Pregnancy Week 17

ALMOST HALF WAY THROUGH!!!!! It's okay to do a little happy dance, you are almost half way through the pregnancy.  If you think this is silly when you're not even half way through, that's fine.  However, for me this pregnancy has been a little difficult (at least compared to my first pregnancy) so I am doing a happy dance for sure.

Now lets get to baby. From last week to this one your little baby has grown like a weed (a theme that will continue even after he is born).  Your little one is now about the size of your palm and weighs about five ounces.  Also, all that yummy stuff we've been eating is now helping little baby to grow some baby fat which will turn into those adorable rolls that you will come to kiss on all the time.  Also, the brain is now in control of the heart, which means no more random heart beats, your baby's heart is now beating about 140 to 150 beats per minute!!!!  Also this week, he is practicing survival skills for after birth, like sucking and swallowing!

By this time you are staring to show (unless this is anything but your first, which means you've probably been showing for a while now).  With this new baby bump people may have the urge to touch and rub your belly.  Now as far as I'm concerned I always want people to ask if it's okay, unless your my mom or husband.  My general rule (with the exception of my mom) is if you didn't put it there don't touch it without asking.  Friends, family, and coworkers are usually pretty good about this, it's usually strangers that don't have as much common sense (weird I know). If someone oversteps, your personal space, feel free to KINDLY ask them to stop and ask next time...if they don't listen, then by all means go mother bear on them.  Your baby bump will also elicit some (un)wanted advice from friends, family, coworkers, and of course strangers.  My advice in this scenario is handle it the same way you would with the unwanted belly touching, kindly.  If that doesn't work, you can always get a a shirt stating that you don't want their advice. LOL

Along with your baby bump you will probably have an increase in the vaginal discharge that has been occurring throughout the weeks.  Now keep in mind that up to 30% of women have some brown staining to this discharge.  Generally this is not an issue as long as it isn't occurring with cramping and severe pain. I am experiencing this, and after a frantic phone call to my OB she instructed me that this was totally normal, and that at this point in my pregnancy, if something were to "go wrong' I would know without a doubt.  But by all means, if you see this in your underwear, call your OB or midwife to make sure everything is okay.

In addition to the increased discharge you might also have an increased sensitivity to allergens, and the appetite of a sumo wrestler (it's all completely normal).  You may also experience heartburn (click here for all natural home remedies).  You may also experience flatulence (fun), occasional headaches, faintness, dizziness, backaches, and stretch marks.  Don't worry, all of this is completely normal, and remember if you are concerned about ANYTHING don't hesitate to call your OB or midwife.  If they get frustrated or are unwilling to take the time with you, then by all means GET A NEW ONE! This is YOUR pregnancy and YOU have HIRED THEM! So make sure you are comfortable with your support group and the people that will be in your corner on the big day!


Week 18
Week 16

Pregnancy Week 16

At this point in pregnancy your baby weighs in at between 3-5 ounces, and measures 4-5 inches long!!  The bones of the inner ear have most likely completely developed which means that he can now hear you! So go ahead and talk to your little one as much as possible, I know I do!  The muscles in his back are also developing more and becoming stronger, so he can now begin to stretch out. Which in my case has resulted in me feeling two simultaneous "fluttering' sensations as he stretches and moves...it's kind of weird feeling him touch two places at once! Along with his back muscles, baby's facial muscles are also developing, resulting in some new facial expressions such as frowns and squinting!  Finally, while his eyes are still sealed shut, babies eyes are working by moving side to side and perceiving light!!

Now as for mommy, week 16 is when you might start to feel a little upset, due to you beginning to gain weight.  But don't worry, just remember that each pound you gain is going towards helping baby grow and providing him with the best environment possible.  Make sure to eat healthy by minimizing junk foods, and unless instructed otherwise by your doctor get regular exercise. Doing these simple things will help insure that the pounds you are adding during pregnancy are actually going towards the growth and development of the baby and not just adding on unnecessary excessive weight that may be difficult to loose later.

