Week 27 - Baby Roland

Well, our Baby Girl is growing away! She is now about 2 pounds! Just think of your tummy carrying around 2 pounds of butter everyday and that'll make your back ache just thinking about it! haha... She has been pretty active most days this week. I now don't feel her moving in just one place all the time... I'll feel movement in multiple places at once. The other night her nudge was high on my left side and low on my right side. It was like she was stretched all the way across my tummy, looking for more room. My guess is that she was aimed head down. (Do you ever wonder if they get dizzy from laying upside down all the time? I wonder when equilibrium sets in?)

Here's what Baby Center says about Miss Roland:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Baby Fit says:

As growth continues, your baby weighs in at over 2 pounds (1 kg). And because his body is more developed, measurement no longer goes from rump to crown, but from head to toe--about 15 inches (38cm)! Your baby can suck his thumb now, which is actually a good thing! It helps calm him, while also helping to strengthen jaw muscles and encourage the suckling reflex. Your baby can even cry now, but you won't be able to hear him.

Your baby's eyelids are starting to open, and he can actually open and close his eyes while in the womb. 

It is interesting that the weights and measurements tend to vary per website you look at. However, everything is just estimated since every baby is unique and different. 

So, on another note, I'm afraid that the pregnancy waddle is beginning to set in for me. Some days I notice it more than others and I can feel me sway as I trudge down the hallway at school. It's like my legs have suddenly gotten heavier and farther apart, or something. Kind of weird but I guess it's my hips desperately trying to balance the extra weight and pressure from the baby. My back continues to ache every day, yet being able to go to the chiropractor every two weeks has been tremendously helpful! 

This Friday, August 27, I go to the midwife's office for my glucose test where they will test me for gestational diabetes. I will be shocked if I have diabetes, since I've struggled just to keep my blood sugars up during the pregnancy. However, I will be praying that the test returns negative! I don't want to be seen as a high risk pregnancy! That could complicate my desires for a natural birth. 

Our birthing classes are going really well! Our teacher is great and I'm becoming more comfortable with the birthing process as I read about how to relax my body during contractions in order to help my body work through them instead of fighting against them. We are learning various stretching/relaxing poses that we are practicing for the birth. I know this is random, but the other day, I hit my leg really hard on something metal and formed an immediate bloody bruise and knot on my leg. I fell to the floor wincing in pain and suddenly it hit me that this was the perfect time to practice for labor. So I immediately began to focusing on relaxing my body and breathing. I was amazed at my almost instant relief from pain as I relaxed. Instead of cramping up... I allowed my body to just hang and I was quickly back up on my feet, moving around. Just to see in a very small way the effects of relaxing through pain gave me great hope for labor! I know it's a completely different type of pain, but still, the mental process is similar. :-)

On Saturday a good friend of mine had her baby. It was so great to be able to go up to the hospital, hold him, and talk with her about her birth. It makes it so much more real for me when I'm holding a newborn. I got excited at the thought that in just a few months Kyle and I will be holding our own little newborn. As Kyle held our friend's baby, I loved watching him talk to the baby. He is going to be such a wonderful Daddy! (He was pretty darn cute standing so tall and holding such a small wee one, I have to admit! hehe...) 

I hope ya'll have a great week. I better return to studying for school!