From Babycenter:How your baby's growing:
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.
How your life's changing:
In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.
Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.
Your Baby:
- Is just about a foot long now. I believe it is a tradition to consume a foot-long sub sandwich or hot dog in your baby’s honor at this point. I also believe I just made that up.
- Is still very skinny looking, with translucent skin, but this will all start changing soon.
- Is officially at the edge of viability, and most hospitals would automatically attempt every possible life-saving option if your baby were to be born now.
You:
- Will undergo the glucose screening test at some point between now and 30 weeks to check for gestational diabetes. It’s done at a routine prenatal visit and involves chugging down an incredibly sickly-sweet beverage. Then you wait an hour and give a blood sample. And then you get someone else to drive your ass home, because you will be 1) passed out cold from a sugar crash or 2) howling in pain from a headache or 3) both. I brought a book to pass the time but fell asleep 20 minutes after the shot of sugar and woke up drooling on my husband, and I felt like crap for hours afterwards. But I passed! (A positive screen does not necessarily mean you have GD; it just means you have to get a whole OTHER, more-monitored test.)
- Oh! But then I had a huge baby anyway, and this one nurse in the recovery area at the hospital was all, “DIDN’T YOU HAVE THE GLUCOSE SCREEN? WE NEED TO TEST YOUR BABY’S BLOOD SUGAR BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD GD BECAUSE BABIES AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THAT BIG.”
- I did not have undiagnosed gestational diabetes, and Noah’s blood sugar was FINE, THANK YOU.
- Oh, I’m sorry, were these bullet points supposed to be about you, or something?
- Are probably noticing more aches and pains as we come to the final couple weeks of the second trimester, particularly in your lower back, hips and other joints.
- Sciatica! Eeeeeeeeeee! Stopit!
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Had another doctor's appointment last week, and was thinking THAT was the week for the Rhogam shot. Not so- too early; so it will be at the next 4 week appointment. Then we are on to 2-week appointments (s*** is getting real!). Then Dr. Smiley hands me a small thing of what appears to be orange koolaid. Have to chug 3/4 of it an hour before my next appointment, for my gestational diabetes test. And then they will draw my blood at the lab. One hour GD test? That is nothing.... I've had the 5-hour test where they stick you at least 10 times over a 5-hour period. I looked like a heroin junkie afterwards. One stick? Can I nap while you do this?
I signed Dear Studalicious Hubs and I for a Birthing Class at the hospital where I will deliver (one day condensed class with lunch- score!), as well as one evening Breastfeeding Class. I've asked everyone I know that delivered at Providence (all first-time parents) if they took the classes as well; and they all said No. I just feel like I should take something, if anything for the hospital tour, per-registering, delivery questions and meeting other parents. I would be in pre-natal yoga as well, if we had that kind of thing around here. I'm looking forward to joining Stroller Moms of Mobile.
The occasional baby dreams are cropping up here and there: probably the most funny and huh? dream was when I was in Jacksonville and dreamt that I could see Baby Boy turning flips in my belly (could see his whole outline) and then could see his face distinctly, and then he spoke to me and told me a few jokes. No I don't remember the jokes.
The Nursery is still coming along well, almost ready for paint and the trim work. We should be ordering the french doors soon. As for the furniture, we have 2 armoires sitting in the garage, waiting to be painted. I have my fancy glider from BRU on layaway, only 2 payments away from being MINE. This past weekend, we scored a dresser/changing table from CL. Funny thing was, I was looking at the exact same one from JCPenny, but was weighing the costs and the reviews complaining about what a pain it was to put together. And then it shows up on CL, at a fraction of the original price ($140, negotiated down from $175 vs $300 in the store). And we didn't have to put it together... score! May just paint the top aqua and change out the knobs for these to make it ours. All that's left is the crib, which I may go ahead and order after the next paycheck comes in.
I found the carseat that I wanted just a tad bit cheaper from walmart (blech!) online, pick it up at the store; and it should be arriving next week or so. Next purchase after the crib may be the pack & play. After that, I think I'll finally be able to settle down as far as acquiring 'stuff', but you never know.
As far as general health: just mostly tired tired tired. Sometimes my whole body just feels so heavy. It's tiredness like I've never known. But I may have scored a spot in the parking garage!
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