Last week was a long post, this week is a short one.
This was a pretty uneventful week. Last weekend Martin went to pick up our crib and change-table (actually it's a dresser with a change-pad on top). The dresser is now in the baby's room (i.e. our office), so that we won't have to move it again, but the crib isn't unpacked or assembled yet. We want to keep the office functional for as long as possible.
And really, that's about it! I've been tired this week, likely because I was fighting off a cold (successfully!), and I've been trying to go for short walks at lunch to keep my joints moving and to keep my bloodsugar in check.
I'm not posting Bud-facts this week, while we wait to find out whether my due date is changing (I'm seeing the OB on Tuesday), so you can go back to week 24 and read the Bud-facts from then.
More next week!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
25 (23?) Weeks & 1 Day
Well, big news today! If you haven't already heard....Bud is a GIRL!! We had our first Fetal Assessment on Tuesday and found out (with certainty) that we will be having a little baby girl in a few months! We are very excited! It was a surprise to me as I was quite convinced we were having a boy (as were many of our friends), but Martin was pretty sure Bud was a girl, so he may have gloated a bit when we found out. ;) We couldn't be happier - especially because it means we don't have to repaint the baby's room, which is pink from the previous owner.
During the fetal assessment the nurse took lots of measurements and looked at all sorts of things to do with Bud to make sure that she is healthy. We were so pleased to hear that everything looks normal and that there is what appears to be a very healthy baby growing inside of me!
As you may recall, during my 19 week ultrasound, Bud was measuring at closer to 17 weeks. Because there can be a bit of room for error in determining the gestational age of a fetus, and becuase we were quite comfortable with the estimated conception date, my OB decided to keep the due date as it had initially been estimated (June 5th or June 9th, depending on who you ask). But at the fetal assessment, Bud was measuring at 22 weeks instead of 24 weeks, so the nurse is making a strong recommendation to my OB to change the due date (I guess that would put us closer to June 23rd, with induction around June 9th).
Since Bud's growth is stable, and since it really does kind of make sense that we could have been off (e.g. perhaps I couldn't get a positive pregnancy test until week 8 because I was actually only at week 6; and maybe I did start to have nausea at week 7 (which is normal) instead of week 9 (which is a bit later than many women)), I'm feeling pretty comfortable with the idea of changing the due date at this point. I see my OB on March 3rd, so we'll figure it out then.
At this point, I'm kind of assuming that I'm actually 23 weeks and not 25 weeks, but I'm not going to make any solid changes until I talk to my OB. Because he'll be wanting to induce me around 38 weeks, I'd like to be as sure as possible that we're working with the right due date - otherwise we risk getting the baby out at 36 weeks...which is getting into preemie range. Thankfully I will be having many more fetal assessments before the induction, so the doctor will have a good chance to monitor the baby's development before making any induction decisions. Anyway, for the time being, my post titles will include two possible weeks, and I'm going to hold off on posting any Bud-facts because I think we're needing to "catch up" by two weeks now. You can go back and read the Bud-facts for week 23 if you want. :)
In addition to the fetal assessment, I also saw my endocrinologist (for my diabetes) this week. My test results were the best this time that they've ever been! Yay! Still a few things to tweak, but in general it's going very well.
Bud is still moving around a LOT and sometimes we can feel her kicks with just a light touch. It's nice to know that she's healthy enough to be so active! So far she's not keeping me up at night either. Hopefully it stays that way for a while.
I'm still having some discomfort in my knees and hips if I use them too much, but otherwise I'm feeling very good. I had lots of energy this week! I've tried some more of my prenatal yoga and enjoy it, and I've also tried to go for some indoor walks (my office building is attached to a mall) over my lunch break in order to get some exercise without having to navigate icy and uneven ground outside.
And now it's photo time! First, I have two pictures of Bud from the fetal assessment. The first one is her face. She's lying down with her chin on the right and her forehead on the left. (Eyeballs don't show up on ultrasound, so she just has eye-hollows in the picture.) The second one shows her head and her hand waving at us! (The nurse added the "hi mom, hi dad".) We were very pleased to be able to take photos home from fetal assessment free of charge, as the regular ultrasound pictures cost $50 (or maybe even more)!
I'm also attaching a photo of me taken today. So I guess it's either my 25-week or 23-week picture, but I'm thinking more likely 23 weeks.
