Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. They now weigh almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. They're shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered their body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected their skin during their nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of their first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely they are in a head-down position. But if they are not, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying they try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating them from the outside of your belly.
*How far along?: 36 weeks
*Total weight gain: Don't know
*How big is baby?: A Crenshaw Melon? I had no idea they grew melons in South La; Dr Dre should write a song about the fruit empire of Crenshaw Blvd.
*Maternity clothes?: Yes, but again some tops are too short.
*Sleep?: Quality and quantity varies from crap to super crap.
*Best moment this week?: Getting pampered for and attending NBH's Aunt's wedding.
*Movement?: Yes; all the books say the bebe should not move as much now that they are bigger, well this kid is still pushing, kicking, squirming and moving around I'd say more than before at times.
*Food cravings?: Nope, but I do have random spurts of insatiable hunger.
*Labor signs?: No, but NBH thinks I've "dropped."
*Belly button in or out?: Innie, still keeping the belly ring in for now, not that it looks even vaguely attractive, but I'd rather not have to get it repierced after the bebe comes.
*What I miss: Being comfortable when sitting.
*What I'm looking forward to: Kashi visiting Glasgow and our shower/house warming on Saturday.
*Milestone: Technically, I'm full term.
