We're 34 Weeks Pregnant With Nova Skye! 32, 33, & 34 Week Fetal Development, Wellness Update, & More

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

I know it's been quite a while since we've posted any updates. There isn't a 32 or 33 week post and that's due large in part to my health in the pregnancy, as of late. So, here's what's going on, as well as fetal development info for 32 weeks, 33 weeks, and 34 weeks. We're 34 weeks pregnant with Nova Skye Rowell, as of April 23, 2016.

What’s Nova Been Doing During 32, 33, and 34 Weeks?

Nova’s been doing excellent. She still moves around very actively and all of her ultrasounds, including a high definition one have shown us excellent things. She’s small, but perfect. I mean, Rich and I are only 5’2” and 5’3”, respectively. So, she probably isn’t going to be too huge, no matter how long she stays in there. Haha

We had a preterm labor scare at 32 weeks that is being controlled under careful medical supervision, which is a huge part of why I haven’t been able to get much written. At the high definition ultrasound, received during that visit, Nova weighed in at around 3 pounds and 9 ounces. Her length was 17 inches. That’s relatively small for that gestational age. However, again, both of her parents are small.

The key info from that ultrasound, other than the small size, is that she is doing extremely well and is fully developed. As with most babies at this stage, lung (and other respiratory) function after birth is the main concern if she were to be born early. There’s no way to know how that will go until they are born, so it’s always best they stay in as long as possible until the due date, or at least until term, which is 37 weeks.

The follow up appointment on 4/21 went well. Nova’s heartbeat is still super strong and all of my measurements are as they should be. I may not be doing that great, but despite that, she certainly is thriving and that’s the goal. As my mother-in-law Deb pointed out, she’s definitely a fighter.

When’s the Next Doctor Visit?

The next prenatal visit is May 6th. But of course, if anything happens that requires further evaluation before then, my OB will see me and in an emergency, the ER is obviously available. Hopefully, all will be as uneventful as possible and that appointment date will remain as it is.

How’s the Momtrepreneur and Daddy-To-Be This Week?

In short, we’re both very stressed and I’m very sick, but we’re making the best of it and know that Nova will be well worth it all. Yesterday (4/23/2016), I was vomiting severely, some containing a small amount of blood after a while. The severe pain increased. So, I called my OB to ask what I should do.

He increased the dosage times of my medication and told me to lay only on my left side and eat the BRAT diet and drink water, chew ice, or drink ginger ale and not move at all. He said the blood was likely due to my insides getting irritation from so much vomiting. That makes sense since it was a small amount and only occurred after that was going on for a bit.

He said if I were to go to the hospital like that, they'd likely admit me to bed rest there and he'd rather have me be comfortable at home if possible. We agree. But if it gets worse or certain other things happen (such as more labor signs), he wants me to call him and have things reevaluated. Obviously, if it's an emergency, we'd head straight to the hospital and call him on the way.

His recommendations have helped so far. The medicine is quelling the contractions to a point where I don't have to go in and the vomiting has stopped. I'm still in massive pain, however. So, if I'm not as responsive as usual, that's why. Don't worry, I'm resting as I post this and I'm stable enough to be at home, rather than the hospital.

Rich has taken over everything I do, on top of what he does. Plus, he is there to comfort me and take care of me. So, if he's also less responsive and less active at posting, that's why.

Thanks for all the love and support, everyone. It really means a great deal to us.

Accomplishments During Week 32 , 33, & 34 of the Pregnancy

We actually accomplished quite a bit, considering all that's happened. In fact, making it to 34 weeks has been a huge accomplishment, in itself. I would say that’s the biggest accomplishment so far, in light of all the issues I’ve been having. If we can get to at least 37 weeks, that’s even better. So far, so good.

We got some low odor paint that doesn’t seem to be bothering my allergies at all, so that’s good. The kids are helping get that done, since I am pretty useless at this point, as far as doing the things I usually do (home improvement, normal household duties, work, etc). We wanted to finish up the walls before the baby comes, as that is really the main issue in our area of the house.

We also got some great bargains on baby items, as well as some items for Aja and Nathan. Our local thrift store saved us once more and we were able to get 160 clothing items for only $16. No kidding. We don’t really care too much about brands. However, most all of them happened to be brand name items.

Guess what?! We aren't selling our vehicle anymore. Not that we don't need the money, but all we kept getting were scam offers anyhow and we really do need the vehicle with such a large family. So, instead, we put it back on the road. We had already fixed the alternator previously. So, all it took was a battery and registration. Yay! It's an older model ('97 Toyota 4Runner Ltd), so it's not like we were going to make a huge enough amount to be able to move and maintain rent and bills anyway. We just thought it would help.

Let's see, I also cut my hair because, unlike the other pregnancies (which made my hair awesome), this one has done some serious damage to it. I'm not exactly happy about having short hair because I prefer it long and my hair takes FOREVER to grow. But it was super unhealthy. It ended up getting straight and full of split ends and my hair is normally curly and shiny. I'm not well enough to spend the time it would take to revive it. So, I opted for cutting it. There's still some more work to be done on the style I actually want. But, for now, it's manageable and healthier.

The animals have been awesome helping everyone else take care of me. I also managed to get some more cloth diapers done and fix up the page I'll be selling them on here once I'm done making enough for Nova. I have to make hers first and then I can focus on making more to sell. We desperately need the money, so hopefully I'll be able to get that done soon.

Also, we’ve been receiving even more generosity than ever, between people reaching out with love and emotional support to a couple people helping once again with the baby registry. If you’d like to help, the main thing we need on the registry is fragrance free baby wipes. If you can’t afford to help, it helps us a ton when our links from this site and the others we own are shared via social media. And, last but not least, Love, Love, & More Love is hugely appreciated.

For fetal development info in relation to 32, 33, and 34 weeks, continue below the galleries.

(Remember, some images may need to be clicked on for the full view.)
All Images © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

Gallery 1: Hospital Photos

Gallery 2: Thrift Store Bargains

Gallery 3: Awesome Items We Received From the Baby Registry

Gallery 4: Miscellaneous 32, 33, & 34 Week Photos

All Images © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

Interesting 32, 33, & 34 Week Fetal Development & Pregnancy Info

Because I’m in such pain, I’m unable to write more personally about this right now, like I usually do. However, here are links to some great info elsewhere, followed by our related posts.  

32 Weeks
What your baby looks like: 32 weeks
Pregnancy Week 32
32 Weeks Pregnant: What’s Going On?
32 Weeks Pregnant

33 Weeks
What your baby looks like: 33 weeks
Pregnancy Week 33
33 Weeks Pregnant: What’s Going On?
33 Weeks Pregnant

34 Weeks
What your baby looks like: 34 weeks
Pregnancy Week 34
34 Weeks Pregnant: What’s Going On?
34 Weeks Pregnant

Previous Developmental/Update Post:
30 - 31 Weeks Pregnant - Milestones, Fetal Development, Our Updates, & More!

A Few Related Posts
Getting Closer to Baby Day! Who Has a Guess?
Having Fun Making Cloth Diapers
Keep Yourself Inside Longer, Nova! Our Preterm Labor Scare
Love, Love, & More Love