36 Weeks Pregnant

"Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly."

28 days left until my due date! Aaaahh!!! I'm so nervous. I'm going to be a mom in less than one month. I feel so unprepared. There are still so many things we need to get for him. I know everything will turn out okay and that I'm probably just over reacting, but I worry we won't have everything we need in time.

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday. My OB said they aren't going to check me to see if I am dilated until my next appointment which is on August 7th. She did do the Group B Strep test though. That appointment literally took like ten minutes. The shortest one I've ever had. I guess that's good though, right? That means nothing bad is happening.

His heart rate is good at about 135 BPM and I'm measuring at 35 1/2 cm which is where I'm supposed to be. He isn't too big, or too small, just average. My blood pressure is 92 over 58 which is also normal. My OB thinks I'm going to be pregnant up to my due date if not a few days longer, so I guess we'll see what happens.

I can't wait to meet my little guy. I will admit that I am nervous and a little scared, but I am also really happy and excited. My life is going to change forever, but it will be for the better.