How big is the baby: TBy this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She’s also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. (source)
Baby’s Gender: I’m back on the I think it’s a boy train.
Baby’s Name: We have our boy and we pretty much have our girl.
Weight Gained: 17.5 lbs
Clothes: Time to get some new ones this weekend! I have non-maternity that still fit, some early maternity that also fit but it is time to get a few last items for the remainder of the pregnancy.
How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good but I am definitely feeling tired out.
How are you sleeping: Hips are sore when I sleep, waking up all the time to pee and so thirsty.
Workouts: This week I did lots of walking and went to yoga.
Things I’m looking forward to: Getting away with Neil this weekend! We are headed to Maine for our last pre-baby getaway and I can’t wait! My baby shower in June. Starting birthing classes in two weeks.
Things I’m not looking forward to: My glucose test next Wednesday.
Last Week–>Week 27: Air Energy: This week was intended to focus on breath meditation something I made time for every day this week. It also was a time to reflect on my thoughts and fears about giving birth and becoming a mother. What are the thoughts that have you up at night in regard to becoming a mother and giving birth? My fears include not making it to the birthing center (it’s 60 minutes away), having a giant baby and being in active labor for many hours. Currently one of my fears that isn’t about becoming a mother or giving birth is not passing my glucose test which is next week-eek!
This Week–> Sacred Pregnancy Week 28: Fire Energy
This Week’s focus: Are you confident that you know what you want for this pregnancy and birth? If you are not, take the time to get clear and journal about your confusion. When you are ready to really direct your will and intention, the universe will be ready to hear it!
Friday Night: We started our weekend off with a bang aka we didn’t just spend the night sitting around at home doing nothing. Neil worked from home which meant when he was finished working we could go straight to spending time together rather than having to deal with a commute.
Since it was a beautiful evening I changed into a skirt (YAY finally skirt weather again) and we headed downtown to do a little shopping, walking and wondering around. We picked up a few new shirts for Neil and then decided that it was time for dinner. We debated going out but in the end decided to pick up the fixings for veggie burgers to make at home.
So we picked up the goods and headed home to make delicious veggie burgers and caught up on a few shows.
Saturday: We had minor morning plans to pick up a vegan cupcake from Nibble or Nosh at the market, stop into Plato’s closet to sell some of Neil’s old clothes and pick up fixings for our pizza party later that night. What was going to be a quick trip out to do these things turned into shopping for a new bike for Neil when we saw that North Star was having a bike sale and then I was hungry so we stopped into Healthy Living for a snack and picked up the fixings for our pizza party. Then we were off to Plato’s Closet to sell clothes, which ended up being over an hour wait so we decided to do a little more shopping.
We ended up finding ourselves at Buttered Noodles, a kids shop in Williston. We had always debated stopping in but for some reason the name just really but us off and I think we both imagined there would just be a bunch of random junk there, however we were delightfully surprised. We ended up walking into this huge store that is filled with everything from books and toys to clothes, strollers, and cribs. There was even a small maternity clothes section and a cloth diaper section. Most of the items there were all at a discount, almost like a TJMaxx or Marhsalls. I ended up finding some maternity leggings, a few really cute organic baby clothes and a few books. We will definitely be back another time to pick up more items for the baby, such as the cloth diapers!
Finally an hour passes and we are able to see what Plato’s took and after be coming $29 richer we decided to take ourselves to Thai lunch since we both were super hungry at this point.
After lunch I was just about dead. Apparently the Third Trimester has hit me and I am getting run down real fast. We headed home to clean before our guests came aka Neil did most of the cleaning and I took a nap. Then we pizza partied the night away.
Sunday: This day for me was all about relaxing, catching up on a bit of work and then heading out for a long 5k walk. It was beautiful out and it was a perfect day to walk but boy am I starting to slow down. A few weeks ago I could easily go at an 18-19 minute pace and now I’m closer to averaging 22 minutes per mile, hello third trimester I see you are starting 4 days early.
What did you do this weekend? Where you able to get out and enjoy the weather?
How big is the baby: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She’s sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don’t bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle. (source)
Baby’s Gender: 50/50 chance it’s a boy. 50/50 chance it’s a girl.
Baby’s Name: We have our boy and we pretty much have our girl.
