Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Child Care is the Devil

During the last couple days I have started checking into child care centers. It still seems really early to me, but I don't want to be left someplace I don't want to be, especially when I've worked in child care and know how difficult it can be to find a good place for infants since centers can generally have fewer infants than they can toddlers and preschoolers. So far it's already been frustrating and I'm not sure what my next steps should be. I've only been contacting places that have a website so I can have some knowledge of them before I bother contacting them. I found one place that I was really impressed with, plus was the cheapest place I've found so far, but it doesn't look like she will have openings when I need them. Other than that I have only found a few places that I am not really that impressed with, or places that seem nice but are super expensive. I'm sure everything will turn out for the best, but at this point I'm just extremely frustrated. UGH!

Week 12-- Developments and Changes

So apparently this week is the week that I am supposed to start "glowing." This is due to an increased blood supply. That's about the only change I should experience, but the baby has a lot more going on, so let's check in.

The baby should be 2.5 inches long and weigh approximately 0.3 to 0.5 ounces.
Fetal developments that usually occur during week 12 include the following:
  • A skeleton of cartilage is forming
  • The gallbladder secretes bile from the fetus
  • The lungs are completely formed
  • The thyroid gland and pancreas are now complete
  • The liver is functioning to make blood cells
  • The liver accounts for about 10 percent of the entire weight of the fetus
  • The baby's first urine is made and eliminated into the amniotic sac
  • The baby's intestines can now fit into his/her abdomen instead of stretching into the umbilical cord.
Also, the fetal muscles are sufficiently developed to allow spontaneous twitches, so if you touch it's forehead it will turn it's head away. So before too long the baby should start wiggling around all by him/herself. Yay!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Week 11 -- Developments and Changes

Week 11 marks another big step on the baby development, because it is the week that the baby switches from "embryo" to "fetus". I'm sure no one is as excited about that as I am. The baby should grow very quickly this week and will be approximately 2 inches long.

At week 11 there aren't a lot of developments, mostly because all of the major systems have already been developed, however, there are a few of them:
  • The eyelids have fused and will stay that way until week 24
  • The external genitals move outside of the body
  • The hair follicles of the skin are forming
  • Teeth are beginning to form.
I've been told that most women will actually gain weight (usually about 4-5 pounds) by this point in their pregnancy, however, I have actually lost about 5 pounds in the last month. Usually this only occurs in women with really bad morning sickness, but since I have had none, it is most likely because I'm watching my diet better, and having the baby suck all of the nutrients from me. So that's what's happening this week...not to mention that we're out of the "danger" zone for the baby, so I am MUCH less concerned about the day to day monitoring. Yay!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Doctor's Visit #2

Today we had our second doctor appointment and it went off without a hitch, for the most part. I found out that I am O+ for blood type, and that all of my other tests came back great. The only "bad" thing I guess is that I have poison ivy and am SUPER itchy all over. The doctor gave me a prescription though so hopefully that should help out. Other than that, the BEST part of the visit was that we got to hear the baby's heart beat. It was amazing!! It was so reassuring to hear that and know that this is actually happening. Since I'm not sick or anything (Believe me, that's not a complaint) it's really hard to "feel" pregnant, so this helped make it more real for me. Week 11 starts tomorrow so we'll have another update then.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Week 10 - Changes and Development

Ten weeks is finally here, which means we're 1/4 of the way through this process! WOOHOO! So far no morning sickness (only slight nausea). My biggest complaint is that I'm hungry all the time at the moment, but I suppose it could be much worse.

During week 10, my baby is starting the process of becoming a genius, by developing 250,000 neurons every minute!! Peanut is also 1.25 to 1.68 inches long and weighs approximately 0.18 ounces (which is about equal to the weight of a quarter). Week 10 is supposed to be a big milestone because nearly all of the body plan for the baby has been laid out and most things are present--it's just all in miniature form still.

Here are some more developments for this week:

  • The baby's eyelids are no longer transparent
  • The outer ears start to assume their final form
  • Tooth buds begin to form
  • Your baby will have fully separated fingers and toes
  • The embryonic tail will have disappeared completely
  • The bones of your baby's skeleton will have begun to form
  • The eyes have moved from the sides of the head closer to the front of the face
  • The palate and the roof of the mouth form
  • The stomach moves into its final position
  • Taste buds begin to form
  • Neck muscles are forming
  • The clitoris appears in females, and the ovaries begin to descend
  • The testes will start producing the male hormone testosterone in males
  • The two lobes of the lungs extend into many tiny tubes (bronchioles)
  • The diaphragm begins to separate the heart and lungs from the stomach.
So that's what we can expect throughout the next week! We also have our next Doctor's appointment on Monday, August 18. Hopefully everything goes well there and I will be able to give you an update after that!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Week 9 -- Developments and Changes

It's that time again folks. Time to review the changes and developments that will be happening to the tiny life that is being formed. So, without further ado:
  • Nipple and hair follicles begin to form
  • The abdomen and chest cavities become separate
  • Eye muscles and upper lip develop
  • First fetal movements can be detected using an ultrasound
  • The nerve cells of the retinas form in the eyes
  • The semicircular canals of the ears form
  • The nasal passages open to the outside
  • The nerve connections from the retina to the brain are established
  • A distinct neck connects the head to the body
  • All fingers and toes are present
  • The urinary and rectal passages are completely separate
  • The intestines start to move out of the umbilical cord and into the abdomen.
Also, the baby is now about 1 inch long and weighs about one-eighth of an ounce (which is about equal to the weight of a paper clip). The tail at the bottom of the baby's spinal cord is shrinking, and the head is now nearly half the size of its entire body. Seth is sad that the baby is losing the tail this week. I think he was secretly hoping for a monkey...or at least a baby with a tail.

At least week 8 went much faster than week 7. Let's hope the rest of the weeks to come follow that trend.