At 12 weeks pregnant, baby Froggy is now the length of a plum! He/She is about 2.5 inches long and weighs half an ounce. Baby has doubled in size in the last two weeks, and will just keep getting bigger and bigger! This is my last week in the first trimester, and next week will officially mark the beginning of the second trimester. Hooray! Never thought I'd get here, that's for sure.
All these weeks of development mean baby's organs are all present and fully functioning (though still in the development process). His/Her eyes are now closer to the front of the face (instead of at the sides), and the ears are in place as well.
This week baby is learning to swallow, and is currently swallowing amniotic fluid.
Even though I can't feel movements, I can stimulate movement in the baby. If poked in the right way, he/she will open/close his mouth, squint and wiggle fingers and toes! At this point, it is much easier to find the baby's heart beat on the doppler. I have listened to it every few days, and just this morning heard it nice and strong. When it becomes stronger and louder, I'll record it and post it here. :)
About Mommy
This week the uterus starts moving upward and above the pelvis. This means there will be less pressure on my bladder (hooray!), but not for long! When baby grows even more, he/she will put pressure on my bladder again.
Also, now the placenta has taken over production of hormones, so now I will have less hormonal side effects. I've already started feeling better (though am still exhausted all the time).
I did not gain or lose any weight this week, though my total weight change since the beginning of pregnancy is -12lbs. I'm sure I will gain that 12 pounds back sooner than I'd like! I have, however, gotten to a point where few of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit, and I am wearing maternity pants now (even though they are still too big).
Important Appointments
Today we have our 12 week ultrasound. It is an IPS ultrasound (also called the Nuchal screening ultrasound), where they measure the folds in the baby's neck to check for signs of down's syndrome. We also have to get the ultrasound to check the status of the subchorionic hematomas that were found at 9 weeks. We don't care about the IPS results, so we won't be getting them (they'll go straight to my midwife, and she knows I don't want to hear the results). We ARE excited to see the baby thought! I'll post pictures when we get home.
Tomorrow I have my first real midwife appointment. They'll go over my prenatal package from my family doctor, and will do normal prenatal exam things. It probably won't be very interesting, but such is the way of prenatal care. I do have a bunch of questions to ask, and we are going to discuss my desires for the birth. But at 12 weeks, there's not a whole lot I've decided on, so most of those things will be discussed later.
Shopping For Baby
We haven't bought anything yet, though we are looking! I am currently trying to find a stroller I like that is at a price that works for me. I really want a Peg Perego stroller, but they cost $300-$400, and we still need to buy a car seat. We are looking at getting a used one, but if that doesn't work out, we will just lower our standards a bit and settle on a cheaper stroller. I am looking at an Eddie Bauer travel system, as that would take care of the stroller AND car seat needs. No decisions have been made.
I am very excited to find out the sex of the baby so we can look at gender specific things. :) Hopefully I won't go overboard. ;)
yay congrats on your 3 month mark! That is so exciting! I didn't do my nuchal ultrasound for that same reason. I didnt want to know....PLUS sometimes I think they freak you when it isn't necessary. I am glad that you are feeling better and I cannot believe that you are almost to your second trimester. Wow time has flown by! So when exactly is your 18 week ultrasound? What, mid-end June? That is such a happy time! Well take care and try to get some rest!
ReplyDelete-kari