Baby Minnehan #2 is currently 22 weeks and a lot has been going on in terms of development for both baby and myself! Baby conpleted it's embryonic period between fertilization and the 10th week of gestation (8th week by embryonic age; the first two weeks before ovulation are included in gestational age,) after which the fetal development period takes over. The embryonic stage is very important as most of the organ development happens during this time. To break it down a recap from BabyCenter's development:
4 Weeks - Baby: The embryo has developed from a few cells, to cluster of cells and to a ball of cells which then begins to give rise to layers called the epiblast and hypoblast (from which germinal layers and all organs and systems arise.) A primitive placenta has developed to provide oxygen and nutrients. The amniotic sac and fluid which protect and cushion the embryo are present and the yolk sac is in place to produce red blood cells and deliver nutrients until the placenta is mature enough to take over.4 Weeks - Mom: We found out we were expecting this little one at the end of 4 weeks!
Current weight: 205lbs
Feeling: pretty normal except for the excessive peeing!Current weight: 205lbs
Taking: prenatal vitamin with DHA and thyroid medication
5 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a sesame seed and has a tail (imagine tadpole!) The embryo is composed of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm germinal layers. From the ectoderm forms the neural tube. Baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves and spine arise from this layer. Also arising from this layer are baby's nails, hair, skin, mammary & sweat glands and tooth enamel. The mesoderm forms the heart and circulatory system, muscle, cartilage, bone and subcutneous tissue. This week, the heart has divided into it's 4 chambers (2 atria and 2 ventricles,) and pump blood. From the innermost layer, endoderm, the lungs, intestines, urinary system, thyroid, liver and pancreas will develop. 5 Weeks - Mom: We had our first prenatal appointment this week (found out possible twins!) Weight was still the same and I was still feeling pretty well.
6 Weeks - Baby: The embryo has tripled in size to about 3-4mm and is working on developing its nose, mouth and ears. Blood is pumping, intestines are forming, the pituitary gland, rest of the brain, muscles and bones are all forming. At our 5 week ultrsound, theembryo that was in front looked very similar to this picture, only in 2D imaging! Couldn't get a heartbeat yet, bummer!6 Weeks - Mom: Fatigue started to set in this week and the frequent trips to the restroom continued. My sense of smell also intensified sometime this week. We were still under the impression we could be having twins and were anxiously lookinf forward to week 7!
7 Weeks - Baby: The small tadpole-like tail is still present and arm/legs buds sprouted paddle-like hands and feet. Baby is now the size of a blueberry! Eyelids are in place, both cerebral hemispheres are present, and the liver is producing RBCs until the bone marrow is able to synthesize. The appendix and pancreas are forming and a loop in the intestines is growing into the umbilical cord complete with blood vessels.7 Weeks - Mom: BabyCenter says eating may become a chore - my appetite was pretty sluggish due to the slow emergence of morning sickness (definitely not the case with my first pregnancy.) We had a follow-up appointment this week and found out that we were only having one baby instead of two due to the stop in development and absorption of one of the embryos.
Weight: still 205lbs
Feeling: Mixed emotions sad and happy. A little worried about the extra bleeding from marginal previa.
8 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a gummy bear this week, complete with fingers and toes that are webbed just like a gummy! The trachea is formed and the tail has nearly disappeared. Nerve cells in the brain are branching out and connecting to form neural pathways.8 Weeks - Mom: Progesterone increases dramatically this week contributing to fatigue but preserving the pregnancy. Still had no increase in appetite; super busy with school and super tired!
9 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a grape and doesn't quite weigh an ounce. Heart valves and teeth start to form, tail is gone, external genitalia are present but not distinguishable, eyes are formed but eyelids are fused shut until 27 weeks. The placenta is mature enough to take over producing hormones.
 |
| Week 8 Belly at Trayton's 18 Month Pics |
9 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a grape and doesn't quite weigh an ounce. Heart valves and teeth start to form, tail is gone, external genitalia are present but not distinguishable, eyes are formed but eyelids are fused shut until 27 weeks. The placenta is mature enough to take over producing hormones.9 Weeks - Mom: Uterus is the size of a grapefruit (rather than a fist!) Hair is thickening and growing rapidly - or maybe it was just my perception since I was so busy, it was cold and I slacked on shaving? Ha! My waist definitely started to thicken but I was able to wear my regular jeans - and I ordered a Belly Band to use down the road. And did someone turn the heat on or what it seems that with the more blood volume pumping I am hot all the time. We had an appointment on the 14th of October and baby is progressing well, we even heard the heartbeat on the ultrasound!
