Baby Bee {13 weeks}

How far along: 13weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Maintaining same weight (no weight gain, no weight loss)

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes – but a little tight.

Stretch marks: None!

Sleep:  Evening out.

Best moments this week:  NT scan and MFM appointment went AWESOME (will be in another post)

Belly button in or out?: Innie

Craving: none.

What I am looking forward to: a positive outcome!

belly pic: Soon to come.

PreEclampsia Watch: No signs.

Your Baby: M Is For Muscles, N Is For Nerves, O Is For Organs

Weighing approximately 0.5 to 0.7 ounces and measuring 3 inches (almost 8 cm) long, the fetus has plenty of room to grow inside your uterus. Initially, the eyes on the fetus are on the sides, but in this week they move to the front and appear closer together (to begin the makings of the face). Likewise in this week, the ears move to the proper position on the sides of the head.

What's up with your baby? Well, besides being as large as a peach now, that big old noggin of hers is now about half the size of her crown-to-rump length (that’s one reason why your little peach looks more like an alien from outer space at this point). By the time you give birth, her body will catch up, measuring three-quarters of her total size. What else is going on in there? Tiny bones are beginning to form in her arms and legs, the intestines are beginning to move from the umbilical cord to the abdomen, and the vocal cords are well under construction (the first step toward saying, "I love you, Mommy!"). And because she can move her arms and legs in a jerky fashion, she may be able to get her thumb into her mouth (a habit that may come in handy for self-soothing when she’s a newborn).

Your Body: Second Trimester Tales

For some women, this week begins what is sometimes referred to as the "golden period," when the risk of miscarriage has decreased -- though not disappeared entirely -- and you can feel comfortable sharing your extraordinary news. With that, the fatigue, nausea, and other first-trimester side effects may disappear, your sleeping should improve, and you might even enjoy a surge of energy. In general, you might feel more like the "old" you.

Around this time, you will also notice a few baby-related changes. Being pregnant will probably feel more real to you. Sometime around week 10 to 12, your doctor may have listened to the baby's heartbeat using Doppler ultrasound, and, in another few weeks, you will probably start feeling little flurries inside. Those butterfly-like sensations are the baby, making its presence felt for the first time!

You may also feel like there is a transition from feeling fat to looking pregnant. Total strangers in the grocery store might wish you well or inquire as to which month you're in. And if you take public transportation, something out of the ordinary may happen -- someone might actually offer you a seat!

Keep in mind that not all women at this point are without symptoms and sensations. There is, in fact, a whole new set of aches and pains, along with potential problems and complications that may set in. You might suffer from back, abdomen, or leg cramps, and you may experience heartburn. Your skin may act strangely (darken, grow more moles, or skin tags), and you might experience bouts of constipation. Look on the upside -- you're 1/3 of the way there!

One Bedroom apartment

Well, we actually live in a loft – BUT with the skylights, the upstairs loft is entirely too hot to make into a nursery. With Evelyn we actually planned it to where we would be moving just before she was born and thus we would be in a two bedroom. When she was born early and sadly passed away – I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t want the two bedroom because of the thoughts and memories of what that 2nd bedroom was supposed to be.

So here we are, looking for a way to turn this one bedroom into a room for 3. Am I moving anything now? Of course not, unfortunately I am completely jaded when it comes to pregnancy and don’t want to “count my chickens before they hatch”. BUT, I would like to have some sort of plan in regards to moving furniture, bedding etc so that we aren’t scrambling last minute to welcome Baby Bee home.
 

Which leads me to my obstacle. There are not many “inspiration” boards for a one bedroom nursery.

The search continues.

Baby Bee: 12 weeks

How far along: 12weeks – entering the 2^nd trimester when risk of pregnancy loss drops drastically.

Total weight gain/loss: Maintaining same weight (no weight gain, no weight loss)

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes – but a little tight.

Stretch marks: None!

Sleep:  Evening out, could use a nap in the middle of the day

Best moments this week:  Heard the heartbeat – sounds like a techno drum

Belly button in or out?: Innie

Craving: none. But, I am enjoying a turkey sausage and egg bagel every morning.

