Newsletter - week 35
Welcome To Week 35
Your Baby: The Final Touches Nearing the ninth month, your baby weighs approximately 5 1/2 pounds (roughly 2495 g), and measures approximately 20 inches from head to toe. The baby will continue to grow, putting on about a half a pound per week until delivery. Over the next few weeks, the organs (which are all present and formed) are just putting on the final touches before birth. Your Body: Picking A Pediatrician Now that you're in your last trimester with only a few weeks to spare, you should choose a medical caregiver for your baby-to-be (unless you go to a family physician who can provide care for your baby). If this is your first baby, you need to understand the importance of this decision. A good pediatrician is more than a person to call when your baby has a fever. It is someone who will chart your child's development, address your concerns, and answer your questions about your child's health. And it is someone you will see regularly for sick visits and for well checkups. The best place to begin looking for a pediatrician is with your family physician, obstetrician, family, friends, and colleagues. Ask them for recommendations and start gathering a list of names. After you collect a few numbers, write up some questions and call to set up interviews. When you interview a physician, you should take into account:
On a Different Note: Passing Your Child's First Test Immediately after you deliver your baby, your baby will be given a score, called the Apgar. A nurse or doctor will rate her color, heart rate, muscle tone, respiration, and reflexes at one minute and five minutes after birth. This score will assess whether she needs extra help making the transition to life outside your womb. To learn more about the Apgar click here or visit our Ask the Expert Archives to read the response to a member's question by Dr. Bunten of the Vancouver Clinic. Weekly Tip As you near the end of your pregnancy, you should pack your hospital bag and put it by the front door so that you're ready to go when labor begins -- carefree and calm. Aside from your personal items, make room for these must-haves: a video recorder or camera, toiletries, and an outfit to wear home for you and your baby. And don't forget food and drinks for Dad (or at least small change for the vending machines)! Review Date: 12/1/2010 A.D.A.M.'s health encyclopedia is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation Healthcare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch). The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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![]() Encouragement + An Assist = Success Nine days past her due date, Sara Howe was awakened at 3:00AM when her water broke. Thrilled that the long wait was finally over, Sara and her husband David packed up and headed to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. By 5:00AM they were comfortably settled into one of PeaceHealth Southwest’s Labor Delivery Recovery and Postpartum rooms, ready for action. But four hours later, Sara contractions had still not progressed so her midwife started her on Pitocin. Soon the contractions kicked in and Sara was well on her way. At around eight o’clock the next morning, it was time for Sara to start pushing. So she pushed. And she pushed, and she pushed, and she pushed. "The first few hours of pushing went by without me realizing the time," remarked Sara. "But around the fourth hour I started to wonder if I was still making progress. That is when the encouragement of my midwife, husband and the PeaceHealth Southwest nursing staff kept me going. It was like I had my own cheering section." Unfortunately, even with all the support and encouragement, Sara’s labor was not progressing because her baby’s head was tilted in the birth canal. Neither Sara or her midwife wanted her to have a Cesarean section after all that work, so her midwife suggested an assisted delivery. Read more > Share your story. Submit your story with a local angle, and you could receive a free gift if it is selected for publication. |