Today I am 13 weeks & 2 days pregnant

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 14 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

You open the refrigerator door, only to be greeted by the nauseating smell of garlic. But you LOVE garlic. Or rather, you did. Now all sorts of smells seem unappealing at best, and gut-wrenching at worst.

In fact, nearly 85 percent of pregnant women have at least one food aversion. One explanation, according to researchers, is that food aversions peak when hormones are fluctuating. As you progress through the second trimester, and hormones stabilize, your aversions may disappear.

And while aversions to coffee or alcohol may be your body's way of preventing you from consuming anything harmful to the baby, aversions to healthy foods should be treated differently. No, you don't have to force-feed yourself the detested item. Instead, find a palatable alternative that offers similar nutritional value.

When I first became pregnant I pretty much had an aversion for just about everything. I couldn't even watch the Food Network channel without my stomach turning. Now, most of that is gone. Although, I still can't handle sausage and onions will still get me on occasion.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Your baby is now about three-and-a-half inches long and weighs about two ounces. His or her neck is complete, and your baby even has fingerprints.

He or she is beginning to move around in the amniotic fluid, which, by the way, replenishes itself every three hours. Fetal movement, or "quickening," can occur as early as this week, so be alert for fluttering sensations in your belly. If you can't feel them, however, don't worry, they're more likely to occur between the 18th to 22nd week. In subsequent pregnancies, fetal movement usually is felt earlier.

Well since this is my first pregnancy, I don't expect to feel our little one moving around any time soon. It will probably happen in another 4 weeks or so for us. Although, I will definitely be paying closer attention just in case! LOL!

EATING FOR TWO:

In September of 1988, the Food and Drug Administration warned that pregnant women, along with children and the elderly, should refrain from eating alfalfa sprouts. Sprouts are seedlings from a variety of vegetables and are commonly added to sandwiches and salads. Until growers can find a way to prevent deadly bacteria such as E. Coli from contaminating sprouts, this warning will stay in effect.

See, this is why I love getting these updates. I had absolutely no idea that pregnant women should shy away from alfalfa sprouts! Not that they are apart of my every day eating habits. ;)

FACT OF THE WEEK:

If you are over 35 and you've had an unusual AFP result or have a genetic history (which could affect the fetus), your practitioner may recommend an amniocentesis. This procedure, done between weeks 15 and 18, involves the insertion of a needle through the uterus to remove amniotic fluid. The fluid contains important information about your baby's health. An ultrasound is performed during the procedure to ensure the needle does not puncture the placenta or the fetus. Because the cells taken in the sample need to be cultured, the results are typically available between 14 to 30 days after the procedure.

While one in 200 pregnancies may develop a problem which could potentially lead to miscarriage, making sure your technician has experience will help lower these odds further. The test is recommended for moms-to-be age 35 and older because the odds of miscarrying from the procedure are approximately equal to the odds of a woman 35 or older having a child with Down's syndrome. In addition to the many genetic conditions that the test can detect, the gender of the baby can also be revealed with complete accuracy.

Today I am 12wks & 3 days pregnant

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 13 Weeks Pregnant! Yay! I've started my second Trimester!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK

The second trimester is sometimes referred to as the "honeymoon of pregnancy." This is because women often regain energy, with much of the arduous work of organ development now almost complete.

As you enter your second trimester, your nausea most likely has faded into a memory. (If you had to stop taking prenatal vitamins during this time, you should begin to take them again as soon as possible.)

You may feel absolutely wonderful. You aren't yet subject to the physical discomforts that may appear in the later weeks of pregnancy and you may finally feel ready to reveal your long-held secret to the world.

I don't know if I'd go as far as to say I'm in the "honeymoon" phase, but I do feel like I have more energy then I have had the past 2 months, but I'm certainly not back to my usual energy level. Probably won't be for a long time. :)

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK

Measuring in at about seven centimeters crown-to-rump and weighing about two ounces, your baby-to-be will spend the rest of the pregnancy concentrating on growing and becoming strong enough to live outside the uterus. Your baby's intestines have now moved from outside the body to inside the abdomen. While your baby won't be saying "Mommy" for some time, vocal cords are now developing. Your fetus also has developed many reflexes and will squirm inside of you if your abdomen is prodded.
Less glamorous but highly necessary, the organ systems for making hormones, absorbing nutrients, & filtering waste will also be in place this week. The pancreas, gall bladder, & thyroid will have developed. The kidneys will now be able to make urine & its bone marrow is making white blood cells to help fight infection after birth.

