22 weeks

We are at 22 weeks today. Many have said that I really look the part now. I also feel the part. My belly button is rising--stretching--to the surface. I feel pretty good and am looking forward to my next appointment at the end of the week. (One of my co-workers has her appointment at the same office about 20 min. after me. There are five of us in our school who are expecting!)

Dates and numbers:
There are 125 days until my due date on January 06, 2008.
I am 155 days pregnant.
I am 5.1 months pregnant.
I am in my 6th 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 crown-to-rump length is approximately 7.6 inches and my growing baby weighs about 12.25 ounces now! My uterus is about 2 cm above my bellybutton and I probably feel comfortably (what's comfortably?!) pregnant. My growing tummy is not yet large enough to get in the way and I should still be able to bend over and sit without much trouble(should is the operative word).

My baby's body continues to grow and develop every day. The organ systems in my baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. The fetal liver produces different enzymes than it will produce after delivery. The liver is responsible for breaking down billirubin, which is produced by the breaking down of blood cells. Because the life span of a fetal red blood cell is shorter than that of an adult, a fetus produces more billirubin than adults do. Billirubin passes from fetal blood to the placenta and then into my blood. My liver helps get rid of fetal billirubin. A newborn baby that has high levels of billirubin may show signs of jaundice. Jaundiced babies have a yellowish tint to their eyes and skin and are often treated with phototherapy.

My baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about his/her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and my baby may stroke his/her face or feel his/her arms and legs.

My blood volume has increased more to meet the demands of my pregnancy. Most of the increase is in the form of plasma, the liquid part of my blood. This has the ability to dilute my blood and give my physiological anemia, which occurs during pregnancy. The measure of blood dilution is called hematocrit and the levels reach their lowest points this week.

My baby now shows an extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth).

The ovaries of female fetuses contain primitive egg cells, all of the eggs a woman will have for her entire life. The uterus of female fetuses is also fully formed.