First trimester is coming to an end wahoo!
Week 9
Taking that first peek at baby usually happens between 8weeks and 12 weeks. It might not look like much but the funny looking blob on the screen will be changing so much in the next few weeks. Dating ultrasounds help figure out any issues and also determining when full term will be. If your anything like me and did fertility tracking the date might be a bit different then what your told. Sometimes is is just due to your own body’s way of growing life. With my first two I delivered 8/7 days early so I know my body and trust my own feelings. Babies come when they want and we still have a chance this pregnancy will be different from my last.
Development this week is that baby is now starting to loose its tail. All it’s body parts will be intact and the placenta will be taking over more and more this next week. Great news for mom! Hormones might balance out a bit more. Baby is about an inch long and your uterus is double it’s original size. Some can even start to hear a little heartbeat soon.
Week 10
Emotions have been high. Starting to cry at children’s cartoons again. I remember doing this with my first two as well. Also starting to notice more prominent veins on my legs. This is very normal in Pregnancy and for many they will disappear after birth. Personally I try to help minimize them by Epson salt baths and massaging Lavender essential oil and moisturizer on my legs.
What’s happening with baby? Well development is ever changing but as it’s now getting to the end of first trimester your little embryo is starting to form tiny human like features now. Heartbeat will be around 130-165 bpm. If you like to guess at baby’s sex this is great time to start. The tale is if your having a girl bpm will be above 145 and if your having a boy bpm will be about 140 or lower. This is just for fun and definitely has no science to it. With my first two they were always above 150 bpm and both are girls. Fun news if your having a boy then his testes are just starting to produce testosterone. Also digestive system is starting to form. I am actually looking forward to baby poop again, toddler transitioning poop sucks.
Week 11
This week has been a little better for dealing with morning sickness. Starting to feel tired in the middle of the day now. Fatigue is a very common part of pregnancy, making sure you don’t over do yourself is a big part of dealing with it.
Your little one is now officially called a fetus now. If your having a girl the overies are developing. Your placenta will be taking over alot of the work now which you might get a break from some not so fun pregnancy symptoms.
Week 12
It is now socially excepted to start telling family and friends your expecting. By week 12 many pregnancies have reached the point that’s safe. Cute Facebook posts with tiny shoes or funny photos of sick Soon-to-be-Mama’s with Soon-to-be-Daddy’s reading “What to Expect when your Expecting”. Your little Fetus is now over two inches and your uterus is about the size of softball. Since most of your own body growth will be due to your uterus right now it can put some pressure on your stomach. This can cause some heartburn due to the acid being pushed up. Some can avoid the amount of heartburn by not eating spicy or fatty foods. Personally for me right now is the nausea caused by heightened sense of smell. Cigarette and some foods being cooked are what triggers me. Keeping some smelling oils in my bag help bring down the nausea when it happens.
We have now started telling all our friends and family that didn’t already know that we are expecting #3 in the new year. We got our three year old to tell everyone. She likes to say “I’m having a baby”, which most people just think it’s cute and don’t realize she is achualy getting a baby. The reactions when I ask her who elce is having a baby, in which she replies “mommy” has been fantastic.
Week 13
The last week of first trimester! Finally a bit of a break from morning sickness. Many will get a break or finish with being nauseous everyday. For me is has become less intrusive and easier to manage. Unfortunately there are a few that will not get a break and there are many different and safe ways to help combat the nausea. Talking with your health provider about different options is a great first step. Things to look forward to this week. Your sex drive might increase! Sex is safe during normal pregnancy so enjoy the time together. Fetus’s development will be fast moving. In just a week growth is almost a whole inch more. Looking more and more like a new baby, it’s body size will play catch-up with its head size as all the organs and bones develop. Lanugo, little hairs will develop all over the body. This will help hold vernix onto the body, this is the white substance that covers newborns to help protect them. Lanugo usually falls off closer to birth, but some baby’s are born with some of it still visible.
If your like me food cravings can be more noticeable. I am loving veggies right now and ate a huge plate full of salad which I was so happy about. My appetite has been so up and down all first trimester since nausea has been bad. Being pregnant in the summer has some advantages, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. The local farmers market has been fantastic for filling up my need for fresh produce.
ElderFlower Doula 