A lot more seems to be going this month then in previous ones. I find all this extremely fascinating!

EATING FOR TWO

Soy products are a great way to boost protein and calcium intake. Make sure that soy milk products do not contain unnecessary levels of sucrose.

I have found this to be very true. I love my soy smoothies every morning. Especially since it helps w/ getting those 80 some grams of protein I'm suppose to be consuming every day.

FACT OF THE WEEK

You may want to start thinking about whether or not you are interested in the Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (MSAFP) screening. This test is now generally known as three (triple) or four (quad) marker screen. The test is generally performed between weeks 15 and 18 but might still be valid as late as 20 to 21 weeks. Abnormal MSAFP or other marker levels are associated with genetic conditions, birth defects, retardation and late-pregnancy complications. Usually, if a woman has abnormally high or low levels, a follow-up with an ultrasound and amniocentesis may be recommended for a more definitive diagnosis. This test is safe, however, it does occasionally produce false results. While just 50 in every 1,000 women will get high results, only one or two of those women will end up having a baby with a defect. For the majority of women, normal test results can often indicate a healthy pregnancy and may be a relief after any first trimester anxiety.

To be honest we've really been struggling with whether to have this test done or not. This test is by no means 100% accurate.
For me, if I for some reason get an abnormal result I know that I will become a nervous wreck! I will worry myself sick. I don't want to go through the rest of my pregnancy like that...it would be bad for me and bad for the baby to have that added stress. I guess I need to stop looking at this from a negative stand point and start looking at this positively. Easier said then done!

Just an update......

I feel like I'm in that stage of pregnancy where you don't feel pregnant, you just feel really FAT!!!! As of tomorrow I will be officially 3 month pregnant and starting my 2nd trimester. My normal clothes don't really fit anymore so I'm starting to wear a bigger size then normal or some of the maternity clothes I've already bought and they just make me feel huge. Their really big and baggy on me and give me no shape whatsoever. I can't wait until I actually "look" pregnant and not just fat. Hopefully that will be in a few weeks since my doc says at this point I should be gaining about a pound to a pound and a half every week.

The extreme fatigue has pretty much disappeared although I still get tired toward the end of the day. I've been able to start going back to the gym which has been a Godsent for me! Especially with me feeling fat all the time!

We have a Dr. appointment for March 8th where we should be able to hear our little one's heartbeat! Can't wait for that. The hubby is really looking forward to it too. He's actually been really cute lately by being over-protective with me. We went to the mall last week and every time we bought something they would hand me the bag and he would take it right out of my hands and carry it for me. Very sweet! He's always making sure I'm eating regularly and that I feel ok. I actually bought him a book for expecting dads and he's really enjoying reading it. I think he's learning quite a bit from it and I think reading it makes him more comfortable with it all and now he's really starting to get excited. He talks to my tummy all the time even though I tell him the baby can't hear him yet. I think he'll be shocked right out of his socks when we are able to start to feel the little one move around in me. Heck! It'll shock me too, the first time I feel it! LOL! We've got another 4 to 6 weeks before we'll be able to fill the movement.
Well, this is all I got for now. Have a great weekend!

Today I am 11 weeks & 2 days pregnant........

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are now going on 12 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

As you approach your second trimester, any nausea you may have experienced probably will begin to subside. You may also notice the linea nigra (black line), a dark line of pigmentation creeping up your abdomen -- especially if you have a dark complexion.
Your uterus has risen above your pubic bone, and your care provider will be able to feel it during an abdominal exam. It is about the size of a softball. Around this time, you may begin to "show." For first-timers, "showing" may occur a bit later, as strong abdominal muscles can help to hide your pregnancy.

Well, I never had the whole nausea thing so it looks like I might just be out of the woods as far as getting it. Yeah! I also don't have that linea nigra that they talked about above. Probably because I'm so light skinned.
My clothes are definitely starting to feel tight. I'm down to just 3 pairs of pants that I can still wiggle into. I do think I'm starting to show just a tiny bit though. I can feel my tummy getting a little harder just below my belly button. By the end of this month there should be no mistaken that I'm pregnant.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Your baby-to-be is now 60 to 65 millimeters long or about two and a half inches long, and weighs about 14 grams. He or she has the ability to swallow and absorb and discharge fluids. Hands, now complete, are growing fingernails. Even tooth buds are appearing. Your baby's face now has a distinctly human appearance. The amniotic sac contains about 50 cubic centimeters of fluid (one and one half ounces). This week, your placenta takes over the important task of hormone production.

