake decreases. So, I'm back to my two eight ounce (really more like 10-12 ounces) of milk each day...one with breakfast, one with dinner. Not that I mind. I'm a milk-girl...I LOVE IT. In my opinion, the best part about being pregnant is that I get to drink milk! LOL!

A couple of cool appointments coming up. Today, at lunch, I am headed over to the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington to have an hour and a half class about preparing to breastfeed. I'm sure that you've all figured out that I'll hopefully be breastfeeding for a long time. I intend to do all that I can to make sure it works.

Tomorrow is our 28 week check up. This is the yucky orange-drink check up (the glucose challenge test) that will (hopefully) rule out diabetes. I'm going to have a hell of a time if I have gestational diabetes, because I will refuse a c-section. Sigh. Keep your fingers crossed for me. The other test is a blood test to make sure that I have not been sensitised. This is the whole RH Factor thing. Hopefully I have not been, and we'll get the shot a couple of days from now to prevent me from becoming sensitized. Other than that, it should be a pretty normal visit!

I'm intrigued by my weight. I wonder how much I've gained. The last two trips to the doctors have revealed a four-point weight gain each time, making my total weight gain for this pregnancy 8 pounds, as of four weeks ago. This month was much better health-wise. Not only have I felt better, but that has led to much healthier eating. I'm back to veggies and protein, as opposed to pasta, cheese and milk as my primary means of survival. My only goal around the weight gain is to stick to the recommended 15 pounds for me. I've only got 7 more to gain, and Bailey has a lot of growing left to do.

Okay, here's what's coming up this week as far as development!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 29:fetus in seventh month

If you’ve been feeling butterflies moving around in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety. No, it’s your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point resulting from practicing breathing for their big birthday. In addition, to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that—it’s certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way. Another fantastic accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis—the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components. Another fantastic-accomplishment: your little monkey has been peeing into their amniotic sac for a little while now (this is why potty training takes a while) and if you didn’t know, actually swallows it along with the rest of the amniotic fluid. Although the concept is nasty, their urine is sterile and as part of the amniotic fluid base, is replaced several times throughout the day. So if you didn’t know before, now you can tell people, that yes, you drank your own urine—you were still in the womb, but nonetheless you’ve been there.

And how's mom doing?

Here’s another thing to think about that you don’t have the time or energy to handle, but must in order to be a good parent: breastfeeding! If you thought this was one of the obvious simple choices, think again. There’s always the easy-out, formula in a bottle (less work for mom, less pain in the the vain reason to breastfeed: all that charming excess body fat you’ve gained, is used for milk production—essentially making it MUCH easier for you to return to you pre-pregnancy weight breasts), but breastfeeding is clearly the virtuous and healthy winner by a mile because the benefits to you and your little one are significant. For example, producing milk after birth releases a hormone that will help you relax (and if you don’t nurse milk production will actually cease: i.e. use it or lose it!). If you choose to breastfeed, your body will produce oxytocin—(no, not Oxycotin, Rush Limbaugh already took care of that), which actually increases uterine contractions to decrease post-birth vaginal bleeding.

And the vain reason to breastfeed: all that charming excess body fat you’ve gained, is used for milk production—essentially making it MUCH easier for you to return to you pre-pregnancy weight. Also, nursing mothers’ bones re-mineralize faster than those who don’t, and they are less likely to contract ovarian or uterine cancer before and after menopause. Obviously the fact breastfeeding means you’re directly bolstering your baby’s immune system is also good, not to mention the dozens of other reasons from which your little “sucker” will benefit (too many to list here!). To learn more visit womenshealth.gov.