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Week 37: And we're ready for take off! Fetal development in pregnancy week 37: fetus in ninth month It’s the calm before the storm. Changes in your baby's weight have leveled off with only a few ounces of fat added this week. At this point your baby should weigh in at around 7 lbs and 20 inches (with boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls). Happily, as far as internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the outside world although the oh-so-important immune system is still developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting infection and staying healthy should be well within their physical capacity when your little fighter is born. And how's mom doing? Your health care provider will assess the likelihood of where you are relative to your upcoming birthing process—seeing as you’ve now arrived at that waiting phase that could turn into labor at...

Week 36: Wee fingers o' steel Fetal development in pregnancy week 36: The countdown continues… and in fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: their muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and you’ll definitely be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm). And in genital development: if you’re having a girl, her labia are now fully developed. Finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio has fallen over these past weeks, although they’re still swallowing fluid (building up even more meconium for that historic first poop), and some vernix caseosa. They will be more than ready to swallow and digest milk after b...

Week 35: Hey! It IS getting cramped in here. Fetal development in pregnancy week 35: Congratulations! You’re now carrying nearly 6 lbs of baby not counting their amniotic fluid, the umbilical cord, or the placenta itself. We’re impressed because that’s a LOT of work non-stop. Are you feeling proud of yourself yet? Well, get to it—you’ve done an amazing job! At this point, your little grower is almost busting out of the womb size-wise, which make their restricted attempts to move much challenging. Of course, your stubborn little sucker is still trying to move around as if they weren’t in a cramped space. And the accumulationg baby fat deposits are starting to level off so your little butter ball will be padded and warm when they head out of their super snug little home. And how's mom doing? We’re sure you’ve noted that the contractions are picking up and despite the obvious appeal of getting the pregnancy over with at this point, try not to jump the gun too s...

A nice surprise from Ericsson/Kuriray friends Last Friday, September 4, was really a fun day. I had a nice suprise from my Ericsson colleagues. They hosted a nice and cute baby shower for me. It was really a surprise coz i didn't really have any idea that they were planning on giving me one. Backtrack: Wednesday, September 2, I stayed at home coz I was not feeling really well. I've been having abdominal cramps since the night before. So I just decided to take a break from work. Thursday, September 3, I went back to work, feeling a bit normal. It was just an ordinary day for me. Nothing unusual happened. Until hubby Jake sent me a text message, asking me, "Bakit tumatawag sakin si Lala?" Hmmm, bakit nga? and then just before going home, Yuwan told me twice, "Jen, pasok ka bukas ha". And Lala asked me also if I was going to work the next day. =) Friday, September 4, I was late for work. I missed the 7:45 AM shuttle. So i had to wait for the 8:15 shuttle....

Week 34: Upside-down baby! Fetal development in pregnancy week 34: Your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out. And how's mom doing? Obviously the big change for you is the notable weight shift (known as ...