For comparison

Just a side by side comparison of week 8 vs week 12. Taken last weekend, but I don't think there has been great change since then. Both these photos were taken in mid-afternoon. When I wake up in the morning my belly isn't as large as this.

13 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby measures about 3.2 to 3.5 inches (7.6 to 8.9cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 0.9 ounces (25g). Your baby is now nourished by the placenta.

His face is developing and his cheeks and the bridge of his nose are appearing. His ears are moving from the sides of his neck to higher on his head and his eyes are moving closer together. Your baby's external genitals are now distinct and may be recognized on an ultrasound. Your baby will move away from stimuli near your tummy, such as noise and light.

Your baby's eyebrows have formed and a small amount of hair, called lanugo, has appeared all over his body. Lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced with the hairs with which your baby will be born, is thought to have a protective function.

Insulin is present in your baby's pancreas. Some bones may be well outlined. Your baby's thyroid gland, already developed by this week, begins to make hormones.

Baby boys begin to develop the prostate gland at this time and the ovaries of baby girls descend from the abdomen into the pelvis.

Your Body This Coming Week

By now your uterus is about the size of a large grapefruit. If your due date has not already been predicted, an ultrasound measurement of your baby's head can be used to make one.

Your pre-pregnancy clothes are probably too tight by now. If you haven't already got some maternity clothes, now is probably the time to get some. You'll be most comfortable in loose-fitting clothes. Make sure you really like your maternity clothes- you'll be wearing them a lot. Friends, family and thrift shops can be a great source of maternity clothes.

You may feel less exhausted than you did earlier in your pregnancy. Some women even start to experience a rejuvenating surge of energy at around this time. Many women report that the second trimester is the best time of pregnancy as the morning sickness of the first trimester has usually passed, and the discomforts and weariness of the third trimester have yet to begin. If you would like to take a last holiday before your baby arrives, the second trimester, with your doctor's approval, is probably the best time to do so. This could be a good opportunity for you and your partner to connect and share some couple-time before the baby arrives.

13 Weeks

Your baby has reached the size of a medium shrimp and weighs nearly an ounce. (Length: almost 3 inches, head to bottom.)

I had thought about omiting this image this week since I dislike all seafood. And what's with the shrimp when all of the other images are fruits or vegetables?

Week 13 Journal

How far along? 13 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Same as last week. Woo hoo! Finally a week of no change.
TP test: Just over 9 squares, maybe 9 1/2 squares.
Maternity Clothes: Ugh. Lots of my existing clothes are tight or don't fit at all. As I find things that don't fit anymore I'm taking them out of my closet and putting them into a storage tub. Need to start thinking about picking up a few pairs of maternity pants.
Food cravings/ aversions: Just one odd one that I haven't tried yet. But I think that mixing chocolate and strawberry syrup into a glass of milk would taste good.
"Morning" Sickness: For the most part gone. A few times I've felt a little queasy, but usually it's because I'm hungry.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes. I think I've also started to experience round ligament pain.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: I hate our bed. It's small and the mattress is not comfortable at all. Eagerly awaiting our tax return so that we can get a new one.
Big things this week: I don't think there's been anything that momentous.
Gender prediction: Who knows. I think I'm trying to avoid predicting one way or the other because I don't want to be wrong.
Movement: Well the info says the baby is moving (and has been for a while) but I can't feel it yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in. Wondering when I should take out my belly ring.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: I've got nothing. Unless you want to count, if you want a second ice cream bar, go for it.

What's for eats?

I feel like I'm constantly eating or hungry. Many days at 10 or 11 in the morning I'm already thinking about dinner. This is probably why I'm putting on the weight- not because of the teeny tiny baby. I decided to keep track of what I eat/drink in a day. Here's what I consumed on Wednesday.

