Week 34 Update

34 weeks! You can't begin to imagine the smile from ear to ear on our faces at the moment; well, I know that some of you can! Noddy's impending arrival is becoming very, very emotional for us and every time we hear from Drs Yash and Sudhir with a photo, report or ultrasound scan we're elated. Daily we're being greeted with "not long now" and "is the baby here yet", from friends and extended family.

This morning for instance, I woke as usual and first thing was to turn on the computer. Every morning I wake, check for emails, photos, scans, then it's off to blogger to see what's been happening to our surrogacy buddies world wide, then the SI forum for new posts and updates, then the Australian Embassy website in New Delhi for any changes to requirements for children born in India from a commercial surrogacy arrangement and then my work emails. Once this morning ritual is complete I can then feed the cats, change their litter trays, iron shirts for work, make the bed, have breakfast and then feed myself and get ready for work. Usually it's Darren who is the first to leave for work but not today. When I woke and saw the above photo and the latest email from Dr Yash I ran upstairs smiling to myself and thinking, "we may be soon be waking up to an email or phone call that our SM going into labour"!

We're on the one month count down folks!

This wasn't the case this morning though. Our dear surrogate had an ultrasound two days ago and we were reading the results and an email from Dr Yash telling us that from next week, week 35 our SM will be moved to the SI clinic for the remainder of the pregnancy to monitor her so that should she go into labour early she is being cared for and looked after. We re-packed Noddy's bags last night, nappies, bibs, bottles, singlets and what seems like a thousand other items for such a small person. At least we'll be prepared!

Latest results on Noddy's development are;
BPD - 8.94cms compatible with 36w1d
HC - 32.77cms compatible with 37w2d
FL - 6.58cms compatible with 33w6d
AC - 31.48cms compatible with 35w3d

FHR - 114bpm
EST FETAL WEIGHT - 2629gms
Average Gestational Age - 35w5d
EDD - 08 April 2010

WEEK 34
Fetal size: crown-rump 32cm (12.8 inches), crown-toe 44cm (19.8 inches). Fetal weight: 2.25kg (5 pounds). Your baby is now perfectly formed and has the proportions of a newborn. Now it's simply a matter of your baby gaining some weight and doing some further maturing before he/she is ready to be born. It's becoming more cramped in your uterus as your baby continues to mature. Consequently your baby curls up more and starts to move a bit less. Everything is mature now except for the lungs which will continue to prepare themselves for breathing air after birth. Although the lungs are not fully developed, almost all babies born at 34 weeks will survive, but will probably experience some breathing difficulties.