Week 19 – All Maternity Now

I must have been bragging too much about how great I’m feeling is because I woke up Tues morning with the worst backache. Breathing is painful and wrought with back spasms. I think it was caused by loosening ligaments, weight gain and doing lots of housework (I went on a cleaning spree the previous evening). Yikes! Fortunately, I felt much better the next day.

I’m almost completely in maternity clothes now. On Wed morning, I put my last pair of normal pants only to discover that it wasn’t going to happen (last week they fit fine). Over the weekend, I spent $60 dollars on maternity clothes…now I’m fashionably pregnant.

Week 18: Seabiscuit

I went to my third doc appointment. It isn't much different than the second, except I meet with a midwife for the first time. Good news: As of now, I'm a perfect candidate for a midwife birth. We listen to the Newbie's heartbeat again, it sounds strong as a horse and Dave starts calling the baby Seabiscuit. Later in the week I am given a blood test to determine if the baby has the potential for any birth defects (Downs, Spinal Bifida, A fancy name for No Brain, etc..). We should get the results in a few weeks...

Finally, I think I felt the baby for the first time. On Sat night, I felt a hard thump on my side, like a head butt. It was so strong it woke me up from a sound sleep. I didn't mind, since I've been anxiously awaiting this moment. Can't wait until I feel another movement.

Weeks 15-17: Some Changes Here and There

Each week I notice my belly expanding. I've had some minor physical ailments, such as: occasional backaches, a patch of numbness above my right knee and heartburn. To my knowledge, I've never had heartburn before. So I invested in some Tums and that has done the trick. All in all though, I feel terrific. I'm still jogging (although I walk much more than jog) and I'm still lifting weights at the gym.

I've developed an addiction to fruit juice and smoothies. It actually started in November with Orange Juice, progressed to Odwalla juices and has grown to include all types of fruit smoothies. I salivate whenever I pass a Jamba Juice.

I don't look pregnant at this time...I just look fat. I don't mind though...cuz I know why I look fat.