Breakfast- 7:30
Chocolate butterscotch-chip cookie
Cranberry bagel with butter

Morning Snack- 10:45
Package of Smartfood
Pear
Dove chocolate

Lunch- 12:30
Smart Ones- Santa Fe Rice and Beans
Sun Chips

Afternoon Snack #1- 2:45
Granola bar
2 mini peanut butter cups

Afternoon Snack #2- 4:00
Cheese and crackers
Yogurt

Dinner- 6:30
5 Guys Burgers & Fries
- Little Bacon Cheeseburger
- 1/2 of a regular size fries

Drinks
1/2 liter of Crystal Light
A little less than 2 liters of water
Juice box- apple
1 can Sprite

(1/2 liter = about 2 glasses or roughly a 16oz bottle)

12 Weeks

Your baby is, by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)

12 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby is about the size of a peach and is growing rapidly. Crown to rump, your baby measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches (6.5 to 7.8cm) and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces (14 to 20g).

Your baby's legs are longer than her arms and her skin is red and transparent. Her eyelids are fused together and won't open for about four more months. Her arms are long enough to reach her mouth and she may begin to place her thumb in her mouth. Her sucking reflex, however, is not yet developed.

The tissue that will become your baby's bones is being laid out, especially around her head and her arms and legs. Some ribs may be distinguished at this time. The nose and chin are more prominent now.

Your Body This Coming Week

You are beginning your second trimester of pregnancy.

Your uterus is growing rapidly and is filling the pelvis and moving up into the abdomen. If you are still having morning sickness, it may stop around this point.

Some women will get stretch marks on the breasts, hips and buttocks that may show up this early. They will later fade but will probably not disappear altogether. Some women experience itching around this time but it is more common later in pregnancy.

You probably have noticed changes in your breasts. They are becoming larger and heavier and the areola is probably darkening. They are preparing to secrete milk for your baby!

Your placenta is now well developed and is responsible for hormone production which was previously manufactured by your ovaries. Estrogen and progesterone are the primary hormones which are now being produced. These hormones are necessary for maintaining your pregnancy and inducing the changes necessary for it to progress.

Your baby will begin to practice breathing in the next few weeks as her chest rises and falls in mock breathing motions. She will also swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid which will be passed as urine.

Your placenta is providing all of your baby's needs for nutrition, oxygen and waste disposal, though the amniotic fluid will become more important later on.

All major components of the body are formed and now must grow and mature. From now on, your baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity and growth and body refinement.

Week 12 Journal

How far along? 12 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Up another 2, so 6 lbs overall. (Down 1 from my doctor visit last week, but to be consistent I should only go with my scale.)
TP test: Just over 9 squares.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet. However, many of my pants are getting tighter. And I'm getting tired of all of my clothes. This morning I had to try on 3 pairs of pants before I could find ones that fit.
Food cravings/ aversions: Not that they are real cravings, but I'm very susceptible to food "advertising". Not so much from typical ads, but if I read something on a website, message board, etc and it mentions a food, I often then want it. Like sloppy joes and hot dogs. Oh, and I guess my real "craving" is canned peaches.
"Morning" Sickness: After saying that this was better, I have had a couple of days where I've felt a bit nauseous.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Ugh. The crappy sleep has started. Most nights I've woken up. One night I was awake for about an hour. It's a mix of having to get up to pee and waking up because I'm just not comfortable.
Big things this week: Our news is now public! See earlier post about sharing the news.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell. Although we did have an offer from a dowser to tell us what we're having.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Try to enjoy it. Time goes by very quickly. I was mentioning to Chris this week how quickly a month has gone by. It seems like we were just taking my 8 week belly pictures.

Sharing the News

The past few days have been filled with spreading the baby news.

• Thursday I told my bosses and a few other people at work
• Friday I told even more people at work (One had even figured it out on her own. She had commented a couple of days that I looked tired and then saw Saltines on my desk. After that she kept quiet.)
• Saturday I told my skating class. Many of them commented that I didn't need to stop skating, and although I probably could keep going, it's not as fun anymore. A couple of reasons for this, but primarily I'm not really trying anything new since I don't want to push myself and risk falling. So next Saturday will be my last class for a while.
• Saturday I announced at a family reunion. My great-grandmother was one of 16 children and this was a gathering for descendants of the 16 members of the Bennett family. I'm not really sure why, but I was kind of nervous announcing there. Lots of family who I didn't know, but the ones I did know were excited and happy. Also, it turns out there is a dowser in the family. (There was another dowser a couple of generations back.) So he came over at one point and offered to do his thing and tell me if I was having a boy or a girl. I asked him what his success rate was, and he said about 80%. In the end we declined since we had previously decided to wait to find out. I had kind of thought about asking him to write it down and seal it in an envelope and then after the baby was born we could see if he was correct. He said that the only time he couldn't tell anything one way or the other, it turned out the woman, whose due date was 3 weeks away, was actually in labor at the time he was dowsing her. And he also was brought in one time to dowse an elephant for the Smithsonian Zoo. They were trying to mate the elephant, and since they have such a long gestation period they didn't know if it had worked or not. So he went in, did his thing, and said she wasn't pregnant. It wasn't until a few months later that the vet was able to make the same determination.
• Sunday I posted the news on Facebook with a link to this blog.
• Today I posted my ultrasound to Facebook.

I think I may have missed some people, but I'd say at this point the news is pretty much out there. Fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong!

11 Weeks

Your baby is now about as big as a fig. (Length: just over 1 1/2 inches, head
to bottom.)

11 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

The end of the twelfth week of pregnancy marks the end of the first trimester. Your baby is now almost 2.5 inches long (6.1cm) when measured from crown to rump, and weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (9 to 13g).

Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth and drinks amniotic fluid which it passes out as urine. Its head is becoming more rounded, though it is still large in proportion to its body. It has eyelids.

You can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device!

Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone.

The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. Fingernails and toenails begin to develop this week.

Your baby's muscles are sufficiently developed to allow for involuntary movements at this time. The messages which control your baby's movements are sent from the spine, rather than the brain, which is not yet sufficiently developed.


Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus has now enlarged so that it protrudes above your pelvic bone. You may have begun to "show". It may be time to buy some maternity clothes!

Your doctor or midwife can feel the baby by external examination around this time.

Your heart is working harder to pump the increased volume of blood around your body and as a result your body temperature has risen. Your heart rate may have increased by a few beats per minute to cope with the increased blood volume circulating throughout your body.

Morning sickness may decrease and you may not need to urinate as much as in early pregnancy. You may become constipated, however, as bowel movements slow down in pregnancy.

You may notice a dark line, called the linea nigra, running along your abdomen from your navel to your genital area. The linea nigra shows where your abdominal muscles are stretching to allow for your uterus to grow. The linea nigra may remain for a little while after the birth of your baby, but over time it will fade.

Week 11 Journal

How far along? 11 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: According to the dr's scale yesterday, up 7 lbs overall.
TP test: About 9.5 squares.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet. I did buy a belly band though, which is a tube-like piece of stretchy fabric designed to be worn over your unbuttoned pants and your belly. It holds the pants up and looks like you are wearing layered shirts.
Food cravings/ aversions: Just kind of tired of all food options. Nothing is appealing to me any more. Not that I'm avoiding food, but no cravings one way or the other.
"Morning" Sickness: Still generally feeling good. There was one day where I was feeling a little icky, but not bad. Toothbrushing is still a little iffy. Oh, and one night the smell of some dirty dishes was making me heave a bit.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Could be better, but overall not all that bad.
Big things this week: Doctor's appointment where I got to hear the heartbeat again. Also I told my friend Mel. Haven't talked to her in a while so it was nice to reconnect.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't be so afraid to share the news with people. It's ok to tell them.

