Week 14

How far along are you? 

14 weeks.

How big is the baby? 

The size of a lemon. It is about 3.4 inches long and weighs roughly 1.5 oz.

How I’m feeling: 

I feel great! I know that isn’t necessarily the case for all pregnant women and I’m so thankful to feel healthy and strong.  

Healthy eating? 

Mostly. 

Food cravings: 

At the moment I love sour, acidic foods and drinks. I put a squeeze of lemon or vinegar onto a lot of the foods I eat. I can’t get enough of Luscombe’s Sicilian Lemonade or Lime Crush. They’re such refreshing beverages! 

Food aversions:

Not really. 

Exercise: 

I taught two Hatha yoga classes, a pregnancy yoga class, and three mother & baby yoga classes. I also went to two Zumba classes. Keeping busy and feeling good! 

Total weight gain/loss: 

+ 7 pounds 

Sleep: 

I keep waking up between 2 - 4 am. I had a couple of weird dreams this week. I need to lay off the Law & Order episodes I listen to while I do admin for work! That certainly isn’t helping me sleep soundly! I toss and turn for awhile and I struggle to get settled then I surf the web on my phone for a bit. I always fall back to sleep eventually.   

Maternity clothes?

I live in stretchy yoga clothes most days because of the type of work I do. My favourite pieces of clothing right now are two black stretchy tank tops that Claire recommended I get from Target. They are awesome! Thanks, sis!   

The trouble comes when we go out to dinner on Friday night I want to dress up. I wore leggings and a tunic dress this week. The dress was starting to feel a bit snug! And my jeans? Forget about it! They’ve been retired and I need to get some maternity pants STAT! 

Stretch marks?

No. 

Best moment(s) this week: 

Telling family, friends, and clients about the pregnancy. People are so encouraging and supportive. My Zumba friends kept turning around to check on me throughout class which was really sweet. 

Movement: 

I had a very realistic early morning dream around 13 weeks that I could feel the baby kicking. So, now I a find myself concentrating really hard to feel something when it’s quiet and I’m resting in bed. 

Belly button in or out? 

In. 

Symptoms: 

Itchy skin. 

Gender:  

We don’t know and I don’t have a strong feeling one way or the other. However, Dave did nickname the baby Zebulon 4000 or Zeb for short. So, maybe a boy? Or, a robot?

Labor signs: 

No, thank goodness. 

What I miss: 

There was a cheese trolley at the restaurant we went to on Friday. It had a huge selection of soft, oozy, stinky cheeses. If I hadn’t been pregnant I would have consumed the lot! 

What I'm looking forward to:

I have a prenatal massage scheduled for Friday. I am really looking forward to it! On a personal level it is always a treat to experience some R & R at the hands of a skilled bodyworker. Professionally, it allows me to see how other therapists work and learn new tricks of the trade. 

I always planned to make the most of pregnancy as a learning experience. I want to test lots of prenatal yoga classes, try alternative therapies designed for pregnancy, and check out active labour and hypnobirthing. I'm an experiential learner by nature and can't wait to acquire more knowledge through the next five and a half months. 

Weekly wisdom: 

Things, particularly in pregnancy, are changeable. So, I try to take time to be grateful for feeling so healthy and happy in the present moment.

Milestones: 

I picked up my “Baby on Board!” TfL (Transportation for London) badge yesterday. Now, when I wear it on public transportation other commuters will know I am pregnant and as a courtesy should offer a seat or assistance as needed. It feels like a badge of honour!