34 weeks

This week:

• baby feels a ton heavier
• a bought a support belt which helps a bit
• crotch pain
• lower uterus pain
• my Dr's office is closed (started friday the 11th and goes until monday the 20th)
• baby had the hiccups about once a day, sometimes twice and they drive me NUTS lol
• I got all the diapers stripped and stuffed. check out my diaper stash page for pictures
• I've been trying to get on top of chores in the house since I'm a SAHM next year and we almost NEVER clean :/ I made a chore chart and I've got small jobs to do every day.
• I'm really looking forward to baby being here.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing:

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Oh boy this week there were like a million more pee breaks than last week. Baby dropped or switched positions or had a huge growth spurt or something that is causing more pressure on my bladder and pain to me. 

Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy. I pretty much get dizzy anytime I'm standing. I don't have stamina for much of anything anymore.

If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short). Thankfully, nope.

Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem.