26 Weeks - 98 days and counting...

So, I am in my last week of the second trimester. I hear this is the last of feeling good... as the third trimester is when I'll gain most of the baby weight and my back will start hurting, hands and feet start to swell and I'll be shouting... "I'm done being pregnant! Get this baby outta me!" I have now completed my 26th week and am starting the 27th. So far I have gained only 11 pounds. I've got about 19 more to go. Think I can make it?

Here's what's happening with baby this week:
Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term. Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open. Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple. Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

Here's what's happening to me this week:
The end of this week marks the end of your second trimester. Regular weight gain will continue until about the 36th week of pregnancy. Your breasts may be sore and uncomfortably heavy since they have increased in size. You can be susceptible to urinary tract infection from this stage onwards. Drinking plenty of water can help. Your cholesterol levels may be elevated, though this is usually normal in late pregnancy as cholesterol helps build up the pregnancy hormones that are being produced by the placenta. Of those hormones, progesterone is particularly important right now as it aids breast development and the muscles of the uterus. Sound fun, don't it? :)

Just wanted to say that I am getting my Bradley method exercises in at work. I've been doing a lot of deep breathing, squats and tailor sitting... oh and my Kegels I do whenever I remember to do them... which is often because work is a little boring right now.

That's about it. I'm going to have Brad take another belly picture of me tonight. I'll post it when I get it uploaded and such. Oh yes, last night I went to pick up my friend Tracey at work (we went to see 12 Angry Men - starring Richard Thomas aka John Boy) and I stopped to talk with another lady who's pregnant there. She's due May 26 or 27, but it was fun to compare pregnancy notes. One of the anchors, Steve Dunn, asked what I was going to name the baby... I said "Steve-etta". He gave me a high five. And no... that's not the name of the baby... and no, we still haven't figured on out yet.

Have a great day!