Thursday, August 6, 2009

24 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

My baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. His body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How my life's changing:

Most women have a
glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure. Had my GCT this week and everything came back normal.

Was able to identify my first Braxton Hicks contraction. They are a normal part of every pregnancy and start when a woman is still in her first trimester, at about 6 weeks pregnant into the pregnancy. However, most women don’t feel them until at least late in the second trimester, or for first-time mothers, in the third trimester. A Braxton Hicks contraction is a contraction of the uterus that is normally painless, but can sometimes be quite irritating. It consists of a localized tightening in your belly, which does not travel, but stays in one spot. These are considered to be practice contractions, to prepare you for the real thing when labor does start. Braxton Hicks contractions can be intense enough to take your breath away, and make you stop and take notice, but they generally do not cause any change in your cervix, nor are they a sign of preterm labor.

Here's a few facts just for fun...


My Due Date Is Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I am in Week 24 of my pregnancy

and my baby is 22 weeks old.

My Third Trimester will begin 8/26/2009

168 days down, 112 to go!

Fun Facts For Birthday 11/25/2009

My baby will start kindergarten in 2014, be old enough to drive a car in 2025, graduate high school with the class of 2027, and will finish college in 2031, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

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