What I am looking forward to: 1/26 – our NT scan.

belly pic: Taking one this Saturday J

PreEclampsia Watch: So far so good!

Your Baby: A Work In Progress

From crown to rump, the fetus measures 2.4 to 2.75 inches (6 to 7 cm long). Its tiny fingers and toes have are identifiable as separate entities with nails. Some hair is also seen at this stage. By now, almost all of the baby's organs and structures have formed and will continue to grow until delivery. The genitalia begin to show some differentiation in gender. The intestines are developing in the abdomen, and some movement of the muscles has started to develop and work to process food. The kidneys have begun to produce and excrete urine, and amniotic fluid starts to accumulate -- to surround and cushion your baby

Your Body: What's In A Craving?

One of the oldest and most enduring pregnancy-related myths is that mothers-to-be crave pickles and ice cream. You may experience some days in which you seem to crave certain food items. The specific reason for this is not known. It is thought to be related to all the pregnancy hormones circulating in your system. Often this will pass after the first three months of pregnancy. As long as you make sure you are eating all the important nutrients needed for you and your baby, indulging in some of your cravings every now and then will likely be fine.

Occasionally, pregnant women will get strange cravings for things that are not food items at all during pregnancy. This condition is called Pica, and it is thought to be due to an iron deficiency. Some women with Pica report craving dirt, clay, laundry detergent, and ice chips. If you have any cravings for these items, it is important to call your health care provider immediately - you may have severe anemia, which would require you to take an iron supplement.

Too bad it's not week by week

Right now I'm in-between a cherry and a peach.

Baby Bee: 11 weeks

How far along: 11wks, 1st Trimester :Current EED: 8/4/2010 (Baby still expected to be born in July)

Total weight gain/loss: +2 (at last appointment)

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes :)

Stretch marks: None!

Sleep:  Still very tired.

Best moments this week:  Finding out my Zofran was finally refilled! (my new prescription company sucks) AND they have me 30 pills instead of 12! Oh happy Day!

Belly button in or out?: Innie

Craving: I think I finally understand this baby. Veggies, fish and fruit (sans apples) and this LO seems to be happy.

What I am looking forward to: 1/26 – we get to look at the cord and make sure everything formed properly.

belly pic: Nada

PreEclampsia Watch: All Clear! BP is reading 111/70

Your Baby: Transition Time

At about nine weeks after conception, your embryo has developed enough to be called a fetus, and the most important part of its development is over. The baby will grow a great deal at this time -- from about 1 inch long at the beginning of the week, to about 2 inches by the end (with its head measuring about half its length). The eyelids will fuse shut, and the irises will begin to form. At some point this week or next, blood will circulate between the baby and uterus through the umbilical cord, and the placenta will begin to function, providing oxygen and nutrients.

Your Body: Weight Watching Guidelines

Most women wonder what the ideal amount of weight gain is during pregnancy. The recommended weight gain during pregnancy is generally somewhere between 25 and 35 pounds, but it will depend on your weight before pregnancy and other factors that your health care provider will discuss with you. Wherever your starting weight stands, you should not go on a diet, nor should you eat for two or more during your pregnancy. Too little and too much weight gain can lead to problems for both you and the baby in the months ahead.

Most physicians will recommend that you gain anywhere from 3-5 pounds in the first three months of your pregnancy. For the remainder of your pregnancy, most recommend gaining 1-2 pounds per week. Women who start out overweight should gain less, and women who start out underweight should gain more.

Keep in mind that most of the weight that you gain during pregnancy is baby-related (not fat) between the baby, the placenta, amniotic fluid, and the fluid that accumulates in your body tissues. About half of that weight will melt away in the first 6 weeks after your baby is born. You'll lose the rest by about 6 months after you deliver.

(healthy pregnancy)

Blogger Block

My mind doesn't function and neither does my brain these days. I've had a serious lack of motivation and between the emotional ups and downs and the all out sleeping binges I've kind of... stopped.

I'm hoping to be back to normal soon.

NT scan scheduled

One of the nurses called me today and I damn near had a heart attack.

