28 Weeks

THIS WEEK

I am 28 weeks and can't believe that we have 9 weeks left until our baby girl is here. This week was a little stressful, I had another ultrasound with maternal fetal medicine to check on baby girl's bowels. Although I know that even if her echogenic bowels don't resolve before she is born that it is still more likely to just be a "variant of normal" than anything else but I still worry, and I worry that they may find something else, I also irrationally worry that there are things they aren't telling us (but I think that is my overly anxious mind getting ahead of itself, especially since we meet with a parinatologist immediately after these ultrasounds). This ultrasound was good, we got to see her cute little face and that she even has some hair on her head! Which we couldn't believe that they could see on ultrasound, but we did and ahhh.. she is so cute! We met with parinatal afterwards and he told us that her bowels are looking better, they are looking less "striking" and said that although the size hasn't changed much he said that it is reassuring that it hasn't gotten bigger given how much she has grown. Speaking of her growth he said that our baby girl weighs 2.7lbs and is in the 95th percentile for her weight and that is good news especially given her 2 vessel cord (which is commonly associated with growth restrictions) and she is currently in the breach position although I don't put too much worry into that because she has been in a new position every week. I also asked about my placenta, amniotic fluid and cervix and everything looks good, my placenta is a bit "bulky" and said that could be a soft marker for a chromosome problem but is usually associated with anemia or gestational diabetes, but that we shouldn't worry about it. I had been reading and have seen some moms with 2 vessel cords have large placentas as the placenta will sometimes take over for the lacking vessel in the umbilical cord - I'm trying not to put too much worry into it and waiting to see my obstetrician. But overall it was a good ultrasound and we just love our baby girl. Earlier in the week we also paid a visit to the hospital (like I've said before, the staff is going to know me by name when we have our baby girl) and they have always been so reassuring to come in even if I am just worried. This time I was worried, after our road trip, since my existing varicose veins were causing me even more pain than usual that I could have a blood clot - 2 trips to L&D in 12 hours, another great nst, a leg ultrasound and running into my ob who happened to be in that day (along with the prenatal doctor I had with our son, I didn't see him though) determined that it is just pain, no blood clot and as long as it is just pain I am okay with that.

BABY UPDATE

Baby girl is approximately the size of a papaya for the last time, weighing between 1.5lbs to 2.20lbs and is anywhere from 13.3 inches to 14.5 inches long.

Our baby girl's little eyes are now partially open and those tiny eyelids are able to blink, her eyes may now have some color but the final pigmentation requires exposure to light - in some cases the final color of the eyes cannot be determined with certainty until at least 9 months after birth. She is now able to recognize different levels of light, even inside my womb. Although she still has to grow a lot, her little body is getting chubbier as fat is depositing under her wrinkled skin and muscles are now developing some tone as well. I may now begin to notice a sleeping cycle for our baby girl as her movements become larger and more frequent.

MOMMA UPDATE

I am feeling pretty good, this week was a little exhausting with the hospital visits and ultrasound, but I am feeling better after seeing our precious baby girl and hearing that she is doing well and also knowing that the pain I have is just pain (hah). But with all of the visits to the hospital I started to really pack my hospital bag, there are still a few things I want to pick up but stuff is officially IN the bag instead of a few piles here and there. She is so strong and we have already noticed that she will react to the lights turning on and off, which is adorable. I mentioned last week that my rings were starting to get tight, I have officially put away my engagement ring and am only wearing my wedding band, which I expect to do once she's here anyway but it is definitely taking some getting used to. I feel like this is probably the shortest update on me in the last 28 weeks, haha!

Belly is measuring 43.75 inches (apparently we're taking a while to make the jump to 44 inches)

DADDY MOMENTS

I say this so often but I just love the bond they have already, she's still growing in my tummy and yet she kicks and moves when he is singing or talking to her - it is just absolutely adorable, she is such a Daddy's girl already.

FAVORITE PART OF THE WEEK

Finding out she already has hair, I just can't stop picturing what she is going to look like and knowing she already has hair only adds to my curiosity. I just can't wait to meet her, I can't wait to watch her grow up.

LOOKING FORWARD TO

Meeting our baby girl, a little more than two months left, I just can't wait.

xo, Anne.