Week 21

How far along are you? 

21 weeks. 

How big is the baby? 

The baby is the size of a pomegranate. It is about 10.5 inches long and weighs roughly 12.7 oz. 

How I’m feeling: 

A little bit stressed at the moment. A new term of classes is just about to start so I've been extra busy getting everything ready. Plus we've had builders in since last Thursday so the house is a disaster zone. There's definitely a lack of the peace and quiet I'm used to and my normal routines are out of sync.  

So, sorry this post is late! We're out of our normal rhythm around here at the moment! 

Healthy eating? 

I was going to say I've been good this week but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that is a total lie. 

For starters, I may or may not have finished off the last third of a container of Haagen-Daaz cookies & cream while in bed one night. 

Then, I ordered more ice cream for dessert on our date Friday night at our neighbourhood Italian restaurant. Now, to be fair, I did not realise it would be a huge sundae when I asked for it. The server did shoot me a look like I was crazy… maybe I should have taken that as a hint? Anyway, I polished off most of it. To be honest, I could have easily eaten the last few bites but didn't want to look like a pig! 

On Sunday we had our awesome neighbours over for lunch. Dave grilled steak, onions, and mushrooms. I made a salad. So, generally healthy, right? But we weren't done yet! We needed dessert. So, I whipped up some good old fashioned Betty Crocker oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I know it calls for a cup of butter and that is just ridiculous, but they were SO GOOD! Even Dave, who swears he hates baked goods because they're too dry, loved them. The neighbours brought some fancy vanilla ice cream which paired with them perfectly.

So, yeah… I failed on the sugar front this week… big time! 

Food cravings: 

I still can't get enough sweet breakfast carbs. I made these banana oatmeal breakfast muffins twice in the last week. The first time I added crushed dark chocolate, and the second time I put in some raspberries and dark chocolate chips. They are pretty satisfying and full of fruit and fiber. They may not be perfect, but it is certainly healthier than my beloved butterscotch yum yums! 

Food aversions:

None. 

Exercise: 

I kept to my normal routine for the most part. Sadly, I did miss my Yoga for Birth class on Tuesday because of a stomach ache. 

Total weight gain/loss: 

+ 16 pounds

Sleep: 

I slept well this week. 

Maternity clothes?

Three of my kind clients have brought me hand-me-down maternity pants. I haven't tried all of them on yet but I appreciate their thoughtful gesture. 

Stretch marks?

Nope.

Best moment(s) this week: 

I had my anomaly scan on Wednesday at 9am. Dave took the day off so he could attend and then have some down time at home. 

At some point I hope to write about the National Health System (NHS) and my pregnancy. At the moment I am registered at the Royal Free Hospital where I have most of my prenatal appointments including my scans. 

I checked in and then we stayed in the main waiting room. After about 20 minutes we were called back to the sub-waiting area right outside of the rooms where the sonograms take place. 

The sub-wait area. It amused me that there was a sign for this. 

If you want to get copies of the scan images you have to buy a ticket for £3. This was Dave's job because he likes to use up as many of coins of a small denomination as possible. It makes him VERY happy to do so. 

Dave with the ultrasound scan receipt machine

Our scan receipt 

Me with the scan receipt and my pregnancy notes

A few minutes later we were called into one of the rooms. Here in the UK you must let your sonographer know at the start of the appointment if you would like to have copies of the images and if you would like to know the sex of the baby. I have had clients who forgot to mention one of these requests at the start and were out of luck when they brought it up at the end of the appointment. 

I got comfortable on the table, gel was applied to my abdomen and as soon as the transducer was pressed on my belly we saw our baby. We had a few quick glimpses of its body a whole. We also got a clear view of the little one's right foot. It was quite active, moving around, punching it's fists and kicking it's legs. 

Then the sonographer began to take specific measurements. He started with the head. We could see the brain, and then he showed us the mouth in between the baby's hands. I have to admit the baby's face looked a totally freaky! More like a skull than a pudgy infant face. He moved down to the chest and showed us the heart beating (149 bpm). Dave and I agree that seeing the entire spine and all of the ribs in place was especially cool. Then he moved down to the baby's abdomen where we saw the stomach. After that he checked the legs, identifying the tibia and fibula. The legs look straight, which is just what you want. The last step was to look to see if it is a girl or a boy. However, the cord was right between the baby's legs and it's knees were drawn into the chest. The sonographer gave the transducer a jiggle to try and get the baby to move but it didn't budge! 

