Almost 11 Weeks

I'm posting this week's development a day early because it will be Rosh Hashana starting tonight and extending through Wednesday night, so you won't see any posts until at least Thursday. Sorry!!!

The end of the twelfth week of pregnancy marks the end of the first trimester. (WOO HOO!) Your baby is now almost 2.5 inches long (6.1cm) when measured from crown to rump, and weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (9 to 13g).

Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth and drinks amniotic fluid which it passes out as urine. (Ewwww gross) Its head is becoming more rounded, though it is still large in proportion to its body. It has eyelids.

You can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device! (Actually, I could over a week ago...)

Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone.

The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. Fingernails and toenails begin to develop this week.

Your baby's muscles are sufficiently developed to allow for involuntary movements at this time. The messages which control your baby's movements are sent from the spine, rather than the brain, which is not yet sufficiently developed.

Heartbeats and Home Pregnancy Test

I think I actually found both heartbeats on the doppler today. They were somewhat close to each other, but I'm almost positive that it was two different heartbeats. I found them each right under my belly fat roll (about 4-5 inches below my belly button); one toward the right side and the other toward the left side.

Even though I'm almost 11 weeks pregnant and heard both heartbeats, there's nothing like seeing the word "pregnant" on a home pregnancy test. I have a few left over, so I figured I'd take the digital one and get to see the word again. Sure enough, it came up in about 60 seconds (that's the least amount of time it takes for a digital test to become positive). Hehehe I just love seeing that word.

First Date

Please don't read this post if you do not wish to hear about intimacy between myself and my husband (ie if you're my mother or otherwise related to me and don't want to hear about it) lol

After avoiding my husband for a full two months (for fear of miscarrying after having sex), I asked my doctor if I need to worry and she said that it's perfectly fine to have relations during pregnancy. Now, I already knew that deep down, but have also heard horror stories as well. So, I said "what the heck" and did it anyway. :-) I figured that the babies are now fetuses (as of tomorrow) and have grown all of their various body parts which just now need to develop and mature. They're secure in there and their placentas aren't going to just separate from the uterine wall if it contracts slightly and the worst that really could happen as a direct result of intercourse would be bleeding/spotting from the cervix (which didn't happen anyway).

Conclusion: Sex during pregnancy is not harmful to your babies and fun for the parents. :-)

Doctor's Appointment

So, I had my 10 week doctor's appointment today. My blood pressure was pretty high at 138/80, so the doctor will probably have me start back on the baby aspirin when I get to 2nd trimester (in 2 weeks!!). She felt for my uterus, and it's already pretty high. She also listened for heartbeats. She found one really easily, but the second was hiding. There were a few times she *almost* found it, but we think the baby was hiding behind a particularly loud blood vessel of mine, which was blocking out his/her heartbeat. The doctor isn't worried, especially since my uterus is growing perfectly for twins at 10 weeks, so I'm not worried either. And I think I found that second heartbeat yesterday with similar difficulties. We scheduled another appointment for 2 weeks from now (it will be the day before my neuchal translucency ultrasound). I can't wait!

10 Weeks!

Yay! I've made it to double digits and I'm 1/4 finished with my pregnancy! I got some really neat outfits at Destination Maternity and Kohls on Sunday and even wore some to work yesterday and today. I only have a small belly (comparatively), and it's mostly fat...so I'm faking it, but it works anyway. I do believe that my belly has grown a bit...a few shirts have become too small and the maternity shirts I wear look more believable than they did a few weeks ago. Here's the fertility friend update for this week:

Your baby is growing incredibly rapidly right now. She is approximately 1.75 to 2.4 inches (4.4 to 6cm) when measured from crown to rump. She will double her length in the next three weeks. Your growing baby weighs about 0.3 ounces (8g).

The neck is developing and the chin lifts up from the chest. Fingernails are also present. While your baby's sex was already determined at the time of fertilization, male or female genitalia are now visible. Essential organs are formed and most have begun to function. The blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in number to meet your baby's increasing nutritional needs. Her ears are moving towards the sides of her head, away from the neck. Your baby's head is still not in proportion with her body. Your baby's head accounts for about half of her body length.

Whoops

I just realized I haven't posted since last Wednesday!! Oops on me! I'm going maternity clothes shopping with a friend tomorrow. She's actually due at the beginning of November, so I believe she only really needs one skirt and that's basically it. I, on the other hand, need a whole wardrobe. I have a $100 gift card for K-Mart as well as a $100 gift card for Kohls, which I am hoping to use for a nice shopping spree. :-) My hubby tried to buy me a pregnancy body pillow, but I think I'm going to return it and get a different one...I haven't tried it out, but I don't know if it's a "real" pregnancy pillow and don't want to try it out, hate it and not be able to return it. My friend and I may also stop at Destination Maternity if we have time, but since we'll be leaving home at 9:30 and she wants to be back by noon, we may not have time.

That's all for now. My next prenatal appointment is scheduled for this Wednesday, and hopefully the doctor will be able to hear heartbeats on the doppler. I still haven't had much luck with the one I've bought, but the babies are still pretty small and tucked away...and since I do have a retroverted uterus, they're probably even farther away from the doppler than they usually would be at 9 1/2 weeks. But I'm looking forward to my uterus flipping forward within the next few weeks!!

Ultrasound Pics

I finally got my scanner working again, so here are the pictures I know you've all been waiting for!

This is a picture of both twins @ 8w 3d


This is a picture of Baby A


Unfortunately, the ultrasound tech forgot to give me a picture of Baby B by him/herself, so we'll just have to wait until our 12 week ultrasound for that. Now tell me, don't they look like little frogs?? :-)