Another Milestone...check!

32 weeks today, folks! I've basically defied the odds and I'm proud of it. My diagnosis on October 7th was PPROM (Pre-term Premature Rupture of Membranes) which means I was leaking amniotic fluid. My AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) was a 0 when I checked into the hospital. The biggest risk at that time (and throughout my stay) has been infection. Amniotic fluid is also essential for baby's lung development. I was given 2 shots of steriods when I arrived to help jump start baby's lungs just in case development was slow because of the lack of fluid. Look how far we've come...

32 weeks from http://www.babycenter.com/:


By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.


From http://www.fitpregnancy.com/:


Your baby weighs about 4 pounds and is about fifteen to seventeen inches tall. Photographs of babies in utero at this stage show their skin becoming less translucent and pinker, as layers of fat are deposited under the skin. Her skeleton is rapidly ossifying (turning from cartilage into solid bone), which means that kicks will become visible through your shirt as the trimester progresses. Well-placed kicks under your ribs can take your breath away!

From http://www.whattoexpect.com/:

She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Here's a little video of my heart monitoring this morning. All is well, baby looks great!

**p.s. I copied and pasted these development updates from a website, we do NOT know if our baby is a he or a she. Don't get excited (Jack, Karol)!!