37th Week of My Development

Whew!!, at last I am now in full term! This means that if I arrives now, my lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though mom's due date is still three weeks away. I weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if my hair isn't the same color as mom's. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

By now I may have moved well down inside mom's pelvic cavity. As well as ensuring I'm in the right position for birth (oops!!, per last ultrasound, I will be born via C-section because of mom's conditon called placenta previa totalis), it gives me some space for my legs to continue to grow. I may have hair on my head (although I'm likely to lose most of it after the birth). Any lanugo, the fine downy hair that covered my body and kept me warm earlier on, has all but gone. Although you may see traces of it on my shoulders and the back of my neck when I'm born. Some of the vernix, the white, waxy substance that coats my skin in the womb will still be present, but this also lessens with time. (Babies who are born after their due date often have very little still on them.)

Not only will my lungs be able to function without any assistance were I to be born today, but I'm likely to have enough fat stores to be able to keep my body temperature stable outside the womb.

Did you know that as well as everything else mom are carrying around, her placenta weighs a whopping 1.5lb.

Friends see you soon!!!

Image from: http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-37-weeks