Week 36 of your Pregnancy
Baby’s first days: crying
Your baby may not cry much while both of you are in the hospital, or you may not notice his crying while people are around to help you. Once you get home, it may seem as if he is crying more than when he was in the hospital, and he may be, as he is becoming more awake. Generally your baby will cry when he is hungry and will settle down when you feed him. A baby will also cry when he is tired, and you will discover how to soothe your baby to sleep, whether by rocking, patting his back, or walking with him. Sometimes a baby just wants to be held and will stop crying as soon as he is picked up. (Don’t worry about spoiling a newborn this way.) When a baby cries for what seems like no reason at all, it can be frustrating, but crying in babies is normal. If a baby can’t be soothed, and you or someone caring for your baby begins to lose patience, the best thing is to put the baby safely in his crib and take some time apart. Never shake a baby; you could seriously hurt him! We will talk more about crying in the e-mails that arrive after your baby is born.
Feathering your nest
You’ve heard about it, but is it real? That flurry of activity in late pregnancy—an urge to wash curtains, scrub floors, and sort drawers—is called the “nesting instinct.” While there’s no scientific evidence for this surge of energy, many mothers feel a sensible need to get organized before their baby arrives.
What will your baby need?
Gather and arrange your baby’s things in these last weeks of your pregnancy. All a newborn truly needs is:
• your warm arms
• your breastmilk (or formula)
• a safe place to sleep
• an approved rear-facing car seat, installed in the back seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and in the center position, if possible
• a small collection of soft shirts and one-piece stretch suits
• a few lightweight baby blankets
• cloth or disposable diapers
• for winter babies, a padded suit with a hood
• for summer babies, a sunhat
What will you need?
Purchase or borrow:
• three nursing bras, one to wear, one to wash, and one ready to go
• some shirts you can lift from the waist and nightgowns you can open from the top for nursing
• a safety-approved baby front pack or sling that drapes across one shoulder and around your waist that will keep your baby close to you and your hands free when you need them
• a small safety-approved baby seat for a convenience when your baby is awake and you want to put him down for a few minutes (mostly, though, babies are happiest when they can touch, smell, and hear you, and feel your movements)
Your Baby’s Development
- Approximate length 18 inches, weight 5 to 6 pounds.
- The baby will be descending even lower into the pelvis; this is called “lightening” or “engagement.”
- As the baby rests her head in the pelvic cavity, mother’s lungs and stomach are less pressured, possibly making breathing easier.
- By this point in the pregnancy, a boy’s testes have usually completely descended.
Parenting Q&A
Q:“I read that typically boys are heavier at birth than girls, and have bigger heads. Does that mean that a mother should expect a longer labor and more difficult delivery if she is having a boy?”
A:Babies of both sexes come in all sizes. Birth weights are a result of genetics, maternal nutrition during pregnancy, length of pregnancy, and other influences, rather than gender. In addition, the length of individual labors is equally unpredictable and influenced by numerous factors. One mother might have a relatively swift labor to give birth to a 9-pound girl, while another might have a long labor to give birth to a 6-pound boy.
Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System
Tags: breastmilk, crying, nesting
I liked it. So much useful material. I read with great interest.
Hmm… I read blogs on a similar topic, but i never visited your blog. I added it to favorites and i’ll be your constant reader.
Good post, thanks