- starting week 36 -

ahniér's now about 6# in weight & measures slightly more than 20” in length - growth will slow down now in preparation for her birth, so she’ll be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside & so she can store up the energy needed for delivery - mama may find she’s carrying ahniér much lower now [or soon will be] as she drops into the birth canal, readying herself for birth - she continues to put on weight by about ½ # each week – it’s no wonder the womb’s becoming very cramped – she’s gaining weight quickly because layers of fat pile on & help in both body temperature regulation & developing her immunity in preparation for life in the outside world - just in case you didn’t get it quite yet: you’ve got yourself an adorable & hungry 6½ #, 20” baby…are you ready? - she's almost 6# & still packing on the pounds at a rate of about an ounce a day, is comparable to a crenshaw melon in size
ahniér’s skull isn't the only soft structure in her little body - most of her bones & cartilage are quite soft as well [they'll harden over the first few years of life], allowing for an easier journey as your she squeezes through the birth canal at delivery [& less prodding & poking for mama along the way] - the skull bones are also not fused together yet so that her head can easily [well, relatively easily] maneuver through the birth canal
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by now, many of her systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms & just about ready for life on the outside - blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected & her immune system’s matured enough to protect her from infections outside the womb - other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches - one such notable example: digestion: which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth - inside her little gestational cocoon, she’s relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system, though developed, hasn't been operational - so she’ll take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed
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the vast majority of babies born now will live with little need for intensive medical treatment - the countdown continues & in fetal developments: most of her bones [soft skull aside] in her little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which she can now make their grand debut into the world - yes, ladies & gentlemen, we’re structurally ready for a secure launch
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in physical fitness news: her muscle tone’s also improved over these past few weeks & you’ll definitely be impressed by her steel-like ulnar grasp [a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm] - in genital development: her labia are now fully developed - finally, in the fluids/excretion department: the amniotic fluid-to-baby ratio’s fallen over these past weeks, although she’s still swallowing fluid [building up even more meconium for that historic first poop] & some vernix caseosa – she’ll be more than ready to swallow & digest milk after birth

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