Update

We had our monthly prenatal appointment yesterday at the CenteringPregnancy group. We got our results from the last ultrasound, which were really positive. At the ultrasound, the technicians are only allowed to tell you the sex of the baby, they cannot give you any other information since they are not doctors. So, just in case there is something wrong with the baby, they wouldn't really be able to address it with you. So, we had to wait for the prenatal appointment to confirm that she is growing normally and everything looks ok. At the ultrasound they took many different measurements to make sure she is proportional and is growing properly, which thankfully she is. Not that we're experts but just looking at the her during the ultrasound, she looked really good to us. Her limbs looked proportional and her head looked like it was shaped correctly.

In the results I am referred to as "elderly" since I am 35 years old, which is pretty funny. The results showed that the placenta and umbilical cord look normal are in their proper place. The quantity of amniotic fluid is normal. The ultrasound also changed my due date from August 8th to August 10th, which doesn't really mean all that much. She'll come sometime around there either way.

At this prenatal appointment we got to hear her heartbeat again, which is always cool. The heartbeat sounds good and she is a healthy little girl. The CenteringPregnancy group is really cool. Joe and I both like it. It is supportive and informational. Yesterday we talked about common discomforts. It is nice to hear other women talking about experiencing the same things. Sometimes you think, "am I the only one this is happening to?" I gained 7 pounds this month, which the nurse midwife said wasn't too bad. I am hoping to stay in the 25-30 lb weight gain range, which is the normal range.

Sleeping has been getting more difficult and I have been having leg cramps. Luckily, they are not too bad, but they are annoying. I am only supposed to be sleeping on my side, and I like to also sleep on my back and stomach, so having to just stay on my side has been a little challenging. I think I may have to buy one of those pregnancy body pillows. I have also been having the craziest dreams! None of them have been about the baby actually, just really bizarre and random dreams. A lot of them are adventure dreams where I'm in some crazy situation. I used to have a lot of anxiety dreams (which might be because I've been in school and stressed out for the last five years), but these dreams aren't really anxiety dreams, so its interesting to see how my subconscious is changing.

Overall, I am still feeling good. I have been feeling the baby more and it still feels like a little fluttering. At the ultrasound she was laying sideways with her head on my left side and her feet on my right. Most of what I feel is on my right side where I think her feet are. By the end of April I should be feeling her more regularly and Joe should be able to feel her by touching my stomach. I've already bought her a couple of cute things. We haven't even thought about cribs, strollers, car seats yet. I think we'll tackle that in June.

Baby Pictures

This is a great shot of her just laying there. You can clearly see her spine. Isn't that wild?! You can also see the features on her face - her nose and her mouth.

This is an amazing picture of her with her mouth open. She might be yawning or she might be trying to say something - she is our daughter after all :-). During the ultrasound, she opened her mouth a few different times. It was just so cool to see her in action. You can also see the bones in her mouth. And her big round belly is so cute.

This is the "talk to the hand" picture. You can clearly see the bones in her hand and arm.

Here's the proof that she's a girl. This is the crotch shot looking straight up, her left leg is on top and her right leg is on bottom. The little blob to the left is likely her head.

This was probably the last ultrasound we are going to have, so we won't get to see anymore of her until she's born. Joe and I are already so excited to meet her. Luckily, times goes fast and we definitely don't want her to come too early, so I guess we'll just have to be patient.

Bump Watch

This is week 19 and as you can see I am getting bigger, and I'm just about at the midway point of my pregnancy.

Update

So, I think I felt her move yesterday. I was having these twinges on the right side of my belly and I'm pretty sure that was her kicking. During the ultrasound, we saw that she was in a breech position, with her head on the left side and her feet on the right. So, I think the twinges I was feeling on the right were her, which is exciting.

One other thing about the ultrasound that I didn't mention in my other post was that they were also able to see the blood flowing through the umbilical cord, which showed up as different colors showing the direction that the blood was flowing. It was pretty cool.

Looking at the new ultrasound pictures against the ones we had from January, you can really see how much she has developed and you can see how the shape of her head has changed. In one of the new pictures, her spine is clearly visible. All of her bones were clearly visible as they were doing the ultrasound. It is amazing how much detail you are able to see.

I'm starting to show a lot more and there's no doubt now that I am pregnant. I am still feeling good. Sleeping is a bit of an issue since I wake up like twice a night to go to the bathroom and I can only sleep on my side. I like to also sleep on my back and even my stomach sometimes, so having to only stay on my side is a little bit of an issue, but what can you do. Overall, everything is good. Joe and I are just very excited and are getting anxious to meet our daughter. We're sure the next four months will go by pretty quickly.

It's a........

GIRL!!

We had our ultrasound appointment today and it was confirmed that we are having a girl. We are so happy and excited that we are having a daughter. I had thought from the beginning that it was a girl, so it is validating to know that my intuition was right. We got some good shots of our little girl, which I will scan and post early next week. During the ultrasound, we saw her move around quite a bit and she yawned and kicked and moved her hands around. We also got to see her heart beating, which was really cool - the four chambers were clearly visible. In the two ultrasounds we've had, she has been really active. I'm still not able to feel her move yet, but should in the next couple of weeks, but at least I know she's moving a lot.

This is the beginning of week 19, so we are almost at the halfway points, which is hard to believe.

