Vacation in Lake George

This past weekend (Oct. 23-26) Aaron and I took a much need vacation in Lake George. Now seemed like a good time to get away and relax at one of my favorite a family vacation spot. Even the pregnancy websites said that now was a great time for a vacation during this point in the pregnancy! The weather was nice (for the most part) and the Fall leaves were beautiful. We did lots od shopping in the village and at the outlets, played mini golf and saw a great comedy show. All in all, we had a great time =)

 

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21 Weeks Pregnant

A little late, had a busy work week, but that's a good thing!

Fetal Development This Week

 

Baby's Taste Buds Develop

At about seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight, your baby is about the size of a large banana. There's still a great deal of room in your womb — though your tenant will soon begin to feel cramped, so be prepared!

At about seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight, your baby is about the size of a large banana.
 
By 21 weeks pregnant, your baby swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day —  not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practice swallowing and digesting — skills your baby will need as soon as he or she arrives in your arms. And keep this in mind: The taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what you've eaten (spicy enchilada one day, sweet carrots another). And that smorgasbord of tastes won't be lost on your baby. That's because your little one has very developed taste buds already. In fact, researchers have noted that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero via the amniotic fluid were more eager to eat foods with that same taste after birth. Want your baby to eat his or her broccoli later?  Eat yours now!
 
Your developing baby still has a great deal of room in your womb — though like anyone who lives in one space for a long time, this tenant will soon begin to feel cramped. Until those uterine walls start closing in, however, there's plenty of space for twisting, turning, and even an occasional somersault (so that's what you were feeling last night!). 
With all that belly dancing going on, it's hard to believe your baby gets any sleep at all. But believe it or not, your fetus sleeps as much as a newborn, perhaps 12 to 14 hours per day! (Now if only you could get some sleep!)

What is happenning now?

You are now 21 weeks pregnant (the beginning of week 22).

Your baby is around 10 inches and weighs about 1 pound.

Most women have definitely felt their baby move inside them by now, although the sensations may still be sporadic and infrequent. A few women are still waiting!

Your baby's skin is being increasingly covered by vernix. This is a thick, white, greasy cream that protects their skin in their watery environment. Vernix disappears by about 40 weeks, but if your baby is born at 39 weeks or less, you will notice it is still on their skin. Your baby's eyelids are still fused shut but the retinas of their eyes are fully developed and they now have distinct eyelashes and eyebrows. Your baby's hair follicles are now pigmenting to give them hair colour, looking dark, fair or red!

Physical Changes

After about 20 weeks of pregnancy many women experience Braxton Hicks contractions. These are practise contractions of the uterus, also known as tightenings. Braxton-Hicks contractions tone the uterine muscles as well as physically stimulating your unborn baby. Every time your baby feels the uterus tightening around them, it is similar to a massage!

Women often describe Braxton-Hicks contractions as a hardness or mild cramping of their belly. Some women liken it to a tight band being pulled across their uterus, which usually eases if they change position or what they are doing. Most women find Braxton Hicks contractions painless and many women are not even aware they are happening, perhaps until their caregiver points one out to them while feeling their belly at a pregnancy visit. However, Braxton Hicks contractions can feel quite strong and painful for a few women, even labor-like, especially if this is not their first baby.

20 Weeks Pregnant: Half Way There!

What is happening now?

You are now 20 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 21.

Your baby measures around 9 inches in length from head to toe and weighs approximately 14.8 ounces.

Week 20 is seen as the half-way point of the pregnancy and the time when your baby is legally regarded as a person if born (issued with a birth certificate in Australia). However, babies born between 20 and 24 weeks are medically regarded as extremely premature and unlikely to survive. With access to modern medical technology, a premature baby's chances of survival are greatly enhanced if born after 28 weeks.

Your baby's nails are now formed and their fingerprints are visibly engraved in their fine skin. Their permanent teeth now appear behind their baby teeth deep within their gums.

Physical Changes

Pregnant belly. If you lie down, you should be able to feel the top of your uterus (or fundus) around the level of your belly button now. Your caregiver may start using a measuring tape during visits to measure your fundal height, but this is not essential. You can read more about this here.

Baby kicking. Many women feel their unborn baby move for the first time around 20 weeks (sometimes earlier). Luckily earlier for me :) However, if your placenta is in an anterior position (implanted at the front of your uterus closest to your belly), this can reduce the sensations and delay you feeling your baby until 22 weeks or later. Doctor was able to tell me my placenta is in a perfect position towards the back Your partner and others will not be able to sense your baby moving by touching your belly until about 2 to 4 weeks after you do. Bear in mind this is a general guide and the timing may be longer, especially if the woman is sensing her baby move before 20 weeks. Have felt baby from outside, interesting to know Aaron probably wouldn't feel it yet

Did you know? The medical term for when a woman feels her unborn baby move is called quickening and before the invention of modern pregnancy tests it was generally the first physical sign that confirmed a viable pregnancy.

