The Two-Week Plan...

Doc Marcus announced I am finally on the two-week plan ~~ doc appointments every other week. Then - after 2 more appointments - I'll be making a trip to see him once a week! Should be fun! No exciting news to tell except that everything is going VERY well - we are both VERY healthy and Marcus didn't seem too worried about anything - including my weight! I was SURE I was going to get a scolding this time. Thank Goodness! I probably would have just drowned the office in tears :)

What's going on with Parker:

By now, Parker weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama - here is a picture of one in case you had never heard of it - which I never had!) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. Mommy is gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

What's going on with mommy:

To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath (this explains why I can't even talk on the phone without getting winded!) and heartburn (UM HELLO - THIS IS AWFUL! IF I DON'T CONSUME AT LEAST 3 TUMS BEFORE BED, I AM UP ALL NIGHT!). To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often (THIS LATTER ONE IS NOT AN OPTION..).You may have lower-back pain (HELLO - i asked my doc about this and he just said that Parker is probably sitting on my tail bone and there isn't anything I can do about it.... lovely) as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor. Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods (does sitting in my office chair for 9 hours a day count?), roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.