Weight Gained: 17lbs
Clothes: Me in stripes+pregnant=not a good fashion choice. No new clothes, but we are headed to Maine next weekend and I plan on picking up a few new pieces for the spring/summer. My belly is getting in the way of my non-panel maternity pants so those are getting less comfy to wear not because they are too small but rather because they don’t stay up so well.
How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good this week. Lots of hip pain after a night of sleeping though.
What do you miss: Still missing running and I’m really missing sleeping anyway I please.
Symptoms: Aches and pains.
Cravings: Beans. Pesto. Bagels.
How are you sleeping: see above.
Baby Items Gifted: Bummis diapers- 2 covers and 4 inserts which will be featured in an upcoming post on cloth diapering and review once baby comes (on our family blog that will be up in running by the end of May). We were also gifted (from our Amazon registry) a book Zen Ties and a Dwell Studios Bib and Burb set from my friend and old co-worker Nicole (Thanks Nicole!).
Workouts: This week I walked and I did my Summer Sanders Video. I skipped yoga this week- first time in 10 weeks I haven’t either gone or done yoga at home and now I know why I go every week!
Last Week–>Week 26: Earth Energy: The focus of this week was to spend some time with Mother Nature and although I didn’t get outside as much as I would have liked I did take time to go for a few walks and enjoy the improving weather.
This Week–> Sacred Pregnancy Week 27: Air Energy
This Week’s focus: Focus on breath meditation to help with stress and emotional ups and downs of pregnancy. Take time to create a positive space and reflect on the thoughts and fears around giving birth and becoming a mother.
– What are the thoughts that have you up at night in regard to becoming a mother and giving birth? Lay them out here in all honesty so that they can be worked through. Even if they are irrational … write them, claim them, and release them
What are/were your biggest fears about becoming a mother or giving birth? How do you work through them?
{insert photo here <–forgot to take one & now I’m in my PJ’s}
How far along are you: 26 Weeks
How big is the baby: The network of nerves in your baby’s ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner’s as you chat with each other. He’s inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he’s born and takes that first gulp of air. And he’s continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you’re having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. (source)
Baby’s Gender: Still don’t know but this week things have taken a twist…I think it could be a girl! I have been dreaming more about our baby and it is always a girl. So now I’m more confused than ever.
Baby’s Name: We have decided on a boys name and I think we have decided on a girls name, or at least we are almost there.
Weight Gained: 16lbs
Did you know? I weighed 8lbs 3oz at birth and Neil was 9lbs 6oz *update* I was as little freaked out by Neil’s baby weight but he was 1.5 weeks late = more time to gain weight.
Clothes: No new clothes. Actually going back to my winter maternity clothes for the most part.
How are you feeling: I am feeling really tired this week.
What do you miss: I am missing running, going out for drinks with Hubz and energy.
Symptoms: Tired.
Cravings: Chips and guacamole. Pesto. Salad.
How are you sleeping: This week I have been sleeping okay but have been waking up in the middle of the night which is no fun.
Workouts: This week I got in a number of walks and pre-natal yoga.
Last Week–>Week 25- Love Reflection:Last week’s focus was to show my body love by doing something such as get a massage, put your feet up and relax, practice your kegel exercises and to write a love letter to yourself this week! Encourage yourself to work through any places where you feel stuck this week! I actually didn’t write myself a love letter but I did practice my kegel exercises (I’m doing some right now), I put my feet up and relaxed and I scheduled a pregnancy massage for tomorrow.
This Week–> Sacred Pregnancy Week 26: Earth Energy
This week’s focus: – Spend time with Mother Earth, in nature, touching the trees, collecting fallen leaves, and letting your feet be bare upon her back.
– Draw a picture of a nature spot that reminds you of being grounded, a place that you can draw from when you need a quiet place in your mind to visit, perhaps during your labor.
How big is the baby: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but she’s beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she’ll start to look more and more like a newborn. She’s also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you’d now be able to discern its color and texture. (source)
Baby’s Gender: We don’t know but I think it’s a boy but I had my second baby dream and in it we had a girl (first one was a girl too) – for those of you who have babies did you dream about the babies sex? Did it end up being the same as in your dream?
Baby’s Name: We have decided on a boys name and have narrowed the girls names down to two and have decided on a middle name if it is a girl.
Weight Gained: 17 lbs and feeling huge. Correction I went to my midwife appointment Thursday and I’ve only gained 15lbs! However I am consistently measuring large (about a week ahead) which is why I probably feel huge. We have a big one on the way. Did you know? I weighed 8lbs 3oz at birth and Neil was 9lbs 6oz
Clothes: No new clothes. Our weather went from 80’s last week to 30’s this week so I am back in my winter maternity. I know that I am going to have to get a few more pieces before this pregnancy is over though.