+-+resized+%26+cropped.jpg)
During the fetal assessment the nurse took lots of measurements and looked at all sorts of things to do with Bud to make sure that she is healthy. We were so pleased to hear that everything looks normal and that there is what appears to be a very healthy baby growing inside of me!
As you may recall, during my 19 week ultrasound, Bud was measuring at closer to 17 weeks. Because there can be a bit of room for error in determining the gestational age of a fetus, and becuase we were quite comfortable with the estimated conception date, my OB decided to keep the due date as it had initially been estimated (June 5th or June 9th, depending on who you ask). But at the fetal assessment, Bud was measuring at 22 weeks instead of 24 weeks, so the nurse is making a strong recommendation to my OB to change the due date (I guess that would put us closer to June 23rd, with induction around June 9th).
Since Bud's growth is stable, and since it really does kind of make sense that we could have been off (e.g. perhaps I couldn't get a positive pregnancy test until week 8 because I was actually only at week 6; and maybe I did start to have nausea at week 7 (which is normal) instead of week 9 (which is a bit later than many women)), I'm feeling pretty comfortable with the idea of changing the due date at this point. I see my OB on March 3rd, so we'll figure it out then.
At this point, I'm kind of assuming that I'm actually 23 weeks and not 25 weeks, but I'm not going to make any solid changes until I talk to my OB. Because he'll be wanting to induce me around 38 weeks, I'd like to be as sure as possible that we're working with the right due date - otherwise we risk getting the baby out at 36 weeks...which is getting into preemie range. Thankfully I will be having many more fetal assessments before the induction, so the doctor will have a good chance to monitor the baby's development before making any induction decisions. Anyway, for the time being, my post titles will include two possible weeks, and I'm going to hold off on posting any Bud-facts because I think we're needing to "catch up" by two weeks now. You can go back and read the Bud-facts for week 23 if you want. :)
In addition to the fetal assessment, I also saw my endocrinologist (for my diabetes) this week. My test results were the best this time that they've ever been! Yay! Still a few things to tweak, but in general it's going very well.
Bud is still moving around a LOT and sometimes we can feel her kicks with just a light touch. It's nice to know that she's healthy enough to be so active! So far she's not keeping me up at night either. Hopefully it stays that way for a while.
I'm still having some discomfort in my knees and hips if I use them too much, but otherwise I'm feeling very good. I had lots of energy this week! I've tried some more of my prenatal yoga and enjoy it, and I've also tried to go for some indoor walks (my office building is attached to a mall) over my lunch break in order to get some exercise without having to navigate icy and uneven ground outside.
And now it's photo time! First, I have two pictures of Bud from the fetal assessment. The first one is her face. She's lying down with her chin on the right and her forehead on the left. (Eyeballs don't show up on ultrasound, so she just has eye-hollows in the picture.) The second one shows her head and her hand waving at us! (The nurse added the "hi mom, hi dad".) We were very pleased to be able to take photos home from fetal assessment free of charge, as the regular ultrasound pictures cost $50 (or maybe even more)!
I'm also attaching a photo of me taken today. So I guess it's either my 25-week or 23-week picture, but I'm thinking more likely 23 weeks.
+-+resized+%26+cropped.jpg)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
24 Weeks & 2 Days
Short post today. Nothing too significant happened this week and I am thoroughly exhausted right now. Next week's post will be more detailed. :)
Bud has still been very busy and Martin can often feel his/her movements. I'm getting bigger all the time, and a lot of my non-maternity shirts aren't really fitting anymore. (The non-maternity pants mostly stopped fitting a while ago already.) I know it's picture-posting week, but I think I'm going to wait until next week. I hope nobody's too terribly disappointed.
This weekend Martin's mom is in town to help us baby-shop. We went to the Baby and Kid Show at the Convention Centre yesterday. It was quite interesting, and we entered our names in about 1,000 draws (or at least that's what it felt like). Maybe we'll get lucky and win something! We also picked out a crib and dresser/change table that we like, but we haven't gone to actually purchase them yet. Besides that, we got a LOT of little stuff - bottles, blankets, towels, etc. plus a few clothes too. (Grandma Rose couldn't resist buying a few outfits for Bud.) Six hours of walking around yesterday really took a toll on my knees and hips and back, so today I'm feeling very pregnant and achy and tired. It's nice that we have the day off tomorrow too to recuperate.
