15 Weeks

I can really notice my bump now and have started wearing an Ahh Bra to help with my growing, sensitive and sore boobies. I'm feeling pregnant rather than just bloated this week.

Please excuse the white belly in desperate need of some sun

How far along: 15 weeks
How big is baby: Size of a pear
Total weight gain/loss: - 4.5kg
Stretch marks: None
Maternity clothes: None
Sleep: It takes me a while to get comfortable these days (with the body pillow and side sleeping) but once I fall asleep I usually get around 6 hours straight
Food cravings or aversions:  I'm enjoying not having constant nausea and have been eating regular meals like I would pre-pregnancy
Gender: Too early to tell (but I have a feeling it's a ...)
Movement: None
Belly button: Innie
Exercise:  Hoping to start gentle exercise this week, with walking and pregnancy yoga
Diet:  Healthy but of course there's the occasional chocolate treat
What I'm loving: My growing bump and listening to bub's heartbeat with our Doppler
What I'm not loving: The bumps all over my face
What I miss: Sleeping on my back
Sickness and symptoms: Round ligament pain and seriously sore boobies
Notes:  Post-op, I've spent the past few days on bed rest and am feeling good. My only side effects from the cervical cerclage were light spotting and some stinging when passing urine, but the latter was most likely due to having a catheter. Yikes, those things hurt like a b!tch. 

Weekly Guide to Pregnancy: Week 15

Your Baby

How big is my baby?

This week your baby is about 93-104mm (3.7-4.1 inches) in length and weighs approximately 50 grams (1.75 ounces). The fetus continues to grow rapidly, and is starting to look more and more like a baby. The external ears and eyes well developed, and lanugo (a fine, downy hair) covers the body. As the neck further extends and the chin becomes prominent, the head becomes well defined. Your baby may start to suck its thumb.

Cervical Cerclage

I was admitted for the Cervical Cerclage and thankfully didn't have to wait too long before I was taken through to theatre. After surgery I was told I had been given a spinal anaesthetic (light epidural) and that the stitch was put in my cervix without complications. Due to the numbness and tingling I had in the lower half of my body, I spent quite a few hours in the recovery area, which made me a very frustrated and extremely hungry/thirsty pregnant lady. I'd been fasting since the night before, so pretty much demanded a sandwich and something to drink. After I'd finished I was finally transferred to my private room where James was waiting for me.

I was so worried about the baby that I asked James to take the doppler out and check for a heartbeat. Next came the longest 10 minutes of our lives as we tried but failed to find it. I could softly pick up my own heartbeat but gone was the loud, rapid thumping of our little one. Tears rolled down my face as I feared the worst and threw the doppler across the bed. But my amazing fiance picked it up and tried again. Within seconds... there is was! The most beautiful sound in the world. Our baby's heartbeat was loud and clear, and racing at 152bpm. We spent the next few minutes crying tears of joy that our beautiful baby was okay.

I tried using the bathroom but having no sensation in my lower body made it impossible for me to go, despite knowing I had a full bladder. I was given an hour to pass urine but after that came and went with no success I was (against my will and with much resistance) given a catheter. Thankfully I was still too numb to feel it going in but ohhh once the anaesthetic wore off I was ready to rip that thing out myself! I pretty much demanded the nurse remove it by 9pm as the discomfort and pain was too much to bear. She checked with my OB to see if he would approve it and to my relief he did. But under one condition... That I empty my bladder within 2 hours, or else another catheter would be going right back in. Thank goodness I managed to do this, albeit painfully, and was able to sleep a little more comfortably during the night.

In the morning the nurse took my temperature (high) and blood pressure (low) and said I wouldn't be discharged until I'd eaten breakfast, emptied my bladder and seen the doctor.

By the time all of this had happened, it was already midday but I was happy to be heading home for some much needed rest and recovery.

Post-op I've only had minimal light pink spotting and some slight stinging when I pass urine. Other than that, mummy and baby are doing very well. We have our fingers crossed that the stitch will keep my cervix securely shut until it's cut by our OB at 37 weeks. And once again, it's back to bed rest for me. But really, who could complain about getting to sleep in all day, every day, with an amazing man waiting on them hand and foot?! Ahh the sacrifices I have to make. ;)

OB Visit & Ultrasound

After seeing our OB Dr Naguesh for a check-up and ultrasound, we decided it was best for me to have a stitch put in my cervix to hopefully prevent it from becoming incompetent as the pregnancy progresses, which would in turn cause a premature labour and delivery. The baby would have no chance of surviving this before 28 weeks so the surgery for Cervical Cerclage was scheduled for first thing tomorrow. Here are the 3D images we got during our ultrasound. Bub was a little camera shy, covering its face with both hands. How cute is that little button nose?!

