28 Weeks!!

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

How your life's changing:

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Depending on your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis now, as well as doing cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea, to be certain of your status before delivery. Also, if your glucose screening test result was high and you haven't yet had follow-up testing, you'll soon be given the 3-hour glucose tolerance test. And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll get an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (If your baby is Rh positive, you'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth.)

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS). No one knows for sure what causes RLS, but it's relatively common among expectant mothers. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse. Ask your caregiver if you should try iron supplements, which can sometimes relieve RLS.

Woohoo! 3rd Trimester! I'm very excited to hit this point, I'm not gonna lie. This has been a VERY easy pregnancy so far and I'm not ready to be done being pregnant yet, but I'm glad to be this far along and to worry less. Actually, this time around, I haven't worried much at all. I've been relatively calm throughout this pregnancy and I think that's been very good for me. But there's always that little fear while you literally have no control over certain things, and I'll be happy when those fears are gone.

Anyway, I have a doc appointment tomorrow for my 28 week check up. I'll also do my next glucose screening tomorrow. I'm very nervous about that. I'm convinced I have it. And I'm not looking forward to pricking my finger and dieting for the next 12 weeks. But if I have to, I will. Anything to help my baby, of course.

I really hope I don't have to start going to the doc every two weeks, but if I do, I'll make it work. I just hate missing so much work. Especially since I'll be leaving for 2 whole months soon. But again, if that's what we have to do, we'll do it. I'd just rather put that off a few more weeks.

That's it my friends! I'll let you know how the glucose test goes when I get the results. Probably will be a few days.

Happy 28 Weeks Baby A!

Upcoming Appointments:
Tuesday, January 4 - Glucose Test and Dr. Appointment
Friday, January 21 - Ultrasound