Me: Hello?! *panic in my voice*
Nurse: Hi Amanda, it's _____
Me: Hey ___ is everything ok?!
Nurse: yea! I just wanted to let you know we scheduled your intergrated screening for the 26th at 10am
Me: OH! ok, thanks goodness.

I LOVE the nurses at my OB's office.

So our NT screening will be held on the 26th, and I get to reach a milestone. With Evelyn, we found out she wasn't growing very well. Here's hoping that our Baby Bee is growing strong!

Nuchal Translucency (NT) Test
A special assessment called a nuchal translucency (NT) test is done for some women who are at risk of having a baby with a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome. For example, women 35 years of age and older are at greater risk. The test is usually done between Weeks 10 and 14, to estimate the chance that the baby will have Down syndrome. The test consists of an ultrasound, which measures the amount of fluid at the back of the fetus’s neck. If the fetus has a chromosomal disorder, there is usually more fluid at the back of the neck. If the test shows an increased risk, followup tests, including an amniocentesis, can be done.

(http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/centres/pregnancy/pregnancy/screening.html)

Baby Bee: 10 weeks

How far along: 10+4, 1st Trimester :Current EED: 8/4/2010 (Baby still expected to be born in July)

Total weight gain/loss: +2 (at last appointment)

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes :)

Stretch marks: None!

Sleep:  Still very tired.

Best moments this week:  Finding out my Zofran was finally refilled! (my new prescription company sucks)

Belly button in or out?: Innie

Craving: I think I finally understand this baby. Veggies, fish and fruit (sans apples) and this LO seems to be happy.

What I am looking forward to: 1/26 – we get to look at the cord and make sure everything formed properly.

belly pic: Nada

PreEclampsia Watch: Headaches 3 days in a row, however It looks like those were regular pregnancy headaches.

Your Baby: Measuring Up

It's getting increasingly difficult to measure the embryo's total length, legs included, because of the way it's curled up in your uterus. An easier and more common measurement is from crown to rump -- the distance from the top of the head to the buttocks - which is about 1.57 inches. The embryo's estimated weight is about 1/5 ounce. All the major body organs have begun to form, as have the bones of the skeleton. Its eyelids are growing and the outer ears are forming. Usually, after 10 weeks, fetal dopplers can find the baby's heartbeats, and ultrasound can show the baby's body movements (wiggling).

Baby Bee: 9 weeks

How far along: 9+4, 1st Trimester – our due date has moved again.

Total weight gain/loss: +2

Maternity clothes: Regular clothes :)

Stretch marks: None!

Sleep:  I.am.so.tired.please.help!

Best moments this week:  Saw baby bee this morning, HPM:171 and everything looked fabulous!, next appointment in 2 weeks

Belly button in or out?: Innie

Craving: I can’t crave food lol, my stomach is too busy trying to get rid of everything I put in it :(

What I am looking forward to: my next appointment and my MFM appointment to check the cord

belly pic: none, I was in bed all weekend and didn’t take one :(

PreEclampsia Watch: No signs or symptoms, but, my OB is watching my weight gain.

Your Baby: Gender Differences

The growing embryo is about 1 inch long (25.4 mm). As its embryonic tail disappears and the face rounds out, the embryo is looking more human in shape. On the outside, hands and feet that looked like paddles just a week ago are now forming fingers and toes. On the inside, the pancreas, bile ducts, and gallbladder have formed, and the reproductive organs are starting to develop as male or female.

Your Body: Worries, Concerns, And Fears

Most pregnant women - regardless if it's baby number 1 or baby number 9 - are anxious about the child growing inside. Will he be healthy? Will she have 10 fingers and 10 toes? It's perfectly normal and understandable to be concerned. After all, life takes on a new meaning when you're pregnant.

Statistics are on your side! According to the Centers for Disease Control, the infant mortality is down to about 7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1997 (from 9.2 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990).

Every mother-to-be worries to a certain extent. But if you're so worried that it interferes with work, sleeping, or eating, you should take action. Try talking with your spouse, confiding in friends, consulting your doctor, or reading up on pregnancy and parenting. If none of these provide the comfort you need, you should consider seeking professional help.