21 weeks

Week 21: Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 7.2 inches and she weighs approximately 10.5 ounces. Your growing baby is about the size of a large banana. Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also. 

Yowzers! Gettin' big (and I'm even cheating and choosing the most flattering picture :p )

21 weeks, 1 day, and a huge dinner :p

In other news, it's snowing here! And so it begins...

Walkin' in an Autumn Wonderland...

Now that we live so close to the mountain, I take Scout on walks here every day, and I love it! Nature, crisp air, and exercise (and canine companionship): good for the pregnant lady's soul :D

Announcing...

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All together now (All together now!)

It's a ghoul!

 And here she is, in all her blurry glory....... 

Meridian June

And just try to tell me she's not a creative genius--she already knows to dress up as a skeleton for Halloween :3

The ultrasound went really well! It only lasted about 10 minutes (I thought it would be much longer), and the doctor pointed out all her parts (they're all there :) ). She's measuring right on target! He also told me that my placenta is anterior, so that's why I haven't been feeling strong movement yet--it kind of acts like a pillow against the kicks and prods. It's not a problem, though :)  She's perfectly healthy!

20 weeks--halfway there!

Do I have to do this? Yes, yes I do.



Technically the halfway point is probably next week since pregnancies tend to go longer than 40 weeks, but it's all an estimate anyway :p

Here's what's going on at 20 weeks: Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

And here's a glimpse of what's going on with me. My belly size seems to vary dramatically depending on how I'm breathing, my posture, and time of day, but regardless, something's definitely growing in there:

I'm definitely feeling the bulk now :p

The information session for the birthing centre went really well. I got a good feel of the place, and scheduled my first appointment with my midwife for this coming Monday! Each appointment lasts around 45 minutes (as opposed to 5 minutes at the OB), so they're really good about giving thorough and personalized care.

There's not too much else going on. Ian's taking the morning off on Tuesday to come to the ultrasound appointment with me, so expect an announcement soon :)
I've also been reading aloud to Baby to get him or her accustomed to my voice. We don't have any baby books yet, so I've just been reading from Tom Robbins novels because that's what I happen to be reading. If Baby emerges with a keen ear for strangely apt metaphors, a healthy suspicion of authority, and plenty of quirks, you can blame my subversive reading habits :p

Until the next ultrasound....

Week 19: Your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. Your baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth! 
One of the most amazing aspects of your baby's growth and development is that of the fetal brain. Your baby's brain is one of the first organs to appear. Your baby's oversized head shows the brain's importance in his development. Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, your baby's movements are consciously directed. Your baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for your baby's permanent teeth appear. Your baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and his feet are approximately one inch long. 

Wow, for some reason the one-inch foot thing sounds incredible to me! I guess things are moving along faster than I realized :)  I'm going to stop with the produce-section size comparisons because they never seem helpful. This week they said the baby is the size of a mango. Who really knows how big a mango is anyway? :p And then I get all caught up in how much fruit sizes vary....ANYWAY...

Oh, and I won't be needing a doula after all--I've been accepted into a birthing centre! The demand for midwives here is so large (and the supply so small) that I've been on a waiting list since the moment I found out I'm pregnant, but I just got the call today, letting me know I'm in. I'm going to an information session this Wednesday (and the receptionist was kind enough to hook me up with an English session, thankfully!), and then hopefully soon after that I'll be able to switch over. I'll still keep my ultrasound on the 26th though. This is such a relief for us, because I'm super picky about what I want and don't want for me and our baby (barring natural emergencies, of course), and with midwife care, I won't have to fight for a natural birth because their philosophies are in line with mine. 

I found this video on Youtube showing some pics of the centre. I can't wait, especially after seeing the birthing tub! I'd love to have a water birth. :)

(Gotta love the Quebec accent :p)

In other news, this distinguished gentleman and scholar joined our family this week. Our foster cat, Toutou:

Toutou is a rather weird and unfitting name--we're thinking of calling him something like Alfonso. As you can see, he gets along great with Scout, and even Gus is warming up to him. He's one of those cats who forces everyone to be his friend (kind of like Ian :D) Speaking of Ian, he has to clean two litter boxes now, but Toutou favors him, so I don't think he minds too much ;)

Why I'm considering a doula

Actually, in all seriousness, I'm set up with a pretty good hospital, one that is known for being supportive of natural births and respectful of the mother's decisions. They also have spas (only for laboring though, I think), individual birthing suites, and all kinds of fun, playgroundy stuff like squat bars and birthing balls.

I am still a little uneasy, though, mostly because I know that you still have to "make your voice heard," which can be a little difficult in the throes of labor. :p I guess the main issue is specific to being in Montreal, where language issues can get people emotional and muddle communication. My OB is good about speaking English with me (there's no way I'm fluent enough in French to deal with medical issues), but there have been a couple of minor instances where our communication has been a bit iffy, and the some of the staff, like receptionists and some nurses and technicians, are even more iffy. I worry that during labor, I might have a nurse, for example, who isn't as willing or able to communicate in English with me--the one time I definitely want to be clear about what's happening. I'm even hesitant about making a rough birth plan because I know a lot of doctors roll their eyes at them anyway, let alone if they're in not written in their native language. I'm thinking a bilingual doula could help a lot.

Ian is wonderful, and he's learning about the ins and outs of childbirth along with me, :) but I don't want the burden to fall on him if, for example, the Dr. tries to do an episiotomy against my wishes. (Of course I'll talk with her beforehand about stuff like this, but you never know what might come up).

So, long story short, we're on the fence about a doula.

Thank you for abiding my rant :)

That's funny, I don't feel that big :-o

Week 17: Baby's now the size of an onion!
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

I'm still feeling pretty good, but we did break down and order a memory foam mattress topper because sleeping on my side is killing my hips on this hard bed! 

I'm not having any cravings yet, but plenty of aversions. For example, potatoes: yuck! This past weekend, I was finally able to stomach our favorite homemade veg chili, so we had fun cooking that and devouring it together :D

17 weeks and 2 days:

Ian and I were being goofy for this pic. We crack each other up all the time-- this baby is gonna come out knowing how to laugh, for sure :D

For comparison, here's a shot from 7 weeks, I think

I shaved my head right around the same time Lil'ian was conceived, so it's kind of interesting to watch my hair and belly grow together :p