Record Breaking Heat and Edema

It's been a long hot summer and with consecutive "Excessive Heat Warnings", I've tried my best to keep indoors. I'm having severe edema (swelling) in my legs, ankles, and feet. It got to be pretty painful and I'm walking at a snails pace. I had a scheduled appointment the Friday before Lincoln was to head back to school and expected to go straight to my classroom to get some things organized right after. Funny how some things just don't work out according to planned. My OB took one look at me and informed me that what I thought was typical pregnancy swelling was actually "not normal". They also found protein in my urine which can be a sign of preeclampsia. It is usually associated with severe swelling and high blood pressure and can lead to more serious complications. They've done a few labs that returned with good results, but I'm still being watched and I am considered a good candidate for developing it later on. The only way to correct it is to deliver. At this point, that's not what they're recommending because it's just a potential thing, I don't officially have it. At 35 weeks my OB put me on "modified bed rest" and asked me to devote approximately 6 hours of "awake" time to putting my feet up. That being said, I had to begin my maternity leave earlier than expected. It feels strange to not be starting the school year, but a little extra summer never hurt anyone.

At my 36 week appointment I had an ultrasound to check the weight of the baby. I have a history of big babies in my family (9-10 lbs), so I was very curious to see what the ultrasound would show. The ultrasound tech estimated that the baby is coming in at a whopping 7lbs. 4 oz at only 36 weeks! Keep in mind she'll gain anywhere from 1/2-3/4 lbs. a week until birth...and I've got 3 more weeks to go. She also saw some hair on the ultrasound and commented that it was short, but very thick. We did finally get to see some facial pictures but she still covered her face with her hands most of the time. The tech tried to get the best she could but they came out pretty distorted. Also, since she's so crowded in there, the pictures look like her face is pressed against a glass wall. Kyle's made lots of jokes that she looks like an "old man". We're confident that it's not a true representation of how she'll look on the outside.

Your pregnancy: 36 weeks

See the bigger picture.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her 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 her 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 she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.