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