Here's this week's Bud-facts:
- Bud weighs more than 1.3 pounds / 600 grams.
- Bud still has little body fat and his/her skin is thin and fragile, but he/she is now well-proportioned.
- Bud's brain is growing rapidly.
- Bud is slowly starting to fill the space inside me.
- From crown to heel, Bud measures about 11.8" / 30cm.
More in a few days....including (likely) Bud's gender! (First Fetal Assessment is on Tuesday.)
Bud has still been very busy and Martin can often feel his/her movements. I'm getting bigger all the time, and a lot of my non-maternity shirts aren't really fitting anymore. (The non-maternity pants mostly stopped fitting a while ago already.) I know it's picture-posting week, but I think I'm going to wait until next week. I hope nobody's too terribly disappointed.
This weekend Martin's mom is in town to help us baby-shop. We went to the Baby and Kid Show at the Convention Centre yesterday. It was quite interesting, and we entered our names in about 1,000 draws (or at least that's what it felt like). Maybe we'll get lucky and win something! We also picked out a crib and dresser/change table that we like, but we haven't gone to actually purchase them yet. Besides that, we got a LOT of little stuff - bottles, blankets, towels, etc. plus a few clothes too. (Grandma Rose couldn't resist buying a few outfits for Bud.) Six hours of walking around yesterday really took a toll on my knees and hips and back, so today I'm feeling very pregnant and achy and tired. It's nice that we have the day off tomorrow too to recuperate.
Here's this week's Bud-facts:
- Bud weighs more than 1.3 pounds / 600 grams.
- Bud still has little body fat and his/her skin is thin and fragile, but he/she is now well-proportioned.
- Bud's brain is growing rapidly.
- Bud is slowly starting to fill the space inside me.
- From crown to heel, Bud measures about 11.8" / 30cm.
More in a few days....including (likely) Bud's gender! (First Fetal Assessment is on Tuesday.)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
23 Weeks & 1 Day
This week was a bit more eventful than last week.
Bud has been moving around LOTS this week! I'm getting kicked by him/her many times a day. Martin has even had a chance to feel the movement once! (They're not always strong enough to feel.) Apparently 22 weeks is quite early to be able to feel it on the outside, so this could be a very strong active baby in the next few months!
On Monday I had another appointment with my OB. We talked about the ultrasound results. It turns out that their results (re: gestational age) were only off of my expected due date by 9 days, and they have a "+/- 10 days" added on, so we're still in range and there's nothing to worry about. Good! So my due date by me is still officially June 5th. The doctor's due date is still officially June 9th (calcualation methods are slightly different). He has said that, if all is still going well, he's willing to wait until 38 weeks to induce, but doesn't want to wait any longer and jeopardize the health of the baby. So we're looking at around May 26th for the induction. I'm hoping that Bud decides to come a couple of weeks early on his/her own and that we can skip the whole induction, but we'll see....
My first fetal assessment (i.e. a more detailed ultrasound) is scheduled for February 17th. My understanding is that we will be able to find out the gender of the baby at this appointment and that we will also be able to take some pictures home (which I will definitely scan and post)! We're pretty excited about this appointment! After that I will be having monthly fetal assessments for the time being, but more frequent ones eventually.
On Thursday I had my appointment with my ophthalmologist to make sure all the growth hormones coursing through my body aren't causing vascular growth in my eyes again. I got the all-clear! Everything looked good and he didn't see anything that looked out of order! Whew! I don't see him again now until early May.
Oh, and my belly button is now flat. It's neither innie nor outie.
And now, this week's Bud Facts, courtesy of www.babycenter.ca:
- Bud weighs a little over one pound / 500 grams and measures about 11.4" / 29cm from crown to heel.
-Bud's hearing is well established and he/she can make out a distorted version of my voice, the beating of my heart, and my stomach rumblings. Loud noises heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother Bud when he/she hears them outside the womb.
- Numerous studies indicate that Bud may prefer classical music. (I haven't played piano for him/her yet, but maybe I should!)
- Bud's lungs are developing to prepare for breathing.
- If Bud were to be born now, he/she would have a good chance of survival (about 85%) with the right care. Advances in science and technology now mean that a 24-week-old baby can grow outside the womb if necessary.
That's all for this week!
