Wow, how time sure does fly! I attended my 3rd prenatal appointment this week and checked out like a champ. Aside from awaiting the blood results to check my thyroid levels (which come back next week sometime), the doctor said I am right on track. My uterus measured where it was supposed to (a fingertip below the bellow button), my urine came back negative, my weight change from my last appointment four weeks ago was +3 pounds (a total of a 10 pound gain from my prepregnancy weight), and my blood pressure was 107/69 which is lower than the last two visits which is nice. The baby was moving around so much that the nurse had a hard time following him/her around. The heartbeat kept going in and out because of all the movement, but she finally was able to grab the heartrate and the baby is ticking away at about 145 bpm. She said I had a feisty little soccer player in the making! My next appointment is in four weeks. Guess what is coming up though later this week? Our BIG ultrasound!! We can't wait!! Tune in to my 20 week blog to find out how that goes!
Our baby weighs in around 8 1/2 ounces (over half a pound now!) and measures about 6 inches, head to butt— about the size of a large heirloom tomato. The arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of the body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on the scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
The baby's sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he/she may be able to hear our voice now. Pretty cool, isn't it? Maybe we should start reading to the baby. I can't carry a tune, so I'll have to leave the singing to someone else! Any volunteers?
Below is a picture of my belly at 19 weeks! My cat managed to get in this photo op. He's playing with my pants' drawstrings!
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