I plaintively asked my poor doctor on Tuesday if she was REALLY TRULY SURE that I’m not due for another 8 weeks. Because I think the baby is ready. Really. And maybe the dates are off? And maybe I’m really due next week? Maybe I’m already overdue? She just grinned and said “Remember that you have 9 pound babies? Yeah. You’re not done baking yet. Maybe this is just a long one?”
I am now having to go to the doctor (and get weighed) every two weeks now. Then every week. This time was actually a good appointment. For instance, I was weighed but by someone other than the 16 year old. I’ve only put on 18 pounds so far which is good. Baby is already head down and ready to go in position. I could have told her that…I’ve had feet in my ribs and hands in my spleen and a head on my bladder for two weeks now.
The baby’s heartbeat was in the mid-130s again. Anne was always in the high 150s. I think I might do a baby pool again this time…everyone’s got a theory as to the sex of the baby.
I’ve been experiencing more swelling this time around. My hands and feet are mildly swollen all the time.
My doctor did tell me that everything with your first happens earlier and easier with your second. So you feel movements earlier, the baby drops earlier, labour is shorter, you swell sooner etc.
And I said, FAN-TASTIC.
Your baby now weighs approximately 3.75 pounds/ 1.7 kilograms and is about 17 inches / 42 centimetres long from head to toe. Although his lungs won’t be fully developed until just before birth, your little one is inhaling amniotic fluid to exercise his lungs and practise breathing.
Some babies have a head of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn’t necessarily mean thick hair later on but children with fine hair in childhood usually have thinner hair in adulthood.
You’re probably gaining a pound/ 450 grams a week, largely because your baby is likely to gain more than half his birthweight during the seven weeks before delivery. Make sure you are eating well in these last few weeks.
No wonder you’re starting to feel huge — it’s crowded in there! The growing pressure on your bladder may mean frequent trips to the washroom — which can make a good night’s sleep difficult. You may be gaining around half a kilogram a week now and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he’ll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next seven weeks, fattening up for survival outside the womb. Thanks to these fatty deposits, his skin is getting plumper and looking healthier.
