How Big is Baby? There are lots of updates for what the baby is able to do inside the womb this week!

According to babycenter.com:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she’s born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you’ve been nervous about preterm labor, you’ll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

According to thebump.com:

• She’s recognizing and reacting to simple songs, if you’re singing them. (If you’re not, start! She may find them soothing after birth.)
• She’s also urinating about a pint a week.

According to babiesonline.com:

Your baby can – and does – respond just as a newborn would by opening her eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Your baby can also grasp firmly and her little fingernails may need to be trimmed shortly after birth. This month also offers more time for your baby to build antibodies and for her skin to continue to thicken. Your baby is approximately 18 inches long and weighs about 4.5 pounds. It’s wonderful to know that if your baby was born now, it has a 95 percent chance of full and normal survival with medical intervention.

How I’m Feeling Physically?

Time is blowing by so quickly, its crazy. I can’t believe we are getting so close to baby, even though I still wish time was going by even faster! I want to meet Hayden sooo badly and the day I get to finally hold her I will feel like the luckiest girl in the world But obviously I want her to stay in my belly for as long as she needs and make her grand entrance into this world once she is perfectly ready.

Chase talks to my belly on a daily basis and baby H will often push out when he has his face right up against me… like yes daddy I can hear you! haha… its so cute.

I feel lots of what I think must be her butt pushing out when she is trying to stretch her legs… as something huge (its got to be her butt lol) pushes out on my middle/upper left side and then on my far right near my hip bone I feel jabs of what I think are her feet kicking me. She is still head down (doc confirms every time he listens to the heartbeat) so it makes sense that she would be in the position I just described.

This week I did four sessions of Netflix Target Toning, and made it to the gym four times (I do netflix before I go down to the gym just to make sure I’m not too tired to do it later) My energy is high and I have no problem finishing the 45 minutes of cardio. I am so incredibly bored of this routine, but running and doing cardio other ways gives me cramps and some hardcore braxton hicks.  So I actually feel lucky that I am even able do the elliptical. Its the easiest on my preggo bod,  so surely I can suck it up for another few weeks. A month after Hayden is born I will be sweating and pushing myself harder than ever during workouts  hot yoga, pilates, and sculpt I am coming for you soon!!! Plus I found a new studio for Chase and I to go to called Yoga works. And I just found out this studio also has prenatal and postnatal yoga where you can bring your baby! Count me in

Sleeping~ still not the best but I am so used to it by now it doesn’t faze me anymore. Bathroom breaks during the night have increased to about 5-6 times.

Heartburn is still around… nothing new here either.

My boobs are really sore this week. I also realized that I haven’t purchased any nursing bras or tops. Does anyone know if these items are a necessity or can I get away with a regular bra?

Oh and here is a picture of a baby born at 34 weeks, 3 days… just for a real life idea of how big baby could be!

[Source]

How I’m Feeling Emotionally? 

EXCITED. READY. HAPPY. EXCITED. HAPPPY! I am very content with the path of life God has placed me on. I am so blessed. We are so blessed. Chase and I are in a really good place and I thank God every day that we are as fortunate as we are. Life is really good. I am so excited for what the future holds

I am also anxious and a little nervous about the possible upcoming big change we might be about to go through (the one I mentioned last week) and that has been on my mind a lot lately… and as I promised I will share the details once the everything is final.

Random

• pregnancy length so far: 34 weeks, 6 days
• weight gain so far: +19.5 lbs.
• time left: 37 more days! 5 weeks, 2 days
• had a doctor appointment yesterday, doc said my belly was measuring @ 33 weeks (anything within two weeks is fine he says) and I also had the Strep B test
• two weeks until next doctor appointment when I will be nearing 37 weeks! OMG
• craving ~ miso soup, cinnamon raisin ezekial english muffins with Trader Joe’s Vegan Cream Cheese (this is the best plain vegan cream cheese I have EVER tasted… much better than Tofutti, and its non-hydrogenated), cereal, and chickpeas.
• an old breakfast favorite I brought back this week that I want to share: 1/2 c. egg whites scrambled with 1 packet of stevia, a tiny bit of vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon. Then take a warmed whole wheat wrap, top it with some almond butter or Better N PB, place your cooked egg whites inside, top with fresh raspberries or chopped strawberries, drizzle with a little agave if desired and fold into a little wrap. If you are really hungry use a whole wrap, if ur watching your carbs just use half. This little meal is quite delicious. (Sorry no picture, I may put this up as a recipe this week, but its not vegan so I might not – thoughts?!)
• purchased this week: Medela Breast Pump in Style Advanced Tote, Sleep Sheep, Baby Bubble maker for bath time, hamper, forehead thermometer, Vitamins brand baby sleeveless sleep sacks (insanely priced on amazon, I got one for $6) and a Nosefrida “The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator” which is said to be a must have.
• still need: Brookstone Baby White Noise Machine, Ergo, and several other things for when the baby starts eating solids… but those can wait awhile. I am pretty much done shopping! Yes!

and I picked out her outfits for the hospital! I have a preemie outfit just in case, a pink white and blue newborn swaddle, some light pink pajamas, dark pink pajamas, hats and headbands/flower clips in dark pink, light pink, and white (one of each color flower and band yes I know a little overboard) a long sleeve white onesie, baby mittens, white socks, and a blanket. Am I forgetting anything for her??

I still have to pack my own stuff for the hospital, but I think I am going to wait until 37 weeks.

Baby Bump Pics

What did you pack for yourself in your hospital bag and when do you think a good time to pack it is?

Do you think I should post any recipes I make that are non vegan on this blog, even though the title is sweetlyvegan?

Any other baby must haves that I am forgetting about?

Related articles

• 31 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
• 33 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)
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• 26 weeks (sweetlyvegan.com)