Boy Stole my Heart

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

14 weeks to go.... week 26

This past few weeks have been really crazy for me. From sleeping till 2 everyday and working till 1030 every night I cant seem to get enough sleep. And work has really been hard on me lately. My 6 hour shifts have seemed never ending. And sleeping at night has pretty much become impossible. The restless leg syndrome has really started to affect my sleeping hours. That and the constant back pains. Oh and not to mention the constant kicking from the inside. Its like as soon as I decide to wind down and go to sleep, he decides to play. I have been really starting to feel him a lot. He really is getting big. I can feel his whole arm, or leg, move across the top of my stomach. And you can SEE it when im laying down. Pregnancy is really interesting. I love being pregnant but some days more than others. I am now in week 26 which means I only have 14 weeks left..... 6 months and 1 week exactly. The short amount of time left is really stressing me out. I feel so unprepared! But i know that everything will fall into place.




Fetal development in pregnancy week 26:
At long last, your little swimmer can see the womb! Your miracle’s little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed previously) and they’re probably having their first moments of sight as you read this (or maybe it already happened while you were brushing your teeth or watching Oprah or something). In addition to seeing their little studio in your belly, they’ve recently acquired the ability to say “yes” and “no” in rudimentary sign language as they can now move their head back and forth. This is also the time where your little super star’s head hair is starting to grow! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Also, their toenails have grown in and you little raisin continues to slowly pile up fat beneath their still-loose skin. Most importantly, brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace, increasing their (genius-level?) brain activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the first seven to eight years of childhood!

And how's mom doing? This is the final week of your second trimester. We won't go on and on about the joys of constipation, but if you’re curious why you’ve got to put up with this much-less-than-fun blockage, it’s basically because you’re producing higher levels of progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue throughout you’re producing higher levels of progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue throughout your entire body,including the G.I. tract and ultimately slows digestion down… waaaay down. Not to fear, there are plenty of natural remedies for the joys of constipation, including: increasing your standard fiber intake with fruits and veggies, oatmeal, or whole grains (such as millet, rye and wheat). Another way to get things moving "down there" is to get yourself moving! If you haven’t been very active, try putting some time in walking or swimming. Increasing your general activity levels often inspires a bowel movement without requiring a suppository. Many women also experience restless and jittery legs during the second half of pregnancy. It’s a common condition known as Restless Leg Syndrome (or RLS—not a very creative name). Cutting out caffeine, stretching your calf muscles slowly, and some nice and deep muscle massages are generally effective ways to help deal with RLS.

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