Hello baby!
This week the baby should be around the size of a small plum! This is a landmark development week as now ALL of the plans for babies body have been laid and everything just becomes more complex over time! Hurrah!
I had a really interesting thought last night whilst drifting off about ages in heaven. That perhaps our soul NEVER ages, we just become more adept at expressing it through our earthly perceptions etc. and in heaven all of those barriers will be taken away like culture etc. so we’ll all be the same ‘age’?
Back to baby - they should officially have no more tail left now and their complete skeleton has formed, although only out of carteledge at the moment. Their jaw should be actually seperate from their chest now, too, as the neck grows and strengthens. Their brain should be four times the size it was at 6 weeks, they can yawn, suck, swallow and ‘breathe’ amniotic fluid….and WEE!
Their upper lip should be formed, they should have a cute little button nose (*melts*) and their eyes are fully formed but won’t open until 25-27 weeks. Their stomach is being connected to their little mouth, where tiny little tastebuds are forming! Their inner ear is now forming, although there is conflicting evidence as to when they begin to hear…I talk to the baby occasionally, I might start more. They might even end up a little bit deaf in one ear like Daddy :-)
Everyone so far thinks that baby a little girl - EVERYONE! Although I have idealistic preference of it being a little boy so then we can have a girl and she’ll have a big brother to protect her, obviously we don’t really mind. We want a BABY and, all being well, we’re HAVING ONE!!!
And - I’m 1/4 of the way through pregnancy! How INSANE!
We had our first midwife appointment today. Her name is Jackie Fish and she is lovely - it was her 32nd wedding anniversary today! She went through my shiny new handheld notes with me (a booklet with many graphs and flowcharts and all things pertaining to my ‘care pathway’ that doctors like). She took what must have been my entire supply of blood, judging by how ACTUALLY painful it was. It was great having Nathan there, I’ve not passed out once with him there to soothe me. He goes blank when I ask him to talk to me about things to distract me, but just watching his smile is enough.
She didn’t weigh me, although very amusingly when she went to fetch something from another room my notes were on screen and we had a look. My weight was 59kg at the last check (8 weeks ago) and they had recommended that my ideal weight should be 68.8kg as a NONpreggers! But evidently she didn’t think I looked unhealthy or anything. She actually assumed that I didn’t drink or smoke etc. which was quite a nice thing. They asked a little bit about family medical history, but didn’t ask Nathan about his.
I did a nice wee for them too and I’d saved some up so they got a full pot this time. MMMM! My test results were positive from the few weeks ago when they sent to see if I had a UTI, so good job I had the treatment!
She’s booked me into the care pathway at Nottingham City Hospital, and they should be sending me a letter within the next couple of weeks for our first scan! SO EXCITING! I want it to be tomorrow!
She checked my blood pressure too, which was LOW as ever but perfectly normal for me. And we got the exemption certificate to send off which entitles me to free prescriptions and dental care for up to one year after the baby is born - WHOOP WHOOP!
We spoke briefly about the tests for various disabilities and I asked if it would effect any special needs during the birth. She said no, so we have decided that we really don’t care because it won’t change anything for us if the baby is disabled at all, plus I have read up on some cases where doctors have pressured women towards abortion and I would probably hit them if they tried anything like that with me…haha!
So…how is mum with baby on board?
Nausea has been a LOT better…I think I’ve gotten good at controlling it, but also it is supposed to start easing off from now. I’ve just been avoiding contact with things that make me feel sick (mainly red meat and greasy, fatty foods, really) and just eating whatever I fancy, which all seems to be good stuff. Apart from no dippy eggs, of course! Boo! Hiss!
My womb should now be the size of a small melon…well, it should have to be to contain a little one looking like this…
I’m starting to dislike referring to the baby as ‘it’, because they’re a little person with a soul and are so evidently human. Next week brings the development of genitals, and I’m going to discuss with Nathan about whether we want to know the sex when the time comes…I think it would be nice to then be able to refer to the baby as ‘him’ or ‘her’ or their name, but obviously then that ruins the delicious suprise! Choices, choices…!
Well, I think that about wraps it up for now…Nathan’s at work, and I need to work out what I’d like for my (our!) dinner now!
God Bless!
Enola and bump x
