Our Journey Together part 2: October 2010

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Week 15

Not nearly as much nausea this week so that is a good thing. Joni said she thought she felt the baby do a somersault in her belly. We got to see one when we did last ultrasound and that was neat.

Hello, hair. By the end of the week, your little one's scalp hair pattern will be established for life. Some hair might begin to sprout, although it's usually not evident for a few more weeks. Of course, this is no guarantee that your baby will be born with a full head of hair; some babies stay bald until several months after birth. Ultrafine, soft hair called lanugo is also appearing over your fetus's entire body. This downy hair, which protects the delicate skin from the amniotic fluid, usually disappears just before or after birth.

Thin skinned. Underneath that lanugo is a fine layer of skin through which you can see blood vessels, which are already transporting blood. Mouth development continues—your little one may even be sucking on a thumb right now—and facial movements are a regular occurrence.

Measuring up. If you could peek inside your uterus, you'd see a tiny fetus that weighs anywhere from 1.7 to 2.5 ounces and measures 4.1 to 4.5 inches from crown to rump—about the size of a small grapefruit.

Your Pregnancy

Get-up-and-go. By this point, the nausea and fatigue you may have experienced in the first trimester have probably subsided. Many women report that they now start to feel energized. If you're one of the fortunate who have that extra oomph, enjoy it! Take a walk, plant some flowers, or start planning the baby's room.

Not so swell. Now is also the time when you may start to notice some mild swelling, called edema, in your extremities. Swollen feet and ankles are the most common. You may also experience some swelling in your hands, causing the rings on your fingers to fit more tightly. Edema occurs when fluid is pushed from the bloodstream into the soft tissues. As with many pregnancy complaints, it's caused by the increased blood circulating through your body and the pressure of your growing uterus on the pelvic veins. The best way to prevent edema is through mild exercise: a walk, a swim, a yoga class. Also, rest frequently with your feet elevated (if anyone deserves to put her feet up, it's you), and be sure to drink eight glasses of water every day. If you experience anything more than a little fullness in your feet or hands, or if you also have puffiness in your face or eyes, contact your health care provider.

From the experts. Those same hormones that are growing hair on your baby's head might be causing yours to thicken ... or to fall out. "Ordinarily we shed about 100 hairs a day. During pregnancy these normal phases of hair growth are altered," explains Elaine Zwelling, R.N., Ph.D. Click here for tips from Dr. Zwelling on minimizing hair loss. Back to top

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Week 14

This might actually be the week that the nausea leaves the building. At least we can hope so. I am now partaking in her last several weeks journey in finding the right name. There seems to be no greater challenge in pregnancy than the name. Ashtyn's name came during our cruise to Alaska and we round tabled names before we decided. Do I dare bring up Sam again? Hmm......

Anyhow the little dude can now open his mouth it says. He will fit right in with Quinn and Ashtyn!

FROM THE PAMPERS WEBSITE

Mouth in motion. If your little one could understand your jokes, you'd see a smile this week (or a frown if you're not the world's most entertaining comedian). Your fetus's mouth can even open and close and is starting to make swallowing and sucking motions (watch out, thumb). Those facial muscles are really getting a workout!

Set for speech. The esophagus, windpipe, larynx, and vocal cords are all in place. Of course, the vocal cords can't make any sounds yet, since your little one is floating in fluid. But they're already being prepped for that first loud wail after birth.

Face formation. With each passing week, your fetus is looking more like the little person you'll meet the day you give birth. By now, the eyes have moved to their proper place at the top of the face, and the ears have moved from the neck to the sides of the head. The jaws have been complete for a while, and the palate is now "zipping up," closing from front to back.

Measuring up. Your little one weighs about 2 ounces and measures 3.2 to 4.3 inches long.

Mommy!

The ever-expanding uterus. Losing your waistline? That's because your uterus is beginning to rise above your pubic bone. You might not be able to feel it on your own, especially if this is your first pregnancy. But your health care provider knows what to look for. He or she will note the size of your uterus by measuring from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus, called the fundus, at each prenatal visit. This measurement is one indication of how well your pregnancy is going. Generally, fundal height correlates to the week of pregnancy. Right now, your fundal height is approximately 14 centimeters above the upper ridge of your pubic bone. At 20 weeks, it will be about 20 centimeters.

Feeling congested? It could be allergies or a cold, or it might simply be another pregnancy symptom. Many pregnant women find that their nose constantly feels stuffed-up, making it difficult to breathe. Congestion occurs because the hormone progesterone increases circulation to the mucous membranes of the nose, causing them to swell. This condition is called pregnancy rhinitis, and unfortunately there's not much you can do to make it go away. You can try using a humidifier or dabbing a little petroleum jelly in each nostril to make your nose less dry. Just be sure to avoid antihistamine nasal sprays.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone