Week 18

 

 This week I felt some more baby kicks!  It is a really cool feeling.  I feel them mostly in the same spot - on my left side about two inches from my belly button. Scotty is getting sad because he hasn't felt any yet. He can't ever catch them at the right time and even if he did I don't think he could feel them on the outside yet.  I told him to wait for the night that the baby kicks him in the back while we are sleeping!

 

I think that I am starting to swell.  I assume this is not a good thing.  The doctor was not concerned about it when I went but the nurse seemed more concerned.  I just don't like it because it is uncomfortable.  I feel like my fingers and feet are going to bust open.  I have really increased my water intake and that is helping.  The water intake is helping with other things as well like constipation.  Yeah - its gross, I probably shouldn't talk about it on here but its a real issue during pregnancy and its my blog so whatever.  I had trouble with constipation before I got pregnant and it has made it so much worse.  I take many different things to help but I feel like the water intake has helped the most.

 

On a more pleasant note, I got a facial this week.  It was great.  My skin hates me.  Even the facial girl said my skin looked angry.  Tell me about it.  It is red, swollen, and it actually hurts.  The facial hurt so good.  When she was doing all the rubbing it hurt but all I could think about was how cleansing it felt.  She said that it would help and I am going to try and go every month.  When I left my skin looked horrific but it felt so good. 

 

Breastfeeding. I took a class this week on it and its really amazing.  I am excited to try it and I know how great it is for the baby but I am scared too.  I know that it is going to require a lot of time and effort on my part which I am more than willing to give.  I just hope that baby cooperates, as well as my body.  I could really do without the cracked, chapped nipples and the formula expense. 

 

 So - some things I learned:

 

 - When a baby is born, its stomach is about the size of a large marble.  Thus the reason they have to eat so often (every 1-3 hours).

 - How to know if baby is getting enough milk - the number of diapers they have a day.  The more diapers  = the more milk they are getting. 

- Colostrum begins to form in the mother at 20 weeks.  This is the yellowish, very nutrient rich substance that the babies get right when they feed for the first couple of days, mom's milk doesn't come in for about 3 days.

- If a mother becomes sick while breastfeeding, the mother's body makes antibodies to fight the infection and those antibodies are are also in the milk providing the baby a shield against the sickness.  Very cool.

 - They say that you should not give baby any other nipple than your own for 2 weeks so that they become accustom to it and nothing else (so no late night feedings for Scotty for at least 2 weeks, boo!).

- I learned about the best breastpumps and that you can rent them from some hospitals, in case you aren't sure breastfeeding is for you.

- It is a law that your work has to provide you a place to pump and allow you the time to pump as needed.

 - I also learned some of the different "holds" that you can do to figure out what works best for baby to feed.

 - They also prepared us for chapped, cracked nipples but said that should not be as bad if baby is feeding correctly.

- They also said that if you express interest in breastfeeding that a lactation consultant will come and help you in the hospital and they will come and visit you at home as well.

 

I am sure I learned more but this is what I remember off the top of my head.  Pretty cool stuff. 

 

Well until next time, here are pictures for the week: 

 

  

 

Baby is about the size of a pear and weights about 6 ounces.  The soft-cartilage is continuing to harden into bones.  The baby can hiccup, yawn, twist and turn in the womb.  Movement may become more noticeable to the mother.


Baby's man size this week: a small electric shaver.  Like the ones that have the three spinning heads.