Weight: 207 lbs (up 2lbs)
Thyroid levels: no change, so same medication dose
Previa: improving with much less bleeding!
10 Weeks - Baby: Baby is a little over an inch long from crown to rump and weighs in at about a quarter of an ounce, about the size of a AA battery. This week marked the end of the embryonic period and the beginning of the fetal period; from here on out those tissues and organs that developed in the previous weeks will grow and mature. Baby is able to swallow and the kidneys, intestines, brain and liver are starting to function. Fingernails are growing as is fine hair all over the body, joints flex, the spine is visible and spinal nerves are beginning to span out.10 Weeks - Mom: Uterus is still the size of a grapefruit. I began to feel like I was hit by a truck and needed to carry a bucket with me at all times with a sign that said "caution, makes frequent stops to puke!" I tried teas and dramamine but found that Sea Bands and sleep worked the best for alleviating the symptoms. Cereal, green beans and fruit were about the only things that even sounded remotely appetizing (and my mom HAD to go and make chili that week and I couldn't eat it, boo!)
Weight: 205lbs (-2 from last week)
11 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a fig or small lemon this week and looking more like a little human than an alien, with defined fingers and toes. Aside from the acrobatic going on, baby's bones are hardening and tooth buds are forming and hiccuping may take place now that the diaphragm is beginning to function. Trayton had hiccups every day at nearly the same time, right after lunch and usually before bed. I'm interested to see if this one has them too once I can start to feel such movement!
Feeling: nauseated, fatigued
11 Week belly, kind of hard to see. We took Trayton trick or treating at the zoo for Night Eyes and he loved it! The big cats were very active and I think his favorite part of the night.
Weight: 207 lbs (up 2lbs)
Thyroid levels: no change, so same medication dose
Previa: improving with much less bleeding!
10 Weeks - Baby: Baby is a little over an inch long from crown to rump and weighs in at about a quarter of an ounce, about the size of a AA battery. This week marked the end of the embryonic period and the beginning of the fetal period; from here on out those tissues and organs that developed in the previous weeks will grow and mature. Baby is able to swallow and the kidneys, intestines, brain and liver are starting to function. Fingernails are growing as is fine hair all over the body, joints flex, the spine is visible and spinal nerves are beginning to span out.Weight: 205lbs (-2 from last week)
11 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of a fig or small lemon this week and looking more like a little human than an alien, with defined fingers and toes. Aside from the acrobatic going on, baby's bones are hardening and tooth buds are forming and hiccuping may take place now that the diaphragm is beginning to function. Trayton had hiccups every day at nearly the same time, right after lunch and usually before bed. I'm interested to see if this one has them too once I can start to feel such movement!11 Weeks - Mom: BabyCenter claims I should have started to have more energy about now...I definitely did not and still had frequent bouts of sickness, heartburn and headaches. I still had virtually no appetite and felt like I was constantly drinking liquids and then going to the restroom. I napped in the afteroons after class and at night had crazy dreams that made no sense at all. Usually I'm a vivid dreamer and also dream in color and usually my dreams make some sort of sense...not these, they were just so random.
Weight: 204lbs (-1 from last week)Feeling: nauseated, fatigued
12 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of alime this week at just over two inches and weighs approximately an ounce. Reflexes are developing, intestines are moving into the abdominal cavity, kidneys are excreting urine into the bladder, nerve cells are multiplying and synapses in the brain are forming. The eyes have moved to the front of the head and the ears are in their appropriate place. This week was the last week of the first trimester!
12 Weeks - Mom: As the last week of the first trimester I was looking forward to feeling better soon! My appetite was still missing, so I ate small frequent meals of cereal, as bland of veggies as I could find and on occasion ice cream! I was still drinking lots of fluids and began to think about my first pregnancy and how I was constantly spilling glucose (sugar) in my urine. My next appointment was the 14th of November and I planned to ask my doctor how things were going or if it was just because of the extra bodily requirements.
