22 Weeks

Not much has changed this past week. I have been sleeping alot more and also I'm feeling little Ainsley moving all day and night instead of just evenings. So far no stretch marks - please I have enough from my 1st pg lol.

How your baby's growing: Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

How your life's changing: You may start to notice stretch marks on your skin as your abdomen expands to accommodate your growing baby. Some pregnant women never get stretch marks, but at least half do. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color), and they become more apparent as pregnancy progresses. They can appear not only on your tummy, but also on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. Lotions won't prevent or eliminate them, but they help with any itching. Also, you may no longer be an "innie" — your navel is flat and may soon pop out. It will revert to its usual shape after birth.

Another interesting skin quirk you may notice during pregnancy is something called vascular spiders. These are little areas of raised, reddish skin, with tiny branches. Commonly found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms, they're caused by the higher levels of estrogen in pregnancy, and they usually disappear after delivery.

21 Weeks

I think I am starting to get sick. I feel some pain under my left lung that is not as bad as it was last night. But still feels similar to when I had pneumonia this past spring. Not really much congestion but a heavy feeling is on my chest and Im sneezing, so it could be allergies. Please God don't let me get real sick!


How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.

How your life's changing: You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term.

That's not to say you don't have some minor glitches to deal with now. Increased oil production may have given you a mild case of acne, for example. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap and water twice a day, but don't take any oral acne medications — or even use any topical acne products — without checking with your practitioner first.

You're also prone to varicose veins now (especially if your mom has them). That's because pregnancy puts added pressure on the veins in your legs. (Your blood volume is increased and your uterus puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, the large vein that returns blood from the lower half of your body to your heart.) As if that's not enough, an increase in the hormone progesterone causes the walls of your blood vessels to relax, so as your baby and uterus grow, the veins can become more and more prominent. Varicose veins tend to worsen with each pregnancy, and while they're most likely to show up in your legs, they can also appear on your vulva.

If your legs ache, put maternity support hose on first thing in the morning. Increasing your circulation with a brisk walk each day can also help, as can elevating your legs and sleeping on your left side with your feet propped up with a pillow.

20 Week Belly Photo

I found this photo from my wedding that shows a pretty good view of how big my belly is! Will take some more shots this weekend and post them here.

20 Weeks

Ok I think I a adjusting to the fact that the baby is a girl! Everyone knows now and though I thought there would be lots of disappointment, everyone is ok with it...they gotta be right? LOL

So I am going to go through Emira's box of clothes I kept (mostly newborn and sentimental stuff) and use them again for this baby.

Well everyone wants to know the baby's name and though I didn't want to reveal for a while I think it's ok now. Her name will be Ainsley Grace Makenna Painter. If we should be surprised with a boy instead the name will be Jonah Xavier Lincoln Painter.

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

How your life's changing: You've made it to the halfway mark — Congratulations! The top of your uterus is at the level of your belly button now, and you've likely gained about 10 pounds. Expect to gain an average of about another pound each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron for your developing baby and the placenta, and to keep up with your expanding blood volume. Iron-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils and other legumes, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals.

Ultrasound

We had our anatomy scan ultrasound today! I let Emira stay home from school today so she could go with Shane and I. There were two techs in the room with us, she said they had new equipment and so they had to take live measuremements so we were in there for over a half an hour seeing our little bean on the screen. Everything looked perfect too!

I asked for a 3d u/s because my friend got one at each of hers. They kinda laughed it off and said they weren't doing them now but would be in the future :( Whatever!

The first image that came up was the baby sucking! SO CUTE! The little mouth was moving, open and close, open and close! Very neat to see!

Here are the pics I got from the u/s.


Head shot from the video


Another head shot from the video

Little foot


And it's a GIRL!!

She had taken all the measurements and such and when it came time to see the sex she said the legs were right together. I told her I needed to move or something LOL I wasn't leaving without finding out if we were having a boy or girl!

Finally she was able to see something, said it was a female. Ofcourse I could barely see anything so I questioned it. I asked if she would go back so I could see. I guess she thought I was arguing with her. She said it's a girl and that I would have the pic on my cd. I told her, ok but I wanted to see where the legs were in proportion to the body parts so I would know what to look for in the pic. Then she showed me again. So much for my mother's intuition and all the old wives tales! LOL


See the little hamburger?

I have to say I was so disappointed when I got home and discovered only 4 pics on the cd when she said she took over 20! No head or face shot, no spine, no legs :( But at least I know all her parts are there and she looked really healthy! I could feel her kicking me while I was watching her on the screen and that was really awesome!

Emira was quite excited to hear she was going to have a little sister!!

19 Weeks

Anxiety has been a bit better the past few days. Yesterday I made the appt for our wedding, it will be Tues 10-10 at 1:15p. So that means on Wed when we go to the u/s to see the baby I will be a married woman!

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing six million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.

How your life's changing: You're just a week shy of the halfway mark. You may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen (perhaps extending to your groin) or even a quick, sharp, stabbing pain on one or both sides, especially when you change position or at the end of an active day. This is round ligament pain, and it's caused by the stretching of the muscles and ligaments that support your growing uterus. It's nothing to be alarmed about, but if the pain continues even when you're resting or becomes persistent and severe, call your practitioner.

You may also have noticed some skin changes lately. Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from increased estrogen. Patches of darkened skin are also common during pregnancy. When they show up around your upper lip, upper cheeks and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may see these splotches on your arms or other areas that have been exposed to the sun. Your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva may also darken during pregnancy. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line." All of this darkening is due to a temporary increase in melanin, the substance that colors your hair, skin, and eyes. For most women, these darkened spots will fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.

Appt Yesterday

I had an appt yesterday afternoon with the midwife. I am 18 wks 5 days pregnant. We heard the heartbeat again, strong and he was moving around alot! I could feel some kicks while she was searching for his heartbeat too. (I know I am saying he and his, just comes naturally and I will refer to him as a boy until the ultrasound on Wed Oct 11th comfirms otherwise ;) Yep finally I have an u/s date and Oct 11th is when we will find out the sex of the baby!

Also I talked to her about my anxiety and told her I had a few panic attacks last week. She told me since I was pregnant they wouldn't prescribe me anything without me talking to a counselor first. She said for me to take benadryl at night (since that is when the panic attacks happened most) and made me an appt to see a counselor on the 30th of Oct. Since I couldn't get in to see the counselor sooner, I will go back to to see the midwife on Monday and they may be able to give me something until then. I hope so because this anxiety is going through the roof!

**EDIT** I just wanted to add that my weight was down 2 pounds! YAY! So that means my total weight gain is now -3 for this pregnancy!