So many things are happening right now with setting up the nursery and having wonderful baby showers hosted by our families. We recently got back from one in Chattanooga that was amazing and we are heading this weekend to what is sure to be another amazing shower in Decatur, IN. I now see what they mean about doing as many things as possible in the 2nd trimester because the 3rd trimester has really worn me out. I move much slower now and easily lose my breath and have a racing heart (this is supposed to be common however all I know is that I am worn out...ALOT).
We now see the OB every two weeks and he uses a measuring tape to track the height of my fundus (pelvic bone to top of uterus), a distance that grows by about one centimeter a week. We’ll have our third ultrasound on 2/20 to get an even better idea of the baby’s size, but she’s currently estimated to be 4 lbs. and 17”-18” long. While baby's growth has begun to slow down, she still has lots of growing to do. She won’t get much taller, but she will still gain approximately four pounds between now and birth. I’ve just passed the 150 lbs. mark myself (gaining about one pound a week) while baby gains about half a pound each week. Due to Baby Neve’s length, she's had to tuck her legs and assume the fetal position. This position best allows blood flow to her quickly developing brain. It also means some painful kicks to my ribs! With space in the baby's living quarters now at a premium, I feel some squirming and jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks are more vigorous and organized than before (and also less erratic) because she is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar I ate half an hour ago. I can see the movement too, since my uterus is thinner. They say how active the baby is now—and how she responds to light, sound, and movement—is somewhat a part of her personality. Between the joint pain and frequent bathroom trips, I now call it a “good” night’s sleep when I wake up less than 10 times a night. Also no one told me you could outgrow maternity clothes, but at 28 weeks my belly began poking out the bottom of most of my shirts.
We’ve finished our childbirth preparation classes and the newborn care class. I try to follow along with my prenatal yoga video once a week but going for walks has become a rarity now. I feel the painless and irregular Braxton-Hicks contractions at times as well as a little bit of cramping – both normal and healthy for this stage. I’ve also dreamt of going to the hospital to deliver our baby, but the baby handed to me is either another child, twin boys, a cat, or a ferret. (Surprisingly, it’s pretty common to dream of giving birth to animals!) In the midst of all these startling changes though there has been one constant, and that is we are both just really looking forward to meeting our little girl, holding her in our arms, and taking the very best care of her.
We now see the OB every two weeks and he uses a measuring tape to track the height of my fundus (pelvic bone to top of uterus), a distance that grows by about one centimeter a week. We’ll have our third ultrasound on 2/20 to get an even better idea of the baby’s size, but she’s currently estimated to be 4 lbs. and 17”-18” long. While baby's growth has begun to slow down, she still has lots of growing to do. She won’t get much taller, but she will still gain approximately four pounds between now and birth. I’ve just passed the 150 lbs. mark myself (gaining about one pound a week) while baby gains about half a pound each week. Due to Baby Neve’s length, she's had to tuck her legs and assume the fetal position. This position best allows blood flow to her quickly developing brain. It also means some painful kicks to my ribs! With space in the baby's living quarters now at a premium, I feel some squirming and jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks are more vigorous and organized than before (and also less erratic) because she is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli — movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar I ate half an hour ago. I can see the movement too, since my uterus is thinner. They say how active the baby is now—and how she responds to light, sound, and movement—is somewhat a part of her personality. Between the joint pain and frequent bathroom trips, I now call it a “good” night’s sleep when I wake up less than 10 times a night. Also no one told me you could outgrow maternity clothes, but at 28 weeks my belly began poking out the bottom of most of my shirts.
We’ve finished our childbirth preparation classes and the newborn care class. I try to follow along with my prenatal yoga video once a week but going for walks has become a rarity now. I feel the painless and irregular Braxton-Hicks contractions at times as well as a little bit of cramping – both normal and healthy for this stage. I’ve also dreamt of going to the hospital to deliver our baby, but the baby handed to me is either another child, twin boys, a cat, or a ferret. (Surprisingly, it’s pretty common to dream of giving birth to animals!) In the midst of all these startling changes though there has been one constant, and that is we are both just really looking forward to meeting our little girl, holding her in our arms, and taking the very best care of her.
