WEEK 25
Trimester: Second.
Baby: Size of a rutabaga [9 inches, 1.5 lbs]. Capillaries are forming and filling with blood. Air sacs [also lined with capillaries] will develop in her lungs, getting them ready for that first breath. Baby's tiny nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open, and her vocal cords are getting ready to roar. Baby's primitive memory is beginning to develop, implying that music and voices will be leaving an impression on her brain. Her spine has 1000 ligaments, 150 joints and 33 vertebrae.
Movement: So much! I can feel and see her movements. It never gets old.
Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom, exhaustion, back aches when I'm up on my feet for too long, heartburn, occasional shortness of breath, mild cramping, and round ligament pain. Nausea has been moderate to severe which has been discouraging, but it's only been in the morning and I'm almost always totally good to go by the early afternoon. And I'm usually able to sleep it off no problem.
Cravings: None. Still feeling uneasy about meat and vegetables. Eating has been a little more of a challenge in the last week- not quite like the first trimester, but I'm hungry all the time and there's not always a lot that sounds appetizing. Or something will sound appetizing and then half way through eating it's a no-go.
Sleep: Besides one or two trips per night to the bathroom, sleep has been great.
Exercise: Walking and swimming.
Stretch Marks: None.
Total Weight Gain: 12 pounds.
Swelling: None.
Maternity Clothes: Yes and no.
Belly Button: In, but surely making it's way out.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Going home to Jay and showing him all the gifts we received at the baby shower.
Best Moment of the Week: Jess threw the most beautiful baby shower for us. So many of the people that I love and care about most were there to celebrate. I felt so spoiled and loved! I also feel more prepared now for the arrival of our little one with things like clothes and blankets to wrap her in, books to read to her, and toys she can play with.
Worst Moment of the Week: None.
12/9/2014
WEEK 26
Trimester: Second.
Baby: Size of an eggplant [9 inches, 2 lbs]. Her eyelids, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, are starting to open. Her brain is able to register various stimuli such as sound and light. Over 50% of baby's energy will be used to developing parts of the brain. The lungs are developing air sacks and the membrane that allows for the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen is now thin enough to let baby take a breath by the end of the week.
Movement: She seems to be on some kind of schedule. Each day I feel her kicks and waves consistently at the same time of day.
Symptoms: Frequent trips to the bathroom, exhaustion, back
aches when I'm up on my feet for too long, heartburn, occasional shortness of breath, mild cramping, and round ligament pain. That morning nausea finally subsided and only comes occasionally in small waves. And when it does come, I pop in a Tums or Zantac and I'm good to go.
Cravings: None. Eating has been good this week! My appetite has definitely increased and I often wake up in the morning STARVING. Occasionally I'll wake up starving in the middle of the night as well.
Sleep: Besides one or two trips per night to the bathroom, sleep has been great.
Exercise: Walking.
Stretch Marks: None.
Total Weight Gain: 12 pounds. [We don't have a scale, so I've just going off of what I weighed at my last doctor's appointment around week 24.]
Swelling: None.
Maternity Clothes: Yes and no.
Belly Button: In, but surely making it's way out.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Going with Jay on a shopping spree for our little lady.
Best Moment of the Week: Being with family in California and seeing their excitement for the arrival of this little one. Our lady is going to be so very spoiled with love from all her aunties, uncles, and grandparents.
Worst Moment of the Week: Leaving San Diego and biding farewell to the family. It's crazy to think I'll have a little one the next time I see them. Though it was so hard to say goodbye to so many people I love and to such perfect weather, I missed Jay like crazy and was relieved that our time apart was over.
12/16/2014
WEEK 27
Trimester: Second.
Baby: Size of a cucumber [15 inches, 2.2 lbs]. Babies who are born between 27 and 32 weeks have a 80-95% chance of survival. Baby is entering a very active phase due to the decrease in amniotic fluid. She will be practicing the sucking reflex in order to prepare for breastfeeding. Neurons and brain tissue are developing rapidly and brain waves and working like newborn brain waves. Even though baby's skeleton is completely developed, the joints are not yet connected. Baby's immune system, liver, and lungs are still continuing to develop and preparing to function on their own. Tiny eyelids are open and retinas have begun to develop.
Movement: I love that I can feel her more and more almost every week. There have only been a couple of times where her movements brought some discomfort, but feeling those waves and little punches never gets old.
Symptoms: Frequent
trips to the bathroom, exhaustion, back
aches when I'm up on my feet for too long, heartburn [becoming a little more frequent], gassy [on both ends], occasional
shortness of breath, mild cramping, and round ligament pain.
Cravings: None. Eating has been good this week! My appetite has definitely increased and I often wake up in the morning STARVING. Occasionally I'll wake up starving in the middle of the night as well.