 

14 Weeks

Well it's official. I can't button my jeans. Is it weird that this makes me happy? I guess it's the reassurance that I'm definitely pregnant and bub is growing in there that I like about it. Thankfully my good friend Anne is a master alterationist and is making adjustments to my wardrobe so I don't need to rush out and buy an entire maternity collection... yet.

How far along: 14 weeks
How big is baby: Size of a peach
Total weight gain/loss: - 4kg
Stretch marks: None
Maternity clothes: None
Sleep: Broken. I sleep for a couple of hours then wake up and pee. Then repeat the process. Must be preparing me for motherhood! 
Food cravings or aversions:  Welcome back appetite! I can eat again woohoo!
Gender: Too early to tell (but I have a feeling it's a ...)
Movement: None
Belly button: Innie
Exercise: Still on strict pelvic rest so not doing much of anything except lying on my back
Diet: Trying to eat healthy foods, but those Pinnacle potato pies are just too good!
What I'm loving: My growing bump and listening to bub's heartbeat with our Doppler before going to bed every night
What I'm not loving: The bumps all over my face
What I miss: Sleeping through the night
Sickness and symptoms: Round ligament pain
Notes:  We get to see baby again on Thursday when we visit Dr Naguesh our Obstetrician for an ultrasound to check on the hemorrhage and cervix length

Weekly Guide to Pregnancy: Week 14

Your Baby

How big is my baby?

This week your baby is about 80-89mm in length and weighs approximately 25 grams (0.9 ounces). The head is now about one third of your baby's whole length, and the neck continues to get longer, meaning that the chin no longer rests on the chest.

The placenta has fully developed, and it's rich network of blood vessels is functioning as your baby's life support system. The placenta also manufactures some of the pregnancy hormones.

The umbilical cord is also completely mature and is made up of three entwined blood vessels (covered by a fatty layer). The large vein of the umbilical cord carries nourishment and oxygen rich blood to the fetus, while the two smaller arteries are responsible for carrying waste products and carbon dioxide from the fetus to the placenta, which then processes waste. The placenta also passes on antibodies that help fight infections from the mother to the fetus.

It is important to note that a large proportion of what the mother consumes is passed to the fetus this way, including, drugs and alcohol.

Your baby's circulation continues to develop and he/she can now swallow amniotic fluid, which is excreted as urine. Your baby starts to establish a sucking reflex, and exercises the muscles that will help him/her to swallow and breath after birth.

The profile of your baby is now more human, and features such as chin, forehead and nose are more clearly defined. Fingers and toes are becoming fully formed and the external genitals differentiate.

By the end of this week, your baby is fully formed. From here, he/she needs to mature. When provoked (eg by prodding of your abdomen), your baby will respond with active movements, however you still can't feel your baby moving yet.

Our doppler has arrived!

Just before bed we realised there was a package at the door and were so excited to open it and find our Sonoline B 3Mhz Pocket Fetal Doppler. We immediately ran inside, covered my tummy with the conductor gel and got to work trying to find our baby's heartbeat. It took a little time but after a few minutes... boom, boom, boom. There it was! Beating loud and clear at around 160bpm. Words can't describe how we felt at that moment. After such a stressful day, it was a huge relief to hear our baby's little heart beating away. Here's a sneak peek.

Another big scare

I was woken by pain and bright red bleeding early this morning and immediately assumed the worst. Rang my Obstetrician's rooms and was scheduled to see the doctor for an ultrasound to check on bub. After losing quite a lot of fresh blood, and being in so much pain, I was worried we'd lost the baby or, the slightly more positive outcome would be that the hemorrhage was responsible, but either way I was stressing about what was wrong. Thankfully the ultrasound showed our beautiful baby seemingly unaware of any problems, sucking its hand and sleeping, with its strong little heart beating away. The doctor put my pain and bleeding down to the hemorrhage and once again prescribed complete bed rest. As terrifying as it is to have these scares so often, at least I know we've got a little fighter in there. As a mother, I want to wrap my child up and protect it from any harm or danger. I often feel so helpless that things are out of my control. But I believe this baby was sent to us for a reason and really wants to be here, so I'll continue to do everything I can to ensure this pregnancy is a healthy and happy one.

