32 weeks and bedrest!

Here is the info from babycenter.com for week 32:

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.

No bump picture for this week yet, Neal is on call tonight and I forgot to have my mom take one when she was here tonight...I will get one tomorrow! So, my first day of bed rest was okay, I cried most of the morning but I started to feel a bit better this afternoon...it has just been a really difficult adjustment for me. I feel so useless and like I should be doing more and I want to do more...

I have 2 NST's (Non-Stress test) every week and then monthly BPP, here is the info on those...

NST: The test involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement is measured for 20-30 minutes. If the baby does not move, it does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem; the baby could just be asleep. A nurse may use a small “buzzer” to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.

BPP: The ultrasound portion of the test is like any other obstetrical ultrasound performed during pregnancy and is performed by a qualified ultrasound technician who is usually overseen by a perinatologist. The ultrasound may take up to an hour, and the technician will watch for a variety of signs that are important in measuring the health of your baby.

Usually, five specific fetal attributes are studied and “scored” during the BPP:

-Breathing

-Movement

-Muscle Tone

-Heart Rate

-Amniotic Fluid


Hopefully if those are all okay and our baby girl is developing/growing just right and my blood pressure goes down I will talk with my OB at my next visit about returning to work maybe 2-3 days a week and just sitting at my desk and driving straight there and home. I don't know if she will consider it or not but I figure it is worth a shot!

-Mrs.