How your baby's growing: Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), which will disappear in the next few weeks. But that's the only thing getting smaller. Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.
Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your baby is like a little jumping bean, moving in fits and starts around his watery home.
How your life's changing: You're in the throes of the first trimester, when many women suffer from common pregnancy woes. Keeping food down may be next to impossible, thanks to morning (noon, and night) sickness, caused in part by the pregnancy hormones coursing through your body. Stash a box of crackers next to your bed, and eat a few to curb the nausea before getting up. (Not all pregnant women have morning sickness, so don't worry if you've been spared — you're one of the lucky few!) You may also need to use the bathroom a lot more often than usual — your blood volume increases dramatically when you get pregnant, which leads to a lot of extra fluid getting processed through your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. The nausea should fade as your pregnancy continues, though you may continue to make frequent trips to the bathroom.
If you haven't already, now's the time to choose an ob-gyn or midwife. Most practitioners won't want to see you right away unless you have a serious medical condition or you're having problems like vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, or severe nausea and vomiting. They'll probably schedule you to come in once you're between eight and 12 weeks pregnant. At your first visit, your doctor or midwife will go over your family health history, do some routine blood tests, and answer any questions you might have.
How I'm doing: Morning sickness continues. Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes it's at night, sometimes it's off and on all day long. Mostly, it's no fun at all. I've also found it really hard to find something I feel like eating. I certainly never thought I'd have that problem. Even things I normally enjoy, like hamburgers, make my stomach churn. Even ice cream doesn't sound especially appealing.
I'm also feeling incredibly tired. My body is reminding me how much work it's doing. I could take a nap every day. I try to rest whenever possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment