Monday, February 13, 2012

Pregnancy Week 24

Our little girl has gained 4 ounces since last week so she's a little over a pound +4 ounces and measures almost 12 inches, about the size of an ear of corn. She is plumping up as she continues to build fat reserves under her still translucent skin, her taste buds are continuing to develop and her brain is growing quickly. Now that she is 24 weeks she has a better chance of survival outside of the womb if she would be born prematurely due to the growing bronchi (branches of the respiratory tree) in her lungs and cell that produce surfactant, the substance that helps her alveoli (air sacs) inflate.
24 Weeks - Mom: my uterus has grown slightly above my umbilicus and is just a little bigger than a soccer ball. Sometime between now and 28 weeks I will have to undergo the glucose screening test for gestational diabetes. While pregnant with Trayton I did not pass the first test and had to undergo the more extensive 3 hour test for closer monitoring, which I did end up passing. I'm not looking forward to this test even though I haven't been spilling glucose in my urine constantly like last time. I have my next appointment on February 7th so I'm not sure if my doctor will have me take the test at that time or later. Besides the occasional edema, sciatic nerve pain and heartburn, I've been feelin relatively well. Now is the time to start paying attention to the signs/symptoms of preterm labor. Hoping this little girl stays put until she's completely done baking; her brother was content to stay in my belly right up until his due date at just 1.1 ounces shy of 9lbs!

Weight: 214lbs (same as last week)
Looking forward to: our next appointment; even though I know the gender we will have an anatomy scan and I'm looking forward to seeing how she has grown!

Wishing you a pot o' gold, and all the joy your heart can hold. Thanks for reading!