My Pregnancy Week 36
Baby
Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you, measuring over 17 inches long, and weighing about 6lbs! During week 36, your baby's most important job is to keep putting on weight. Actually, that's his primary job from now until delivery.
You probably have another 4 weeks to go until delivery, especially if this is your first pregnancy, but "Full Term" refers to the period between 37-41 weeks, so your baby could be coming any time now! Your due date is probably a good guideline to determine when your little one is coming. Even though few women deliver on their actual due date, many women deliver in the days just before or after.
Mom
How are you feeling? You are probably seeing your healthcare provider every week now. It is common at this point in your pregnancy for your doctor to screen for Group B Strep.
What is Group B Strep? Practitioners often screen for Group B Strep because it is the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborns. It can cause pneumonia and meningitis. Group B Strep is a bacterial infection that may be found in a pregnant women's vagina or rectum. 15%-40% of all healthy adult women carry these bacteria in their vagina or lower intestines.
It is possible for a mother to pass Group B Strep onto her baby during delivery. Therefore, every woman should be tested between 35-37 weeks. This is done with a vaginal and rectal swab. If a mother tests positive, she should be treated with antibiotics in labor to prevent the spread of Group B Strep to her baby.
Have you bought a crib? If you haven't yet bought a crib, you may be wondering what you should look for. Luckily, cribs manufactured after 1991 and purchased in the United States must meet established safety regulations.
It may be helpful to look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association's Certified Seal. JPMA developed an extensive Certification program to help guide parents towards juvenile products that are built with safety in mind.
In order for a product to become Juvenile Products Manufacturer Certified, the product must be tested for compliance with The American Society for Testing and Materials' published standards. If the product passes the tests, JPMA allows the manufacturer to label it with their certified seal.
This certification should be easy to find, it will be displayed on the product's packaging.
