Doctor Visit Addendum

I forgot to mention that Dr. Lopez did say that my belly looked quite big. I asked him if he had any concerns or theories about it and he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's just the way it is."

Nice.

Fundal Measurement

I just did a quick fundal measurement (distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus). I measured 36cms, which is nice and close to my almost 35 weeks gestation. Which means that my uterus really is not so overly big as it looks.

I have a theory.

My theory is based on the fact that when I'm hungry I feel my stomach growling at about belly button level. In my previous pregnancies I have felt them more at diaphragm level. So my theory is that with this pregnancy my uterus hasn't pushed all my guts up under my ribs like in the past... some of them are hanging around behind my uterus. Therefore making it stick out more.

6 Months Pregnant

I've been thinking I was five months pregnant, assuming four weeks for every month. Which made me feel like my "five month" belly was really quite big. (Sorry there are no new belly photos! Soon, soon...) But it turns out I'm actually six months pregnant, which makes me feel like my belly is more appropriately shaped.

This method of counting weeks and months is so confusing. Starting with the fact that we start counting weeks two full weeks before the baby is even conceived! So though I'm just about 24 weeks pregnant, the baby has only been growing for 22 weeks.

Anyway so I'll be six months until 26 weeks, then my third trimester and seventh month begins at 27 weeks- the day we fly to Winnipeg!

Getting Rounder

I'm starting to round out in the front. A little in the mornings, and a lot at the end of the day. Just about time to start taking those weekly photos! I don't "need" to wear maternity clothes yet, though I have started wearing some, just because I like them! My skirts in particular.

I haven't gained any weight yet.

By the mid-afternoon, I feel kind of sick and yucky. I attribute it to all the undigested food waiting around. My system just can't keep up, I guess. I could maybe try eating smaller portions, but for some reason I'm having trouble making that change in my lifestyle. Not that I stuff my face, but the idea of reducing my normal portion sizes seems so inefficient. I suppose as baby crowds out my stomach that lifestyle change will happen naturally ;)

I've been having cravings for sweets! I'm not sure if it's pregnancy, or the fact that I have let myself indulge a little. Last week the kids and I made some gingerbread cookies and I ate more than my share. Andrew made an apple pie on the weekend and I found myself picking at the leftover pie throughout the next day. Maybe the extra sugar re-awakened my dormant sweet tooth?? I've been overall quite good about keeping it at bay with fruit and other healthy snacks but I wish it would go back to sleep!

The other night when I was putting the kids to bed I asked if they'd like to say goodnight to the baby. They both rubbed and kissed my belly and talked to the baby eagerly. Eva said, "Goodnight baby! I love you! I can't wait for you to come out so I can play peek-a-boo with you!". I just about cried. I am so pleased that Eva and Micah are excited about this baby. I wouldn't blame them if they weren't- it's a tough transition! That they are makes me feel so happy inside.

Tummy Inside, Tummy Outside

Tummy Inside: Quite gassy. Sometimes painfully gassy. A couple of times seemed to be the repercussion of a sugary desert, other times seems unrelated to quality of food consumed. Hoping this "passes" (ha ha) with the first trimestre. The painful part, anyway. The gassy part is kind of funny.

Tummy Outside: Either I'm bloated from the gassy-ness, or I am started to show a little. I have been trying to remember when I started to show with the other two. I know that with Eva I suffered a few weeks with uncomfortably tight pants before I finally got into maternity pants (sweet relief) at I think around 12 weeks? Maybe even a little sooner. With Micah I was able to wear my "skinny jeans" until almost 4 months, but they were a lower rise and my hips didn't spread as quickly as they did with Eva.

I just looked back on my pregnancy journal with Eva, and by 7 weeks I was poofing out over the top of my jeans and had already gained some weight (I haven't yet with this one). By 10 weeks I was definitely showing. So much for showing sooner with second and subsequent pregnancies!

I've been thinking about 'showing', and realized that in the first number of months, what is showing is actually the other internal organs as the uterus pushes them up and out. It isn't until the pregnancy progresses more that the uterus is the organ giving most of the shape to the belly.

And I think too about how people 'carry' their babies. Obviously part of it is the baby's position, but until my friend mentioned that her placenta was somewhat larger than average, I hadn't considered the impact of the placenta on how big the belly appears and what shape it takes. It makes me very curious.

Speaking of showing, I have been waiting for my bust to blossom.... no change yet! And to think that for many women that is one of the first signs of pregnancy. Not so for me who could use it more than most!

When did you start to show? How did you carry?