Today I am 17 weeks & 2 days pregnant

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 18 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

You may be waiting anxiously for your baby's first movement, known as "quickening." You want to know that your baby, who's been quietly maneuvering around since seven weeks, is big enough and strong enough to send you a message. Many women find this barometer of their baby's well-being very reassuring.

Typically, you will feel the first small rumblings of fetal movement between 18 and 22 weeks (or later, in some cases). If you have very strong abdominal muscles, you're very overweight or your fetus is "hiding," you may fall on the late end of the scale. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not feel fetal movement as early as you will in successive pregnancies. Most likely, though, junior will make his or her presence known within this next, exciting month. Early fetal movements may feel like soft tapping, or "butterflies," just above the pubic bone.

I definitely felt our little one kick Friday night! It was around 9 pm and I was lying in bed and all of a sudden got this light kick. It was unmistakable....I knew instantly what it was. Very cool! Can't wait to start feeling it more frequently.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Your baby has grown to 14 centimeters crown to rump. Adding two ounces in just one week, your baby tips the scales at seven ounces. Baby's limbs are lengthening, and at last, body length is catching up to head size. Bones are still malleable but are beginning to ossify.

I think at this point, most of the major development has already occurred. Now our little one is just growing bigger and stronger. Can't wait for that 22 week ultrasound!

EATING FOR TWO

· keep energy levels high during pregnancy, here are some suggestions:

· Cold leftover chicken with a few dried apricots

· Bowl of whole grain cereal with soy or regular skim milk

· Small bowl of low-fat granola topped with half a banana and a dollop of yogurt

· Open-faced, broiled, low-fat cheese on a whole-wheat bagel

· Oatmeal with raisins

· Cup of ginger tea and a small bran muffin

Too bad most of this sounds completely gross to me. Cold Chicken? Yuck!!!!!!

FACT OF THE WEEK

It used to be that one out of 100 women experienced multiple gestations. Today, it's one in 50, partly due to the increased use of fertility drugs such as Pergonal or Clomiphene, as well as in vitro fertilization. Another factor is that maternal age during pregnancy is increasing. Women over 35 may experience erratic ovulation, causing an extra egg to be released, resulting in multiple gestations. Also, teen mothers are more likely to conceive multiple fetuses.

There are risks to carrying twins, but it's important to note that more than 90 percent of twin pregnancies have no major complications. However, if you're carrying multiples, learn to recognize the signs of preterm labor. It is more common for twins to arrive a few weeks earlier than singletons, but seriously premature delivery poses extreme health risks to the newborn.

Well, we know for sure there's only one growing inside me....thank goodness!

Today I am 16 weeks & 2 days pregnant (4 months)

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 17 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

Halfway between your navel and pubic bone, your uterus is rising up to greet the world. You will also experience an increase in blood volume at this point.

You may be noticing tan-colored spots on your face. Or chloasma may occur on the forehead, nose, upper lip and cheeks. Don't worry, it's not permanent, and it will fade soon after birth. Use sun block to prevent spots from darkening due to sun exposure, and continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Not only are they good for baby, but studies indicate that they may prevent excessive pigmentation.

Two things. 1) I can totally feel my uterus just below my belly button. It's really cool! By the end of this month I think it will be right at my belly button causing it to go from an iny to an outy. It's gonna crack me up when that happens, lol! 2) I just started noticing the chloasma or tan spots on my forehead! I had now idea what that was until I read this! I was gonna ask the dr. about it at my next visit...guess I don't have to now.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Going forward, growth and refinement of your baby's existing systems and organs occurs. Your baby's ears stand out from his or her head. (More or less depending on heredity.)

At 12 centimeters crown to rump, your baby is large enough to give you a good kick in the belly. Within the next month, you should be able to feel this five-ounce wonder throwing his or her weight around.

Unique fingerprints and toe prints are developing.

Meconium, your baby's first bowel movement is beginning to collect in the colon. Your baby is actually digesting swallowed amniotic fluid. At this time, fat deposits will appear under your baby's skin. This fat will help your baby to regulate his or her temperature after birth.

Circulation of blood is now established and the umbilical cord lengthens and thickens in response to the rapidly growing needs of your baby. The placenta and fetus are now almost equal in size.