Successful Dr Appointment

I had my first appointment today with my OB. The previous appointment had just been with the nurse. Observations:

• This appointment was perhaps a little longer since I hadn't had a pap done in about 2 years. So it was more or less just like an annual appointment. I can't imagine how quick some of these future appointments are going to be.
• I got to hear the heartbeat. She said that normally it can't be heard (via Doppler) until 12 weeks, but since I'm on the thin side she'd give it a try. It took her a while (she kept hearing my heart beat) but eventually she found it. Baby's heart is beating at about 150 beats per minute. This is good.
• Getting to hear the heartbeat was nice, because even though I know I'm pregnant sometimes I just feel normal so you start to wonder, am I still pregnant?
• I was able to book the ultrasound! (June 8th)
  
• I also was able to book appointments through the end of September. She was originally just going to book my next appointment and I asked for 1st appointment of the day so that I would miss less work. They only had afternoon left for that one and the next one, but she went ahead and got me early times for all the rest.
• June 8th will be an appointment filled day because I have the ultrasound and a normal appointment. Of course they are at two different locations. But better to get them done in one day rather than taking up time on two days.
• I got cleared to take Claritin for allergies. Benadryl is also safe.
• I forgot to ask if I can take Sudafed. When I fly the pressure really hurts and my ears feel stopped up for at least half a day after landing. Sudafed alleviates this. In May I'll be flying for work so it would be great if I could take it. I'll make sure to ask at my next appointment, which is the week before my trip.
• My weight on the office scale was 4 pounds higher than my weight at home this morning. The difference makes sense (clothing, food/liquids in my stomach) but I wish my "official" weight wasn't that high already.
  

10 Weeks

Your baby, now barely the size of a kumquat, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. (Length: a little over 1 inch, head to bottom.)

10 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby is growing incredibly rapidly right now. She is approximately 1.75 to 2.4 inches (4.4 to 6cm) when measured from crown to rump. She will double her length in the next three weeks. Your growing baby weighs about 0.3 ounces (8g).

The neck is developing and the chin lifts up from the chest. Fingernails are also present. While your baby's sex was already determined at the time of fertilization, male or female genitalia are now visible. Essential organs are formed and most have begun to function. The blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in number to meet your baby's increasing nutritional needs. Her ears are moving towards the sides of her head, away from the neck. Your baby's head is still not in proportion with her body. Your baby's head accounts for about half of her body length.

Your Body This Coming Week

Many women who have suffered from morning sickness find that their nausea begins decrease from this week on. (Unfortunately, for some it may continue).

You may have noticed you have more (or less) hair than usual, which is thought to be linked to the increased amount of blood circulating through your body as well as hormonal changes.

You are probably anxious to feel your baby move, but it is still a bit early. You may notice an increase in cervical fluid and you may also notice a darkening of your labia around your vagina and the areola area around your breasts due to hormonal changes.

During pregnancy, the cervix usually feels firm, but it will soften during labor to allow the baby to pass through. Your cervix is protected by a mucus plug to protect your baby. The mucus plug will be expelled shortly before or during labor.

Your body is burning calories faster than it did prior to pregnancy and your metabolism may increase by up to 25%. The quantity of blood pumping through your body will also increase, making you feel warmer than usual. The increased blood flow can also give you a rosy "blooming" feeling.

You may notice that you have an improved skin condition during pregnancy. For some lucky women, pregnancy hormones can cause skin to appear to "glow" and appear smoother. You may even have shinier hair and brighter eyes. Some women develop a "pregnancy mask" (chloasma) caused by deeper skin pigmentation. This can cause irregular patches of brown skin to appear on your forehead, cheeks, neck and nose. Exposure to sunlight can exacerbate chloasma, though sunscreen can reduce its effects. Chloasma usually disappears after birth as your hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels.

Elevated estrogen levels and increased blood pressure can cause the dilation of your skin capillaries which can in turn give rise to spider nevi (raised red marks surrounded by spidery lines) and palmar erythema (redness of the palms) during pregnancy. Both conditions are considered minor and fade after the birth of your baby.

