When I was pregnant with Shane, I wasn’t yet a blogger. I was still in school full-time and working full-time, and I was an active sorority member—so it’s no surprise I remember very little about that pregnancy. I do recall mild daily nausea without ever getting sick, and the tiny fluttery movements and kicks. But I don’t remember the day-to-day thoughts or many details beyond the basics.
This time I’m determined to document everything, since this will be our last pregnancy. I’ve decided to post weekly updates. I always enjoy reading these on other blogs, so I hope you don’t mind. If you’re currently expecting and write similar updates, please leave a link in the comments so I can visit yours!
How Far Along: 10 weeks today!
Due Date: February 6, 2014
Boy or girl: No idea yet. Not even a gut feeling to go off of.
Baby’s Development:
Your baby has now completed the most critical portion of development. This marks the start of the fetal period, when tissues and organs grow and mature quickly.
He’s swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now producing red blood cells instead of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and beginning to function, though they will continue to develop throughout pregnancy.
If you could peek inside your womb, you’d notice fine details: tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and soft peach-fuzz hair starting to appear on tender skin.
Other developments: the limbs can bend now. Hands are flexed at the wrist and often meet over the chest, and feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body. The spine is visible under translucent skin, and spinal nerves are starting to extend from the spinal cord. The forehead temporarily bulges with the developing brain and sits high on the head, which measures about half the length of the body. From crown to rump, the baby is roughly 1 1/4 inches long and will nearly double in size in the coming weeks.
{From BabyCenter.com}
Movement:
Not yet. I was excited to learn you can sometimes feel babies sooner after your first pregnancy, so I’m hopeful that will be true for us.
Bump Picture:
{Yes, I feel at least as tired as I look.}
Symptoms:
This pregnancy has been much tougher so far. Around 5 1/2 weeks I started getting very sick; with Shane I had constant nausea but never actually vomited. This time I can’t go a day without it. My doctor gave me medication this week that has helped a little, and I’m hoping it continues to improve.
I’ve also had persistent headaches I didn’t realize were pregnancy-related. Tylenol hasn’t helped much, and since it’s the strongest safe option for me, I’ve been managing the pain as best I can.
Weight Gain:
No noticeable gain on the scale yet. I’m surprised, since when I can eat it’s usually crackers or similarly bland foods— not the healthiest, but the only things that stay down. Even without scale changes, I can feel differences in my body in the right spots.
Cravings:
No steady cravings. I get sudden intense urges—“I need that right now!”—but they’re often followed by the thought that any food might make me sick, so it hasn’t been a big issue.
Food aversions:
Most foods at the moment.
What made me cry this week:
I can’t think of anything from this week that brought me to tears.
Medical Stuff/Appointments:
I had my first OB visit this week. I was excited but nervous because I plan to attempt a VBAC and chose one of the few doctors in Vegas who supports them and accepts my insurance. I knew I might be stuck with him because of that, so I’m relieved to say I like him. He was great with Shane (who attended the visit with Justin) and supportive of my decision to try for a VBAC. He also reassured me about the plan if he’s not available at the time of delivery—my opportunity won’t be lost even if he’s busy.
At the appointment we heard the heartbeat—an amazing 168 beats per minute—and got our first ultrasound image:
{Baby’s bottom is in the top left corner, with the head in the bottom right; those are little feet on the left!}
Baby measured exactly in line with the due date I’d been using, which was a relief.
Something I am excited about:
I desperately need a maternity clothes shopping trip. I’m excited to find more comfortable clothes—and I’ve noticed how much cuter maternity styles are now compared to four years ago, so shopping should be fun.
Something I am not so excited about:
I’m likely to have at least two more weeks of this nausea. I’m ready for this phase to be over.
Read more on my pregnancy:
Pregnancy Announcement
If you’re currently expecting, leave a link to your latest update in the comments so I can read it! {Be sure to check out Trista’s update post on Anderson’s Angels!}
