35 Weeks Pregnant - Finalized our Birth Plan!

My wife is now at 35 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 5-1/4 pounds and over 18 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Honeydew Melon! There's not much room to maneuver now that she's running out of room in the uterus.

According to Babycenter guest blogger Katie Marsh Lord, 35 weeks pregnant marks the start of the "Pathetic" stage of pregnancy. This blogger also refers to it as the very uncomfortable, very pregnant, and kind of over it stage. (My wife says that is SO true!)

The pathetic stage was a term coined by this blogger's husband as she says one of the most bone-headed things he said during her pregnancy. I can sympathize because I've had my share of bone-headed moments as a new dad.

As we're nearing the end, we are preparing. My wife is cutting back her hours at work to 6.5 hours a day instead of 8. She has become much more exhausted and cannot work full time anymore. We've also heard it's good to start making double portions of dinners and freezing them for when we have our little one home from the hospital and we are shorter on time. We also need to think of what to start packing for a hospital bag. According to Babycenter, here are some good things to pack:

Hospital Bag Packing List

•drivers license
•birth plan
•glasses
•toiletries
•bathrobe
•camera
•money
•anything else helpful

Speaking of a Birth Plan, this week is a good time to finalize one if you haven't already. My wife Nikki just finished ours, and here it is:


Our Birth Plan

Plan A: Water Birth

Plan B: Deliver using a variety of pushing positions- avoiding laying on back during pushing.

Care Preferences: Natural comfort measures (water therapy, massage, moving around), Minimal interventions, IV pain medication as a last resort, NO Epidural

After Delivery:
•Baby placed skin-to-skin immediately (goo and all).
•Cord Blood Banked immediately
•Avoid any testing or treatments such as antibiotic eye cream application, blood testing, and first bath until after first feeding.
•Skin-to-Skin contact as much as possible.


Sympathy Weight Update: Gained 2, now at 206 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 21 lbs so far. (This may or may not have had something to do with increased fast food intake) :)

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as much as a crenshaw melon... what the heck is a crenshaw melon - see it here???

See How My Baby's Growing at 35 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Honeydew Melon! Ouch!!!

34 Weeks Pregnant - Crib Assembly, Finishing Nursery

My wife is now at 34 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 4-3/4 pounds and 18 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Cantaloupe! There's not a lot going on in there besides the baby getting fatter. Her fat layers which help regulate her body temperature after being born are filling out giving her that rounder, plumper look that we all love babies to have :) Also this week her central nervous system and lungs are becoming more sophisticated every day preparing for life outside the womb. Our baby is now completely viable, meaning, if my wife Nikki went into labor early our baby should be just fine with a possible stay in the neonatal unit.

So this is now crunch time! This is the last several weeks until the baby comes. My wife and I are scrambling to finish last minute tasks that we won't have time for soon like finishing the nursery. I just finished putting together the crib my mom purchased for us. I made a short time lapse of me putting it together:


Crib Assembly Time Lapse

I also need to finish the rest of the nursery by touching up paint, setting up the furniture, and purchasing an air filter so our beautiful baby's lungs stay healthy. Of course, she will be sleeping in her bassinet in our room at first.

My wife Nikki is starting to reach the point where she just wants the baby out. The fatigue is wearing on her and it's hard for her to get quality sleep with the tossing and turning as well as more frequent trips to the bathroom.

I wish I could take some of the burden off her shoulders. If I could I would carry the baby, I would love to experience pregnancy first hand if that was possible. However, I probably would not handle it nearly as well as her, and would probably be complaining much, much more. As strong as us guys can be, I don't think we could handle the pain of pregnancy well.

What do you think about that? Take my survey to the Right of the page >>>>>>
Chime in on your opinion about men carrying a baby if that was possible, and thanks!

Sympathy Weight Update:Unchanged at 204 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 19 lbs so far.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as a cantaloupe... GOOD GOD, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!

See How My Baby's Growing at 34 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Cantaloupe! Ouch!!!

33 Weeks Pregnant - The Final Stretch! (pun intended)

My wife is now at 33 weeks pregnant, the Final Stretch! (pun intended) My baby girl is now 4 pounds and 17 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Pinapple! OUCH!!! I'm sure glad I don't have a pineapple inside me...

