31 weeks

I didn't realize I was a week behind. Hopefully the 32 week post won't be too far behind.


How your baby's growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How your life's changing: Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have more than four contractions in an hour or any other signs of preterm labor: an increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge (if it becomes watery, mucus-like, or bloody — even if it's pink or just tinged with blood); abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping; an increase in pressure in the pelvic area; or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.

You may have noticed some leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts lately. If so, try tucking some nursing pads into your bra to protect your clothes. (And if not, it's certainly nothing to worry about; your breasts are making colostrum all the same, even if you don't see any.) If your current bra is too snug, you might also want to pick up a nursing bra. Choose a nursing bra at least one cup size bigger than you need now. When your milk comes in you'll be grateful for that extra room!

How I'm doing: I haven't noticed any Braxton Hicks contractions since much closer to the beginning of pregnancy. I'm sure they'll be coming back soon. We had a midwife appointment this week (or last week now that I'm a week late on this update). The baby was doing just fine. Her heartbeat was still nice and strong. I only gained .7 lbs in the two weeks since my previous appointment so I did well on that front. We made it out to a nice dinner one night to one of Mario Batali's restaurants in LA Osteria Mozza. Even though Scott can be a picky eater we both enjoyed everything we ate and dined next to Lionel Richie in the process; unfortunately his new grandbaby wasn't with him. We're trying to get in a lot of things we won't be able to do with a baby. For Valentine's Day we purchased tickets to Wicked! at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. We'll be going to see that next week and sitting in something like the 10th row. We're really looking forward to that.

We also had an additional birthing class which was mainly on nutrition and a bit about early labor, when to go to the hospital, etc. And we also had our hospital tour. It was a busy week; especially since I didn't return from Redding until Monday evening. The hospital tour was exciting. It was cool to see the place our baby will be born. Or might be born. As it turns out UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital will be opening on May 4th (Happy birthday Dad!). My due date is on April 25th according to me or April 30th according to my midwives. So the baby's birthday could be very close to or after May 4th. So it's likely we'll find out which hospital our baby will be born at very close to her actual birthday. Luckily they are across the street from each other so it doesn't require any advanced planning. I'm holding out hope that she'll stay put until after the 4th. We saw pictures of the new hospital and I'd rather go there. Even if just for the private rooms. At the old hospital the recovery rooms are semi-private and Scott would have to go home at 9 PM every night if I had a roommate. Babies room-in at UCLA (the nursery is only for babies with problems) so obviously I'd much prefer if Scott were there. If we go to the old hospital, we may consider upgrading to a private room for $330/night (yikes!). But then Scott would have his own twin bed to sleep over in. But of course insurance won't pay for that.

We feel very fortunate to be having our baby at UCLA though. It's a wonderful hospital. Our tour was given by the Director of Labor and Delivery who's a nurse and we liked her a lot. We feel confident that with our midwives and the staff at UCLA we'll get the birth experience we want in a very safe environment.

But I'm leaving out the best part of my week. My mom and sister, Kellie threw me and my (also pregnant) sister, Melody a shower on February 16th.