25 weeks

This past week I helped a friend in labor. I am so glad I am not trying a first birth in Dominica. I know what to expect from my labor- fast and hard. Trajun's labor was very hard and slow until the last when I went from 4cm to 10 cm in 3 hours.
No pain killers this time. Trinton was long and relatively easy compared to Trajun. We will see how long I stay in the shower for pain relief.
I wonder who will be there... If I go to 40 weeks, Travis will be in class and I will have the children here at home. My friend, who may be coming to help, will also be in class.
Trinton was born just after 5pm, Trajun about 12:48am. The girls don't count because they were scheduled.
If this is a girl, we get to break the flow of girls getting c-section, boys natural. This even applies to mom and dad! Taleah, Taya, and I were all c-section, the guys all natural (doesn't mean without drugs.)

What's happening with baby:
Your baby-to-be's lungs are developing rapidly, although she'd probably need a little help breathing if she were born at this point. Her respiratory system continues to develop, her nostrils are open, and she can breathe—but she won't take her first breath of air until delivery day. Her reproductive organs are formed (in boys, the testes have descended). Her skin is translucent and wrinkled, and he can hear your stomach when it gurgles and your voice when you sing. Your baby is becoming more aware of how she can move—she's wiggling her fingers and toes!
Your baby has grown to about one pound, eight ounces and she's nearly nine inches long (crown to rump).

Lately Junior has been having hiccups several times a day. He usually is head down making the thumping forward and below my belly button. One night I thought he was kicking but it was too rhythmic for kicking; baby had turned and had his shoulder against my belly button. The bumps were mid belly and I felt them stronger than usual.
We have been listening to baby's heartbeat again. Good to have the Doppler back. We have heard a steady little train engine. When active, baby's heartbeat tends toward 150, when still toward 130. I think that means girl, but I forget which way it goes. At this point, we have a 50/50 chance.

Big surprise!

No, we are not having twins! We are having a baby sooner than expected! I had a period after the baby was already conceived, so we were a bit off with dates. So...

Baby is 22 weeks 5 days. Only 121 days to go until January 20th. The ultrasound showed a very active baby, but I could not even see the screen. The scanner is 20 years old, or at least that is when the hospital bought it. Travis said he could make out a few things but it was definitely not new technology.

I am having little contractions with walking and standing. I will be on modified bed rest until I stop having them. Hope that's not on January 20th! So all is well and my belly is growing fast. Funny that I was thinking that this Thursday meant 20 weeks, half way, but here we are ahead of schedule!

Baby's growth: Your baby's brain is growing daily. Her senses are also starting to develop. She can hear the sound of your heart along with your breathing. As she wiggles her fingers, she may touch her face or even suck her thumb. Her lungs are becoming more mature, and she even goes through the motions of breathing. She can also swallow, although she won't have her first real meal until delivery day.

Your baby-to-be reaches about 7.6 inches in height (crown to rump) and weighs in at just over 12 ounces.

I saw this great slide show comparing the size of a fetus to produce. It is called Poppy seed to Pumpkin. How big is your Baby? Click Here for the slide show. Below is the "size" of the baby this week.

Another Thursday!

Oh boy! We are coming along. 19 weeks today (17 weeks gestation). I feel like I grew 8 inches around the belly in the past week. Well, let's see... Groan, almost 10 inches since pre-pregnancy. I have vowed to myself that I will get back down to a size 8 by the time the baby is 1 year! I am just so sick of people saying that I am Sharayah and Shannon's big sister and meaning it as a fat joke! I will post pics tonight of me sideways. I think I am carrying high, but you tell me.

This week in baby's development: Your unborn baby's organs continue to grow. His body is covered with lanugo—soft hairs and a sticky protective coating that keeps his skin from drying out in the amniotic fluid. Your baby is moving frequently, and by now you should be able to feel those movements. Your physician can hear your baby-to-be's heartbeat with a stethoscope placed on your abdomen.
Baby is covered in vernix, a white, cheesy "cream" that protects her skin from the long bath in amniotic fluid. Preemies are covered in vernix at birth—"posties" have almost none.
Your little one weighs in at around seven ounces and he's between five and six inches long (crown to rump).

Tomorrow is Thursday, our day for counting a new week. It has been a while since I last posted. It has been crazy around here, but I am back now.
Tomorrow baby turns 18 weeks new (16 weeks gestation). Lately the baby has been moving so much and last week I felt a very hard kick up into my stomach, it feels like a field goal.

