Week 10 and the countdown continues

An excerpt from YourDueDate.com:

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for has arrived! At 10 weeks, you might be invited for your first ultrasound where you can catch a glimpse of those tiny hands and feet for the very first time. If you're not going for your scan this week, don't worry. Most dating scans occur anywhere between 10 and 13 weeks gestation, so it'll soon be your turn.

There are many reasons why it's important to have a dating scan between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. Firstly, any earlier than that and there's really not much to see! However, by 10 weeks your baby is pretty much formed, and is just now getting bigger by the day. 

A scan at this time is also useful for accurate dating the pregnancy, as during the first couple of months most babies will grow at a similar rate. After this, yours and your partners genetics will take over, and babies may develop particularly long legs, or a short torso. 

Finally, at 10 weeks the nuchal translucency thickness can be measured. Not all hospitals do this, so if you want this type of scan you may have to pay to have this done at a different center. The appearance of too much fluid can indicate chromosomal problems (but not always - it's important to keep that in mind), so it's up to you and your partner if you'd like to find this out.

Baby: What's Happening?

The final developmental processes are taking place in your baby this week, especially in the heart. All four chambers are now up and running and pumping blood to the body. Your baby's heartbeat will be evident on the ultrasound as a little white flash, beating at around 150 beats per minute.

Your baby will also start to produce hair around now. And not just on top of the head! Lanugo hair develops all over the body to protect the delicate skin, but don't worry, your baby won't look like a monkey! It's much more of a fair fuzz than actual hair, similar to that of a peach. This hair should disappear during the third trimester so if your baby is born on time, he or she should be lanugo free.

Little details are starting to emerge now, such as fingernails. And they continue to grow, too! While most babies are born with "normal" sized nails, some can be born with long and pointy ones! In rare cases, this can cause a bit of scratching during a vaginal birth, but with everything else going on, it's unlikely to be noticeable.

Your baby is beginning to swallow some amniotic fluid this week, and wee it out, too! It may seem a bit strange that your baby is going to the bathroom inside your belly, but at least it means the kidneys are working properly. And don't worry, number 2's usually don't happen until after the birth!

You: What's Happening?

The major experience this week (or in the coming weeks) is your first ultrasound. For this, you'll be asked to arrive at the hospital with a full bladder, which is a scary prospect for pregnant women who need to use the bathroom constantly! It is best to try and keep a full bladder though, as it provides a more open window through which to view your baby.

If you don't have a full enough bladder, you may be asked to drink some more before trying again. But don't drink too much! Not only could this have you needing to wee before the scan or, even worse, letting out a bit on the ultrasound table (no one said pregnancy was dignified!), but too much water could obstruct the view to the uterus. As a general rule, somewhere between 0.5 to 1 liter about an hour before the scan should be fine.

During your scan, the sonographer will squirt some gel onto your abdomen (it can be quite cold!) and may press down quite hard with the device to get a good look. It may feel uncomfortable, but it shouldn't hurt. If it does, speak up. There's really not much they'll be looking for at this time, they want to see if there's a heartbeat, and they want to take measurements to date the pregnancy and work out your due date. At 10 weeks, your baby should be measuring around 1.2 inches, or just over 3 cm.

So blessed.....

9 weeks in and Kelli and I are over the moon,  well Kelli is over the moon with a full dash of nausea and I'm over the moon losing (summer) weight.  Olivia, well she has no idea someone is about to alter all of our lives.  A big sister she will be and hopefully she can pave the way and also show him/her the dance moves she has customized and mesmerized everyone from our household to the Goddard School.  As for Bella, well hopefully she doesn't roll her eyes when we introduce the newest addition to our home.....but getting too ahead here.  We're happy to start this new blog and share any new details about baby X.  Enjoy!

Here's an excerpt from YourDueDate.com:

At 9 weeks gestation, you pretty much have a fully formed baby in your belly! All the vital bits and pieces are in place, but they'll spend the next 31 weeks (give or take!) developing further, and your baby will be growing rapidly. In fact, in the first year of life your baby will grow quicker than it will at any other time.

As for you, you're now so close to getting that first peek of your little baby, so it's a really exciting time. You're hopefully in the last few weeks of morning sickness and tenderness now, too, and it won't be long before you get that second trimester burst of energy!

Baby: What's Happening?

Your baby's ears start to appear this week, completing that tiny face, although they won't be functional for another few weeks yet. Even so, it's worth getting into the habit of talking or singing to your little one now. You may feel a little bit silly, but it won't be long before your baby can recognise your voice.

The big change this week is that your baby's external genetalia start to become apparant. Your baby has had a gender right from the start (it's determined by the sperm) but so far there's been no distinguishing features that hint at one or the other. Even these external bits look almost identical at this time, although by the time you have your first ultrasound there is a teeny tiny possibility the gender could be confirmed. Most women will need to wait until their 20 week scan to find out though (or even until the birth if Baby doesn't want to cooperate!).

All organs that have already been formed are now just perfecting their processes. By week 9, the placenta is an old pro and is doing an excellent job of providing all the essential nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby, and the lungs are preparing themselves for when your baby starts to breathe.

You: What's Happening?

As your baby only measures around 2.3 cm (or just under an inch) long, and weighs just 2 grams (or a little over half an ounce) you won't be looking pregnant quite yet, although with the placenta, amniotic waters, increased blood quantity and extra waste water in your system, you may be feeling a little "thicker" around the middle.

You may still be feeling a bit nauseous, emotional and achy, but rest assured it won't be for too much longer. You may notice that increased hormones have wreaked havoc on your skin, having you breaking out in acne. A good skin care routine can't work miracles, but it can help to reduce all that extra oil and sebum that's clinging to your face. You may also feel tired all the time, and who can blame you? Your body is working overtime growing this baby, so it's only natural that you'll need a bit more sleep than usual.

If you haven't already made an appointment for an ultrasound, you should do so, and soon. Most first scans happen between 10 and 13 weeks so make sure you're in the system!

Handy Hints

If you're starting to find your jeans are feeling a little tight, you might want to start thinking about how to keep fit during your pregnancy. You should expect to put on anywhere between 17 and 30 lbs during your pregnancy, any more than than and you increase the risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

Adopting a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables not only ensures your baby is getting the best start, but also helps to keep you in shape. Try some gentle, pregnancy-friendly exercises too, such as walking, antenatal yoga or "aquanatal". Women who keep healthy, fit and active during pregnancy are likely to find it easier to lose the additional baby weight after the birth.