40 Weeks

Well, we're finally at 40 weeks (actually moved past and swiftly onto almost 41 weeks) and I am feeling that our little girl must come now. I am not sleeping well - I have had strange headaches, dreams & other strange feelings in my body...but mostly I feel as though my optimistic state of mind may just deteriorate if she doesn't come soon!!!!

Aline came over to press some pressure points for me for the second time this morning. I can understand that this is a "waiting game"...and it's not a fun and it's certainly NOT A GAME! It is very frustrating. But as Aline says - perhaps this is my lesson in letting my daughter do things in her own time. After all: I do demand that others allow me my own time in which to do things.

Being at this point - which is a point beyond which I thought we would be - I feel ready to move to the next phase of our lives. We have known since 21 December 2010 when we were 4 weeks along that we will have a baby in the next 36 weeks. 252 days is a long long time to wait... and 5 days past that, with all the discomforts of an ever increasing stomach size & other pregnancy symptoms, makes for wishing that we can just meet her already!!!! Days can be miscalculated... babies can need a bit of extra time to be snug in side before greeting the big world. We do not know the reasons behind these things, but it doesn't make waiting any easier - hoping that at any moment things will at least start any less desperate - wondering how things will go when things do kick into action any less concerning.

Goodbye 1 September.... almost hello to 2 September: who knows what you may bring????


How your baby's growing:
It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 3.4kg (a small pumpkin) and is about 50 cm long. Her skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

How your life's changing:
After months of anticipation, your due date rolls around, and... you're still pregnant. It's a frustrating, but common, situation in which to find yourself. You may not be as late as you think, especially if you're relying solely on a due date calculated from the day of your last period because sometimes women ovulate later than expected. Even with reliable dating, some women have prolonged pregnancies for no apparent reason.

You still have a couple of weeks before you'll be considered "post-term." But to be sure your baby is still thriving, your practitioner will schedule you for testing to keep an eye on her if your pregnancy continues. You may have a biophysical profile (BPP), which consists of an ultrasound to look at your baby's overall movements, breathing movements (movement of her chest muscles and diaphragm), and muscle tone (whether she opens and closes her hand or extends and then flexes her limbs), as well as the amount of amniotic fluid that surrounds her (important because it's a reflection of how well the placenta is supporting your baby). Fetal heart rate monitoring (called a nonstress test or NST) will generally be done as well — by itself or as part of the BPP. Or, you may have what's known as a modified BPP, which consists of an NST and an ultrasound to assess the amount of amniotic fluid. If the fetal testing isn't reassuring — the amniotic fluid level is too low, for example — you'll be induced. If there's a serious, urgent problem, you may have an immediate c-section. Your practitioner will also check your cervix to see if it's "ripening." Its position, how soft it is, how effaced (thinned out) it is, and how dilated (open) it is can all affect when and how your labor is induced. If you don't go into labor on your own, you'll be induced, usually sometime between 41 and 42 weeks.