34 weeks

On Tuesday we had the final ultrasound and 34 week check up. This ultrasound was not nearly as interesting as the 20 week one. The gender mystery was already known, and there just wasn't as much to see this time. The baby is so squished up that it's hard to make out many body parts. The technician did focus in on her face for a while. It was cool to see her mouth and lips moving and her eyelids blinking. She has big full lips like Tony. The good news with the ultrasound was that my placenta has moved to the right place, so we don't have to worry about it blocking the cervix.

The official weight gain is 30 pounds, but at least the rate of gain is slowing down now. I only gained one pound since the last visit. My blood pressure is still considered normal, although it is a little higher than my usual. My belly is measuring normal for 34 weeks; however the baby is in the 75 percentile for size. Because she's so big, the doctor says she'll have to come out at least a week early. So the countdown to birth is now 5 weeks instead of 6.

I had a brief pelvic exam to do a strep test. Tony was thrilled to get to witness that. Then we got a discussion about when we should call or come to the hospital. From both the doctor and our childbirth classes, we keep being told that first time mothers take a long time in labor and delivery. The average is 15 hours in labor and 2-3 hours in delivery. Oh goody.

The next checkup is in two weeks. After that, I have to go every week until she's born