3 little Miracles

3 little Miracles

Friday, June 11, 2010

Pregnancy Journal - Week 20

How am I feeling and how are things progressing with the pregnancy:  


We are at the half way mark, actually MORE then half way because they will take little Rachel out when I am around 38 1/2 or 39 weeks by scheduled c-section.  I am feeling great and only gained 2 pounds this past month.  I had a check up on Friday and the doctor was very pleased with my low weight gain, blood pressure, and normal blood sugars.  The doctor still wants to monitor me every two weeks because I still have a pocket of blood between the placenta and uterus.  I haven't actually had any bleeding in over a month, but the doctor says there is still a high chance that I will experience bleeding again during the pregnancy.  So, even though I asked the doctor to let me return to the gym, he said NO, why jump off a 3 story building at this point in the pregnancy now that we have things going well.  My doctor really has a great sense of humor and communicates himself in interesting ways, but he is just not wanting me to push my luck.  So I guess other then watching my diet, I won't be able to try to keep my weight down or off with my gym routine.  Only pregnancy symptoms I am having are some nausea still in the morning, stuffed up nose ALL the time, and swelling of my feet on days when I am on them for a while, but if that is all I have and I don't have bleeding, I can handle those symptoms.

How our baby is growing:

Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure,measurements are taken from the top of her head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.)

She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and we'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How my life's changing:

We've hit the halfway mark in our pregnancy. The top of my uterus is about level with my belly button, and I've gained around 8 pounds. I should expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. 


If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less. Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

If you haven't already signed up for a childbirth education class, you may want to look into one, especially if you're a first-timer. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Most hospitals and birth centers offer classes, either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive, one-day session. Many communities have independent instructors as well. Ask your friends, family members, or caregiver for recommendations, we took one with our first pregnancy and don't plan to take one again because we know our birth plan includes ANOTHER c-section.


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