I thought I felt something last week but now I don't think it was our little bean because I haven't felt anything since that day (must have just been gas or something, lol!). It's just so hard to tell right now!

FACT OF THE WEEK

Ninety percent of all pregnant women will get stretch marks. The good news is that for most women they'll fade to silvery-white after pregnancy. While a propensity for developing stretch marks is inherited, here are some ideas that can't hurt:

• Eating well and exercising prior to and during pregnancy can help you maintain elastic skin tone, preventing stretch marks.
• Don't gain excessive weight and keep the gain steady to avoid overstretching of your skin.
• Some practitioners don't think creams work, but why not try them anyway? Buy some body lotion and massage away. At the very least, it will soothe your dry, flaky skin.

Here's a homemade recipe for anti-stretch-mark skin cream:

In a blender, combine: 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup aloe vera gel and six capsules vitamin E oil (opened). Keep this oil refrigerated and massage into areas with stretch marks at least once a day. (You may want to sit this jar in warm water to take off the chill before applying.)

ugh, stretch marks. Haven't experienced them yet, but I'm sure I will. This is definitely one of the few down sides of being pregnant. I'm just using lotion like it's going out of style, lol!

I'm actually feeling really good today...I feel almost like my normal self again! Hopefully this will be the running trend for a while and not just a one day fluk, lol! Can't believe I'll be 4 months into this pregnancy this Saturday (03/18). The first trimester seemed to drag on and on, but ever since the second has started, time has started flying by.

I think I may have felt the baby move on Monday for the first time, but I'm not sure. It was very faint and only lasted a few seconds but it felt like little bubbles popping or something like that low in my tummy. I haven't felt it since then though so maybe it was something else...who knows. :)

My eating habits are still not the best. I'm still having a hard time finding foods that sound appealing to me. So far all that ever sounds good is fruit like apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries and I think I've become addicted to Einstein's egg and swiss sandwiches...soooo yummy! But one, especially a pregnant one, cannot live off of fruit and egg sandwiches forever. :) I need to start eating more protein and a little less carbs but carbs are the only things that sound good to me right now. Hopefully when the weather gets warmer and we are able to start BBQing again I'll be able to stomach chicken, brauts, and such with ease! I'm crossing my fingers!

Dad is moving into his own place next weekend so John and I are going to start cleaning out the study soon to make room for the nursery. I haven't a clue how we will decorate it. We were thinking of doing a sage green, light blue, and yellow scheme, but now I'm not so sure. I think we'll just have to find the bedding we like first and then base the colors off of that. Although we really don't plan on staying in this house for more then another year or so, so not sure if we will even do that much decorating since this little one won't be in that room long enough to really appreciate the decor, lol!

I have our 19 week doctors appointment April 11th, were they informed me that I have to do the whole yearly exam thing again, uggh! Don't know why...it hasn't been a year since my last one, but whatever. After that they will schedule me for our second ultrasound, which we are sooooo looking forward too! Our last one was at 6 1/2 weeks which only showed a little dot in my uterus confirming that I was indeed pregnant but that was it. They should be able to tell the sex of the baby as well, but we have decided not to find out what we are having....much to the dismay and disappointment of my family, so we'll have to turn our heads when they get to that part of the ultrasound. :)

I really think I only have a few more weeks before I will be in full-on maternity clothes which I find strange because I've only gained 3 lbs...but yet my clothes are fitting so tight. It must be all the expanding my body is doing in my hips, rib cage, uterus, and who knows where else, to prepare some room for this little bean to live and grow. :) I still have a few pair of pants that fit me, but not for much longer, lol! I'm hoping to get through the rest of winter in my regular clothes so that when I do have to start buying maternity they can all be for the spring and summer. Save some money! :)

Well, this is all I have today for an update on me and our little bean. I need to go hunt down some lunch know because my stomach is growling at me. :)

Today I am 15 weeks and 2 days pregnant.....

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 16 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

For some women, nasal congestion and nosebleeds are an annoying side effect of pregnancy. This is due to altered levels of hormones, which may cause the mucus membranes in your nose to swell. Increased blood volume and softening of the tissues also contributes to this. Unfortunately, it may continue throughout your pregnancy. A vitamin C deficiency may cause nosebleeds, so an increase in your consumption of vitamin-C-rich foods may help. Do not use nose drops, other than saline, unless recommended by your care provider.