Around this time your baby's ears pop from his head and Baby-to-be can now sense sounds. After all, he has plenty to listen to in utero! He's accustomed to the strong beating of your heart, blood rushing through your veins, and your stomach grumbling. He can also discern sounds outside the uterus, like your voice and music. Although, according to the Mayo Clinic, whether he can distinguish the sound of your voice versus other sounds is not yet clear.
This week your little one weighs in at around five ounces and stretches to just over five inches (crown to rump).

We loaned the baby Doppler to our friend who is due in 3 weeks, so no thump-thump for about a month. Also, the darling baby jacket I made is at her place. I am planning on making her a newborn size jacket because the one I left there is preemie size. It probably won't fit her baby boy for long, if at all. They are elated to see different baby items.

I am planning on trying EC for the new baby. EC stands for Elimination Communication, kinda baby potty training, but more natural. I am just sick of dealing with so many diapers and there are many "undeveloped" nations around the world that do not use disposable diapers or even reusable diapers. I remember reading of the early Native Americans who placed their infants in baby boards and would take them out to hold them in a squat on the ground to poo and pee. Why not now where we have in house plumbing and flush toilets?
So this blog is going to go past just pregnancy and I will change the heading from Pregnancy to whatever when the time comes.
The time is passing. Babyzone.com shows me as 17 weeks, 6 days with 155 days left until February 11, 2010. Tick-tock!

15 weeks

I have started going by "regular" weeks on the 40 week schedule. It was getting some people confused about how far along I am.



I have not been posting lately. The bad weather came through and then my internet went haywire, so I am using Travis' pc to post.



A look at baby: Your baby weighs about 1.75 ounces and is about 4 to 4.5 inches in length. His or her heart is growing strong and, even though it is little, it is pumping between 20 and 25 quarts of blood every 24 hours. By the time you are ready to deliver, your baby's heart will be circulating up to 300 quarts of blood every 24 hours. Many fetuses develop their future hairline pattern this week, although it can take quite a bit longer for some babies' hairline or hair to fully develop. (Thanks to http://www.parentingweekly.com/)



Me: I am feeling more heartburn and tiredness. I almost retch at the thought of vitamins. Lately I have an aversion to chicken. Just can't stand it in any form. The baby is moving in more regular patterns. More wake and sleep, kicking about 10 minutes after I eat. I am beginning to wonder if I miscounted, but I am absolutely sure on LMP.

I am showing more and can't hide it except under a huge baggy t-shirt.

14 week image of baby

I wanted to include a few pictures since I have not kept up with pictures here lately. These images are from the web since I have not had an ultrasound. I don't plan on having one unless it is medically necessary.

This is a baby at 14 weeks (12 weeks gestation). This is what Junior looks like right now This picture shows what this size baby would look like compared to an adult's hand.

Today I felt the baby jumping around. It feels like I have an octopus on caffeine in there. Or at least quadruplets.

I have been working on a baby sweater. I misread the pattern and knitted it with needles that are too small. Instead of a 0-6 month sweater, I ended up with a preemie sweater. This is fine since my babies are small at birth, but they will grow out of it fast.

I am thinking of buttons to put on it, but have not thought of the exact kind, but will take suggestions. I was thinking of making some out of wood or bamboo, we have plenty here. But that requires some tools I do not have yet. Maybe I will buy some buttons from the retailer here and be done with it. Or I could crochet some buttons if I can find my errant crochet hook.

Each of our children has been small at birth:

Trevin 5 lb. 13 oz.
Trinton 6 lb. 10 oz.
Taleah 3 lb. 0 oz.
Taya 4 lb. 14 oz.
Trajun 5 lb. 9 oz.

Thinking about February

On a suggestion from my sister, I am looking at buying a kiddie pool for labor and possibly delivery. I can buy one here in Dominica, which I will end up doing, but I am also looking into an inflatable pool to pad me from the hard concrete it will be on.

I found a good chair that I like to sit in and will be comfortable even then. I think it is an adirondack style.

Taleah is playing "fort" under my bed. They think that since the cat fits under there, they will too.

Trinton in his "fork".

Taleah and Trajun are playing well today. They have been packing around the mini backpacks like they are taking a hike.