27th Week

Still an eggplant?  Come on!  I don't even like eggplant!!  Another website used cauliflower as a size comparison for this week.

Well because I am a very loved and very spoiled girl, "Daddy" is taking us on a 4 day Babymoon this weekend. A tropical paradise for sunshine and relaxation which I think we could both use before the excitement of December!  To keep you guessing on our destination, I'll only say that there is a drink named after the island...with the word Mama in it.  It's a place that I have ALWAYS wanted to go. A "Water Babies" dream!  (I just hope with my big white belly, that no one thinks I'm a beached aquatic mammal...and tries to return me to the sea!!)

I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for the last couple of weeks.  Probably only 1 or 2 every couple of days.  It's painless but I can definitely feel a "tensing".  It's as if there is a drawstring through my tummy and somebody tugs on it for 30 secs or so...AND my abdomen gets rock hard!!  It's a little scary-stops me in my tracks. (Even though I know they're harmless and just preparing me for labour.)

I FINALLY heard Baby's heartbeat at home using an iPhone application "My Baby's Beat".  Yup..there's an App for that!!  :)   You can even hear the "whooshing" of the placenta (which matches my heartbeat) in the background!  Very cool.  Take a listen.

What's happening with Baby this week? "Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.
 
Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices.  So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun. If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.
 
Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to."

Only 84 days to go.....

26th Week

I'm still an Eggplant...honestly?! Sigh.  Well here is a picture anyways! (which is a little blurry but then so am I these days!)  :)

Anyone ever wonder where the saying "barefoot and pregnant" came from??   Well apparently not only does your belly swell during pregnancy, but so do your feet!  Women from financially restricted backgrounds could not afford to buy new shoes when their feet would swell, so they would just walk around without shoes or slippers hoping for the return of their normal shoe size after delivery. However, this increase in foot size is generally permanent. Our feet get bigger because pregnancy hormones cause all the ligaments in our body to  loosen...to accommodate our growing size.  Good thing I don't have a closet full of Jimmy Choo's or Manolo Blahnik's to replace!!!

I had another Doctor's appointment this week where I learned that I've gained 20lbs!  Gulp!  It's water weight....I swear!  My belly (fundal height) was also measured again.  At each prenatal visit, the doctor measures this height as an indication of whether the baby is growing normally. (It's the distance between the pubic bone and the top of the uterus). About mid pregnancy, the measurement of the fundal height should correspond to the number of weeks of the pregnancy. (+ or - 2cm) For example, at 27 weeks of pregnancy, the fundus should measure 27 centimeters. At 26 weeks 5 days, mine was measuring 29cm!  Oops. She didn't seem concerned though and even said "your baby is really growing well!"   I seem to be carrying all out front...like a torpedo belly...which may play a part in measuring bigger. (At least that's what I'll tell myself)  It has nothing to do with "Mr Cravings" who reappeared after a short absence and brought me delicious Butter Tarts today.  (Which I consumed with pure gluttony!) :s 

We've been talking about taking a "Babymoon"  It's apparently a hot trend in pregnancy... a clever take on a honeymoon. A babymoon has the same goal and that is to provide you and your partner some special time together. Many hotels even offer babymoon packages with pampering in mind. Some packages include mini-fridges stocked with pickles and ice cream, or a couple's massage with a pregnancy-trained masseuse. I think a little weekend away together would be a lovely chance to relax before our lives change (for the better) forever! :)

Last night while laying in bed, Bryce was extra squirmy!  I tried to capture some of it on film.  Take a look.

What's happening with baby this week? "Baby continues to make breathing movements, but there is no air in his lungs yet. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that he can get a thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking calms the baby and strengthens the cheek and jaw muscles. The fetal brain scan will show response to touch. Touching and playing with the baby is possible now, as they may respond to your touch through your belly wall. Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. Baby is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24 and 28. You may begin feeling your belly tighten and relax at odd moments or irregular intervals. These are Braxton Hicks contractions. They are painless and help the uterus prepare for the birth. Many babies have developed a predictable routine for sleep and active periods. The end of week 26 marks the end of month six, which is the last month of the second trimester".

Hello 3rd trimester...nice to meet you!  Please be kind and do not give me special gifts of aches, pains, swelling, varicose veins, stretch marks and other goodies associated with later stage pregnancy!  Thank you!

  

25th Week

Still an eggplant...although another website used a Cucumber as a "length" comparison for this week.

