Thank Heaven For Little Girls: Week 33 & 34

Monday, May 01, 2006

Week 34

Your baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. You may also find her settling into more of a routine for sleeping & awake times.
She has learned to blink. She can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on your stomach and probably has the outline of all your organs memorized!
Antibodies from your blood are being tranferred to her. These immunities continue to build until birth. Then breastmilk will add even more protection against disease.
Your baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. If she is your first baby, she may be settling into the pelvis with her head pressing against your cervix.
Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips now. She may scratch her face even before she is born!
Your little one's length is 17.7 inches (45cm) and weight is 4.7 pounds (2146 g).

Week 33

Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
Your baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in your baby's brain will give her the skills she needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
You baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
Your infant is now 17.2 inches (43.7cm) long and weighs 4.23 pounds (1918gm).

Christina, 6:08 AM