Elena Weekly Round-up: Twenty-eight Weeks.
General:
- Here she is.
- More pics of the lovely lady here and here.
- PPP is now just a NORMAL placenta! My doctor released me from all restrictions this morning!
- Names: Still working on a middle name. Am getting tired of thinking about it.
- Room: Fabrics here. Blanket is complete and will be arriving June 1 or 2.
About Elena: (Courtesy of Fertility Friend Pregnancy.)
- Your baby weighs about 2.5 lbs (1.1kg) and is about 10 inches (25cm) from crown to rump and 15 inches (38 cm) long from head to toe.
- At this time, the baby has tastebuds which allow it to distinguish between sweet, sour and bitter tastes.
- Brain tissue and brain development increases at this time as your baby grows the folds and grooves needed for a developed brain.
- Eyebrows and eyelashes are probably present and the hair on your baby’s head is growing longer.
- Your baby’s body is filling out, getting a bit fatter as fat deposition continues, but it is still somewhat red and wrinkled.
- Your baby is big enough for his presentation to be determined. That is, your caregiver can probably tell how your baby is oriented in your uterus. He may be breech (bottom down) or head first. If your baby is in a breech position now, there is no need to worry as there is still plenty of room and time for your baby to change positions.
- Your baby can feel pain and respond to it in the same way as a full term baby. (What did they do to determine this? An even better question: Why?)
What Elena is doing to my body: (Word-for-word courtesy of Fertility Friend Pregnancy.)
- You are entering your third trimester now.
- Most women have gained between 17 and 24 lbs (7.7 to 10.8 kg) by this time.
- Your breasts may start to leak colostrum, the sticky, watery substance which comes before milk. This will be your baby’s first food before your milk comes in a day or two after delivery. (Dear god, I hope it’s only a day or two this time. It was FIVE days for Liam. He was not happy about it, either.)
- You will probably visit your caregiver every two weeks from this point on. Your caregiver may perform a glucose tolerance test this week. If your early blood work revealed that you are Rh negative, your doctor may want to do an antibody test to determine if you have made antibodies to your baby’s blood type to see if there is a risk of you having an immune reaction to your baby’s blood. If this situation applies to you, ask your doctor for more information.
- If you haven’t already, you may begin to have vivid dreams about your baby.
- Braxton Hicks contractions will probably continue preparing your uterus for childbirth.
- You may have red stretch marks on your belly and the veins on your breasts will likely have become more prominent.
Pregnancy Symptoms:
- Spider Veins - Reddish spots on my face and chest
- Bloating - Everywhere
- Boobage - I’m producing the liquid gold
- Cravings - Sweets - Rice Krispie Treats
- Aches and Pains - Feet and back
- Movement - Shaking my belly, up in my ribs on my right side. L did the same thing. It’s not the most comfortable.
- Hormonal Changes - Ok, maybe crying a little more than usual
- Fatigue - Toddlers wear me out
Most Interesting Emotional Breakdown(s) This Week:
- It’s been a crazy week around here.
- Aaron has been working a TON and I’ve been a semi-single mom for most of the week - including the weekend. As a result, things haven’t been getting done around here, which has been making me crazy.
- My sister was supposed to come to visit because we assumed that PPP would still be in place. I would have enjoyed having her here, but now I’m scrambling to get my act together for VC and for my parents to come this weekend to keep L.
- As of Monday, I now weigh the most I have ever weighed in my entire life - and I still have three months to go! I’ve cried about it on numerous occasions.
