26 weeks - 3 months to go!!

It amazed me to look at the calendar yesterday, and acknowledge that, if my doctors want to induce me at 39 weeks, then I have exactly 3 months of this pregnancy remaining. The timeline of this pregnancy has been fascinating to me:
Getting past the 5-week mark was HUGE for me, after two previous losses at that stage.
Feeling nauseous for the first time around 7 weeks, as I was warned, was quite exciting.
Finally NOT feeling nauseous around week 14 was, indeed, magical.
Crossing into the second trimester, having my first craving, and starting to show were pretty cool, too.
Feeling the baby move at 18 weeks.
Crossing the half-way point was exciting.
Discovering that Critter is a she-Critter at 20 weeks...amazing, incredible, surreal, even.
The day my fat-jeans would no longer button closed...acceptable.

I'm approaching the end of the 2nd trimester, and I'm starting to dread not being pregnant. As sick and uncomfortable and scared as I've been, this is, of course, the most magical and unbelievable experience I've ever had. I can't believe that the bulk of my time connected with baby Vi is over...and furthermore, it's so wonderful to know that we get to meet our daughter in such a short while.

I've never been more anxious to make the acquaintance of anyone.

Here is the weekly email update from BabyCenter.com:

Your baby now weighs a little less than 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches. Her weight will more than triple between now and birth as she rapidly puts on baby fat. She'll need that fat to help adjust to colder temperatures outside the womb and as a source of energy and calories in the first days of life. It's not uncommon for newborns, especially those who are breastfed, to lose weight (sometimes as much as 10 percent of their birth weight) in the first week after birth. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

So, tell me: What do you think Vi will be like? Who will she look like, how much will she weigh, what music will she like, what will be her favorite story, will she be a dog person or a cat person?

25 weeks!

Baby Vi is moving around more than ever this week! At our 25-week checkup yesterday, we heard her heartbeat again. It's amazing to think how hard that little heart is working! She was moving around so much we could see The Belly bump around, and the heart monitor would squeak loudly each time she changed position. I gained about 3 pounds, and everything is measuring correctly. I'm 25 weeks, so my uterus should be - and is - 25 centimeters from pubic bone to top. Isn't that a neat, natural coincidence? The size of a pregnant woman's uterus almost directly matches the current length of her gestation? That means that my uterus will grow 1 cm a week for the next 14 weeks! Yikes!

So, everything looks good, sounds good, and we're all feeling good!

Here is this week's email from BabyCenter.com:

How your baby's growing: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after she's born.

24 Week update - 15 weeks to go!

We had an ultrasound again yesterday. All of her little pieces and parts are still there, in perfect working order. She weighs just over a pound - about one pound, six ounces. Her profile is amazing to see!

The question I get often is, "Is it standard procedure these days to have this many ultrasounds?!?" The norm is to have one ultrasound sometime between weeks 16 and 20, to check for development (how are the organs forming? is the correct size? did they estimate the due date correctly?), birth defects (cleft pallette, Down's Syndrome), to see the location of the placenta and to look at the umbilical cord. And, of course, to see the sex of the baby if possible and requested by the parents. If the pregnancy is high-risk, the mother has a history of miscarriage, or there is another pre-existing condition to render it necessary, more ultrasounds are "required." Because of my genetic mutation (MTHFR-1, for you curious, sciencey folks) I will have monthly "growth scans" via ultrasound until 32 weeks, then I will have weekly scans until delivery. That means I'll have one at 28 weeks, one at 32 weeks, then one a week until 39 weeks...at which point, if I haven't given birth they will induce labor.

The next question I get is "Why will they induce your labor? Is that normal?" The thing is, the placenta can start to function poorly towards the end of gestation. A full term is 40 weeks. That's why some women are forced to have labor induced if they go way past their due date. The placenta issue is especially true for women with MTHFR-1, so it is better for the baby to be delivered just before the due date. They could use any number of techniques to induce labor - pitocin, hormones, etc.

My question to all of you: What induces labor? What stories, old wives tales, anecdotes or alternative medicine methods have you heard of to get the process going? I've heard that exercise, sex, beer, and pedicures can help. I'm going to call my Accupuncturist/Accupressurist for some advice, but I want to hear from all of you! Please use the comments section below to share your ideas, because I really don't want to be hooked up to an IV unless absolutely necessary!!!


Here is the weekly email from BabyCenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

Belly Shot!!

Here I am, almost 24 weeks pregnant, in my New! Pretty! Dress!

23 Weeks Update!

How your baby's growing: Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

We're scheduled for our next ultrasound this coming Monday. I can't wait to see how much she's grown!!