It still amazes me how pregnancy can and does affect a woman's body in the strangest ways! My nose has been stuffed up non-stop for about 3 weeks. It drives me crazy!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Weighing in at all of three ounces, your little one is now 12 centimeters crown to rump. Baby's head is now held high, and limb movements occur in a coordinated fashion. The eyes have come closer together so that they face forward, and the baby begins to blink. Tiny toenails are beginning to form. On an ultrasound, you may catch sight of the sucking reflex as your baby sucks his or her thumb. And that's not all you may see: Gender is now recognizable, if you have an extroverted fetus!

We have two months to go until we have our 2nd ultrasound which we'll be able to see all these changes that have been happening since we had our 1st ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks! We really can't wait!

EATING FOR TWO

By the beginning of the third trimester, your blood volume will nearly double, and the heart and kidneys will work hard to pump and filter this added volume. Your body needs to conserve fluids. Remember to drink eight glasses of water a day and, unless advised to do so by your care provider, never go on a low-salt diet. The use of iodized salt is recommended.

On the other side of the coin, don't overdo salt. Avoid processed or cured meats, salty snack foods and canned soups. Too much salt can result in edema (excessive fluid retention). The bottom line? Salt to taste, and let your taste buds lead the way.

The additional blood volume will mean that your daily intake of iron will need to increase to meet the demands of the added volume and the baby's requirements as she develops her own blood supply. Eat a high-iron food at each meal. For breakfast eat an egg and/or bowl of Total, Special K Plus, or Product 19. (These cereals are fortified with almost 100 percent of your iron requirement.) For lunch, eat a salad with chick peas or a three bean salad and for supper, eat three ounces of red meat or a sweet potato or a large serving of spinach. Dried fruit is a good snack. Dietary sources of iron are more readily absorbed by your body and better tolerated. (Iron supplements can cause GI distress and constipation.)

I'm still having a hard time remembering to eat several small meals throughout the day. It's hard too do! We bought a new car this weekend and ended up hanging out at the dealership all day and I forgot to bring a snack with me just in case so by the time we got out of there and got seated at On The Border for dinner I was feeling so sick that I couldn't even bring myself to eat my dinner. Not a fun night....but I've certainly learned my lesson! DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT SOME SORT OF SNACK WITH YOU!!!!

FACT OF THE WEEK

Between 15 and 20 weeks, you will be offered a Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Test (MSAFP) or a Triple or Quad Screen. Abnormal levels of some of these markers may indicate a higher risk of a baby with a neural tube defect, Down's syndrome or other chromosomal abnormality. Ask your care provider to explain the test and then discuss this optional test with your partner.

If your AFP results came back high, or your uterus is larger than dates would indicate, or your morning sickness is especially severe, this could be a sign of more than one baby.

We've decided not to have this screening done. Don't need the extra stress!

Just wanted to share

The hubby and I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time this morning at my dr. appointment! 160 bpm! It made this kind of whooshing sound, whoosh...whoosh...whoosh. It was really awesome! So if you believe the hype about being able to detect the sex of a baby by its heartbeat....then we are having a girl. :) Some say that a heartbeat under 150 is a boy and anything higher is a girl. So I guess we'll see come September if this is true....at least for us.

Everything else checked out fine. At my last appointment, a month ago, I had gained 6lbs (dang!) but at this appointment I had lost 3lbs so as of right now I'm only up 3lbs from my prepregnancy weight. Yay! So far so good! Only 5 more months to go......

Your Pregnancy: A Week-by-Week Guide

You are going on 15 Weeks Pregnant!

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

When will you "show"? At 15 weeks of pregnancy your uterus is just popping up above the pubic bone. You are at a very in-between stage right now. You may not yet look pregnant to the world -- or you may have already popped out. There is a great variation in the time your pregnancy becomes visible. This usually occurs between 14 and 20 weeks. If this is your second or third pregnancy, you are probably "showing" sooner than a first-time mom because the muscles of your abdomen are a bit more lax, and the uterus tends to fall forward more easily because of the relaxation of the supporting ligaments.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Baby's skin is very thin, and blood vessels can be seen underneath. The skin is covered with a fine, fuzzy hair called lanugo, which will not fall out until your baby nears full-term. The heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day. This week marks a period of rapid growth, so get your rest!