Sunday, March 29, 2009

28 Weeks & 2 Days

This has been a pretty good week overall. I've had some diabetes-related frustrations, but I won't go into them. The good news is that my appointment with my endocrinologist this week went VERY well - we have some new strategies and the results of my bloodtests were VERY good! Yay! My bloodpressure was a little elevated, though, so we're going to keep an eye on that. Hopefully it was an anomoly.

My energy is starting to wane a little and I'm definitely starting to feel bigger and more awkward. My right hip has been bothering me still, but it's managable. I'm still craving fruit like CRAZY - mmmmm....pineapple! mmmmm....apples! - and the newest craving is now bread & butter pickles (which have a lot more sugar in them than I thought!)

Bud is kicking LOTS - unfortunately many of her kicks are directed at my bladder - my poor tiny bladder! Yesterday I'm SURE she had the hiccups. It's the first time I had noticed a feeling like that, but it was sure funny! Apparently that's very common at this stage.

This week Grandma Rose has been staying with us while Great Grandpa Berg is in the hospital (he'll be okay - he's recovering from some pnuemonia and some heart problems). This has been a special treat (in spite of her reason for being here) as we really enjoy having her around and she is SOOOO excited for Bud to come! This weekend she and I went shopping for some sleepers for Bud's first few days/weeks/months. Then last night Grandma and Grandpa Dyck came over for supper and Bud's two Grandmas had fun sifting through all the baby clothes and pushing the stroller around the basement! It is VERY clear to us that this baby is going to be VERY well loved by all grandparents (as well as the rest of the family)!

Here are this week's Bud-facts!

- Bud may be much more active when I am having a bath or shower. (She is!!) She's responding to the light and noise by moving around inside me.
- Bud can open her eyes and turn her head in utero if she notices a continuous, bright light shining from the outside.
- Bud weighs nearly 2.3lbs/1+kg and may measure 14.8"/38cm from top to toe
- Bud's fat layers are forming and her fingernails appear.

More next week!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

27 Weeks & 1 Day

Well, I guess I'm now in my third trimester (depending on who you ask...some say 26 weeks, some say 28).

I don't have much to update since my last post a few days ago, so I'll just give the Bud Facts for 27 weeks.

- Bud is growing steadily as she prepares for delivery day. She will gain more weight rapidly over the next weeks.
- Bud is acting more like a newborn now. She opens and closes her eyes, sleeps and wakes at regular intervals, and may suck a finger or thumb.
- Bud may be hiccuping a lot. (Not that I've noticed...)
- Bud weighs nearly 2 pounds / 875 grams and measures 14.5" / 36.6cm from head to toe.
- Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. No one knows for certain what they dream about but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on Bud's brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.


This coming week I have an appointment with my doula as well as with my endocrinologist, so I may have a more interesting update next week :)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

26 Weeks & 4 Days

Sorry this post is a bit late, but I thought I'd wait for yesterday's Fetal Assessment before making my 26-week post.

First off, I'm still doing well. I'm starting to get a bit more tired, but I've been waking up more at night lately, so that could be why - perhaps because Bud's kicks are getting stronger now. My ankles started swelling a bit too, but I'm finding ways to reduce that.

So enough about me...and more about Bud! Yesterday was our 2nd Fetal Assessment. It went VERY well. The nurse said everything looked great - heart-rate, size, placenta,etc - and she said that I must be taking very good care of my diabetes, judging by the health of the baby (which was very nice to hear). She estimated her weight at about 2 lbs which is apparently exactly where she should be. According to her growth chart, Bud is tracking perfectly just below the 50th percentile. She was very responsive to being "prodded" by the nurse and kicked the ultrasound machine a number of times. It was really neat to be able to actually watch her move around instead of just feel her! The nurse said she had a "very sweet face", but I'm not sure how she could tell in all that wavy black and white :) We were able to bring home a bunch more photos, so I'll post a few at the end of the blog. All this just makes us SO excited to be able to meet Bud in a few months!

So before I post the pictures, here are the Bud-facts for Week 26:

- Bud is becoming more sensitive to sound as the network of nerves in her ears develops. If Martin talks to her now she might learn to recognize his voice. The more she hears it, the more likely she is to find it soothing after she's born.
- From top to toe with legs extended, Bud is about 14" / 35.6cm. She weighs a little more than 1.6lbs / 760g. (Actually, according to the nurse, she weighs 2 lbs.)
- Bud's eyes begin to open around this time.
- Bud continues to take small breaths and, although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's good practice for when she's born.


And finally, here is my 26 1/2 week picture, and some new pictures of Bud!





Saturday, March 7, 2009

25 Weeks & 1 Day - Take 2

Yep, you read the title correctly....we have a new due date! It's now June 19th. This puts the 38-week mark (i.e. induction time) around June 5th...which just happens to be Martin's birthday! Perhaps I will only have to make ONE birthday cake every year for the two of them. :) (Who am I kidding, I've never made Martin a birthday cake!)

Long story short, between the first ultrasound, the first fetal assessment, and clearing up an earlier miscommunication about cycle-length, my OB did a recalculation at my appointment on Tuesday, and we came up with our new date. Under this new date, Bud is tracking perfectly size-wise. :)

Also during the appointment, the nurse was using the doppler machine to listen to Bud's heartbeat, and Bud kicked the doppler machine! She's feisty! The good news is that her heart rate accelerated exactly as it was supposed to when she exerted this little effort, so it was a very healthy response.

Speaking of kicks, this week I SAW a kick for the first time! She is very very active still, and has started a slightly annoying habit of kicking my bladder. I get to feel her movements lots, but every time Martin tries to feel her, she stops moving. I think her Daddy has a calming effect on her, but I think it's starting to make Martin question whether I'm making all this up about her being so active! ;) The other day I could actually pinpoint where her head was, and when I gave it a little push, she responded by kicking me! I'm really looking forward to being able to "interact" with her more now if that happens more often!

I've still been having a lot of energy lately which is very good. I'm hoping that lasts for a while, but with the 3rd trimester looming, I'm not so sure it's going to. I've still been trying to keep at least mildly active with walks over my lunch break, a few walks after work, and some yoga on the weekend. It actually really seems to help with my energy levels and with the comfort of my joints.

We've still been buying some miscellaneous stuff for Bud here and there, but nothing big this week...some books, some toys, a bouncy seat...stuff like that.

I don't have a picture this week, so I'll try to put one up next week.

And now that we're back on track with dates, here are the Bud-facts for week 25:

- Bud is responsive to touch now.
- Bud's eyelids will open around now and her heart is beating so strongly it may be heard with just a stethoscope.
- Bud weighs about 1.5lbs / 660g (although at the Fetal assessment 2 weeks ago they said she weighed about 1.5lbs already, so this may be a bit off), and is approximately 13.5" / 35cm long from crown to heel.
- Bud makes breathing movements but has no air in her lunchs yet.

All for now! More next week!