Bud has been moving around LOTS this week! I'm getting kicked by him/her many times a day. Martin has even had a chance to feel the movement once! (They're not always strong enough to feel.) Apparently 22 weeks is quite early to be able to feel it on the outside, so this could be a very strong active baby in the next few months!
On Monday I had another appointment with my OB. We talked about the ultrasound results. It turns out that their results (re: gestational age) were only off of my expected due date by 9 days, and they have a "+/- 10 days" added on, so we're still in range and there's nothing to worry about. Good! So my due date by me is still officially June 5th. The doctor's due date is still officially June 9th (calcualation methods are slightly different). He has said that, if all is still going well, he's willing to wait until 38 weeks to induce, but doesn't want to wait any longer and jeopardize the health of the baby. So we're looking at around May 26th for the induction. I'm hoping that Bud decides to come a couple of weeks early on his/her own and that we can skip the whole induction, but we'll see....
My first fetal assessment (i.e. a more detailed ultrasound) is scheduled for February 17th. My understanding is that we will be able to find out the gender of the baby at this appointment and that we will also be able to take some pictures home (which I will definitely scan and post)! We're pretty excited about this appointment! After that I will be having monthly fetal assessments for the time being, but more frequent ones eventually.
On Thursday I had my appointment with my ophthalmologist to make sure all the growth hormones coursing through my body aren't causing vascular growth in my eyes again. I got the all-clear! Everything looked good and he didn't see anything that looked out of order! Whew! I don't see him again now until early May.
Oh, and my belly button is now flat. It's neither innie nor outie.
And now, this week's Bud Facts, courtesy of www.babycenter.ca:
- Bud weighs a little over one pound / 500 grams and measures about 11.4" / 29cm from crown to heel.
-Bud's hearing is well established and he/she can make out a distorted version of my voice, the beating of my heart, and my stomach rumblings. Loud noises heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother Bud when he/she hears them outside the womb.
- Numerous studies indicate that Bud may prefer classical music. (I haven't played piano for him/her yet, but maybe I should!)
- Bud's lungs are developing to prepare for breathing.
- If Bud were to be born now, he/she would have a good chance of survival (about 85%) with the right care. Advances in science and technology now mean that a 24-week-old baby can grow outside the womb if necessary.
That's all for this week!
Friday, January 30, 2009
22 Weeks & 0 Days
It was another fairly uneventful week.
I've been craving fruit like CRAZY! Thankfully Sobeys has had good produce lately...apples, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, blackberries...mmmmm....!
I dropped my nausea meds (Diclectin) by one/day again this week and am now down to two/day. I did seem to notice a slight bit of nausea from dropping this one, so I might just leave it at two/day for the forseeable future instead of trying to wean myself off of the last two.
I am now REALLY feeling Bud moving around! Today he/she has been especially busy kicking me in the gut! He/she is usually awake for a bit in the early morning, and then almost every day around 12:30 or 1:00pm, and then again around bedtime. Today it was more like every 2 hours, though! We're going to have our hands full! Every now and then I can even feel the kicks on the outside, but it's pretty rare, so Martin hasn't had a chance to feel it yet. Maybe soon. This is pretty early to be feeling it on the outside, but the kicks are STRONG sometimes! (I may have a UFC fighter in there!)
This week we also set up the stroller and high chair that we bought last week, and we got a whole bunch of toys from a friend of mine from work - for free!
Last weekend I set up another pregnancy blog. This one relates primarily to the diabetic aspects of pregnancy. My diabetes nurse educator asked if I'd be willing to set up a public blog (to be distributed to a group of young adult diabetics in Winnipeg) to tell about my experiences with diabetes and pregnancy. Other than diabetes info, there's nothing in that blog that's not in this one, but if you're interested, you can check it out at www.pregnantbethany.blogspot.com.
Ok, so maybe it was a somewhat eventful week. ;)
Here's today's Bud facts:
- Bud weighs almost 1 pound / 430 grams and measures nearly 11" / 27cm (crown to heel).
- Bud is proportioned like a newborn now, but is a bit thinner since his/her baby fat hasn't developed yet. His/her skin still appears wrinkled because he/she needs to gain more weight.
- Bud's lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigment.
- Bud's pancreas is developing steadily.
- Bud's teeth are appearing in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum lines.
And finally - here is my 22 week picture! (My shirt still does fit - it's just pulled up funny in front.)