 The rule that I was told by my doctor during my first pregnancy which I am continuing to use during my current pregnancy is; if it's something healthy eat as much as you want, if it's not that healthy, just eat enough to quiet the craving.  For instance, while writing the blog post I was craving strawberries so I sat and ate half of the box of strawberries while I wrote this...because hey, they're healthy!!! Now when I am craving sugar, I first thing that I try to do is eat something healthy with a little bit of sweet added. For instance apple slices with organic peanut butter, or greek yogurt with chocolate crumbles added in.  That way I have something healthy at the same time as something sweet.  If that doesn't help (but it usually does) then I go for the hard stuff...OREOS!!! Now these are by no means healthy, so I try to minimize the number of cookies I eat. I usually take three or four out of the box and leave the box in the cabinet.  That way it makes it harder for me to stuff my face uncontrollably (although I have done that on an occasion or two).

Week 17
Week 15

Pregnancy Week 15

YAY! We've made it into week 15 (and hopefully out of the morning sickness phase like me).  This week your baby is the size of of an orange and weighs about 2-3 ounces.  His ears have moved to the sides of his head, and his eyes are moving to the front of his face, so soon those ultrasound pictures will begin to look much more human.  Also, the baby can now wiggle his fingers and toes and make breathing movements to practice breathing for when he's outside the womb!  At my monthly visit I was able to see just how wiggly our little one is. He was moving and rolling all over the place!  Isabella was there so it was really cool to be able to have her see her little brother not he monitor, she kept saying "he's waving at me!"  If this is your second or more pregnancy then you may be able to feel your little one move and wiggle. Don't worry if you can't always feel him move, my doctor said that even if it's not your first pregnancy, it won't be until around 20 weeks before you start feeling him move more consistently.  But, it's nice to enjoy those wiggles and kicks when they start...it's my favorite time of the week.

Now this week your body is moving full force with all the hormones, and it's starting to take a toll on your body.  Don't be surprised if your teeth and gums become more inflamed and susceptible to plaque and bacteria.  Your gums may become prone to bleeding when you're brushing your teeth.  I usually rinse with warm salt water to stop any bleeding after I'm done brushing and that seems to do the trick.  This slight bleeding isn't anything to be alarmed about, however, if you have a medical condition that requires that you take antibiotics before going to the dentist let your OB and your specialist know that this bleeding is occurring so they can make sure infection doesn't occur.  

In addition to your gums becoming more sensitive, you may also have to deal with a chronic stuffy nose or nosebleeds during pregnancy (fun!).  All of these wonderful (not) symptoms are to the progesterone running rampant through your system, but it will go away after your little bundle has arrived.  

Week 14

Week 16

Ligament and Sciatic Nerve Pain

I don't know about any of you other mommies out there, but this pregnancy I am having MAJOR ligament and sciatic nerve pain.  At my OB's appointment today she told me that this was completely normal, especially for second, third, so on pregnancies because your ligaments and tendons are already stretched out from the previous pregnancy.  This results in the uterus not being as supported as well as the first pregnancy and this results in the uterus sitting lower and putting pressure on your ligaments and nerves.  For me, this mainly means when I get up or if I'm walking around or standing too much, my pelvic region will get sharp, stabbing pains that aren't alleviated until I sit down.  However, today it has been non stop pain as long as I'm not sitting.

As far as the sciatic nerve pain.  According to the American Pregnancy Association: "The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, providing sensory and motor function to the lower extremities. This nerve provides sensation to the back of the thigh, lower part of the leg and the sole of the foot. Sciatic nerve pain is a periodic severe pain that occurs throughout your legs".

The sciatic nerve runs underneath the uterus, and it is thought that the pain some of us "lucky" moms to be is due to the growing baby putting pressure on the nerve. This makes sense on my end, because if the ligaments aren't supporting the uterus as well as before, then it would make sense that as the baby grows my uterus would begin to press on the nerve. Which is why I am also having shooting pains down my legs and lower back, along with my pelvic pains...YAY!  My doctor suggested that I buy a support belt to wear under my clothes to help do the extra work for my ligaments.