Our baby is quickly losing that wrinkled look and starting to really plump up fast. She's moving more and I can feel the different body parts pushing against the tummy. I think I could feel a foot, a hand, elbow, back, head, and even the mushy butt! Also, it's amazing to put my ear against her belly, I can hear the heartbeat clearly and can hear lots of moving in there. My mom's a nurse and I'm going to borrow a stethoscope so my wife Nikki can hear the baby too.

Speaking of Nikki, my wife, have I mentioned how beautiful she is? I don't think I have nearly enough. People keep telling her that she has really "popped" in the last couple weeks. She keeps saying she's fat, in fact she even said it in her sleep tonight saying it's hard to flip over to her other side. I just comforted her and told her how beautiful she is. Honestly, curves just adds to her beauty :) She is my dream girl that's gracefully carrying my baby girl, I couldn't ask for more in life!

So much has happened this week. We just finished our Lamaze classes at Babylove. If you live in the Minneapolis / St Paul (Twin Cities) area and are expecting you simply must check them out! They are all about natural healthy childbirth and our instructor Brittany was second to none! Also, the baby has been breached for about 4 weeks up until now. My wife's chiropractor practiced the "Webster Technique" to turn the baby head down like she should be. After only one adjustment of her hips it seemed to create more room. Last week my wife felt the baby starting to move way more after the adjustment, and when we had another prenatal exam on Monday, she had finally turned! It really seemed to work for us.

So that's it, for now, we're in the final stretch, we have our first baby shower this weekend and we're hoping to start filling up our nursery.

Sympathy Weight Update: lost a few again, back down to 204 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 19 lbs so far! I went running with our dog Harry so maybe I'll do that some more and eat healthier.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as a cantaloupe... GOOD GOD, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!

See How My Baby's Growing at 33 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Pinapple! Ouch!!!

30 Weeks Pregnant - Belly Button Popped Out!

My wife is now at 30 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 15.7 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Large Cabbage! Right now there is about a 1-1/2 pints of amniotic fluid and is starting to hit her growth spurt.

She now keeps her eyes open most of the day even though it's pitch dark, however she can sense bright light coming in through her skin. Her eyesight is not very keen yet, about 20/400 put is improving all the time.

My wife's belly button popped out now. She actually started to cry when she realized it and I didn't know what was wrong until she told me. I tried to comfort her, she really wasn't that upset, she says the hormones just overcame her and it just made her cry.

We also had our fouth Lamaze class in a 6-week program. I learned it's not just about breathing anymore. It's run by 2 Doulas and is called Baby Love in Eagan, MN. Our Instructor, Brittany is very nice and informative. We are learning so much about how to create a birth plan that's right for us and how to be good to yourself during this important time.

Also, I'm learning more about how to prepare for the big day. I'm learning techniques how to support her like massage, holding her hand, walking through the contractions, sitting in the tub with her through labor pains, a technique called the butt squeeze where you put pressure on her upper buttocks. This is supposed to alleviate back pain especially if she starts to have back labor

Sympathy Weight Update: I'm a seesaw and gained another 5, now 208 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 23 lbs so far! What are you going do right?

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as heavy as four large navel oranges, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!

See How My Baby's Growing at 30 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she's as big as a Large Cabbage!

28 Weeks Pregnant - 3rd Trimester - Eyes Blinking!

My wife is now at 28 weeks pregnant today, the start of the third and final trimester! Finally!(says my wife) My baby girl is now 14.8 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Chinese Cabbage! She now weighs 2-1/4 pounds she is getting bigger with even stronger movements.

She now can blink her eyes and has prominent eyelashes. She also may be able to see sunlight through the womb and we saw this in action as she moved with the sun on her belly that was pouring in through the bedroom window one morning. Here's a video I shot of it:


Baby Moving in Uterus because of Sunlight!

We also noticed she's responding much more to music. We have been playing some classical, even some rock. There was this one part in a rock song where the drums started pounding pretty fast and right then you could see a rhthymic thumping in the mid section of my wife's tummy.

We also had our first Lamaze class in a 6-week program. I learned it's not just about breathing anymore. It's run by 2 Doulas and is called Baby Love in Eagan, MN. Our Instructor, Brittany is very nice and informative. I will share more about what we learn very soon.

Sympathy Weight Update: Actually Lost a few Pounds, 203 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 18 lbs so far! Looks like those dog walks are paying off.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Butternut Squash, believe it or not!

See How My Baby's Growing at 28 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Chinese Cabbage!