I've been craving fruit like CRAZY! Thankfully Sobeys has had good produce lately...apples, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, blackberries...mmmmm....!
I dropped my nausea meds (Diclectin) by one/day again this week and am now down to two/day. I did seem to notice a slight bit of nausea from dropping this one, so I might just leave it at two/day for the forseeable future instead of trying to wean myself off of the last two.
I am now REALLY feeling Bud moving around! Today he/she has been especially busy kicking me in the gut! He/she is usually awake for a bit in the early morning, and then almost every day around 12:30 or 1:00pm, and then again around bedtime. Today it was more like every 2 hours, though! We're going to have our hands full! Every now and then I can even feel the kicks on the outside, but it's pretty rare, so Martin hasn't had a chance to feel it yet. Maybe soon. This is pretty early to be feeling it on the outside, but the kicks are STRONG sometimes! (I may have a UFC fighter in there!)
This week we also set up the stroller and high chair that we bought last week, and we got a whole bunch of toys from a friend of mine from work - for free!
Last weekend I set up another pregnancy blog. This one relates primarily to the diabetic aspects of pregnancy. My diabetes nurse educator asked if I'd be willing to set up a public blog (to be distributed to a group of young adult diabetics in Winnipeg) to tell about my experiences with diabetes and pregnancy. Other than diabetes info, there's nothing in that blog that's not in this one, but if you're interested, you can check it out at www.pregnantbethany.blogspot.com.
Ok, so maybe it was a somewhat eventful week. ;)
Here's today's Bud facts:
- Bud weighs almost 1 pound / 430 grams and measures nearly 11" / 27cm (crown to heel).
- Bud is proportioned like a newborn now, but is a bit thinner since his/her baby fat hasn't developed yet. His/her skin still appears wrinkled because he/she needs to gain more weight.
- Bud's lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigment.
- Bud's pancreas is developing steadily.
- Bud's teeth are appearing in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum lines.
And finally - here is my 22 week picture! (My shirt still does fit - it's just pulled up funny in front.)
Friday, January 23, 2009
21 Weeks & 0 Days
OK, long post last week, short post this week.
This was a pretty uneventful week (which is fine with me). I'm growing pretty fast now, and a lot of my non-maternity clothes don't have a hope of fitting me (properly) anymore. I"m still craving eggs, salmon, salt, and apples...lots of apples. Mmm....
We met with our doula (Noelle) for the first time on Monday. She is very nice and gave us a lot of good information. We'll have 2-3 more meetings with her yet before the baby is born. It's great to be able to ask her diabetes-related questions (she's Type 1 diabetic too). I feel GREAT about working with her!
Today I bought Bud's first clothes! :) I found a good deal on a package of newborn onesies, so I got 'em! They're so cute! Now they just need a baby in them. :)
Now, without further ado, here's this weeks' Bud's facts:
- Bud weighs about 3/4 of a pound / 360 grams and is approximately 10.5" / 27cm long.
- Bud's eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and his/her fingernails cover his/her fingertips.
- Bud can hear me now (and you too, if you'd like to talk to my belly....). Apparently some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.
All for now! More next week!
Edit: Oh...forgot to mention something else! We've started buying baby "stuff" too! We were able to purchase a swing and jolly jumper second hand, as well as a crib and high chair to keep at Grandma Rose's house for visits. We also found a good high chair (for our house) and stroller/carrier/carseat combo on sale last weekend, so we've got a lot of the basics by now already - and at some very good prices!
This was a pretty uneventful week (which is fine with me). I'm growing pretty fast now, and a lot of my non-maternity clothes don't have a hope of fitting me (properly) anymore. I"m still craving eggs, salmon, salt, and apples...lots of apples. Mmm....
We met with our doula (Noelle) for the first time on Monday. She is very nice and gave us a lot of good information. We'll have 2-3 more meetings with her yet before the baby is born. It's great to be able to ask her diabetes-related questions (she's Type 1 diabetic too). I feel GREAT about working with her!
Today I bought Bud's first clothes! :) I found a good deal on a package of newborn onesies, so I got 'em! They're so cute! Now they just need a baby in them. :)
Now, without further ado, here's this weeks' Bud's facts:
- Bud weighs about 3/4 of a pound / 360 grams and is approximately 10.5" / 27cm long.
- Bud's eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and his/her fingernails cover his/her fingertips.
