Week 18

Month 5

Week 18

18 weeks 4 days

Serenading baby with harmonium

Spiral Jetty with my friend Alyesha in background

 

Baby is the size of? Bell Pepper

This week’s major development? Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, and he weighs almost 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper). 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.

Gender? Boy

Sleep? Is getting more uncomfortable. I am also getting bigger and as a result the bed seems smaller

Food Cravings? Mexican food.

What I miss? Not being hormonal. I will get emotional or upset about the littlest thing (but at the time it doesn’t feel so little). After some space from the situation I think “that was probably my hormones… I should apologize”

What I love? I have been practicing yoga again. It is wonderful. I always learn so much about myself, my tendentious and about the Anusara when I have an injury and now when I am pregnant. It has been great to get back into the practice and experience my body with a little baby in int.

Movement? I don’t think so… Cannot wait to feel this life inside of me move.

Symptoms? Horrible back pain on right side, midwife thinks it might be hydronephrosis of pregnancy. Where the growing fetus compresses the ureters which block the urine from leaving the kidney and as a result the kidney gets swollen. Yoga has been helping. I have getting back pain less frequently but still very intense when it happens. Other symptoms: congestion, heartburn, nausea, and irritability.

Best moment of the week? I went on a mini road trip with my friend Alsea to the Spiral Jetty. IT was fun spending time with her we haven’t gotten to hang out very much. Tyler and I also went out to Ogden and visited my grandma and grandpa, it’s always nice to see them. Lastly, I found a new hiking trail to do with the dogs called Blood Lake, it was fun exploring a new area.

Maternity Clothes? Yup. This baby and this belly are growing.

Meditation? I have been meditating 20 mins a day in the morning and at night. I have also been trying to connect with the baby throughout the day, consciously sending the baby calmness, love and light. I heard that the baby experiences your mood so I have been trying to set some good ones for this little bambino.

Yoga? YES!!!!! I am so freaking happy that I have been practicing yoga and it has been feeling sooo good. I am practicing about 30 minutes every day. Like I said above it is really helping with my back pain and helps me feel like I am connecting with our baby. Pregnancy has definitely been a time for me to listen and be more receptive of my needs. The first trimester and these past few weeks yoga hasn’t sounded or felt very good to me. I am so happy that now it is. I have to remind myself that I will have my whole life to practice vinyasas, do deep back bends and deep forwards folds and be gentler with myself and my baby in my practice.

Exercise? Walking, gardening, and yoga. I have been meaning to lift weights but don’t think I did it once this week.

Appointments? We had a midwife appointment on Tuesday. We got to listen to the babies heart beat and learned that my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe now and goes up to my belly button. We talked about signing up for childbirth classes. We think we want to do hypnobabies and get a hypnobabies doula. She also old me that my back pain might be from a swollen kidney and that holding side stretches should help. Our ultra sound appointment is on the 24^th (1 week and 1 day away) cannot wait to see this little baby again and see how much he ha