We were not the least bit surprised the baby did not cooperate. At my 12 week scan it moved around so much that it took ages for them to record the necessary measurements. This combined with the fact that I felt the baby moving a lot since early in my pregnancy made us think the 21 week scan wouldn't be as straightforward as it could be. While we may not know the sex of the baby, we think we'll have our hands full with an active child who likes to play tricks on it's mom and dad! 

At the end of the appointment the sonographer told us that all the fetal measurements look normal. However, the placenta is low lying so I will need another scan at 34 weeks to see if it has migrated upwards. I was very happy to hear the baby is doing well but disappointed that the placenta is not in a better position. 

Afterwards, Dave and I went out for brunch and then made our way home. 

Movement: 

Yes, growing stronger each week. One of my favourite parts about the ultrasound was watching the baby move on the screen and feeling it at the same time. 

Belly button in or out? 

Still in but now you can see the outline of my belly button through my stretchy shirts. 

Symptoms: 

Itchy skin and occasional heartburn. Drinking milk before bed has helped with the heartburn. 

Gender:  

Well, we all know how the medical determination of the sex went. So, let's turn to the fun old fashioned ways of guessing if it is a boy or a girl instead!

Right before the scan we flipped a coin to determine the sex. Heads (the queen) = a girl. Tails = a boy. Two flicks in a row revealed the queen. So, the coin said it's a girl.

A few weeks ago my dad sent me a Chinese birth chart where you cross your age at conception and the month of the conception to determine the sex. It came up as a girl. 

My mom and my sister, Claire asked my nephew, Arlo if the baby would be a girl or a boy. Arlo declared emphatically it is a "girl!"

So, if we go by those predictions it's obviously a girl, right?! 

Dave has even started calling the baby Debula (his feminine version of Zebulon)!

Here are some images of Debula/Zebulon (Debbie or Zebbie for short). What do you think? Place your bets! 

Labor signs: 

No, thankfully. 

What I miss: 

I really wanted to read lying on my belly this week.  

What I'm looking forward to:

Our house is a building site. Unfortunately, the father of one of the worker's was hospitalised so rather than having two men here there's only been one for most of the week. There is dust everywhere and although I bought low VOC eco-friendly paint as a precaution, I really didn't think through how many other chemicals would be coming into the house (plaster, wood filler, grout, etc) as a result of this work. We moved the mattress from the guest bedroom down to the living room so we could sleep there and avoid as much of the dirt and toxins as possible. I'm glad we're taking care of all these small chores before the baby comes but I can't wait until all the work is finished! 

Weekly wisdom: 

I was reminded this week that I cannot always control my circumstances, but I can manage my reaction to a given situation. 

I have always appreciated the concept of non-attachment in Buddhism. The Dali Lama said "attachment is the origin, the root of suffering; hence it is the cause of suffering". This week, I was disappointed not to find out the sex of the baby and to discover the placenta isn't in an optimal spot. I am attached to knowing if it is a girl or a boy. I am attached to having as natural a birth as I am able and avoiding a Cesarean unless it is absolutely necessary. So, as a result I haven't been able to remain equanimous. These attachments were highlighted and now I need to become comfortable with the fact that I may not know the sex for awhile longer and my optimal birth scenario may not unfold. Hopefully by acknowledging and addressing my feelings about these things I can make my way back to feeling calm and centred again. 

Milestones: 

I saw my belly move when the baby kicked. At this point, it is probably too subtle for someone other than me to witness it. 

Dave's take: 

Dave really wanted me to title the email update about my sonogram "cord-gate" rather than "scan results".

I mentioned to Dave that I had watched a couple of birth videos on Youtube. I asked him if had ever seen a video of a baby being born. He didn't think so. Then he suggested we watch Lambing Live to get an idea of what's ahead for us. Funny fellow…