Holidays are Over!

New Year has come and hope everything is doing well with you all.
I had my pregnancy care last New Year's eve December 31, 2008 and this time my husband came along with me so he can hear the heartbeat of our angel. I was so excited to hear it again and never get tired of hearing it. The baby has a heartbeat of 150bpm which indicates a healthy baby. Thank God. Our angel just sounds so loud and never had problem finding the heartbeat.

I am 18 weeks and 6 days now and can't wait to see our little angel.

Week Eighteen: Baby begins to hear

You are 18 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 16 weeks) The fetus is now 6 inches long and weighs 7 ounces. The fetus measures about 15cm and weighs almost 200 grams. They can hear sounds and may be startled by loud noises. Recognizable active and rest periods. The skin is building a protective wax layer (vernix). Vernix (a white cheese like protective material) forms on baby's skin with the lanugo, a soft lightly pigmented hair covering the body and limbs, both help to protect your baby's skin during the months in water. Your baby may hear your heart beating, your stomach rumbling or blood moving through the umbilical cord. He or she may even be startled by loud noises. Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs and the vocal chords are formed. Baby goes through the motions of crying but without air doesn't make a sound; yet. Your baby may have the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. Baby will have a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods. Your baby measures about 6 inches (15cm) crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces (200gm)

So exciting!

Today I have my monthly visit as part of my pregnancy care. I did some test as usual. The technician was telling me that all the results from my last visit came back good which made me very happy and thankful. I am starting on my second trimester now and so far so good as far as moods swings and pregnancy effects. My baby is just so good that I don't have to suffer from nausea and all that crap. We tried to listen to the baby's heart beat today and I am so happy and emotional when I heard the heart beat at about 160 beats per minute. She was still trying to convince me that I am really pregnant by letting me feel the the uterus which can only be felt when a woman is pregnant unless you go underneath. I am just ecstatic that I have been able to hear my baby's heart beat for the first time and it made me cry, it was just an amazing feeling and I am so thankful I am able to feel it.

Week Fourteen: Hormones start up

You are 14 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 12 weeks) The fetus is 3 and half inches (9cm) long. Weight is about 1 and half ounces (45 grams). The eyes are slowly moving towards the centre of the face. The nose is more pronounced. The ears are fully developed. The cheekbones are visible. The first hair is appearing. The kidneys are producing urine. In girls, the ovaries are moving down towards the pelvis. In boys, the prostate gland is developing. For girls, the ovaries move into the pelvis. Your baby now is peeing into the amniotic fluid round itself as well as making breathing movements. With the effect of hormones, the boys now have a prostate gland. For girls, the ovaries move from the abdomen into the pelvis. During this week of pregnancy the head and eyebrow hair develops. Your child's bones are getting harder and stronger by the day. Your baby's skin is very transparent still. Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby's body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age - Generally this will be shed prior to birth. Its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water. As your baby grows, your uterus and placenta are also growing. Six weeks ago, your uterus weighed 5 ounces (140 g). Now, it weighs about 8.75 ounces (250g). The amount of amniotic fluid around the baby is also increasing. There is now about 7.5 ounces (250ml) of fluid. You can easily feel your uterus about 3 inches (7.6cm) below your bellybutton. Your baby is 3.42 inches (8.7cm) long and weighs about 1.52 ounces (43 grams)

The beating

I went to see my care last Wednesday November 19th to make sure if I am really pregnant even though I did 3 different pregnancy test at home and all 3 came out positive. She tried to find out the heartbeat of the baby but I think she is having trouble finding it. We tried it a little bit longer but we are not lucky enough to find it. She told me that it is really hard to find if I am not 12 weeks yet. So we did another pregnancy test and it's my 4th one and still came out positive. I never had any result that says I am not pregnant. I am just kinda doubtful because I never felt any difference, I never had any morning sickness or cravings aside from being hungry all the time but I consider that normal since I am always hungry even before it's just it gets worst and of I never had my period for 3 months now. I have a little tummy but I keep saying that I got it because I have been eating like a pig. I just keep crossing my fingers until we hear the heartbeat.