Week 15 - Apple

From Babycenter.com

My Comments are in red!

How Your Baby's Growing

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. I thought this was neat. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.") As you probably already know we're not finding out the sex of our baby. Besides, it's never too early to start learning the art of "hiding the goods". It will be something I will insist on later in life.

How your life's changing:

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now I don't know, I don't do scales. (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then I still get pretty tired. If I could I'd be in bed by 8pm every night. If your nose is stuffed up it is, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose. I've never in my life had a true "nose bleed" but I've had some blood in my nasal passages lately which is just gross. On top of that my snoring is out of control. Eric has had to sleep in another room from time to time. That's sad but temporary I hope.

If you're having amniocentesis I'm not. At least I'm not scheduled for one, it'll most likely happen between now and 18 weeks. This test can identify hundreds of genetic and chromosomal disorders. If you're getting very anxious while waiting for the results, it may help to know that most women who undergo amniocentesis get good news about their babies — bringing welcome relief from their worries.

Don't be surprised if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. I'm really not stressed out. Eric might be but he's holding it in well. We did talk last night about how for him time seems to be flying. The 25 remaining weeks in the pregnancy doesn't seem long enough for him. For me this whole thing is taking way too long! Many pregnant couples worry about their baby's health and how they'll handle the changes ahead. But with physical discomforts on the wane and energy on the rise, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women.

Overall I feel great. I would say I'm more tired than I was before I was pregnant but not nearly as tired as I was during my first trimester. A nice happy medium. I haven't really noticed my appetite changing although I do still LOVE fruit. (There are 3 plums and 2 nectarines sitting right here on my desk saying, "eat me! eat me!" actually.)