25 Weeks Pregnant - Looking more like a Newborn

My wife is now at 28 weeks pregnant today, the start of the third and final trimester! Finally!(says my wife) My baby girl is now 13.5 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Rutabaga! She now weighs 1-1/2 pounds she is getting bigger with even stronger movements.

Her wrinkled skin is starting to smooth out as she is looking more and more like a newborn if you could see her. She's beginning to exchange her long lean look for more baby fat. She's also growing more hair and if you could see it you would be able to see the color and texture.

We've noticed her moving A LOT! Sometimes when we least expect it she'll make my wife's belling move in mysterious ways. It kind of freaks us out sometimes but is wonderful to feel our baby moving and trying to figure out what body part it is. We've also seen quite a few moving baby in uterus videos on youtube and this is a shockingly great example:

Alien-like Moving Baby - WOW!

Link

Sympathy Weight Update: Gained a few from residual Christmas/New Years Pounds, 208 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 23 lbs so far! Now that Christmas is finally over I can start eating more healthy and exercising. I need to stay healthy for my baby.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an English Hothouse Cucumber, believe it or not!

See How My Baby's Growing at 25 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Rutabaga, what the heck is a Rutabaga?!?!

Shop CornerStorkBabyGifts.com

24 Weeks Pregnant - My Baby Can Taste, Lungs Developing!

My wife is now at 24 weeks pregnant today. My baby girl is now just over 1 foot long, as big as a ear of corn! She now weighs over one pound and she is growing at a steady pace now and her movements are getting stronger. She is still pretty lean looking but soon she'll start plumping up. Her skin is translucent due to the thin layer but that will thicken soon. Her brain is quickly developing and she is getting taste buds. We had tuna hot dish tonight and I wonder if she could taste it... hmm.. probably not but it's a nice thought.

My baby girl is also getting ready to breathe. Her lungs are developing the infrastructure that allows breathing with little branch like structures that collect oxygen and cells that product a substance called surfactant. Surfactant will allow air sacs in her developing lungs to inflate and collect air once she leaves the womb and she takes her first breath! I suppose it makes sense since we're almost to the third trimester in a couple weeks here.

My wife is doing well. She is really starting to feel large and I think she feels a bit self conscious. We went grocery shopping tonight and the female clerk asked her if she was having the baby in a couple weeks. She said no, I'm only 6 months along, and the clerk couldn't believe it because of the size she is currently at. I try to reassure her that everyone is different and gets pregnant at different rates.

It's also harder for her to exert herself and get around so I'm trying to help by carrying everything, opening the doors for her, and letting her have plenty of time to rest. I also get her water constantly. When in doubt I always refill her cup because she goes through so much. We hear staying hydrated while pregnant is absolutely crucial and many pregnant women don't get enough liquids.

Name Update: We have not picked out a name yet for our baby girl. Well at least not officially. We are keeping it a secret because there are so few secrets left. I will say we are very sure of our first choice and do have a second choice picked out, but that could change of course. We are thinking of the middle name also, it may be a tribute to a late grandparent, but we're not sure. Either way I will Update you here when we announce it to the family!

Sympathy Weight Update: I think I'm leveling off, same weight as last week, 205 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! Now that Christmas is finally over I can start eating more healthy and exercising. I need to stay healthy for my baby.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Rutabaga, what the heck is a Rutabaga?!?!

See How My Baby's Growing at 24 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Ear of Corn!

23 Weeks Pregnant - My Baby Can Hear and Dance!

My wife is now at 23 weeks pregnant today. My baby is now about 1 foot long, as big as a large mango! She now weighs just over one pound and her sense of movement is fully developed and she seems to be dancing in there. Blood vessels in her lungs are quickly developing and getting ready for breathing. She is now becoming accustomed to loud noises like our dog barking.

I've begun talking to my baby. It was a little weird talking to my wife's belly at first, then it became less weird. I even tried singing to her. I sung "Oh Holy Night" to my my little growing girl. My wife laughed when I got to the high soprano part. It also had the dual effect of putting me in the Christmas spirit and in a good mood.

Unfortunately, this week and today my wife is getting the Round Ligament Pain again that I spoke about in Week 19. It is a brief stabbing sensation that usually only lasts for a few seconds or also can be a dull pain which she feels in her lower abdomen between her groin to just under her belly button and along her hips. If you traced a line of a high cut bikini swimsuit that's where the pain is. She keeps telling me she wished I could feel it so I would understand. I keep offering to stab my stomach, but when that doesn't work I just try and be supportive.

