Thursday, August 23, 2012

Pregnancy: Final Trimester Week 31 & Video

Another week down as we get closer and closer to the big day. Here is the weekly update!

How far along:  We are currently in week 31.  As of today, we have 62 days to go!  WOW, really that’s all I can say!  

How big:  Depending upon which baby app I reference…..She now weighs 3.3 lbs like carrying four oranges.  She could gain anywhere from an additional 3-5 pounds before she is born.  Alayna currently measures over 16 inches from head to toe and is heading into a growth spurt.  Looks like we moved out of the comparisons to vegetables now on to the fruit.

Developments and Milestones:  Alayna can now turn her head from side to side and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up.  She is now starting to move around more, flip upside down, and somersault.  Hmm will you be a gymnast Alayna?     

As I mentioned last week about Alayna’s brain it appears things are still changing in there.  Her brain is now more fully developed, with speech and language centers in the process of development.  Complex neurological connections and learning will continue throughout the rest of the pregnancy.  I know you can hear us Alayna and all that country music that we listen to.  I hope you love country music as much as your Mom and Dad do!!

Alayna is also making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with her little hands and feet.  She is also sucking her thumb!! Some babies are born with a callus on their thumb from all that thumb sucking.  Looks like you will not be able to hide that thumb sucking little girl!

What Mom and Dad Notice:   Alayna continues to be very active still.  Maria has noticed body parts. Yes, she claims that she can feel an arm, or a leg now! I felt her belly and I cannot make any body parts out at all. But I believe you Maria!!

The Braxton hiccups are still occurring.  As I reported last week Maria loves how this feels.  I wish I could actually feel these hiccups but that would mean I would have to carry a baby.  Hmm last time I checked that is not going to happen!!!

It is also getting harder for Maria to breathe.  Since Alayna is getting bigger, she is pushing up towards Maria’s diaphragm.  Poor Maria! Keep up the good work Alayna and continue your development!

For all my CF mom’s out there I could not imagine having an even tougher time breathing!!  Also, how could you girls wear your VEST?  I would think you would have to loosen the straps or not even buckle them at all! What about all that shaking from the VEST as well? Anyone ask their Dr. if it was safe to use the VEST while pregnant?

I will leave my readers with what is our favorite sound!! I hope that this works.  It may be an issue for Apple fans but if you have adobe flash player or use Google Chrome it should work. Let me know if it does!  This was my first time making a video with photos and sound so its not the greatest but all that matters is what you hear!!!  :)



8 comments:

  1. Alayna is a beautiful name, good luck with everything! Your video was lovely too, how exciting!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by mogzi. I am glad that the video worked for you! Thank you for the well wishes as well!!

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  3. What a GREAT video!! As for the Vest, we can wear it while pregnant, but I believe some women wear it with a few latches undone at the very end of the pregnancy. The doctors say it is safe, and many women say the baby is used to it and it soothes them when they are born. I find that interesting. :)

    I can't believe you and Maria are so close to meeting Alayna! I can't wait for the next update!

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    1. Thanks Megan! I'm glad that the video worked for you. It makes sense about the Vest how you would undo a few latches. Vesting is like rocking the baby to sleep :)

      We cannot wait to meet Alayna! October is right around the corner.

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  4. Couldn't get the video to work :(, but I am on y phone so that's probably the issue. I found by 30 Weeks I couldn't Vest anymore. The baby would stretch out as far away from Vest (painful!) and I was worried I was making her uncomfortable. It didn't fit well even with the bottom unbuckled anyway at that point because I was so big. As far as breathing goes I was lucky to carry low enough that it was never a big thank goodness! Your wife is in the home stretch which is the hardest part, but she is almost done yay! -not logged in on my phone, but this is InhalingHope :)

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  5. InhalingHope, yes its homestretch time and Maria is feeling it! She isn't very comfortable at all. WOW so you had no vesting for about 10 weeks? I love my vest and do not go a day without it.

    Sorry to hear that the video didn't work for you. I hope you got to see it on your computer :)

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  6. John, so for some reason my blog seems to be eating the comments you leave! I get them to my email but they don't show up at my blog. So I wanted to respond to your comment about Kalydeco! I do feel different in starting, although not as dramatically different as some people. I have a very damaged pancreas and absorb meds & food very poorly, so I suspect that my benefit is not quite as strong as some. But obviously, it's still impressive!!! I have a "Kalydeco" label on my blog and in previous posts I go through some of the changes in how I feel - the most notable one being exercise tolerance, which is awesome. However, I still do cough all the time, still cough up nasty crud, still wake up in the night coughing, etc. But even if the improvement I've had is all I get... I'm happy! And from what I've read, there should be a Vertex drug for DF508 within the next 4-5 years at max. They are really trying to rush them through the pipeline!

    Good luck with the last stages of your wife's pregnancy! Yes, my doctor was just telling me yesterday that it's possible to do the Vest while pregnant with the bottom clasps undone. (Though I already knew that from obsessive research, LOL.) I also think Alayna is such a lovely name!

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    1. Cindy, thanks for taking the time to reply back on my blog. I wonder why I was having issues posting to your blog! I'm glad Kalydeco is working for you at least you see it as the glass half full. I find it very interesting how CFers all different even though they may have the same mutations.

      Lets hope Vertex will get the magic pill out soon to all the DF508s.

      Thanks for the well wishes on the rest of the pregnancy:)

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