Epidural without guilt? Turns out the epidural debate is as hot as the Breastfeeding debate.  Ask a handful of women and you're bound to cause a heated discussion.  I was speaking with two medics yesterday who are just back from Maternity leave. They praised the epidural saying it allowed them to "enjoy the experience more because they weren't distracted by the pain."  But then speaking to others, they say that the pain is PART of the experience and warned me that the risks of an epidural outweighed the benefits including;    lowering baby's heart rate,  stalling labour, nerve damage AND allergic reaction.  Some will even go so far as to say that the endorphins released from the pain of childbirth, help you to bond with your child faster!  On the other hand, some say that the risk of tearing is less with an epidural because you are more relaxed!?  Up until this point I always just expected I would go natural, as my Mother and Sister have done.  I thought that I wouldn't truly "experience" the birth without the pain.  But if I'm so focused on the pain, I may actually MISS the experience!?  Perhaps I'm just getting cold feet as the delivery date approaches!! :s  I guess I can always leave the option on the table and take it one contraction at a time!

Have you heard of baby sign language?  The theory is that we are all  born with an instinctive need to communicate but speech requires motor skill that babies only master after a year +.  Studies show that while infants may lack these skills, they do have the ability to understand and use 'language" before they can actually 'speak'.  Babies who are taught to sign have the ability to communicate when they are tired, thirsty, hungry, or even when they want another story read.  Research has shown that babies who sign are less frustrated since they have a way of expressing their wants and needs.  BUT will this cause a delay in actual speech??  The same research says NO.  Amazingly, babies who are taught a few simple signs not only speak earlier than non-signers but have larger vocabularies and become better readers.  It has to do with stimulating more synapses of the brain.  Signing babies even have IQ's that are 10-12 points higher.  When you think about it, babies instinctively "sign" already.  For example, without being taught, a baby will raise his arms to be picked up.  The key is to emphasize the word verbally while also making the sign.  Now apparently this technique can't be used until the child is around 7 months but it would be fascinating to "communicate" with your child before they even utter their first word!  The problem I foresee is that unless everyone in contact with your child knows the signs, you are going to have one very frustrated 7 month old on your hands.  One who thinks some grown-ups aren't very smart!! :)

What's happening with baby this week? "Your little grower's physical proportions are pretty much birth-ready and most of their remaining development will largely be weight gain and a ton of nervous system development. The good news is: if your child were to be born premature, they'd likely survive without much trauma as their lungs started producing "surfactant" last week, which means their tiny respiratory system is getting stronger with each passing day. Yes, now's a good time for a minor sigh of relief and a quick pat on the back. All that hard work and conscientious living is really getting your child prepared for a healthy delivery. In mobile-fetus news: your baby should be scootching slowly out of the breech position (head upright, with their butt-n-legs down by your pelvis) and start rotating around for a head-first exit through the birth canal. If all goes well, and your little womb hi-jacker isn't a contrary one, they'll be locked-n-loaded in the next few weeks! Time is short (or really long, depending on who you ask) - just (still!) 14 weeks left before you can go back to being a single-resident human...with one tiny brand-spankin' new family member!"

 14 weeks left?!  I'm not ready yet!!! Gulp!

24th Week

Now I’m an eggplant!!  

There have been some “fun” things happening to me these last couple of weeks.  I have the joy of experiencing very annoying, "wake you from the dead",  leg cramps in the middle of the night.  It's like someone has stuck your leg in a vice while you weren’t looking!  From all that I've read…there is no definitive reason why.  Some say it's has to do with the extra blood volume, or even dehydration.  The only solutions I've found are to, eat a banana, drink a glass of milk, or take a calcium/magnesium supplement.  Another fun change is that my belly button has decided it needed a change and turned itself inside out.  Well, half of it is out and the other is still contemplating.  Let me tell you, that's a weird look. :s And as a result, I have finally had to remove my belly button ring.  I guess we all have to grow up someday! 

We've decided to share the name(s) we've chosen. It will be Bryce Anthony.  (Let's really hope the Ultrasound tech didn't make a mistake in their gender identification)  It's a name that "Daddy" has wanted for a long time…even before he ever imagined having a baby.  Its meaning is significant to us and we hope it will translate into a successful, happy life for little Bryce. 

  

We made our first real baby purchase this week.  A Stroller/car seat combo. I can tell you I never thought in a million years that I would EVER get to buy a stroller or car seat.  (This pregnancy is still very surreal!)  And it wasn't an easy decision with all the options out there!  After many days of searching online, I happened to come across the Britax brand.  It got amazing reviews for safety, comfort,  and ease of use.   I'm very excited for it to arrive next week.  I wonder if Maddie Dog will let me push her around in it for practice! What would the neighbours think?!  Lol

What’s happening with Baby this week?  “It's another week full of exciting developments for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting "surfactant". What's surfactant? It's basically what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat that helps your baby's little lungs inflate (where inflate = fill with air not get more expensive for no understandable reason). In the meantime, your submerged baby is still breathing in their amniotic fluid (and a bit of pee), preparing and rehearsing their lungs for an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your wee womb-squatter will be weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs and 14 inches long. All this new weight means your tiny baby is actually starting to fill out their skin, but they're not anywhere near their adorable fat-baby potential. Most of the fetal "filling out" is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!”

Only about 100 more days to go.....