Week 34

How far along: 34 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Savoy cabbage (19 inches, 5 pounds)

Milestones: The slippery coat the protects BB's skin from the amniotic fluid is starting to fall off and his immune system is improving. His lungs are reaching their final stage of development and he's continuing to put on fat to keep him warm outside the womb!

Best Moment This Week: My post-delivery work schedule was officially approved except that I have to work my hours from home at a particular time, not whenever I can get to them. It's a relief to have that finally locked down. I had my 34 week appointment on my birthday and BB's heart rate and growth still look perfect! My coworker made me a low-carb dessert that I ate right before my appointment, so BB's heart rate on the doppler was a lot higher than usual from the little influx of sugar lol. In two short weeks, we have our next ultrasound to see how big BB is and if he's in the right position. If he's over 10 pounds, they'll do c-section at 39 weeks, but otherwise, they'll wait until he comes naturally or induce me when my due date hits. I think he is in or close to the right position since I primarily feel his hiccups lower down, but I'll know for sure soon enough. Leif and I took a couple more classes this week - Baby Safety and Preparing for the Unexpected. Preparing for the Unexpected was pretty eye-opening, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. I was just shocked to find out that sometimes when you get a c-section, the surgeon sets your uterus on top of you to repair it! 

What I’m Looking Forward To: Even though I'm hoping to go into labor naturally, it's nice knowing that I'll have BB in no longer than a little more than five weeks from now. My friend just had her baby and she's been posting a lot about her extreme sleep deprivation on Facebook, but I'm hoping that Leif and I can tag-team it enough to keep me from hitting critical burnout.

What I Miss The Most: It continues to get harder and harder to control my gestational diabetes. My numbers have been spiking more lately, so my dietitian recommended eating the fewest carb servings allowed at each meal and see if that changes anything. So far, it has helped a little, so we'll see if it creates any long-term change. Still dreaming of the day when I'll be able to get back to eating my favorite desserts and snacks! 

Symptoms: As my belly gets bigger, it's definitely getting more tender from the strain. I also feel like my memory is starting to go a little (not that it was that great to begin with haha!) and if I walk too fast or for too long, I get random stabbing pains in my abdominal muscles. I had a moment where I felt like I was going to faint the other day, but my OB thinks that I had either been standing too long or was locking my knees, so she wasn't too worried. Other than that, it's been smooth sailing! 

Cravings: Thankfully, my family, friends, and coworkers have been really accommodating providing me diabetes-friendly birthday treats. I've been able to indulge in low-carb lemon-blueberry bread, lots of fresh fruit and some cheesecake.