Week 10 Journal

How far along? 10 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: I finally started a notepad to keep track of this! Up one more pound from last week, so 5 pounds overall.
TP test: Still at 9 squares. Next week will probably be over.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet. About a year ago I lost some weight and dropped a pants size. However, I kept most of my old clothes. I'm having a harder time fitting into that smaller size and my jeans of the larger size also are a bit snug. Otherwise, more or less ok. I am starting to do some online window shopping for maternity clothes though.
Food cravings/ aversions: Last night it was sweet potato fries, but otherwise I don't think I've been craving anything.
"Morning" Sickness: I've felt so much better this past week! Toothbrushing is still a little iffy, but overall I feel good.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes. A little tired, but not too bad.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Could be better, but overall not all that bad.
Big things this week: Last Friday we announced to our "Game Night" friends that I'm pregnant. The ones who have kids already started to think of what gear they still have that could be passed on, and the one without kids got excited. So excited, in fact, that she told two other friends on their way over to our house for Easter brunch.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy it. And don't worry so much about sharing the news. (I'm still a little paranoid that something bad is going to happen.)

8 Week belly

So this is a little delayed in being posted, but here's my belly at just over 8 weeks. This was taken in the early afternoon. It seems that my belly gets larger throughout the day, but then shrinks a bit overnight.

We had people over for Easter yesterday and I was mentioning this to Liz. She wasn't really believing me, but then after we had eaten I showed her my belly again and she was shocked- it had grown.

This makes getting dressed a little challenging- what I put on in the morning may no longer be comfortable in the evening. Oh well. There's nothing too wrong about looking pregnant, except for the fact that it's still a little early.

Nine Weeks

Your baby has grown to the size of a grape, weighs a fraction of an ounce, and is almost 1 inch long.

Week 9 Journal

How far along? 9 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: About the same as last week.
TP test: Still at 9 squares. Although I did this last night as well, and was 9.5 squares then do to my evening bloat.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Not yet.
Food cravings/ aversions: I seem to be getting tired of everything these days. Although I'm eating, nothing really appeals to me.
"Morning" Sickness: Perhaps feeling mildly better. Tooth brushing was really bad- I threw up a couple of times from that- but after switching toothpastes it is mildly better.
Signs of Pregnancy: Still tired, but perhaps not as bad. Certainly not going to bed at 9:00 anymore. I definitely look more pregnant in the evening, but it's mostly just bloat.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: Could be better, but overall not all that bad.
Big things this week: I told my hairdresser on Saturday. She was VERY excited.
Gender prediction: WAY too early to tell.
Movement: Nothing yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't dwell on feeling miserable. It won't last forever.

9 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is about 1.25 to 1.68 inches (between 3.1 and 4.2cm). He weighs about 0.18 ounces (5g).

The placenta is now producing progesterone which helps to make nutrients for your developing baby.

Your baby has passed the stage when he is most susceptible to damage. By the end of this week, the danger zone for congenital abnormalities has passed.

The plan for your baby's body has been completely laid down by now. Further growth and cell division will build on this plan.

Taste and tooth buds have appeared.

Your baby has recently developed fingers and toes which are now well-formed. Ankles, wrists and the inner ear have formed. Your baby's nose is flat and his eyes are far apart. His eyes, ears, mouth and nose are all recognizable. The tail is disappearing.

Your baby is moving around the amniotic sac, and moving his feet and ankles. You still will not be able to feel these movements but you may be able to see them on an ultrasound.

Blood is circulating through the arteries and the vein of the umbilical cord.

The brain of your baby is developing at a phenomenal rate. About one quarter of a million new neurons are produced every single minute at this stage in your pregnancy.

If your baby is a boy, his testes, though they are not even clearly visible, are already producing testosterone.

Your baby is no longer called an embryo, but rather a fetus.

Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus is now about the size of an orange, but you still don't "show". However, you probably have noticed an increase in your breast size.

You may be having mood swings, feeling happy and elated one moment, crying the next. This is perfectly normal, caused by the changing hormones in your body as well as all the hopes and fears you have and the realization that your life will be forever changed by your pregnancy.

There is little increase in abdominal size during the first trimester, though you might be starting to see some weight gain. Hormonal changes, however, especially the increase of progesterone and relaxin can cause your joints and ligaments to soften as your body begins to prepare for birth.

The joints in your pelvic bones are widening now. This may cause you to feel unstable at times, even sometimes dropping things or bumping into things.