Week 35

We've made it this far. At this point, if our honey was born, she would survive and would probably have very few complications. As I said in the previous post, though, she seems to be quite happy inside her Momma's uterus, so I suspect that she will hang out for a bit longer.

My only goal for the next 3 - 8 weeks is to keep my chin up, my attitude positive and my mind focused on the goal of delivering a healthy baby girl, naturally and in her own time. It's going to be an uphill battle and I will take each day individually.

But this is the work I've waited to do my entire life, and I intend to do it to the best of my ability. Here is how our Bailey is going to develop this week:

Weeks Until Bailey is Full Term (37 Weeks): 3
Weeks Until Bailey is Due (40 Weeks): 6
Weeks Until We Eject Bailey (42 Weeks): 8
Weeks Until Maternity Leave: 5 weeks, 3 days
Pounds Gained So Far: 12

Fetal development in pregnancy week 35: fetus in eighth month

Congratulations! You’re now carrying nearly 6 lbs of baby (actually, Bailey is OVER six pounds already) not counting their amniotic fluid, the umbilical cord, or the placenta itself. We’re impressed because that’s a LOT of work non-stop. Are you feeling proud of yourself yet? Well, get to it—you’ve done an amazing job! At this point, your little-grower is almost busting out of the womb size-wise, which make their restricted attempts to move much challenging. Of course, your stubborn little sucker is still trying to move around as if they weren’t in a cramped space. And the accumulating baby fat deposits are starting to level off so your little butter ball will be padded and warm when they head out of their super snug little home.

And how's mom doing?

We’re sure you’ve noted that the contractions are picking up and despite the obvious appeal of getting the pregnancy over with at this point, try not to jump the gun too soon by declaring actual labor. Of course, if it’s getting to the point where you’re having contractions continuously— you’re in labor and yes, it’s time for the "grab your bags we’re gonna have a baby" rush. For the rest of you not yet in labor, your watermelon-betwixt-my-legs waddle is as charming as ever, not to mention the glorious ongoing back pain and fatigue. Hang in there—once you’ve got your miracle baby on the outside—this will all be a dim memory. Catch the cat naps whenever possible and keep yourself hydrated with water and try to imagine how all of this will (hopefully) be much funnier in hindsight.

Your doctor or midwife should soon start monitoring cervical effacement (thinning of the cervix) and dilation in order to predict labor. If your cervix is already dilated labor is probably not far away—although there are some moms who walk around with a dilated cervix for a couple of days prior to labor. And if you haven’t heard about the joys of discharging the mucus plug (which protects the uterus from infection) along with some spotting, commonly called “bloody show”—both are signs that labor is around the corner. Should you discharge anything unusual in consistency and/or coloration, don’t hesitate to call you health care provider—it’s likely nothing, but you don’t need the extra stress right now.

Let’s talk about pain. Reports on the intensity of pain experienced during labor and childbirth are widely varied from woman to woman. The pain experienced depends on several things including your own natural pain threshold, medication, birthing position, fetal position, previous births, your general health and the actual birthing environment. Of course, there are natural births, cesarean deliveries, spinals, IV’s and other pain medications, all of which also play into how you experience pain during child birth. Ideally, you should attempt to be as relaxed as possible and willing to accept the pain as part of the birthing process. In reality, your experience of the birthing process is unique to your body and how you choose to respond to it. Pain is a two part process: the first part is the physical experience of the pain and the second is your emotional reaction to your experience—and that is the part you have the most control over. Choosing to accept and endure the pain of child-birth (with or without medication) can be an empowering experience for any woman, as well as making the birthing process notably easier for those assisting you.