36 Weeks!!!

According to "What to expect" for this week, baby is about 6 lbs & measures slightly more than 20 inches in length.

Baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his or her little body. Most of baby's bones & cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few yrs of life) allowing for an easier journey as baby squeezes thru the birth canal at delivery. The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver thru the birth canal.

Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation has been perfected & baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. One such example--digestion--which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that?? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, the baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system--though developed--hasn't been operational. So baby will take the first yr or two to bring that system up to speed.

I washed a bunch of baby stuff a couple days ago. I don't know how many newborn and 0-3 month outfits to wash though in case we have a bigger baby and the newborn outfits don't even fit. I also bought a waterproof pad to put under me on our bed. We have a pillow top mattress and I wouldn't want it ruined if my water were to break during the night. That would be a disaster since I've heard it smells like ammonia. Yech. I guess u could say I'm preparing for this baby to come early now. I know women can walk around 2 cm dilated for a few weeks and nothing happens, but I'd rather be prepared. I'll be anxious to see if I've made any more progress at my next dr appt although I don't really look forward to the internal exam again. But I guess I just have to deal with it. Giving birth will be 10 times worse than an internal, I'm sure.