You're in the home stretch! After nine months of growth and development, your baby is ready to be born, or nearly so. At week 39, your baby is fully developed and anywhere from 17-23 inches long and weighs 6-10 pounds. Don't be frightened if your OB-GYN says your baby is large: It's extremely difficult to judge a baby's weight accurately from the outside.
Your baby is adding neural connections and growing hair and still gaining weight. Researchers have theorized that when babies are ready to be born, they send a chemical signal of androgens to the placenta, which increases the production of estrogen and leads to labor. If so, it's proof of the old saying that "only a baby knows when it's ready to be born."
Your Growing Belly
Don't be surprised if you get discouraged now. Relatives may be calling regularly to find out if labor has started. Ignore them and make plans every day—see a movie, take a walk, read or simply lounge around at home. Relish this peaceful time while it lasts! To get some relief from your weight and aches, do plenty of hands-and-knees cat stretches and pelvic tilts. Soak in a warm bath, swim, or just float in the pool to take a break from gravity.
You
This has been a rough week. Work has been stressful. I've been much more tired than usual. Sleep is harder to come by. Pressure is worse. Discomforts are high. Typical end of pregnancy crap. Still even a little heartburn occasionally. I'm pretty sure I've been feeling contractions here and there. I'm feeling random groin pains still too. Fun.
I went to the doctor today and she said I was close to 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Seriously? Do you know how much pain I was in to get to 3 cm last time? A lot more than this time, that's for sure. I contracted all day, all evening and then my water broke at 3:30 am. I made it to the hospital by 7 am and BAM only 3 centimeters. Lucky for me the contractions only hurt during the evening. But this time? BAM, already almost at 3. So I guess that's a good thing, right?? We'll see! The doctor thinks it will be soon so that's exciting. She asked me, "Are you ready to have this baby?" I've wanted to have this baby all week but as soon as she said that, I got really nervous. You mean it's finally here? This could really be happening soon?? It's crazy.
So what does 39 weeks pregnant look like?
Here's a pic from the wedding this weekend since I don't feel like taking one tonight. This was right at the point in the Backstreet Boys song where the guy sings, "Am I SEK-SHOO-ALLL?? Yeeeaaaahhhh!" It's my favorite part. You cannot NOT dance to that part. So I did. And Katie caught me dancing at the reception. Anything to get this baby out, right? "Am I everything you need? You better rock your body now. EVERYBODY! YEAHHHH!!"
Anytime, Applesauce! We'll be delighted to make your acquaintance!
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