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IT'S A BOY!!! 2nd Trimester Ultrasound

Today was the big day! Finally, I got to see my baby actually look like a baby since the last ultrasound was only at 6 weeks and was just a little peanut. I of course was nervous, hoping all the limps and organs would be there. Not only did the baby look good, he was absolutely perfect! :) Everything on the ultrasound looked great, all arms and legs, kidneys and brain! The heartbeat was a beautiful 153 bpm and weighs about 11 ounces. By the end I made sure to tell the tech we wanted to know the gender, so she showed us what she described as a turtle, which it does look just like!! lol We're so happy to have a little boy come into our lives... Nathan Shea Napolitano.



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I saw my doctor afterward and she check the heartbeat, which still sounded great and heard a few kicks. :) He is definitely an active little guy. I feel him a few times everyday, and saw him jumping around on the ultrasound. We are so happy and grateful with this blessing. And now comes the fun part... picking out everything for the registry and eventually getting the nursery set up, which I just can not wait for!!!

It's a boy! Notice the "turtle" or "seahorse"

 

Profile, Aaron thinks it looks just like his, which it does! lol

  

The cute little feet and tush

The face straight on

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19 Weeks Pregnant

Vernix Develops

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango and is now covered in a protective substance called vernix. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone.

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango.
 
Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves at 19 weeks pregnant. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now. 

Something else going on this week: Your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. Say what? Yup — a protective substance called vernix caseosa (vernix is the Latin word for varnish; caseosa is cheese) now covers your baby's skin. It's greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (that downy hair), oil from your baby's glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy "cheese" may not sound too appetizing or attractive, but it's there for good reason: Vernix protects your baby's sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you'd look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies — especially those born early — will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby's first anti-wrinkle cream.

What is happenning now? You are now 19 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 20. Your baby now measures about 22 cm from head to toe (8.8 inches) and weighs about 340 grams (12 ounces). The bones in your baby's inner ear and their nerve endings are now developed to the point where it is possible for them to hear sounds (although their ears are not structurally complete until 24 weeks). Studies carried out on the reactions of unborn babies to sound have shown that a few babies start responding to noise as early as 19 weeks, but by 26 weeks all babies respond. The sounds an unborn baby can hear include your heartbeat and breathing, the wind sounds from your intestines and the sound of your voice, as well as other sounds around you. It is thought that if a pregnant woman is constantly exposed to very loud noises, this may have an adverse effect on her baby's hearing.

	Physical changes Aches and pains. Many women experience sharp groin pains during the middle of their pregnancy. These are usually caused by straining the round ligaments that support the growing uterus. Walking, sudden movements, coughing, sneezing or exercise such as swimming can trigger pains. You can read more about stitch pains here.

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18 Weeks Pregnant - More of What's Happening

For the skill of the week (drum roll please…): The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby (someone's sleepy!).  In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you're getting an ultrasound this month. You'll also catch a glimpse of all the fetal movement your baby's doing — twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. And would you believe your baby is finally big enough for you to start feeling those movements now (or anytime in the next few weeks). So get ready!
Something you won't see on the ultrasound, but you'll know is in working order, is your baby's nervous system, which is maturing rapidly at this time.  Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin (which speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell), are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup  — a skill that your baby has by now).

18 Weeks Pregnant

What is happenning now?

You are now 18 weeks pregnant, which is beginning of week 19.

Your baby is now 7.9 inches from head to toe and weighs approximately 11 ounces.

Your baby has a fine layer of hair covering their body called lanugo. This helps protect their skin and is only shed a few weeks before they are due to be born. A few babies are born with lanugo, which falls out during the early weeks of life.

You may be booked to have a routine ultrasound soon. This test aims to detect obvious physical abnormalities in an unborn baby and is usually timed for around 19 weeks. Unborn babies need to be at least 18 to 20 weeks gestation for the ultrasonographer to clearly see the normal physical structures of their body, including their heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and spine. An experienced ultrasonographer may even be able to tell if your baby is a girl or a boy, although this is not always 100% accurate!

Ultrasound in one week -- October 13th! :)

Physical Changes

Baby kicking? A few women sense their unborn baby's movements quite early in their pregnancy (12 to 16 weeks). <--- I have! :) Others don't feel anything distinctive until 23 to 25 weeks. The timing of when you feel your baby first move is very individual, but it usually happens between 18 to 22 weeks.

The sense of your baby's first movements may be difficult to distinguish, especially if this is your first pregnancy. A question commonly asked is, "Is that my baby moving or just wind?" Many women describe their first sensations as a faint, fluttering feeling (like butterflies) or like small bubbles popping in their belly. <--- Exactly! Others describe a scratching internal feeling (especially if it is felt very early in the pregnancy). One woman described hers as a similar feeling to when your muscles involuntarily twitch, but coming from inside her belly! Generally, after 2 or 3 weeks of infrequent and sporadic sensations, the feelings become stronger and resemble more definite kicks. Before long it becomes very obvious they could be nothing else but your little one wriggling around!

Weight gain. Many women put on most of their weight during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, or only gain a few kilograms up until 12 to 16 weeks of pregnancy, then experience a growth spurt during the middle of their pregnancy. You can read more about weight gain during pregnancy here.

4 Months Pregnant Belly