Sleep: Besides one or two trips per night to the bathroom, sleep has been great. I'm sad that I haven't had a dream about her in awhile. But I'm taking it as a good sign that I'm getting the solid sleep that my body seems to be in desperate need of these days.
Exercise: Walking.
Stretch Marks: None.
Total Weight Gain: 12 pounds.
Swelling: None.
Maternity Clothes: Yes and no. Leggings are my best friend. Sometimes picking out my clothes is a stressful and emotional task, particularly picking out clothes for church. I'm beginning to miss my pre-pregnancy skirts and pants. But they will be back.
Belly Button: In, but surely making it's way out.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting my glucose test out of the way.
Best Moment of the Week: Jay and I went to a breastfeeding class on Thursday night at the outpatient center in Battle Creek. Then on Saturday Jay attended "Boot Camp for New Dads" while I sat in on a "Basic Prenatal" class at the hospital in Kalamazoo. I've never been studious but when it comes to learning about things that are applicable to my life, and something as important as childbirth, I am all in. I've had my fears about childbirth but these classes have left Jay and I feeling so confident and prepared for what lies ahead. The classes have reminded me how magnificent and capable the female body is and when it comes to giving birth and breastfeeding, our bodies know exactly what to do. There are physical discomforts that come along with those things and sometimes we need medical interventions, but I now see that there is great importance in trusting my body and it's abilities. Knowledge truly is a powerful thing! Jay and I spent the rest of our Saturday sharing our new knowledge from these individual classes and talking in more detail about what we picture our little one's birth day to be like. Jay cannot wait to be a dad. Watching him get so excited about all the little things just warms my heart.
Worst Moment of the Week: None.
12/23/2014
WEEK 28
Trimester: Third.
Baby: Size of a head of cauliflower [16 inches, 2.5 lbs]. Baby is practicing new skills such as blinking, coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. Sleep now includes the rapid eye movement phase-- and that means she could be dreaming already. Baby girl is able to recognize different levels of light. Even though she still has much growing to do, her body is getting chubbier as fat is depositing under the wrinkled skin. Muscles are developing some tone as well. If born at the end of the week, she has a 95% chance of survival.
Movement: She's staying on the same schedule: active in the mornings, evenings, during church, and pretty much whenever I've been sitting down for a long period of time. The other night I was listening to music fairly loud on my computer and she was going nuts. I could be wrong, but I'd like to think there was a correlation there.
Symptoms: Frequent
trips to the bathroom, exhaustion, back
aches when I'm up on my feet for too long, heartburn [becoming a little more frequent], gassy [on both ends], occasional
shortness of breath [sometimes it feels like she is pressing against my lungs with all her might], constipation, mild cramping, and round ligament pain.
Cravings: I'd say one of the most common pregnancy related questions I get is, "What have your cravings been? Anything weird?" Then they will proceed to tell me of how they sent their husband off to the store or the drive thru in the middle of the night. This hasn't been the case for us and I think Jay is grateful, haha.
Sleep: Not so great due to a mild cold. I had a dream that our girl was born but the doctors and nurses wouldn't let us see or hold her. It was awful! And then when we finally brought her home Jay insisted on naming her Anberlin.
Exercise: Walking.
Stretch Marks: None.
Total Weight Gain: 12 pounds.
Swelling: None.
Maternity Clothes: Yes and no.
Belly Button: In, but surely making it's way out.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Next doctors appointment.
Best Moment of the Week: On Christmas day Jay and I assembled baby girl's car seat and stroller. We're feeling more and more prepared for this girl's arrival! Also on Christmas day, Jess and Matt learned that they're expecting another girl! We're so excited our little lady to have cousin so close to her age.
Worst Moment of the Week: I thought the worst moment of the week was going to be my glucose test. Every other pregnant woman referred to it as a dreaded event. I imagined being expected to drink like a quart of some nasty sugary drink that would leave me suffering in nausea during the whole one hour wait for the blood test. But let me tell you, it was so NOT a big deal. I drank about one cup of what tasted and looked like orange soda with an added cup of sugar, then I killed the hour no problem with a good sissy phone chat. I am relieved that the test is done just for the sake of being able to check off another trip to the lab, and I know for next time around that it is not something to stress about. I did have a pretty upset stomach later that night. I don't know if it had anything to do with the drink, but even if it did I'd still say the glucose test was not a big deal.
The worst moment of the week was being even more exhausted than usual due to a mild cold [during Christmas of course].
Other: The other day Jay said to me out the blue, "Rach, I gotta say I'm really glad you've had a mild pregnancy. In my 'Boot Camp for New Dads' class all the guys were goin off about how their wives get crazy emotional or super angry at the snap of a finger."
This was a relief to hear because honestly after just my few mild breakdowns I seriously wondered if that sweet patient man thought less of me. But being the sweet and patient man that he is, he still loves me and has been just an incredible source of support and great comfort during this pregnancy.
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