Week 33- Baby Boy Pineapple

How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

How your life's changing: As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course. You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.

from BabyCenter

Baby: Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring 17 inches long, he weighs 5lbs. And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will gain about a half pound of weight every week. The bones in his skull are formed, but aren't fused. They actually don't fuse entirely until early adulthood, allowing room for his brain to grow through childhood. Because they aren't fused, the bones in his skull will be able to overlap, helping him to fit through the birth canal during delivery.

Mom: How are you feeling? You are probably gaining about a pound a week and everything might feel swollen, but you're almost there! You've almost made it! Just a few more weeks and you will be rocking your little one to sleep. Though it's common to feel swollen at this point in your pregnancy, remember to contact your health care provider if you experience sudden swelling, as this may be a sign of labor.

From PlanningFamily

We had a Dr's appointment yesterday. Baby is still measuring perfectly and the heartbeat is strong. 4 weeks until my induction!!