Stay tuned for pictures.

Bump Watch

It's week 18?! Can you believe it? It's crazy to think that I am already in my 5th month. Time is moving right along.

I haven't posted in a little while because there hasn't been anything new to report. Overall, I have been feeling pretty good. I am starting to show more, and this weekend realized that I need more clothes. I thought I had bought enough, but I could use some more.

On Friday we find out the gender, which we are really excited about and looking forward to. Hopefully we'll get some more good pictures of the baby to post. I think once we find out the gender it will help us to really connect and bond with the baby and allow us to think about it in real instead of abstract terms. Stay tuned for Friday.

CenteringPregnancy

We had our first CenteringPregnancy group today and it was a really positive experience. It went from 9-11am, and we had to get there a little early since it was the first meeting. It was held in a large room with an exam room off to the side. There was a table with some snacks and a water cooler. There was salsa music playing, which set a good and uplifting tone. A table was set up with a blood pressure cuff that went on your wrist and there was a scale along the wall. The first 30 minutes of each meeting, we take our blood pressure and our weight and write that down in our chart. Our charts are on the table with the blood pressure cuff. One by one we went into the exam room with the midwife and she did a little check up. Today she listened to the baby's heartbeat, which sounded good. We were able to clearly hear it, which was cool. For each subsequent meeting, that is the process and it takes up the first 30 minutes. We were given a tote bag with a binder in it that had a lot of different information and things for us to fill out regarding how we feel about various issues related to the pregnancy and the baby - we have to bring that with us to every group. There were 8 women including me and all but one had their husband with them. Interestingly, the one who came solo was also the only one who already had a child. For the rest of us, this is our first.

The group is led by the nurse midwife and a nurse. The nurse was the one who got everyone situated and who explained the process for the group meetings. After the exam and the check in, we all sat down in chairs that were set up in a circle. Instead of introducing ourselves, we had to speak to the person next to us (not our husband) and find out a little about each other and then introduce that person. That turned out to be a good ice breaker. Then we started a discussion about what our expectations were for the group. It took people a little bit to get warmed up, but once that happened, people were fairly talkative. We then talked about nutrition and how we were all feeling. I would say that we were all roughly in the same age bracket - I think everyone was probably somewhere in their 30s. Each week we will talk about something different, though we are always able to discuss how we are feeling or if there is anything going on that we want to share with the group.

I did find out that I am not guaranteed a midwife when I deliver because they are not on call 24/7 at UCSF, which is something that I was not told before. I am a little disturbed about that since I really do not want an MD or a man delivering my baby - I want a midwife. I spoke to the nurse midwife about this a bit and she referred me to a couple of doulas, which are birthing assistants. I had been thinking about hiring a doula, but hadn't been totally sure if it was necessary, but now feel that it is. Joe andI still have some time to discuss it and find the right person.

We were both really happy with the group today and I'm glad that we started this program. I think it will be a really good experience and it will be nice to go through this journey with this group of people. The next group is March 26th.

Bump Watch

This is the start of week 16, and I'm still feeling good. This week starts the CenteringPregnancy program and our first appointment is Thursday morning, which I'm looking forward to. I'll have more to report Thursday after the appointment.

Update

Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. I have been feeling tired lately, but I think that's because I'm getting up at least once a night to pee and then it takes me a little while to fall back asleep, so that is of course interrupting my sleep.

My belly is getting bigger and I think I finally look like I have a pregnant belly and not a beer belly. The last couple of days I have been having twinges in my lower abdomen, which I think is my uterus stretching. There is a lot of growth happening in these next few weeks, so it makes sense and my pregnancy books have talked about that. Next week is week 16 and from week 16-20 is when I should start feeling the baby move, which is exciting. The books say that you'll probably feel something for a few days before you realize that that's what you're feeling. I guess if you've never felt it, you don't really know what it is.

Today I signed us up for some prenatal classes - a breastfeeding class, a parenting class, and a birthing class. We'll also do a tour of the birth center at the hospital in July. The first class (breastfeeding) starts in April, so we still have some time. Close to the due date we are also going to do a baby CPR class and once the baby is born, we are going to do a baby massage class - we can bring the baby with us to that one.

Here are the class descriptions:

Breastfeeding
Learn about breast physiology, milk production, let-down, latch-on and positioning. This class teaches participants how to overcome breastfeeding challenges, problem solve and how to establish a successful breastfeeding relationship right from the start.

Surviving the First Two Weeks With a New Baby: Basic Baby Care
This class offers basic survival techniques to care for your newborn and emphasizes postpartum care for mom. Learn about newborn characteristics, infant milestones, bathing, hygiene, diapers, diapering, crying, comforting, sleep and recognizing the signs of illness. Great for first-time parents.

Childbirth Preparation: Birth Alternatives
This class addresses the needs and interests of women who wish to have an intimate, fully involved birth experience. The four-week series covers the basic childbirth preparation content with an added emphasis on natural delivery and making choices in response to the birth process. Labor support techniques and comfort measures from home birth and other cultures are emphasized. Classes are a 4-week series.

Bump Watch

This is the start of week 15 and its hard to tell a big difference from last week as far as the bump. It will be cool after several weeks have gone by to really see the progression.

All is well since Friday and nothing new has really happened.