My Body This Coming Week at 17 weeks

My Body This Coming Week at 17 weeks

Your pregnancy is showing more and your lower abdomen probably looks larger. Your uterus can now be felt between one and a half to two inches below your navel. You may also be gaining weight on other parts of your body, such as your thighs, hips and buttocks. It's normal to have gained between 5 and 10 pounds by now, but your own rate of weight gain may be different. Ask your doctor if you think you may be gaining too little or too much weight.

Your body's increased blood supply may give you nosebleeds or may just make your nose feel congested. It can also cause bleeding gums.

You may be sweating more than usual because of your increased metabolic rate. You may experience round ligament pain because your growing uterus stretches and pulls these ligaments. It can be uncomfortable but is not normally a cause for concern.

You may feel the baby moving this early.

My Baby This Coming Week

Your baby now weighs more than the surrounding placenta. She measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches (about 11 to 12cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 3.5 ounces (100g). She is positioned halfway between your pubic bone and your navel.

Fat, which is important for your baby's metabolism and heat production is beginning to form around this time.

The placenta, which will weigh more than a pound at full term, is also developing rapidly. It is now a large and well-established network of blood vessels responsible for exchanging nutrients and waste to support your baby.

OB apt results 1/31/2012

Babies HB in the 150's, so good.

BP slightly elevated. Concerned and watching. Lot on our plate, stress, suggested relaxation techniques to help.

Up 10#. I knew this, need to get on treadmill. Doc orders. Bugger!!!

Asked about why I'm still so fatigued. Was told the "golden" time in PG usually occurs in the first PG, not so much in subsequent PG's. Great. So the extra "energy" probably isn't going to come. But will hopefully get slightly better from the added exercise.

Had 1 hr GT test this morning, found out after I didn't need to fast. Could have eaten up to 2 hours prior. Good to know for the next one. The 3 hr GT is no food after midnight. Guess I mixed these two up. Opps.

Also got ultra screen blood draw to check neural tube defects. Told OB I didn't want to know the results. If bad, a new blood test can be done that is just as effective as amnio and non invasive.

No amnio and we are all ok with this.

Next u/s should also show if neural tube defect seen. Also anatomy scan if baby cooperates. That happens in 2 more weeks, on 2/16 at 8:15am. First scan of day, runs about 1 hour. Taly should come. I checked, it's okay if she's there. :)

Next OB on 2/28 at 9:39am. Routine and discuss results of today's blood draws and u/s scan.

All in all, still low risk. All going well. Will soon be talking about c/s and tube tying options.

"When Are You Too Old to Have a Baby?"

An interesting distraction... Tomorrow on Dr. OZ (Friday 1/27)

"When Are You Too Old to Have a Baby?"
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/when-are-you-too-old-have-baby

One of the expectant mommies (Did fertility treatments) in my due date board was on this panel and this was filmed about 2 months ago.

I'll be setting my DVR to watch tomorrow when I'm home from work. I think this airs on ABC.

A new kind of pain

Last night I experienced some pain "down there" in my girly parts. I was just laying down and all of a sudden I got this sharp pain, and some low dull cramping. WTH?

Kind of feels like a throbbing bruise? It's uncomfortable, and really got my attention.

I've been told it's either SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) or simple ECP (Evil Crotch Pain), both common in pregnancy.

Lovely!!

The more I read up on this, the more it seems this can last the entire pregnancy AND get worse before it's better. Didn't like reading that.

I wonder if bringing out the "body pillow" would help or not. Maybe some advil? I'm at a loss, but think I may mention it at my next OB apt next week.

My Body This Coming Week at 16 weeks

My Body This Coming Week at 16 weeks

Your uterus is increasing in size and so is the amount of amniotic fluid it contains- about seven and a half ounces right now. You should be able to feel your uterus in the lower part of your abdomen.

A small portion of pregnant women are able to feel the baby move this early. When your baby moves, you may feel it like a slight fluttering in your stomach. Don't worry though if you haven't felt this yet as it is still very early.

Your breasts are changing. The milk glands in your breasts may start production, which can cause swelling or tenderness in early pregnancy. The blood flow to your breasts also increases, making the veins more visible and the Montgomery's tubercles more pronounced. Montgomery tubercles are the tiny oil producing glands which appear as bumps scattered around the areolae. They are said to both lubricate the breast to keep the skin healthy and elastic and to prevent the growth of bacteria. They will remain enlarged throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Your Baby This Coming Week

Fine hair called lanugo covers your baby, who now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches (10.8 to 11.6cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces (80g).

Fingernails are well formed and the arms and legs may be seen moving on an ultrasound. Your baby already has his own unique fingerprint pattern!