- Bud can hear me now (and you too, if you'd like to talk to my belly....). Apparently some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.
All for now! More next week!
Edit: Oh...forgot to mention something else! We've started buying baby "stuff" too! We were able to purchase a swing and jolly jumper second hand, as well as a crib and high chair to keep at Grandma Rose's house for visits. We also found a good high chair (for our house) and stroller/carrier/carseat combo on sale last weekend, so we've got a lot of the basics by now already - and at some very good prices!
Friday, January 16, 2009
20 Weeks & 0 Days....???
So this was Ultrasound Week! Yay! We got to see Bud and it was amazing! He/she is a very active baby, and I think I will be feeling a LOT of movement once I can really start to feel it! Bud was kicking and flailing and turning and moving his/her head so much that the technician had some trouble taking all the measurements she needed to! (We may have our hands full when our active baby joins us "on the outside".) Our technician was excellent and very friendly. I've heard that the technicians at St. Boniface are often very quiet and not very interested in answering questions...they're all business...but this one was GREAT! She was so nice and answered all our questions and took us on a little Bud-tour. :) We got to see him/her from all angles, and she pointed out his/her organs to us, and even his/her little beating heart (you can see all four ventricles pumping)! Technology is truly amazing!
We weren't able to talk to a doctor about the results when we were there, but the technician assured us that one of the doctors there would be reviewing the results when we were gone and that the results would also be sent to my OB. She did mention, however, that the baby was measuring a bit small. She said the measurements were consistent with a baby of about 17 weeks, not 19 weeks. So...we may be a bit off on the conception date (and, as a result, the due date). Hence the "???" in the title of this blog post. We were really pretty sure about the date, but there's always a chance that we're wrong. My next appointment with my OB is February 2nd, so I'm not sure if I'll wait until then to discuss Bud's size with him or if I"ll phone him next week. I"m not overly concerned - just curious. I spoke with my endocrinologist today about the effect of diabetes on the size of the baby and she said that, while diabetics' babies tend to be bigger, some can be smaller too...but that the unusually small ones are typically those belonging to diabetics who are smokers (which I am not) or who have very bad control (which I do not). She really didn't seem to think the size was a diabetes issue, nor did she seem to think it was anything to be concerned about. She said she thinks everything's going well from a diabetes perspective and she's happy with my control (with constant "tweaking" necessary as the pregnancy changes my insulin needs).
Ok, enough blabbing about doctors' appointments. Here's the Bud-facts for this week:
- Bud is 6.5" / 16.5 cm and is steadily gaining weight.
- A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa is beginning to cover Bud and protect his/her skin during his/her long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery (so I'm ALL for it!!)
- Bud is swallowing more this week. After he/she takes in amniotic fluid, his/her body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel.
And lastly, my 20-week picture! Look! I look pregnant!!!!!
We weren't able to talk to a doctor about the results when we were there, but the technician assured us that one of the doctors there would be reviewing the results when we were gone and that the results would also be sent to my OB. She did mention, however, that the baby was measuring a bit small. She said the measurements were consistent with a baby of about 17 weeks, not 19 weeks. So...we may be a bit off on the conception date (and, as a result, the due date). Hence the "???" in the title of this blog post. We were really pretty sure about the date, but there's always a chance that we're wrong. My next appointment with my OB is February 2nd, so I'm not sure if I'll wait until then to discuss Bud's size with him or if I"ll phone him next week. I"m not overly concerned - just curious. I spoke with my endocrinologist today about the effect of diabetes on the size of the baby and she said that, while diabetics' babies tend to be bigger, some can be smaller too...but that the unusually small ones are typically those belonging to diabetics who are smokers (which I am not) or who have very bad control (which I do not). She really didn't seem to think the size was a diabetes issue, nor did she seem to think it was anything to be concerned about. She said she thinks everything's going well from a diabetes perspective and she's happy with my control (with constant "tweaking" necessary as the pregnancy changes my insulin needs).
Ok, enough blabbing about doctors' appointments. Here's the Bud-facts for this week:
- Bud is 6.5" / 16.5 cm and is steadily gaining weight.
- A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa is beginning to cover Bud and protect his/her skin during his/her long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery (so I'm ALL for it!!)
- Bud is swallowing more this week. After he/she takes in amniotic fluid, his/her body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel.
And lastly, my 20-week picture! Look! I look pregnant!!!!!
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