Baby Business: 24 Weeks

This is a big week for us! This week is viability, this means that if my baby girl was to be born this week she would have a very good chance living on her own. We of course would prefer her to wait a few month months to join us here!

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How far along: 24 weeks
Maternity clothes: Oh for sure, there is no doubt that I am hugely pregnant.
Stretch marks?: they will come no doubt they will come.
Sleep: is not any better then last week.
Best moment this week: ordering more baby clothes!
Movement: she likes to move in the mornings thats for sure. 
Food cravings: peanut butter toast!
Gender: girl
What I miss: sleep!
Milestones: VIABILITY!!!

Baby Business: 23 Weeks

THIS WEEK:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.


How far along: 23 weeks
Maternity clothes: MAINLY yes but I still wear some of my pregnancy longer shirts!
Stretch marks?: my belly itches thats for sure.
Sleep: terrible right now, I toss and turn all stinking night.
Best moment this week: finding out the blood clot did shrink finally!!!
Movement: she moves mostly mid day and at night
Food cravings: double stuffed oreos, not good eh?
Gender: girl
What I miss: the ability to bend over without a grunt!
Milestones: another week down!

Baby Business: 22 Weeks

This Week:

Baby's now the size of a papaya and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn! Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

How far along: 22 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I'll know more on Wednesday.
Maternity clothes: besides my comfy sweats... yup!

Stretch marks?: thank god for tummy butter

Sleep: I slept through the night 3 times this week.

Best moment this week: buying new maternity clothes (exciting stuff)
Movement: yup, but still not really steady.

Food cravings: does decafe fraps from starbucks count?
Gender: GIRL

What I miss: the gym
Milestones: only 2 more weeks until viability!

Baby Business: 21 Weeks

 

This week:

Baby's now the size of a banana! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth). Now thats something daddy is not to happy knowing.

How far along: 21 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I feel like I gained more weight! Now this part isn't fun

Maternity clothes: always, this belly won't fit in anything else!

Stretch marks?: I have two but my tummy butter is fading them. How? I have no idea.

Sleep: Is getting better!

Best moment this week: Getting Engaged!!!!! 

Movement: Yup, but I wish it was more frequent.

Food cravings: my moms homemade spaghetti sauce!
Gender: GIRL

What I miss: I would have liked a glass of wine on Valentines day.
Milestones: I have offically completed more of my pregnancy then I have left!

Baby Business: 20 weeks

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 7 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel. Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

How far along: 20 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: I gained 3 pounds!!!!!!

Maternity clothes: mostly

Stretch marks?: tummy butter to the rescue!

Sleep: I can't complain... 

Best moment this week: Feeling a real kick! Not just movement!

Movement: ^ YES!

Food cravings: Cheese and Crackers please.
Gender: GIRL

What I miss: not worrying about how much Im up and moving around
Milestones: Half way point!

Baby Business: 19 Weeks

Better late then never huh? Ill be reaching half way tomorrow (look forward to that post)

This week:

Baby's now the size of a mango! Due to a little growth spurt (she's about a half pound in weight and six to eight inches long) and a substance called vernix caseosa. This greasy white stuff covers your baby's skin, protecting it from the surrounding amniotic fluid. (Without it, she'd look totally wrinkled as she entered the world.) The vernix sheds as delivery approaches, though some babies still sport a bit of the coating at birth.


How far along: 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: -36 (still as far as I know, Ill have some updates next week)

Maternity clothes: this belly won't fit into regular pants.

Stretch marks?: nope

Sleep: I slept through the night for the first time in MONTHS on Saturday, oh was it wonderful!

Best moment this week: see next question!

Movement: YUP, finally. Okay really its still kind of early but I've been kicked or punched or something fun.

Food cravings: nothing good to report sadly.

Gender: SHE'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!

What I miss: the ability to shop (thank you bedrest)

Milestones: feeling her move!

Baby Business: 18 Weeks

I wish bedrest was that fun. Nope instead I have been absolutely bored out of my mind, oh yea and craving french fries which I am not allowed to drive to McDonalds to get.

This week

Baby weighs almost 7 ounces. Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel movements. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How far along: 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: -36 yup three more pounds down, frustrating I know.

Maternity clothes: yes, but with bedrest I like to stay in my pajamas.

Stretch marks?: nope

Sleep: my arms and hands keeping falling asleep and that wakes me up.

Best moment this week: see our baby being healthy and moving around.

Movement: flutters thats all I've got so far.

Food cravings: french fries and OOO chocolate milk sounds good too.

Gender:

What I miss: outside my apartment.

Milestones: 18 weeks!