Ups and downs
Your acrobat may be standing on his head now: Most babies settle in the head-down, or vertex, position by this week. Ideally, he'll stay put until you give birth. But remember, your little one has a mind of his own—he might decide to change positions several times before he's born. You might feel him jostling into place as he flips, especially if he does so late in your pregnancy.
As full as it gets
The amount of amniotic fluid in your uterus right now—about two pints—makes it fairly easy for your baby to switch from head up to head down. Over the next eight weeks, the amount of fluid will decrease as the amount of baby increases.
Measuring up
Your baby weighs between 3.5 and 4 pounds and measures about 17 to 18 inches stretched out.
What Mommy is Doing:
Let the ribbing begin
Ouch! As it gets more crowded in your belly, you may feel your baby's toes or elbows poking you in the ribs. It's not as fun to play "guess the body part" when said part is wedged up under your rib cage. Try lying on your side or changing positions to coax her into moving.
Double up the checkups
When you reach 32 weeks, most health care providers will want to start seeing you every two weeks instead of just once a month. Among other things, your provider will be on the lookout for signs of infection, preterm labor, or preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy.
Our next appointment is today at 1:15pm!
Delivery drill
If you haven't already, sign up for a tour of the hospital where you'll be delivering. The tour will typically take you through the labor and postpartum rooms and acquaint you with registration and intake procedures and paperwork. Knowing where to go and what to do ahead of time will prevent a last-minute scramble when you're in labor.
Our tour is scheduled on Sunday, January 22. We should have this done already!
What Daddy is Doing:
Daddy and Squirt have been spending some quality time alone together at night. Squirt’s tumbling and bouncing don’t wake me up at night, but Daddy can feel the baby moving when I cuddle up to him in my sleep!
