24 weeks!

It's taken me a while to start this blog, but it's finally here....and I'll hopefully get the hang of all this by the time Baby Girl arrives.  Since we have so much family and many friends far away, I thought this was the best way to keep everyone updated. Yes, for now, she is just Baby Girl.  Andrew and I know her name and we call her it all the time, but we're keeping this one just for us.  Sorry, Moms and Grandmas.

I can't believe that I'm 6 mos pregnant.  I'm finally starting to look pregnant instead of looking like I went out for one too many beers the night before.  I'm not sure I'll ever get used to stangers staring at my belly. Women look at it and smile, but most men look at it in horror.  It's actually quite funny to watch.  The lady at the drycleaners freaked me out and asked me when my "girl" was due.  She said she could tell by the way I was carrying. 


For those of you who don't know, 24 weeks is a big deal because it's the point when most doctors consider the baby viable outside of the womb.  I've had this huge fear of going into preterm labor, so it's a little lessoned now knowing that Baby Girl would have a fighting chance if something were to happen.


From my weekly email:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How far along?: 24w1day
How big is baby?: The size of a papaya or just over a foot long!
Weight gain/loss?: 20 lbs.
Stretch marks?: None, thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: Yes please. I’m also done with the demi pants…I need the full panel for comfort.
Sleep?: Some nights are great, others not so much.  I’m  having the most bizarre dreams ever.  Here's just a glimpse into wierd pregnancy dreams: two nights ago, I had a dream I was breastfeeding Rufus (the 4lb chihuahua).
Food cravings?:  I’m eating about 4 pints of strawberries a week.  Can’t get enough, but I  figure it’s a lot better than 4 boxes of cookies.
Gender?: Baby Girl!
Movement?: Consistent and all over the place! I can't tell her positioning, but I feel a lot more movement lower than higher.  Hope she is not breech!  My friend Colleen and I went to go see Phantom of the Opera last weekend.  Let’s just say that I think she is going to be a dancer, just like her mama.

Belly button?: More and more shallow every day.
What are you looking forward to this week?: The return of nice weather and painting the nursery wall.  Amethyst Cream by Benjamin Moore.

Notables:

This might be TMI, but in an effort to be transparent about the pregnancy and since I'll likely be blogging a lot about breastfeeding when the time comes - here it goes:

I have started producing colostrum already.  That's the stuff baby girl will feed on until my milk comes in about 3 days after birth.  I'm super excited about this, because as most of you know, I had a breast reduction when I was 18.  I didn't care about being able to breastfeed then, but now I want it more than anything.  It's not enough for me to need a breast pad or anything, but a great sign that things are working properly.

We hired our doula last week and we’re gearing up for my attempted pain med-free, natural birth.  I’ll be laboring at home as long as possible.  Andrew is reading a birth partner book and now knows more about it than I do.  A friend of ours is due in a few weeks and I caught him last night asking her husband if she was feeling any BH contractions.  He is such an amazing guy and I am so lucky.

Our next Dr. appt is Wednesday the 13^th.  We’re having an ultrasound since this is my new doctor after moving back from Florida.  I’m still not 100% convinced I want to go with this practice.  I have a lot of questions for her about her view of natural childbirth, and if I don’t like the answers on Wednesday, we’ll probably be switching to a midwife.