Weight: 204lbs, same as last week
13 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 3 inches long and weighs in at an ounce (think shrimp-like!) Fingerprints have formed, blood vessels are visible through the skin and the body is catching up in proportion to the head! If it's a girl, she has about 2 million eggs in her ovaries. The heartbeat was again in the 160s and the doctor made a speculation about the gender; he was 75% sure it's a girl! GIRL, omg, I had to know for sure! With the holidays coming up and things going on sale after Christmas, I just had to know! How was I supposed to keep that a secret unti at least Thanksgiving and how was I supposed to get through the rest of the semester without getting distracted?! I'll tell you it took both Ryan and I an incredible amount of discipline not to spill the beans and we decided to get a 3D ultrasound three days before Christmas so we could share with our families!
14 Weeks - Baby: This week baby measures about 3.5 inches and weighs about 1.5 ounces, approximately the size of my fist or a peach. Baby can now squint, grimace, pee and suck their thumb - which I'm pretty sure they were doing at the appointment last week based on a picture I have! Baby is able to form expressions, grasp, the arms are proportionate to the rest of the body and fine hair called lanugo covers the body. The liver starts making bile this week and the spleen starts to help make RBCs.
15 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 4 inches long and weighs about 2.5 ounces, about the size of an apple. Baby is practicing breathing as amniotic fluid is moved in through the nose, and around the upper respiratory tract, helping the primitive air sacs develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms, the eyes can sese light even though the eyelids are still fused shut and taste buds are emerging.
16 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of an avocado, 4.5 inches in length and 3.5 ounces; in the next few weeks they will double their weight and add quite a few more inches. The legs are more developed, toenails are gorwing, the head is more erect, hair patterning has begun and the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.
17 Weeks - Baby: Baby is 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces this week, so about the size of a turnip! The skeleton continues to change from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord is groing stronger and thicker. Adipose tissue is forming (fat tissue) and sweat glands are emerging.
18 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 5.5 inches long this week and weighs 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper.) They are practicing flexing their arms and legs, ears are in their final position and myelin (the protective and conductive material around the nerves) is forming, which will continue until about a year after birth. In girls the uterus and fallopian tubes are in place and in boys the genitals are noticable now. The ears are also developed enough to hear sounds through the amniotic fluid!
13 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 3 inches long and weighs in at an ounce (think shrimp-like!) Fingerprints have formed, blood vessels are visible through the skin and the body is catching up in proportion to the head! If it's a girl, she has about 2 million eggs in her ovaries. The heartbeat was again in the 160s and the doctor made a speculation about the gender; he was 75% sure it's a girl! GIRL, omg, I had to know for sure! With the holidays coming up and things going on sale after Christmas, I just had to know! How was I supposed to keep that a secret unti at least Thanksgiving and how was I supposed to get through the rest of the semester without getting distracted?! I'll tell you it took both Ryan and I an incredible amount of discipline not to spill the beans and we decided to get a 3D ultrasound three days before Christmas so we could share with our families!13 Week - Mom: We had an appointment this week and the heartbeat was in the 160s! The doctor asked if I had been feeling well (haha) because I had lost weight since the last appointment. He wasn't concerned since I could stnd to loose a few pounds anyway and was happy to hear that I wasn't afraid to eat when I actualy felt like it. Mid-day/lunch seemed to be the best meal for me because I felt the best at that time. I was able to expand past my cereal and bland veggies to yogurts, cottage cheese, pasta again, thank goodness (whole grain of course) and a few other things. I asked about glucose in my urine and he said up to this point I had not had any...REALLY? Yay! I would still be doing the glucose test later of course but maybe I wouldn't have to do the three hour test! And the extra fluid consumption was because of the increased blood volume and bodily need, thank goodness those nursing classes were paying off!
Weight: 203lbs (-4 since last appointment)
Thyroid: no change
Upcoming: Multiple marker screening in week 14, 3D ultrasound to confirm gender in week 19 (thanks in part to my parents who split the cost with us and were able to attend!)
14 Weeks - Baby: This week baby measures about 3.5 inches and weighs about 1.5 ounces, approximately the size of my fist or a peach. Baby can now squint, grimace, pee and suck their thumb - which I'm pretty sure they were doing at the appointment last week based on a picture I have! Baby is able to form expressions, grasp, the arms are proportionate to the rest of the body and fine hair called lanugo covers the body. The liver starts making bile this week and the spleen starts to help make RBCs.14 Weeks - Mom: I had a blood draw for the multiple marker screening, which is a test that assesses the probability of a potential genetic disorder. The results typically take about 10 days to return and although genetic disorders such as spina bifida, Down's syndrome etc do not run in our families, I always anxiously wait the 10 days hoping not to get a call - no call=good news! Although should the results have come back indicating the possibility of a disorder, we would not have made any different of a dicision about the pregnancy; we do the test just to have a heads up and time to prepare if needed. Thankfully we did not get a call! This was my biggest worry with both of my pregnancies. The nausea is still present in the mornings and evenings but was getting more tolerable as I not longer had to wear the Sea Bands 24/7; I did cough too hard one morning after drinking a glass of milk and couldn't believe THAT made me vomit - what a sissy I'd become lol. I was still fatigued but also starting to gain a little more energy and not have to take a nap every single afternoon. Most of the time I was able to take one when Trayton took his and I am very thankful for that snuggle time!
