Tuesday, March 9, 2010

week 22

At eight inches and slightly over a pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll. You've probably heard your developing baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times, but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope. What a heart throb!
At eight inches and slightly over a pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll when you are 22 weeks pregnant. (But then, you already knew that you were carrying a living doll, didn't you?) This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain. Your baby's weight in the next four weeks alone should double (and you may feel as though yours is too).

You have probably heard your developing baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times already (though you never get tired of hearing it), but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope. What a heart throb!

Your baby's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath (remember, the skin is very thin still). It also hangs loosely from his or her little body at this point. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops during fetal growth. But don't worry. By the time your baby is born, he or she will be pleasantly plump and filled out — from chubby cheeks to chubby toes.

Friday, February 26, 2010

week 21

Your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. The eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. But hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white.
Guess what? At 21 weeks pregnant, your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery story (and expect people to ask you why you're grinning from ear to ear). Is the box eight inches long? That's about the length your baby is too! This week, your sweetie is making more sense of the world as he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids). But remember — unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly (which you can do, by the way), it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.
Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white.

back up!!

well i went to the fetal specialist and everything went great she measured my cervix and did a stress test on it and the shortest it ever measured was 3.7 which is PERFECT! so she told me to get up and try to do a few things which i did and hardly felt any pain YAY!! then i saw my doctor on Tuesday and he gave me clearance to go back to work but to continue being careful and he gave me some prometrium which is a Progesterone pill which i had taken the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (its to protect the uterus) and i had a really bad reaction so they had me stop and now i feel great... still a little tightness but nothing to bad and the baby is moving around ALL the time:) hes a very active boy!! other than that not much is going on just going to work and the doctor pretty much :-) i will post some newer sonogram pics soon

week 20

At about seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight, your baby is about the size of a large banana. There's still a great deal of room in your womb — though your tenant will soon begin to feel cramped, so be prepared!
At about seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight, your baby is about the size of a large banana. By 20 weeks pregnant, your baby swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day — not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practice swallowing and digesting — skills your baby will need as soon as he or she arrives in your arms. And keep this in mind: The taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what you've eaten (spicy enchilada one day, sweet carrots another). And that smorgasbord of tastes won't be lost on your baby. That's because your little one has very developed taste buds already. In fact, researchers have noted that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero via the amniotic fluid were more eager to eat foods with that same taste after birth. Want your baby to eat his or her broccoli later? Eat yours now! Your developing baby still has a great deal of room in your womb — though like anyone who lives in one space for a long time, this tenant will soon begin to feel cramped. Until those uterine walls start closing in, however, there's plenty of space for twisting, turning, and even an occasional somersault (so that's what you were feeling last night!).
With all that belly dancing going on, it's hard to believe your baby gets any sleep at all. But believe it or not, your fetus sleeps as much as a newborn, perhaps 12 to 14 hours per day! (Now if only you could get some sleep!)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

long over due!

well i have not updated for a while but here's whats up!

in case you haven't heard its a BOY!!!!! Grayson Charles is on his way (but hopefully not too soon!)
and starting last Monday the 8Th i started having some issues. it started with a very small amount of bleeding (any amount in pregnancy is scary though!!) and some tightening in the pelvic area so called the doctor of course and they sent me home for bed rest until i could get a sonogram to check it all out and the good thing was i was still feeling the little one kick ( i started feeling kicking a week or 2 earlier!!) so i went for my sono on Tuesday the 9Th which is when we found out the sex YAY! and they noticed that my cervix was a little shorter than they like it was 3 cm and they prefer it to be at 4 cm. and grayson had his head down low which was also a little bit of a concern but they thought i was OK to go back to work for now and just go see the doctor sooner that my regular scheduled appointment so i went back to work Wednesday and started having the tightening again so i called the doctor again and they wanted to see me right then and they checked my cervix and it was still 'closed and hard' which is good but they didn't like that i was still having pain so they put me back on bed rest until my next appointment which was Tuesday the 16Th and i had yet another sono on Monday the 15Th which is where i got to see my baby yawning and he showed off his feet and hands!!! best birthday gift i could get!! when i saw my doctor on Tuesday he check me again and said everything was good but they wanted to do some progesterone injections weekly until i am 34 weeks but they had to clear it with the insurance first. and the insurance denied it so now i am going to see a fetal specialist tomorrow the 19Th in Dallas to see what he thinks and the whole reason for all of this (the concern) is they don't want me to go into pre term labor... and i have another sone at 2:30 today to measure the cervix again and the babies position... its seems like i live at the doctor!! but its all well worth it for this little guy!!! i have some new pics i will have to post too!!
bed rest is very boring but my wonderful husband is taking great care of us!! and we really appreciate everyones support and prayers!!!!!! please keep them commin!!

and in more exciting news Brandon got to feel the baby kick last night!!!! its awesome that he can feel it cause Ive been feeling it and i know how badly he has wanted to!!!!
well i am off to continue bed rest ;-) hopefully I'll be back up soon!!!!!

19 weeks

You've got a heavyweight in your belly now (well, in baby terms, anyway). Your little champ weighs about ten ounces and has a height, crown to rump, of about six and a half inches. Think of your developing baby as the size of a small cantaloupe (and probably as sweet too). Boy or Girl? You'll also be able to see your baby's gender in the ultrasound by now!
You've got a heavyweight in your belly (well, in baby terms, anyway). Your little champ weighs about ten ounces and has a height, crown to rump, of about six and a half inches. Think small cantaloupe (and probably as sweet too).
Is it a boy cantaloupe or a girl cantaloupe? You'll be able to find out your baby's gender via the ultrasound by this point. If you're carrying a girl fetus, her uterus is fully formed this week and her vaginal canal is starting its development (which means that in about twenty-five or thirty-some-odd years, she could be just where you're at, Grandma!). She also has primitive eggs in her tiny little ovaries now, seven million of them — though by the time she's born, that number will be down to two million (still more than she could ever hope to use). And interestingly, your baby girl will be born with all the eggs she'll ever have.
Have you got male? If your fetus is a boy, his testicles have begun their descent this week, though they're still located in the abdomen, waiting for the scrotum to finish growing so they'll have a place to drop into in a few weeks.
Though the external genitals in both male and female fetuses still have a way to grow, you should be able to find out the sex of your baby (if you want to) during an ultrasound exam.

18 weeks

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango and is now covered in a protective substance called vernix. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone.
Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango. Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now.
Something else going on this week: Your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. Say what? Yup — a protective substance called vernix caseosa (vernix is the Latin word for varnish; caseosa is cheese) now covers your baby's skin. It's greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (that downy hair), oil from your baby's glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy "cheese" may not sound too appetizing or attractive, but it's there for good reason: Vernix protects your baby's sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you'd look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies — especially those born early — will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby's first anti-wrinkle cream.