13 Weeks

How far along: 13 weeks
How big is baby: Size of a kiwifruit
Total weight gain/loss: - 4kg
Stretch marks: None
Maternity clothes: None
Sleep: Some nights I get a few hours and others I'm out of it for up to 11! 
Food cravings or aversions:  Still battling heartburn but I've definitely got my appetite back. Next to no nausea or belching, so maybe it's true about the second trimester being the best.
Gender: Too early to tell (but I have a feeling it's a ...)
Movement: None
Belly button: Innie
Exercise: Still on strict pelvic rest so not doing much of anything except lying on my back
Diet:  Trying to eat healthy foods, although I did have a moment of weakness with a big bowl of pasta followed by chunky chocolate cheesecake for dessert
What I'm loving: My growing bump and hearing bub's heartbeat at home using our new Doppler
What I'm not loving: The bumps all over my face
What I miss: Sexy time with my man... been 3 long months!
Sickness and symptoms:  Round ligament pain
Notes:  I'm now into the second trimester!

Weekly Guide to Pregnancy: Week 13

Your Baby

How big is my baby?
This week you baby is approximately 65-78mm (2.6-3.1 inches) long and weighs about 14-20 grams (0.5-0.7 ounces).  
This week your baby starts to grow rapidly, and his/her body is now growing faster than the head. Maturation of the tissues and organs continues. The heart is beating at about twice the rate of a normal adult heart and can be detected by using an ultrasonic device or Doppler.

Nuchal Translucency Scan

Words can't describe how relieved, happy and blessed we felt at our Nuchal Translucency Scan today. We had some concerns beforehand, of course the health of our baby was one, but also the sub-chorionic hemmorhage and cervical length as well. Seems we had nothing to worry about because everything, including our beautiful baby, looked perfect.

James and I, along with the ultrasound technician, laughed as our little one did somersaults, kicked its very long legs, waved its hands and flipped upside down. Measuring just over 5cm and with a heartbeat of 169bpm, bub was right on target. The nuchal thickness was only 1.4mm, well within normal limits, and the nasal bones were visualised. Still need the official blood results to confirm, but based solely on this scan our baby has a very low risk of Down Syndrome or any other chromosomal abnormalities. Such a relief! We got a good look at baby's 'bits' as it wasn't shy about spreading its legs haha. But it's probably too early to say for sure, so will have to hold off a little longer on the baby clothes shopping spree.

The sub-chorionic hemmorhage was seen and thankfully has reduced significantly since the last scan, and my cervix was of normal length so at this stage we have nothing to worry about.

Here are some of the ultrasound photos of our beautiful baby. The blurry ones are action shots, as bub barely sat still the entire time.

12 Weeks

So excited that we've made it to 12 weeks. I can finally see a baby bump and am nearly at the end of the first trimester. Can't wait to see bub at our Nuchal Translucency Scan later today.

How far along: 12 weeks
How big is baby: Size of a plum
Total weight gain/loss: - 3kg
Stretch marks: None
Maternity clothes: None
Sleep: Having weird dreams which wake me in the middle of the night
Food cravings or aversions:  Getting my appetite back slowly but battling heartburn
Gender: Too early to tell (but I have a feeling it's a ...)
Movement: None
Belly button: Innie
Exercise: Still on strict pelvic rest so not doing much of anything except lying on my back
Diet:  Almost back to eating 3 meals a day, although nowhere near as much as I used to
What I'm loving:  My growing bump
What I'm not loving:  The bumps all over my face
What I miss: Sexy time with my man... been 3 long months!
Sickness and symptoms: Nausea and round ligament pain
Notes:  Get to see baby at the Nuchal Translucency Scan this afternoon!

Weekly Guide to Pregnancy: Week 12

 

 

Your Baby

How big is my baby?

Your baby is approximately 60mm (2.5 inches) in length and weighs between 9 and 14 grams (0.3-0.5 ounces). The baby is moving about a lot but is still too small for you to be aware of the movements.

From this week onwards your baby is recognisable as a human being and is now called a fetus as opposed to an embryo. Now, or close to this time, you should be able to hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler (a special listening device).

The fingers and toes develop, and nails and teeth are beginning to form. The skeletal system, which began developing earlier, now has centres of bone formation (ossification) in most bones. The external genital organs are growing. The amount of amniotic fluid is increasing.

The nervous system has continued to develop, and the digestive system is now capable of making the contractions that process food.