So with that, I want to put it out there to the mommy world and see if any of you know of any natural or home remedies for either sciatic nerve pain or ligament pain during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Week 14

Woo hoo! I've entered the second trimester!!!!  If you're like me, hopefully your morning sickness and qeeziness are starting to subside! Can I get an amen!!!!  Another reason to celebrate, your boobs probably aren't as sore as the have been, although they are still super sized.  AND your energy level is starting to come back, so no more sneaking naps at work!  However, as your baby grows so does your uterus.  This may result in some pains in your lower abdomen as the tendons that support your uterus begin to stretch.  Another fun side effect of those amazing pregnancy hormones: nose issues.  The increase in progesterone may cause you to have a runny or stuffy nose (or in my case both) or you may experience nose bleeds.  Don't be alarmed, this is al perfectly normal, although you wan to check in with your doctor before you use ANY medication or remedies to help relieve your nasal issues.

This week your little one is the size of a lemon (speaking of which, you need to youtube babies eating lemons for a good laugh). It measures 3 inches long and wait approximately 1.5 ounces.  Developing this week will be the roof of that cute little mouth, as well his/her intestines are beginning to produce meconium, which will become your little ones first bowel movement. PRO TIP: Put daddy on diaper duty while you're in the hospital.  Trust me, after you do all the work of bringing a NEW LIFE into the world, it is only fare that daddy handles the meconium.  Also, your little one has a nice downey covering of hair, but don't worry, you won't give birth to chubaca,as he gains weight the hair will shed as the baby fat starts to provide warmth and insulate your little one (yet another reason to love those rolls).  

Week 13
Week 15

Heartburn, Heartburn, Go Away.

Now I don't know about any of you, but during both of my pregnancies I have been PLAGUED with heartburn, heartburn that last well into the night.  Heartburn that keeps me up at night and makes me as close to a monster to be around as something possibly can.  Normally with heartburn I would pop some tums and be on my way, however, since I am pregnant my general feeling is that unless it's a life or death situation I say "no thank you" to anything that isn't 100% natural, which leaves me in a bit of a predicament on the heartburn front.  So in an effort to relive my pain and help all you preggies out there is a list of natural or at least home remedies that I have found online or that I have tried myself. 

*Please not that I am not a medical professional and that I have not tried all of these remedies, some I have heard from others and some I have found through Internet research. You should speak with your doctor or midwife before adding anything new to your diet, especially during pregnancy.

1) Milk: For me there is nothing like a tall glass of milk to calm the burning sensation in my chest, the only downfall is it doesn't last too long, maybe an hour or two. But, that can be a wonderful two hours in my book, and the benefit is even if you finish a gallon a week of it it goes towards your bones, and more importantly the developing bones of your wee one. 

2) Almonds (or nuts in general):  This was a nice little trick the instructor of my first birth class gave me.  I don't know why but eating a handful of organic nuts will squash my heartburn for a good couple hours, so I definitely try to carry a baggie of them around everywhere I go.  And the plus side to the almonds and nuts is that you get a lot of that great DHA to help boost your babies brain power!

3) Chewing gum:  Having some chewing gum right after eating will help stimulate your salivary glands. This increase in the rate of salivary flow helps to wash away any acid that has built up in your gut, and therefore stops heartburn before it even starts!

4) Baking Soda: Baking soda is a base an helps to neutralize the acidity in your gut.  You can mix 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it all.  However, it is heavy in salt so you want to try to limit your use of this remedy as it can cause nausea and swelling.

5) Aloe: Aloe has soothing properties, and aloe vera juice reduces inflammation so "it quiets down any inflammation that is in the esophagus as well as the stomach," Dr. Sierpina says. He recommends drinking 1/2 cup before meals, but warns that the juice can be a laxative. Look for brands that say the laxative component has been removed, such as Aloe Vera Power.

6) Slippery elm: There is limited research in regards to slippery elm, but it has been used as a home remedy for centuries.  Slippery elm thickens the layer of mucous lining in the stomach, says Dr. Blum, creating a stronger barrier against acid. "[Slippery elm] is a demulcent that offers a coating or protective layer to the tissue [of the stomach]," Dr. Sierpina says. "The way slippery elm has traditionally been prescribed is a couple tablespoons in water after meals and at bedtime."