One of the things I have been looking forward to most with this pregnancy is feeling the baby move inside of me—that is such a special and miraculous feeling—and it has finally happened enough that Dale can feel it too. I’ve been able to sense movement since about Thanksgiving, but it’s been only in the last week that I (and anybody else) could feel it by touching my stomach. At the ultrasound in December, the tech mentioned that I had an anterior placenta (refers to where it’s positioned in the uterus), and that consequently it might be a few weeks later than normal before we could feel the baby because it would have to kick hard enough to be felt through it. And they certainly are strong kicks! This evening I could see my shirt move while sitting here at the computer.
My last appointment at the birthing center was Wednesday of last week. By now I’m already 26 weeks along! Time is going by so fast with this one. Hard to believe there are only 14 weeks to go.
Unfortunately, I already have the pregnant woman’s bellybutton (and still 14 weeks to go!), and I can’t help but notice it all the time since I’m forever bumping the counters with my stomach (I keep forgetting and it gets in the way). Hopefully I’ll get used to it soon. It is also getting harder to bend over to tie my shoes, so the warm weather had better come around quickly so I can start wearing slip-ons again. If not, my toes are going to start getting awfully cold . . .
Posted by elizabeth at February 10, 2004 01:12 AMI'm really glad to hear your pregnancy is going well this time around. What is your due date?
Posted by: Theresa on February 14, 2004 02:54 AMThe baby's will come in May sometime, hopefully, since the due date is smack in the middle of May.
Posted by: Moi on February 14, 2004 11:05 AMElizabeth, have you or your Ultra sound tech seen "The Turtle Sign" during one of your sessions? If you or s/he had, will you be telling us or keeping it a secret? Would appreciate some knowledge about how older brother is handling the news? Jonathan will have a special perspective on it. If that report has been made and filed, please provide a link to it.
Can you and unborn child play Ping Pong against each other or doubles against Dale and Jonathan? It sounds as if you and s/he can just about do that.
Since the placenta is placed as you report, why can't the Ultra sound go through your backside? Earplugs all around, probably, and no more TransVaginal.
Can you report on the effect Classical Music has on Fetal Motion? Find a good FM station and let us know. If possible play a CD of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps for the child, but don't refrain from playing Bach and Mozart, too.
We don't want to know the gender before we actually get to hold our little baby in our arms, so we didn't ask at the ultrasound. (We did the same thing with Jonathan--we're a little old-fashioned that way.) Jonathan is looking forward greatly to the new baby, and the only apprehension he's expressed is that he hopes the baby doesn't chew on his toys, which is fair enough. It helps that Jonathan is old enough to not be jealous or needy, although we are certainly expecting the need for cuddles to increase! I'll pass on the placenta placement question except to say that this one was not a transvaginal ultrasound--just the regular type over the tummy. And I have the Stravinsky piece as well as plenty of Bach; Jonathan and I usually have Vivaldi going when we make our Sunday morning pancakes. What the baby thinks of it all, I have no idea.
Posted by: Moi on February 17, 2004 12:55 PMVivaldi, your Dad can probably confirm, is a particularly interesting composer for prenatal ears. I think some experimentation has been done monitoring Heartbeats while playing various music that gave the superior rating to Vivaldi. Though, Handel's Water Music somehow seems appropriate, but the varii Vivaldi concerti also should get some play.
Posted by: Matthew Karl on February 18, 2004 12:36 AM