21 weeks

Well I'm definitely feeling tighter/stretched belly-wise. It always is apparent quickly that I'm indeed pregnant with the way I carry. I actually prefer this to having people guess. So next week is another appointment with my obstetrician on the 7th and students will be entering kindergarten on the 4th. Looking forward to both.

Dates and numbers:
There are 132 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 148 days pregnant.
I am 4.9 months pregnant.
I am in my 5th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

My baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

My baby will be getting much larger during the second half of my pregnancy. My baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 7.2 inches and s/he weighs approximately 10.5 ounces. My growing baby is about the size of a large banana. I should be able to feel my uterus about a half of an inch above my navel. My weight gain so far will be around 10 to 15 pounds.

As my baby begins to lay down more fat, my weight will also increase. During the next 10 weeks, I will gain about half of the total gain for my entire pregnancy. Strangers can now tell that I am pregnant! (For sure or they're not looking!) I might notice an increase in appetite because I need 500 more calories a day to support my charged up metabolism. It is best to avoid processed foods or foods high in fat, calories or sugar. Some women also get strong cravings for foods.

My baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and my baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After my baby swallows the amniotic fluid, s/he is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. My baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. My baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on my baby's tongue this week also.

5 month pic

1 month 2 months 3 months




Here I am at 20 weeks--5 months

20 weeks

It's official. Gestationally we are halfway there! According to date of induction we are over halfway! In some ways that is still too far. But I do want baby to have enough time to really grow and thrive. In an earlier post I mentioned that if there are prayers anyone would like to post please do. We are both doing well as far as I know.

There are 139 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 141 days pregnant.
I am 4.6 months pregnant.
I am in my 5th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)
Congratulations! (Thank you) This weeks marks the half way point of my pregnancy. It has been 18 weeks since the date of conception (TMI) and my baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and my belly definitely has an obvious bulge. My wasitline has expanded and is no longer visible. My uterus has now moved up enough that it is pushing my abdomen outwards. The top of my uterus is even with or just below my navel.


Sex organs are showing clearly on this girl (Thanks for pointing that out! We don't know and don't want to)



For the remainder of my pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on my lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make my feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on my abdomen can also cause my bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well (Already there). My abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as my baby grows inside of me.

My baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. My baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. My baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

Around twenty weeks, most doctors will order a routine ultrasound to check the baby's development. Measurements will be taken and the sonogram technician will check to make sure there are no defects or abnormalities. My ultrasound technician can also see how long my cervix is and can tell you approximately how much my baby weighs a this time (Had one at 18 weeks and won't know the date of the next ultrasound until September.) Most expectant women also find out the sex of their baby during this time! (Not me!)

Movements

Last night before bed I could feel the baby move and said so out loud. So John reached over to touch my belly. I wasn't too hopeful. I read that usually dads (and others) can't feel much until 28 weeks! Well John must be in tune--he felt movement. That is one of my favourite things watching him feel our baby move around inside me. So I hope baby is up for more performing...we sure are.

19 weeks

Dates and numbers:
There are 146 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 134 days pregnant.
I am 4.4 months pregnant.
I am in my 5th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)

Close up of the face and hands

The right foot, including the developing bones, are clearly visible in the middle of the screen

My baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. My baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth!

Most women can feel their uterus about a half of an inch below their bellybutton at this point of pregnancy. If I turn to the side, I can really tell that my body is changing! Most women have gained up to 14 pounds now and only 7 ounces of that is baby! The placenta weighs about 6 ounces and the amniotic fluid that surrounds my baby weighs 11 ounces. My breasts have increased in weight by 6 ounces each and the uterus has grown to 11 ounces! I may be gaining weight in places other than my abdomen and this may be affecting my posture and sleeping habits.

One of the most amazing aspects of my baby's growth and development is that of the fetal brain. My baby's brain is one of the first organs to appear. My baby's oversized head shows the brain's importance in his development. Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, my baby's movements are consciously directed. My baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for my baby's permanent teeth appear. My baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and his feet are approximately one inch long.

Prayers and blessings

For our pregnancy:

O Lord and Giver of life, receive our prayer for all women who are pregnant and for the children they carry, that they may safely and happily come to the time of birth, and serving you in all things, may rejoice in your loving providence. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Father, we praise you for the work of your hands. For human life, made in your image, for the gift of your Son who saved our nature, for the power of your Spirit, who fills our hearts, for all you bestow upon us, we praise you, we thank you, we bless you. Help us to protect the life you gave us: support the aged, guide the young, lift up the failing, and heal the sick. To all people grant your truth in its fullness. May those who are yet unborn soon see the light of day and live to give you glory, through Christ our Lord.

