How your baby's growing:
The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.
How your life's changing
Your uterus has doubled in size in the past five weeks, and eating may feel like a chore — or worse — thanks to morning sickness, which by now may be in full swing. (If you're feeling fine, don't worry — you're lucky!)
You may need to pee more than usual, too, thanks to your increasing blood volume and the extra fluid being processed through your kidneys. (By now, you already have about 10 percent more blood than you did before you were pregnant. And by the end of your pregnancy, you'll have 40 to 45 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your full-term baby.) As your uterus grows, pressure on your bladder will send you to the bathroom as well.
About half of the women who feel nauseated during the first trimester will find complete relief by about 14 weeks. For most of the rest, it'll take another month or so for the queasiness to ease up. It's unlikely, though, that the need to pee more than usual will ease up. In fact, research shows that both the frequency and volume of urine tends to increase over the course of pregnancy.
Total weight gain: Unknown
Maternity clothes? Nope! Don't expect to need those for a while yet!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well right now! At least there are about 8 hours or so at night when I'm not feeling like I'm going to get sick!
Best moment this week: Our first ultrasound!!!! I was feeling particularly bad that day, but hearing that heartbeat and seeing the little flashing heart...it was priceless!!! Oh...and I had ONE day where I didn't feel like I was going to throw up at the thought of food! That was awesome!!!
Miss Anything? Being able to eat normal, healthy, food!
Movement: Nope!
Food cravings: None! Basically most thoughts of food make me want to throw up! I am starting to tolerate fruit a little better though. I've been able to have strawberries, blueberries and clementines. It's been a very nice change from bread, bread and more bread!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the thought of food makes me want to run to the bathroom! The strange thing is that even though I do NOT want to eat, I know that if I don't, I'm just going to feel worse. So, choking down some un-appetizing food is much better than not eating and then feeling worse. This is one of the stranger feelings I've ever had! I found candied ginger this week, thanks to a recommendation from my RE. That REALLY helps! I tried ginger tea...nope...not gonna drink that stuff again...ever!!! I'm really worried I'm developing some severe food aversions that aren't going to go away!! Haha!!
Gender prediction: Hubby told me after the ultrasound that he saw the baby and he thinks it's a girl. So far, everyone's on the girl train! Can't wait to find out!!
Labor Signs: No...
Symptoms: Nausea, nausea and more nausea...oh, and sore boobs. Awesome times...
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody a lot of the time. I'm SO thankful to be pregnant, but feeling bad all the time is hard. Just working to get through it!
I am so happy things continue to go so well!! Yay!
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