They say the reason women start to get their energy back and the nausea starts to fade is because the placenta takes over the hormone production, which causes less stress on the woman's body. So happy for that!
I'd love to have an ultrasound now to see what our baby looks like! My one and only ultrasound was way back when I was just 6 1/2 weeks and there was nothing really to see other then the sac. I didn't even get to hear the heartbeat.

FACT OF THE WEEK

Still smoking? Babies born to moms who smoke during pregnancy are almost twice as likely to develop asthma as those whose moms refrained from lighting up, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Experts estimate that between five to fifteen percent of asthma cases in children could be eliminated if moms-to-be quit smoking.

I'm sooooo glad that smoking is a habit that I never got sucked into. Although I certainly tried back in high school. I just ended up being a social smoker back then. I'd buy a pack of cigarettes and it would last me so long that I'd end up just throwing them away because they had gone stale. So glad I never got addicted to them.

Today I am 10 wks & 2 days Pregnant

Week 11 of Pregnancy

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

You may be suffering with more frequent headaches as a result of the change in your hormone levels. You can help prevent headaches before they start by eating regularly, drinking plenty of fluids, getting adequate sleep and keeping stress levels low. Ask your care provider if you can treat headaches with Tylenol (acetaminophen), a pain medication that is considered safe for pregnant women. If you experience frequent headaches, if the headache is the by-product of a fever, or if it causes visual disturbances or puffiness in the hands and face, call your practitioner immediately.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Your baby-to-be is about 50 millimeters crown to rump and weighs about eight grams (about a quarter of an ounce). The irises are now forming. The liver, intestines, brain and lungs are beginning to function on their own. The primitive "tail" is now gone. The intestines are beginning to migrate into the abdominal cavity and the external genitalia are present but difficult to distinguish. Now that most of the major organ work is done, your baby adds such details as hair, fingernails and toenails. While your baby's head is nearly as large as the rest of her body, head growth begins to slow during this period.

EATING FOR TWO

Actually, you aren't eating for two. You are eating for one and .000007865! Realistically, at this time, you only need to increase consumption by 300 to 500 calories per day. That's just one bran muffin and a baked potato! It's important that every calorie you consume be one that is nutrient dense. Okay, you can splurge on chocolate every so often, but you might not want to always gobble it down with a glass of milk. While milk is great for your baby, chocolate slightly decreases your body's ability to absorb calcium.

FACT OF THE WEEK

If you have begun to gain excessively, it may be time to nip bad eating habits in the bud. Are you giving in to unhealthy cravings? Practitioners often recommend that total weight gain be kept between 25 and 35 pounds. Gaining more than 35 pounds can make postpartum weight loss more of a challenge.

Today I am 9wks and 4 days pregnant

I think I have finally figured out what my problem has been the past few weeks.

I've been having headaches and getting light-headed quite often the past few weeks and was really starting to get scared. Especially since it felt like I was going to pass out. Very scary!

Well come to find out I'm not eating and staying hydrated enough! I know, I know, it shouldn't take a genius to figure this out but I just haven't had an appetite for a while now. So I've had to force myself to eat small snacks every couple hours. Boy has this made a world of difference! It's even helped a little with the fatigue, although I'm still ready for bed by 8pm. :)

I still have a few food aversions. Like I can't stand the smell of meat cooking...especially sausage, uggh! I usually love onions, but have found lately they don't set well with me and cottage cheese is a major turn off right now! I've really not had any cravings...or should I say steady cravings. Every once in a while I get one but I can usually ignore them. Like last night I got this craving for Dairy Queens brownie blizzard. Man it sounded soooooo good, but I was good and ignored it. Although I did end up having a small bowl of ice cream but just vanilla w/ a little caramel sauce. I also had a craving yesterday for Qdoba's nacho's. Those were good! So every once in a while I seem to crave a certain something but it hasn't been bad at all so far *!knock on wood!*.

I bought my first pairs of maternity clothes last weekend since I am a couple weeks from being done with my first trimester and it's the second trimester that the weight seems to come on pretty quickly. So I'm trying to stay ahead of the game here so I won't be unprepared for when it happens. Although in the maternity clothes I seem to be between sizes....the story of my life really. One size seems a little too small, but the next size up seems to big and definitely to long. So I guess I'll have to have the bigger size altered a little to fit better. Finding the right fit in clothes has always been an issue with me...don't know why I thought this experience would be any different. Oh well....

I'm trying to think if there's anything else to update you on.........................

Guess not! :) Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a good week/weekend!