Week 34

Week 34: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Dear Isabelle,

WAAAAHHH...Mommy is getting HUGE, Daddy called her "ripe" and your Godpa Dan constantly refers to you as the watermelon. How much bigger are we going to get? Not too much I hope, because we can hardly get in and out of our SUV already!

Do you have long legs, Belle? Mommy feels you stretching your legs and pressing them up against our ribs...ouch. But at least you don't kick me in the ribs, which I appreciate! Maybe you'll be a ballerina or a gymnast. We can't wait to meet you, little one!

Love,
Mom