23 weeks, 120 more days to go (give or take a few). I don’t have any really fun new photos this week so I thought it might be good to put a photo from one of the pregnancy websites I read.
Baby Size: CLL is about 11.5 inches long and a full pound at least! Food comparison this week is a large mango.
Fun Facts: CLL now has a clear sense of movement-aka I’d better get interested in some dancing or at least some serious moving around! The baby can now hear loud noises. S/he will likely already be used to dogs barking since I’m at the dog run almost every day and will hopefully hear the music I’ve been playing while I work during the day. In last weeks post I wrote about how I was starting to notice my belly actually moving when the baby was kicking/moving and sure enough this is about the time that I would be able to see some movements. I was actually feeling some pretty clear kicks (I think) and so I started poking around where I was feeling and the baby would kick back! It was almost as if I was interacting with him/her already. It was funny.
How I’m Feeling:Luckily I am still feeling great for the most part. The only new symptom I have been having is what I think is round ligament pain. It’s been happening around mid-morning for the past few days and a lot of times when I find myself headed to the gym and then into a good portion of my workout.The round ligaments are what surround your uterus in your pelvis. As my uterus grows during pregnancy, the ligaments will stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. From what I’ve read, the pain should be short lasting but lately I’ve been feeling them off and on for about 15/20 minutes and then slightly achy after for a while. I am going to keep an eye on it and definitely talk to my doctor about it at my next appointment.
I have been trying to keep on top of my baby reading, although I did take a short break to read the 50 Shades trilogy. I’m back on baby books now and I thought I’d share what books I’ve been reading and some that are on my list to read.
The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy was given to me by my friend Caitlyn and I had also bought it for myself. It was a quick and easy read. It was the first book I read when I found out I was pregnant and I found it to be a gentle introduction to pregnancy without being too technical or scary. I highly recommend it!
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth has been a very informative read. Although it is a bit one-sided in its views, I have found it to be inspirational. M and I are hoping for a natural birth and reading the stories in the book have given me faith that I too will be able to attempt what my body was made to do.
The Natural Hospital Birth has been very helpful to me in planning our own hospital birth. It gives great tips on the process of planning to have a natural birth at a hospital. The book even gives sample birth plans, which I used to help create my birth wish list.
The Happiest Baby on the Block was given to me by a friend and I’m so excited to read it. I’ve heard amazing things and I will definitely report back after I’ve finished it. There is also a DVD to go with it, which I will watch with Mach.
I am making my way through The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding but not quite finished. I want to read it to closer to the birth so I can have the tips fresh on my mind for when the baby arrives. It’s a big book with lots of great tips, advice and recommendations for breast-feeding. I have heard stories about woman having a very difficult time with it and other stories that the baby has latched on right away and it was a breeze. I want to be prepared either way!
This past weekend Mach and I spent Friday night with some yummy takeout food and a movie. The movie was The Business of Being Born. I had heard amazing things about it and it truly was eye-opening in a lot of ways. Mach and I have already made a decision about our path for labor and delivery and we know things can change at any time due tounforeseencircumstances, but this movie just solidified our decision to try to have as natural a birth for our baby as possible. I’d encourage everyone to watch this movie no matter what kind of birth you’ve had/are planning to have. It’s just an interesting documentary about the business behind it all.