Week 18

Not a lot to share this week. Still feeling pretty good, tummy pains come and go, starting to have some sporadic back pain as well. My waist line is thickening day by day. There are only a couple of skirts I still fit in from pre pregnancy. It was fun to go shopping for some new clothes, and I got a couple of maternity jeans for when the weather turns colder. Miles said it is starting to become obvious that I look pregnant and not that I just have a beer belly, so that's good :)

Next week we have a regular check up with our OB. I'm sure I've gained some weight by now. At the last check up I still hadn't gained one pound, but I should have gained somewhere between 8 and 14 lbs by now. Still no big change in appetite, and I don't feel like I've been eating any more than usual.

We've also started researching birthing techniques and pre natal classes. I would like to try for a natural birth, but won't be ashamed if I need the drugs! I'm anxious to chat with our OB about Hypno Birthing and the Bradley Method. Those are the top runners so far.

We will have our big gender scan in a week from Tuesday. We check on the baby's heartbeat every night, and have noticed that it has lowered from the upper 140's to upper/mid 130's...so it could be a boy if the old wives tale is true. Guess we'll see soon :)

How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.