Week 33: Tummy Tracker

Me in the rocker that will rock the fourth generation of babies on my dad's side of the family. I was rocked in it, as was he, and my Nana so it's at least 100 years old. Just imagine all the rockin' it has seen!

And check out the 33 week tummy!

Our babies should now weigh about 4 3/4 pounds each or so (think 2 cantaloupes) and are almost 18 inches long. Their fat layers — which will help regulate their body temperatures once born — are filling out, making them rounder. Just imagine the sweet little folds of baby skin we'll soon be able to love on! Their skin is also smoother than ever. Central nervous systems are maturing and lungs are continuing to mature as well.

While we've been nervous about preterm labor for six weeks now, we are very 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. Yay!!!