As of Thursday, Baby J is officially 8 weeks old.
This week the baby has developed webbed fingers and toes that are poking
out from its hands and feet. Eyelids are practically covering the eyes,
breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of the
developing lungs, and the baby’s “tail” is just about gone. In the
brain, nerve cells are connecting with one another, forming primitive
neural pathways. Lots of growing going on – including a visible baby
bump! I have been surprised (and slightly horrified) at how quickly
I’ve grown out of my regular clothes. Today I had to graduate to my fat
pants and it seems it’s a little too early for that. It doesn’t help
that I’ve been under doctor’s orders to eat more and exercise a maximum
of 20 minutes per day, and no more than walking at that. I think
normally women are encouraged to keep up their previous workout regime,
but given how hard it was for us to get pregnant, my doctor is being
extremely cautious (which is something I really appreciate). In about
two weeks, I’ll get to exercise more and I think this will help me to
feel better. I’m looking forward to taking some prenatal yoga classes
with Baby J. Not only will it be good for the baby’s health, but my own
circulation and strength.
We
had our 8 week check-up on Tuesday and I am happy to announce that
everything looks good so far. Previously my doctor was a little worried
that the gestational sack was a little small, but the ultrasound this
week showed a much larger baby and sack. I got to see the heart beating
again, which is always comforting and makes my own heart flutter a
little (dorky, but hey, I’m a parent now). She gave me a new due date of July 19th. This is just a few days before my dad's birthday and he has put his request in for a July 22nd grand-baby!
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| 8 weeks |
I now get to graduate back
to a non-specialist regular OB. I’m looking forward to more regular
prenatal visits. I feel like I’ve been a little jipped so far because my
visits are quick and focus solely on making sure the baby is still
alive. I have a growing list of crazy pregnant lady questions that will
likely overwhelm my new doctor when we meet for the first time.
In
order to pick a new doctor, we had to decide which hospital we wanted
to deliver at. My current doctors are in Palo Alto, which is convenient
to work, but not so convenient when I’ll be in labor! We looked at
hospitals in San Jose, including Valley Medical and O’Connor Hospital
(where my dad and aunt were born), but ultimately decided that the care
I’m receiving at PAMF is worth the drive. This means I will likely give
birth at El Camino Hospital or Stanford. I plan on scheduling tours
at both, but I really liked what I saw of El Camino. They have really
nice birthing suits, state of the art NIC, and certified midwives, which
is a nice option. Let’s just hope that when the time comes, Tom will
drive fast!