25 weeks was a milestone for me for some reason. I guess when this whole things started I couldn't believe I would some day be 25 weeks pregnant. So I'm excited about my 25th week of pregnancy. Now I'm only 2 weeks from my 3rd trimester which is CRAZY! My 2nd trimester went by really fast, unlike my first. It has definitely been the most fun. I'm bracing myself for 3rd trimester. It's the 3rd trimester that can make or break any fun pregnancy. Even the happiest pregnant woman in the world can be brought down by the 3rd trimester. I, however, am planning on taking each day with a spoon full of love and reminders of how grateful I am to be able to experience a healthy pregnancy. Hopefully this will get me through the sleepless nights and the aching vagina -- which are sure to come. It has been suggested that this will most likely not be the case and I will be cursing God for having put me in this capsule of discomfort. But we'll come back to this topic in 10 weeks and do a fair analysis.
My comments today are in Red.
How your baby is growing:
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. I really hope I have a fat baby. Actually, I really hope I have an expandable baby. A slender baby at delivery (like the size of a quarter, so it slides right out) but then when it hits oxygen it expands in to a nice chunky baby with fat rolls and chubby fists. You know -like those toys that grow in water??? As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. What color hair? I'm thinking light brown. Something between mine and Eric's.
How your life's changing
Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. I've not really noticed. I've always had thick hair so it doesn't seem much different now...It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth. Eric is going to freak out! I already hear about how much hair he pulls from the shower drain! I'm sure this will be a big cause for one of Eric's famous rants. Nothing makes me laugh harder!
You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. You can say that again! I fell over trying to put my bathrobe on the other day. I smacked right in to the wall. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. I have shortness of breath when I walk down the hall. This kid has hijacked my lung capacity! Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.
When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks Yuck!, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement. Oh I really don't want this. I think Iron is the culprit for major constipation. I'm fine thanks. I don't need anymore of that.
Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Yep! We're done! Click here to see our names. Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Atticus, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.
