Dear Pooh Bear,

Wow little one, can you believe that this week we hit the halfway mark of when your daddy and I get to meet you? Your mommy secretly hopes that you decide to come a little bit earlier than 40 weeks. Not too early, but just a little. Half way seems like such a big marker! Although time has been going a lot faster, I still feel like it was so long ago that we found out that we’d soon get to meet you. I am told the rest of the pregnancy goes by in a flash. It’s not that I am rushing you out little one, that’s not the case, it’s just that I have been waiting for you for so long that i can’t wait to meet you!

You are moving around a lot more in my tummy these days. Sometimes I wonder what it is you are doing in there? Do you think about anything when you are splashing around going nowhere? I still feel you most when I am laying still. Every once in a while you give me a nice big kick that gives me a little preview of the kicks that people say will come. Right now I think they are absolutely wonderful.

My belly is starting to get bigger. Some people even tell me I’ve popped!  What I have noticed is that I am having a hard time moving from a laying position to a sitting one. I feel like a little bug stuck on it’s back flailing around trying to get up. I laugh sometimes because I know it is only going to get worse.

This week your mommy and daddy, and then your mommy and grandma looked at bedroom furniture. I figure this is a great place to start in preparing for you. Boy little one it’s so overwhelming! How am I to choose?? I won’t bore you with the details since you most likely could care less which color furniture I pick, but I promise it’s definitely a huge decision. The first of many in this planning process, but a big one none the less. Soon a decision will be made, and by the time you are here everything will be all ready!

I am also going to make your daddy come register with me this week. Don’t get me wrong dear Pooh Bear, he wants us to have all you need too, so don’t feel like he doesn’t WANT to register. It’s just that shopping isn’t his favorite thing, and since you are to be a little boy I am sure you will relate with him on this someday. But it needs to be done, and I think the first stage of registering needs to be done by BOTH mommy and daddy. So wish us luck!

It seems that your arrival is so far away, but people keep reminding me that it will be here before I know it. That nesting instict people keep talking about hasn’t hit yet, so I keep thinking “I can decide later”. But soon, decisions will be necessary! I can’t believe the time has finally come to do all these wonderful things! I am just so excited! Happy half way little Pooh Bear!!

Pooh Bear: 20 Weeks

 

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He’s also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby’s legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the “crown to rump” measurement. After 20 weeks, he’s measured from head to toe.)

He’s swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He’s also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you’ll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). Congratulations! You’ve hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you’ve likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you’re getting enough iron, a mineral that’s used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

If you haven’t already signed up for a childbirth education class, you may want to look into one, especially if you’re a first-timer. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Most hospitals and birth centers offer classes, either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive, one-day session. Many communities have independent instructors as well. Ask your friends, family members, or caregiver for recommendations.

Yikes childbirth classes? See I guess that falls into the category of “I think I have so much time”. It also looks like you are practicing for all those poopy diapers that your mommy and daddy have to change. (That’s right daddy, I am including you in on this too!) Lots to look forward to little one!