Week 20 | Halfway there!
Surprise! T & I are sooooo excited to finally announce that baby three will be joining our growing family this spring! We can't wait to meet our newest little one, and are so thankful that God has blessed us with the chance to add to our little family. The boys are currently living in a state of happy oblivion, and have yet to realize the implications of mommy's growing tummy (we did tell them, but they have no grasp of the life changing event about to happen to their lives), but no doubt they will soon be loving on their new sibling with sloppy kisses, bear hugs, and hopefully, hearts overflowing with nothing but love.
Surprise! T & I are sooooo excited to finally announce that baby three will be joining our growing family this spring! We can't wait to meet our newest little one, and are so thankful that God has blessed us with the chance to add to our little family. The boys are currently living in a state of happy oblivion, and have yet to realize the implications of mommy's growing tummy (we did tell them, but they have no grasp of the life changing event about to happen to their lives), but no doubt they will soon be loving on their new sibling with sloppy kisses, bear hugs, and hopefully, hearts overflowing with nothing but love.
How far along:
20 weeks
Best moments so far:
Hearing the heartbeat, sharing with family and friends, passing the quad screen with no abnormalities, finally getting a glimpse of our newest little one at our fetal survey ultrasound, and learning that baby is healthy and measuring right where we should be for this stage of the game. Each of these moments were equally exciting, and we (mostly me) are so thrilled relieved that everything has checked out OK. My number one concern...as I'm sure is true with many expectant parents...is a healthy baby.
A little backstory: I didn't feel the best through the entire first trimester - nothing crazy, just the same general queasiness and lack of appetite I had with my previous pregnancies - then went straight into stomach flu for a week (the worst!), then caught a terrible cold that lasted approximately three weeks (which I couldn't take anything for because...pregnancy...a.k.a. pretty much all cold medicines...and other medicines for that matter...are considered unsafe). I haven't felt hardly any movement (more on this in a minute), and as of my most recent OB checkup around 17 weeks, had only gained one pound when the average woman will gain 10lbs by week 20. All of these things put together had me feeling, well, on edge, and in need of some reassurance.
While my doctor wasn't exactly thrilled about my weight gain, or lack thereof, ultimately, we chalked it up to being sick, and are hoping to see a little more change by my next appointment. My appetite has been better this last week or so, so we'll see how my next checkup goes as far as weight is concerned. This being said, baby is measuring right where we need to be, and according to our ultrasound, weighed in at 9oz at 18.5weeks, which is around the 48% for gestational age. As far as the lack of movement I've been feeling - with G, I felt movement around 15-16weeks, so I was expecting the same or similar this time around since this is baby #3. Thru 20 weeks, I have felt the baby move maybe only a handful of times. My ultrasound helped to clear my mind some after we learned that baby's placenta is attached anteriorly, a.k.a. located on the front of my uterus, making any kicking more difficult to feel as the movement has to be strong enough to reach through the placenta for me to be able to feel anything. This is not because baby isn't moving, however. It was very clear at our ultrasound that there are lots of movements, regardless of how much I have been feeling. Hopefully, as baby continues to grow bigger and stronger, I will be able to feel some more consistent movement to keep my mind at ease. Another concern that popped up at my ultrasound is the possibility of a low-lying placenta, or marginal placenta previa (a.k.a. when the placenta lies within 2 centimeters of the birth canal). Because of this observation, I will go back for a second ultrasound at 28 weeks, and be rechecked to see if this potential complication has corrected itself as baby grows, or if it is something that will need to be monitored for the remainder of my pregnancy. Sooooo...that should just about catch you up to speed with where everything stands! I would appreciate any prayers for a healthy pregnancy!
A little backstory: I didn't feel the best through the entire first trimester - nothing crazy, just the same general queasiness and lack of appetite I had with my previous pregnancies - then went straight into stomach flu for a week (the worst!), then caught a terrible cold that lasted approximately three weeks (which I couldn't take anything for because...pregnancy...a.k.a. pretty much all cold medicines...and other medicines for that matter...are considered unsafe). I haven't felt hardly any movement (more on this in a minute), and as of my most recent OB checkup around 17 weeks, had only gained one pound when the average woman will gain 10lbs by week 20. All of these things put together had me feeling, well, on edge, and in need of some reassurance.
While my doctor wasn't exactly thrilled about my weight gain, or lack thereof, ultimately, we chalked it up to being sick, and are hoping to see a little more change by my next appointment. My appetite has been better this last week or so, so we'll see how my next checkup goes as far as weight is concerned. This being said, baby is measuring right where we need to be, and according to our ultrasound, weighed in at 9oz at 18.5weeks, which is around the 48% for gestational age. As far as the lack of movement I've been feeling - with G, I felt movement around 15-16weeks, so I was expecting the same or similar this time around since this is baby #3. Thru 20 weeks, I have felt the baby move maybe only a handful of times. My ultrasound helped to clear my mind some after we learned that baby's placenta is attached anteriorly, a.k.a. located on the front of my uterus, making any kicking more difficult to feel as the movement has to be strong enough to reach through the placenta for me to be able to feel anything. This is not because baby isn't moving, however. It was very clear at our ultrasound that there are lots of movements, regardless of how much I have been feeling. Hopefully, as baby continues to grow bigger and stronger, I will be able to feel some more consistent movement to keep my mind at ease. Another concern that popped up at my ultrasound is the possibility of a low-lying placenta, or marginal placenta previa (a.k.a. when the placenta lies within 2 centimeters of the birth canal). Because of this observation, I will go back for a second ultrasound at 28 weeks, and be rechecked to see if this potential complication has corrected itself as baby grows, or if it is something that will need to be monitored for the remainder of my pregnancy. Sooooo...that should just about catch you up to speed with where everything stands! I would appreciate any prayers for a healthy pregnancy!
Maternity clothes:
A few. I've had to transition about half of my bottoms to maternity. As this is my third pregnancy, my belly 'popped', so to speak, around 10 weeks. All of my 'workout' style dry-fit tops have been collecting dust since around then, but I'm still able to wear the majority of my other tops. I suppose that would be a benefit of a winter pregnancy and current fashion trends of loose and flowy! Long tunics, leggings, camis, and cardigans all the way!
Sleep:
Pretty normal. During the first trimester, I had to get up and use the restroom more often than normal, but now that my uterus has shifted to not lie directly on top of my bladder, this annoying symptom has essentially gone away.
Miss Anything:
Nothing in particular.
Baby Movement:
See above.
Cravings & Aversions:
Sweets...cake...particularly of the chocolate variety. I'm not sure if this is something new, as I've always had a pretty good sweet tooth. During my first trimester, I also had an orange juice craving. This has since subsided, so I'll be interested to see if any other particular food cravings appear. If I had to state an aversion, I would say probably Mexican food. This may be a product of T begging to have Mexican for dinner the night I came down with the stomach flu, but nevertheless, Taco Tuesday was put on hold for a few weeks at our house!
Queasy or sick:
Nothing out of control as far as morning sickness goes. I did feel queasy for most of the first trimester starting around 7-8 weeks thru maybe 16 weeks or so after I finally got over the stomach flu and terrible cold that my boys were so happy to share with me. I have a hunch that the weakened immune system that comes along with being pregnant will come to haunt me as we head into these winter months.
Symptoms:
My symptoms thus far have been pretty typical. General queasiness during the first trimester, breakouts from pregnancy hormones, and fatigue.
Looking forward to:
My next OB appointment, and hopefully learning that baby is continuing to grow at the expected rate, and maybe that I've even managed to gain a few pounds!
Some pictures from our ultrasound:
Some pictures from our ultrasound:
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