For your Birth and as you grow:

When the first light of sun-
Bless you.
When the long day is done-
Bless you.
In your smiles and your tears-
Bless you.
Through each day of your years-
Bless you. (An Irish Blessing)

“World of Your Dreams” .

May you be blessed with understanding,
With wisdom and compassion in your heart.
May your tongue be filled with song.
And your lips sing out for justice.
These are the prayers we have for you. (Andy’s Bar Mitzvah Song) 1992 Deborah Lynn Friedman, Sounds Write Productions, Inc. (ASCAP)

As you make decisions and grow in your own identity:

May God spread his wings over you and protect you.
May you know great joy, happiness, and fulfillment in your life.
May you walk with humility, and may you understand that being God’s child is a source of joy and meaning, and an important responsibility.
May you honor your parents, recognizing that they have brought you into the world in love and in hope, and may you bring them great joy.
May you go from strength to strength, yet always be able to accept your own weaknesses and those of others.
May you judge yourself and others with fairness and compassion, and without harshness.

May you have the confidence and self-esteem to move towards whatever goals you choose for yourself, and may you have the wisdom and courage to change your mind if your original goals are replaced by newer and better ones.

May you allow yourself to dream your dreams and soar with flights of fancy and imagination.

May you always keep a precious part of yourself as "child" even as you move to adulthood.

May your ears be filled with music of every imaginable kind, and may the rhythms be of your own making, allowing yourself to march at your own pace.

May you experience the inevitable moments of sadness and pain in a way that will give these moments meaning and add value to your life.

May you live in a world blessed with peace and harmony, and may your future be as bright and as hopeful as the world's first rainbow.

And let us all say: Amen. (A Blessing on the Occasion of a Brit Bat By Leila Berner--adaptation)

I (Jenn) have made changes to this Jewish prayer--note words in bold and italicized

For all children:

Father, we bring our children to you for your blessing. Help us to be sensitive to their needs. Give us wisdom in our care of them that they may grow up rooted in love, steadfast in faith, strong and courageous in life. Guide us and all who have the care of children. May we never hinder but help and encourage them towards independence and maturity, and to a living faith in your Son, Jesus Christ,our Lord. Amen.

-Frank Colquhoun New Parish Prayers

Book of Occasional Services, The Church Pension Fund, 1979, the Church Hymnal Corporation.
New Parish Prayers and Contemporary Parish Prayers by Frank Colquhoun, Hodder and Stoughton, 1999.
The Doubleday Prayer Collection, ed. Mary Batchelor, Doubleday, 1997.

- Book of Occasional Services

Do you have prayers for our baby that you would like to share?

You oughta be in pictures...

Well we got to look at the baby. This one is a little uncooperative--at least today anyway. It was hard to get a good shot. Most of the time baby's arms were up and so were baby's legs: ready to punch and kick at the same time? Anyways I was happy to see the baby, measuring 18 weeks 5 days. Heart rate 138 bpm. No we couldn't tell girl or boy and we don't want to know.

18 weeks

Well we are at 18 weeks together and I have been feeling more movements these past few days. Movements remind me how our baby is his or her own person. I am not determining or deciding when our baby moves at all. I know that as he or she grows this baby, who is so dependent on me now, will continue to grow in independence. How exciting and scary!

There are 152 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 128 days pregnant.
I am 4.2 months pregnant.
I am in my 5th month of pregnancy. (huh?)
My 1st trimester: April 01, 2007 to June 30, 2007. (0 - 12 weeks)
My 2nd trimester: July 01, 2007 to October 13, 2007. (13 - 27 weeks)
My 3rd trimester: October 14, 2007 to January 06, 2008. (28 - 40 weeks)


Thumb-sucking at 18 weeks....

By week 18 of my pregnancy, my baby's crown-to-rump length is 5 to 5.5 inches long. My baby continues to develop fat layers and weighs about 5.25 ounces. My baby will continue to grow and develop, but the rapid growth will slow down for a little while. I will be able to feel my uterus just below my bellybutton. If I put my fingers sideways to measure, I can feel my uterus about two finger-widths below my bellybutton. At this point of my pregnancy, my uterus is approximately the size of a cantaloupe.

There is still space available in my uterus and my baby will be active for periods at a time. My baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults.

Around this time, my baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows his/her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the part of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that my baby can hear now. My baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as my heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. My baby will become startled if s/he hears a loud sound.

I have a stethoscope at home, so I can now hear the baby's heartbeat myself (I'll try.)