Today our baby is 34 weeks in gestation. This is coincidentally the week that according to my mom I made my appearance, though Matt and I are of course hoping our baby will stay put and continue growing in my womb. At 34 weeks our baby would be expected to be 4 4/4 pounds, the size of a cantaloupe, and 18 inches long. For size comparison I put a cantaloupe up to a bottle of Martinelli’s which Candy bought a few of for my shower that was last week. Matt says the cantaloupe is probably smaller than the celery we had for last week’s comparison food, and this may well be the case.
Just as Dr. G had inferred at my last appointment on Friday, my Pregnancy Center App says that most babies born between 34-37 weeks that do not have additional health problems thrive, over time doing as well as babies who are born at full term.
This week our baby’s central nervous system matures even more as do his or her lungs. His or her skin will smooth out, and additionally fat layers which help regulated internal body temperature are getting larger.
The placenta will not get any bigger at this point. As I’ve noted before Gestational Diabetes fasting numbers may be a little harder to control in the next two weeks, and in fact, I did have to up my Insulin units last night, though, at week 36 and beyond they tend to stabilize.
~ Danielle
Over 40 First Time Mom 