Your baby can hold his head erect and he can also make faces with his slightly developed facial muscles. Your baby may practice squinting, frowning and opening and closing his mouth.

Your baby's bones have enough calcium deposits to show on an X-ray. If your baby is female, her ovaries will be in place in her pelvis and more than five million ova (some of which may be fertilized to become your own grandchildren in another generation!) have formed.

My Body This Coming Week at 15 weeks

My Body This Coming Week at 15 weeks

Most of the discomforts of early pregnancy, such as nausea and fatigue are behind you for now and you are probably feeling better. The pregnancy is probably feeling like a reality. Any dark pigment on your skin (such as moles and freckles) may become even darker, and you might develop a facial pigmentation known as chloasma which will fade after the birth.

NT blood results are in... NORMAL!

NT blood result in. Normal. :) before test my odds for downs was 1:112, now it's 1:476. My odds for T13 & T18 before were 1:202, now they're 1:4021. Yay!!!

My Body This Coming Week at 14 weeks

My Body This Coming Week at 14 weeks

By now your uterus is about the size of a large grapefruit. If your due date has not already been predicted, an ultrasound measurement of your baby's head can be used to make one.

Your pre-pregnancy clothes are probably too tight by now. If you haven't already got some maternity clothes, now is probably the time to get some. You'll be most comfortable in loose-fitting clothes. Make sure you really like your maternity clothes- you'll be wearing them a lot. Friends, family and thrift shops can be a great source of maternity clothes.

You may feel less exhausted than you did earlier in your pregnancy. Some women even start to experience a rejuvenating surge of energy at around this time. Many women report that the second trimester is the best time of pregnancy as the morning sickness of the first trimester has usually passed, and the discomforts and weariness of the third trimester have yet to begin. If you would like to take a last holiday before your baby arrives, the second trimester, with your doctor's approval, is probably the best time to do so. This could be a good opportunity for you and your partner to connect and share some couple-time before the baby arrives.

Felt the baby.

At 12w4d based by o-date, and 13w3d by u/s size, I officially began to feel this baby. It was 2am last night. I was laying on my left side and felt movement just after a snack. I rolled to my right side and the movement stopped. Switched back to my left and there was baby again. Very cool. Very early, but I take it all in as very promising. :)

Colostrum? Already??? What is this?

This is really odd as it must be to early for this, but I just had some dried colostrum appear on my nipple. I'm just past 12 weeks. I'm going to have to ask my OB about that one. It's been 4 years since I last BF and 3.5 since my bb dried out. (I thought).

If its not colostrum, then what is it??

My Body This Coming Week at 13 weeks

At the ultrasound scan yesterday, the tech said "Hiccup" was now measuring ahead a week, at 12w5d, which technically means I'm closer to the 2nd trimester then I previously thought, but to keep everything simple, I'm keeping my ticker and "EDD" the same at 7/17 (since it's all variable anyway)

My Body This Coming Week at 13 weeks

You are beginning your second trimester of pregnancy.

Your uterus is growing rapidly and is filling the pelvis and moving up into the abdomen. If you are still having morning sickness, it may stop around this point.

Some women will get stretch marks on the breasts, hips and buttocks that may show up this early. They will later fade but will probably not disappear altogether. Some women experience itching around this time but it is more common later in pregnancy.

You probably have noticed changes in your breasts. They are becoming larger and heavier and the areola is probably darkening. They are preparing to secrete milk for your baby!

Your placenta is now well developed and is responsible for hormone production which was previously manufactured by your ovaries. Estrogen and progesterone are the primary hormones which are now being produced. These hormones are necessary for maintaining your pregnancy and inducing the changes necessary for it to progress.

Hiccup, Coming July 2012

We officially announced our pregnancy yesterday on Facebook and to our friends at the office. We used a series of clever pictures to tell the story with out words. We thought this was a fun and clever way to announce our news. Below is a slideshow of the same photos. Enjoy.

Introducing Hiccup

Hi! Had my NT scan today. The apt went great. Normal measurement, 2.2mm, and nice strong HB, 159 BPM. Also measuring a week ahead! (wow). Baby had the hiccups. Was super cute. This pic shows the baby's hand over her/his face, ever so dramatic. It's good enough we're going to announce today to everyone. Probably tonight on FB when I'm home from work. Baby was too cute in there. Hiccups, and flopping arms about. So glad I can kind of relax a bit now. On to the 2nd trimester. ;)

I told my boss, it went pretty well. I said I had an apt today. Apt went well, but I will need some time off in July, like 3 months... he thought about that for a bit and looked confused, so I clarified and said, because I'm having a baby! He was super happy for me.

Next up the gen. mgr and HR. I wanted to tell her today, but she's really busy. Should I just email her?

Anyway, here's our baby, which actually looks like a baby now. :)