Week Thirty Nine: Very close now

We have reached 39 weeks and we are still waiting for peanut to be here and it can be any day now. For this week this is what is happening in peanuts fetal life.

• On average a baby is about 20 inches and weighs about 7.5 pounds.
• Baby William has reached his final birth position.
• There is not much space left for baby William to move
  
• Baby William will continue to punch and kick, but lower in Yissel's abdomen, under her pelvis.
• Baby William's head is about 4 inches in diameter.
• Most of the baby William's downy coating of lanugo has now disappeared.

Yissel is very close now to the end of her pregnancy, just a week or so left. Keeping track of her little one's activity level may be a good idea at this time. As space in her uterus becomes more cramped, baby William's kicks and other movements may seem less forceful. She may want to check on his movements from time to time and still do a kick count. If movement drops off considerably, we should call our doctor or caregiver.

The average baby weighs in at over seven pounds, but can be as much as one or two pounds heavier or lighter. It can vary with each baby, and there is no cause for concern. Yissel's pregnancy is considered full term now (between 37 and 42 weeks is full-term). At birth the umbilical cord will stop working when baby William takes his first breaths of air outside of uterus. Baby William's breathing will trigger changes in the heart that will force all blood to go through the lungs.

Most Caucasian babies are born with blue eyes and their true eye color may not reveal itself for weeks or months. Multiracial children often turn out to have the most beautiful colored eyes. Baby William is restricted in movement as there is no space left in the womb. Yissel should be finding it easier to breathe now that the uterus is dropping away from the diaphragm.

Yissel is experiencing the nesting syndrome by attempting to clean, cook, shop, and prepare for William's arrival. This is very common, just be careful that you do not wear yourself out love. You need to conserve your energy for the hard work ahead in labor.

Yissel's body still makes amniotic fluid, but absorption may outpace the amount she makes and so levels may decrease a bit. We will need to contact our caregiver immediately if Yisssel has any leaking of fluid. The lanugo has mostly disappeared, but we will probably find a bit on his shoulders, arms and legs and in those little bodily creases. It will vanish completely on its own in time.