Week 38: "Leek"

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.) (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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It's hard to believe we've made it this far and Bebita will be here before we know it. Here is my 38 week belly pic.

I went in for a NST today and everything still looked good as far as the baby is concerned. However, my 24-hour urine test came back with a higher level of protein in it than the test last week. The level of protein in the urine for Preeclampsia concern is 350. Last week, my test result was 150 and today it was 390. BUT, my blood pressure was down to 124/80, so that was much better. It seems like it's either one or the other -- either my blood pressure is high, or I have more protein in my urine. If my blood pressure had been high today and the NST showed any signs that the baby was in distress, they would have definitely induced me today. It seems like I keep escaping inducement by some miracle. The midwife said the bedrest is probably the only thing keeping my blood pressure down, so I remain stationed on the couch.

I go back on Friday for another NST and growth ultrasound. There is a chance that if my blood pressure is elevated on Friday, they would induce me then. But my midwife called tonight to tell me she scheduled my induction for Tuesday, March 10 at 6:00 p.m., so that's the day if it doesn't happen before then. Woohoo!!! Bebita will be here by next week!!! It's so surreal and really hard for me to even grasp, but we're very excited and can't wait to meet our sweet little girl.

I also had an internal today, but I'm still not dialated at all yet. :-( My midwife told me to drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea four times a day and take 2 capsules of Evening Primrose Oil to help move things along. I'm really hoping it works. I've been having contractions all night tonight, but probably because of the internal. I just hope they're actually doing something. I'll post again after my appointment on Friday.