Tomorrow we have another doctors appointment, the regular check up. We're thinking our midwife might change and move up our due date a little (now it's 4/15/12) because in the sex determining ultrasound at Week 20 the baby measured larger than it's supposed to be at this point. I'll update you next week about that.

We were wondering some more if her belly button would pop out soon. It's still an innie but it might not be for long. I keep joking that it might sound like the button popping out of a turkey when it's done when we were younger. I did some searching and found that this is a common concern among women. Apparently, some women are quite annoyed with their belly button sticking out so much and even go as far as taping it down so it doesn't show with the clothing they wear. That made us laugh but then my wife said, "that would annoy me too!"

Just to be fair, since this blog is about my sympathy weight in addition to my wife's pregnancy, and because I've been showing pictures of her belly, it's only fair that I show mine! Now this picture really shocked me that my belly is as big as this is, but I shouldn't feel bad because this is how she feels everyday but worse right? This is my heaviest weight of my life, 205 lbs and my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! Time for some exercise for real now. Starting tomorrow... or maybe after the new year.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Ear of Corn believe it or not!!! Ouch

See How My Baby's Growing at 23 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Large Mango!

Shop CornerStorkBabyGifts.com

I Can Hear the Baby Moving!

So my baby girl is moving more and more now inside my wife's belly, and it's really exciting. While I was feeling the movements the other night, I started thinking I wonder if I would be able to hear the baby moving if I placed my ear to her belly. Sure enough, I could! It sounds like an echo chamber probably because all the fluid and but you can distinctly hear the thumps of the baby's limbs abruptly pushing against the walls of the uterus! It sounds really cool to hear my baby for the first time. My wife felt a little left out when this happened though. She wanted to be able to hear her too. I haven't told her yet but I'm going to get a stethoscope soon so she can hear the movements also. I'm also starting to visualize her more and more. I can almost see her growing if I imagine as I look at my wife's belly. I think the seeds of fatherhood have now been planted as I'm thinking more and more about it and think I'm starting the bonding process. In an email the other day my wife even signed it her name and baby. That made me happy, I look forward to being a father so much. Until next week, thanks for reading!

22 Weeks Pregnant - Developing Tooth Buds

My wife is now at 22 weeks pregnant today. My baby is now 11 inches long, about the length of a spaghetti squash! She is now almost one pound in weight and is now beginning to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more pronounced, and she is even developing the buds of new teeth under her gums!

If you could see inside the uterus this week the baby would have a fine hair covering her called the lanugo and would be have wrinkled skin until her body fills out her skin all the way. Also, her pancreas which produces essential hormones is starting to form.

They also say this is when my wife's belly starts becoming a hand magnet and they are right, and for me too! I'm starting to feel the baby stronger now and have even been able to see the movement on the outside of the belly tonight! Also, her belly button is expected to pop out anytime now but for now it's still an innie.

She hasn't had stretch marks yet. We discovered that despite all the information and creams that claim to prevent them, getting them is actually hereditary and using creams won't prevent them. However, it does help to use a good moisturizer. My wife is also reading a book about breastfeeding. It is quite interesting, but the pictures made us laugh, they are a little over the top.

This week we are finally going to start preparing the nursery. Until now it's been my art studio/office/guitar room/pet room/storage room but soon with some paint and decorations it will become a beautiful nursery for our little girl. Since I like painting, I plan on painting the walls for her with blue skies and puffy clouds and rolling green hills and trees. I don't think we are going to just paint the room pink, that's too boring!

Sympathy Weight Update: 205.5 lbs! My highest ever! I had my yearly physical this week. (I turned 31 yesterday by the way) and they suggested that I start exercising. They are right, it should help with the extra pounds but also with the stress that comes with the pregnancy.

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as a Large Mango believe it or not!!!

See How My Baby's Growing at 22 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Spaghetti Squash

Shop CornerStorkBabyGifts.com

I Felt the Baby for the First Time!!!

It was amazing, it wasn't much, I don't think she is strong enough to push against her belly enough, I haven't felt kicking yet, but I did finally feel movement - a nudge as I held my wife's belly! For so long now she has been feeling the baby and I had felt left out. She said it's her reward for all the bad parts she already had to go through like the intense morning sickness and all the pains and cramps and she's right. I hope to feel my baby girl again soon, it's becoming more real now. With each step I become more attached to the baby growing inside my baby.