We're moving through Week 38 fairly quickly and Antoinette just had her weekly doctor visit today. Recapping, the most important news is that both Mom and baby are perfectly healthy and all is still right on schedule. Antoinette measured an on target 37.5 inches on her belly measurement (actually catching up a bit from a slightly smaller belly measurement from last week). Her weight gain has subsided, as she basically maintained from last week. This is typical for late stage pregnancy as the baby's weight gain is counteracted by the reduction in amniotic fluid. With the uterus no longer expanding, it creates a nice equilibrium. Little Billy's heart rate is a perfectly normal 142 beats per minute and he remains in a head down position. Antoinette's contractions were minimal this week so the doctor did not feel that another internal was even necessary at this point. That is probably a good sign that she feels this baby is going to term. We'll see.
The doctor also gave her own prediction on the baby's size at birth, estimating he would be slightly longer than normal (let's call him "tall") and weigh in at about 7 lbs. 8 oz. or 7 lbs. 9 oz. On average, babies are 20 inches long and weigh about 7 lbs. 8 oz., so she's calling for an average size newborn and maybe an inch longer. She also said that Antoinette's Beta Strep test came back negative, which means that Antoinette tested negative for a particular bacteria that 20% of women carry which, had she tested positive, would've resulted in her being given an antibiotic for the remainder of her pregnancy. On her next visit, we expect she will get another internal to measure progress and we'll cover some more detailed instructions on delivery signs, etc.
In the "what's left to do" department, the answer is "I'm not sure." I think we've covered all of our needs. The only items I believe we have left to do are to wait for two more large boxes to be delivered. One is loaded up with more baby items from my Sister and the other is a bassinet from my Brother, which I'll have to put together before we can stick the little guy in it. The bed linens for that are already washed and ready to roll. This weekend, we'll get out shopping for a camcorder, which we really don't need until right after we bring him home (we plan on taking pictures at the birth, but who knows). We still need to determine what to do with the dog. I'm kicking it around. I may decide to leave him roam and just pop in to check on him from time to time. I'll send a friend over there in case Antoinette's labor takes awhile.
For most women, this is the time when dilation typically begins. Since Antoinette is a first time Mom, it is not unusual for it to take a bit longer. This usually triggers the loss of the plug, which is another sign that going into labor could be just around the corner. While dropping this guy isn't an indication that labor is imminent, it is a good idea to start putting on any finishing touches to the game plan and keeping a sharp eye peeled for the real contractions to begin.
As for Billy, while we don't seem to talk as much about him at this stage, each day he gets in the womb is a very important one. Not only is he continuing to add critical weight, but he's also continuing to develop his intestines and his brain and nervous system, among other things. Even fingernails are continuing to grow. He's still pretty active despite being smashed into a little compartment in there, which is a comforting feeling.
Finally, the picture is of some last minute additions to the baby room. The main addition is the crib mobile, which has some pretty neat features on it, such as the voice activated start/stop feature which triggers the mobile to turn on when the baby starts crying. The two smiley faced things are his bath slippers, which pair with a hooded bath robe. I put one of the three components of the baby monitor in there, too. Its a three piece consisting of the transmitter and two receiver bases for dual locations throughout the house. The thing leaning against the bear is an Itzbeen. Some of you might know what this thing is and some of you may not. Basically, its a count up timer instead of a countdown one. It has four simultaneous timers and a left/right switch, with some other minor function buttons. Essentially, after you feed the baby, you hit the bottle button. Change him and you hit the diaper button. When he wakes up, you push the "Zzzz" button. And then there's an extra button for whatever else you want to clock. When you hit these buttons, the countdown begins counting up on that particular clock. So when the baby is crying, you can glance at this thing and realize he hasn't eaten in awhile or that he's been awake an extra hour than normal, etc. Helps to get the baby on a schedule. Some people like it and some people don't. We'll give it a shot. And last but not least, we have the Bear. What else should a baby boy have who will be raised an Ohio State Buckeye fan and a Chicago Bear fan than his first Teddy Bear wearing a Buckeye shirt with an OSU tattoo on his foot? Perfect. Thanks, Christine...
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