Weight: 205lbs (+1, back to my pre-pregancy weight!)
15 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 4 inches long and weighs about 2.5 ounces, about the size of an apple. Baby is practicing breathing as amniotic fluid is moved in through the nose, and around the upper respiratory tract, helping the primitive air sacs develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms, the eyes can sese light even though the eyelids are still fused shut and taste buds are emerging. 15 Weeks - Mom: We decided to officially annouce this pregnancy to our families at Thanksgiving this week! After the last appointment we felt as if things were going well enough that it was safe to share the news. Pregnancy brain kicked in some this week, thank gooddness I didn't have classes when it hit. I also started to get the stuffy nose associated with hormonal changes and increased blood volume - and then found out that I had strep throat! That took a few days out of me. Fatigue improved after I got rid of the strep and my nausea was also improving.
Weight: 206lbs (+1 from last week!)
16 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about the size of an avocado, 4.5 inches in length and 3.5 ounces; in the next few weeks they will double their weight and add quite a few more inches. The legs are more developed, toenails are gorwing, the head is more erect, hair patterning has begun and the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.16 Weeks - Mom: I think I felt the baby move a bit this week but it definitely could have beenmistaken for gas. My uterus had grown to about 3 nches below my umbilicus and I definitely had some pain from the round ligaments that support the uterus. My nausea was nearly gone and I had so much more energy, finally, just in time for finals!
Weight: 206lbs - same as last week
Feeling: Anxious about my comprehensive skills final, looking forward to confirming the gender on Dec. 22!
17 Weeks - Baby: Baby is 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces this week, so about the size of a turnip! The skeleton continues to change from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord is groing stronger and thicker. Adipose tissue is forming (fat tissue) and sweat glands are emerging. 17 Weeks - Mom: I finally started to wear my Belly Band this week as my jeans just weren't comfortable - felt so good to just unzip them with the band and not have them fall down around my ankles. The Belly Band is a great accessory for anyone's wardrobe if you want to be able to wear your pre-pregnancy jeans while pregnant. In other good news, I felt the best this week than I had since the beginning of this pregnancy with no nausea, mild fatigue and what seemed to be a full return of my appetite! We had a regular appointment this week on the 13th of December with baby's heartbeat being in the 150s.
Weight: 208lbs(+2 from last week, 3lb total gain)
Thyroid: no change
New developments: I discussed taking motion sickness medication if needed for my brother's cruise wedding in January 2012 and my doctor gave me some just in case.
Feeling: great! Looking forward to finals being over, finishing up Christmas shopping decorating and spending time with my little boy! Also looking forward to our 3D ultrasound in 2 weeks!
18 Weeks - Baby: Baby is about 5.5 inches long this week and weighs 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper.) They are practicing flexing their arms and legs, ears are in their final position and myelin (the protective and conductive material around the nerves) is forming, which will continue until about a year after birth. In girls the uterus and fallopian tubes are in place and in boys the genitals are noticable now. The ears are also developed enough to hear sounds through the amniotic fluid! 18 Weeks - Mom: Definitely an increase in appetite again and right in time for Christmas! Seriously though, I am trying to watch what I eat and eat more healthy this pregnancy. I started out about 15lbs heavier with my first pregnancy and though I didn't have many complications I can tell that I feel much better this time around. I've been trying to walk more and ride my stationary bike at home as well as doing some Wii Fit! Dizziness (orthostatic hypotension) when you make position changes too quickly to standing is common now due to changes in the cardiovascular system, including lowered blood pressure. I haven't experienced this yet from pregnancy but I am aware of what it feels like.
Weight: 210lbs (+2lbs from last week, 5 total)
Looking forward to: our 3D ultrasound!
The next post will confirm the gender and share some pictures and the video if I can figure out how to upload it!
Wishing you a pot o' gold, and all the joy your heart can hold. Thanks for reading!
Posts