How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good, my energy levels are a little all over the place but otherwise good.
What do you miss: I still miss running. I also am really missing wearing non-maternity clothes.
Symptoms: Heartburn!
Cravings: No strong cravings this week but I am still on a spicy food kick.
How are you sleeping: This week I actually have been sleeping pretty well, there has been a little tossing and turning and bathroom breaks but otherwise good.
Workouts: This week I didn’t get as many workouts in as I had hopped but I did get a few walks in, an at home prenatal fitness sesh and I went to prenatal yoga.
Baby Grooves & Moves: I have been feeling the baby move for weeks now but I am really anxious to have Neil really feel the baby. Sometimes he does but it’s still hard for him to totally tell and lately whenever I call him over to feel the movements the baby stops- such a tease! Yesterday morning however Neil finally got to SEE the baby move. Yes you read that correctly he saw my belly jump as the baby kicked and moved- such a wonderful experience. Sometimes I just sit and watch my belly waiting to see little movements and lately these little movements are getting bigger and bigger.
*Catching up? You can read my re-cap of weeks 1-14 over here.
This week I was going to write about weeks 15-24 however my post on Sacred Pregnancy just went live over on NAB Communities WELLNESS and I would love to have you head over there and read my thoughts on the book as well as some pregnancy reflections of mine. Next week I will reflect on weeks 15-25 and we’ll take a look at what’s in store for week 26.
Sacred Pregnancy Week 25: Love
This week’s focus:
– Showing your body love- get a massage, put your feet up and relax, practice your kegel exercises
– Write a love letter to yourself this week! Encourage yourself to work
through any places where you feel stuck this week!
How big is the baby: Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he’s almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but 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. (source)
Baby’s Gender: We don’t know but I think it’s a boy
Baby’s Name: We have decided on a boys name and have narrowed the girls names down to two and have decided on a middle name if it is a girl.
Weight Gained: 16-17 lbs. Today I feel massive.
Clothes: I bought a new maternity skirt yesterday at Baby Gap for $1.97 and shortly I will need to buy some new workout bottoms because mine although they fit are getting more and more uncomfortable around the waist.
How are you feeling: I am feeling great! I was feeling under the weather this past weekend due to sinus congestion but that has passed and I’m feeling good!
What do you miss: Running. Sprouts. Sleeping on my back.
Symptoms: Lots of indigestion due to bananas.
Cravings: Fruit Salad! I actually went out last night and bought three bags of fruit so I could make a fruit salad. I also have been craving veggie burgers, avocado and salad.
How are you sleeping: This week I have been doing okay minus when I was sick.
Workouts: This week I rocked the workouts! Lots of walks and I went to pre-natal yoga yesterday- more on this tomorrow.
Next Midwife Appointment: March 28th.
Other News: We have been on a mission to find a birth class that fits our needs, a natural pregnancy with as little intervention as possible, unfortunately we were having a hard time finding a non-hospital class. Well I finally found a doula who teaches private natural birth classes and we are now in the process of setting up our classes with her, as well as, a natural baby class where we will learn about using cloth diapers, breastfeeding, baby wearing, sleeping options and more.
When North Atlantic Books provided me with an advanced copy of Sacred Pregnancy by Anni Daulter I was thrilled. Although I was 20 weeks when I started reading this book I started at the beginning and I fell in love instantly with the style of writing, the tips and as I read through each week and reflected on my own experience I began to feel more connected to my own pregnancy. I have been using this wonderful book, resource and journal ever since and plan to continue doing so for the next 16 weeks.
Below I am providing a short reflection on each week from 1-14 and next week I will reflect on weeks 15-25 based on the topic of the week in Sacred Pregnancy. I will continue to write reflections based on the topic of the week in Sacred Pregnancy each week in my Thursday pregnancy updates until I give birth.
For those of you who are pregnant, are planning to get pregnant or have friends that are you’ll be happy to know that this wonderful guide and journal for expectant moms will be released on May 1, 2012. You can pre-order your copy today on Amazon, now I just need my girlfriends to get pregnant so I can buy them copies!
First Trimester
Week 1-4: The first four weeks discuss Journaling, Sacred Space, Due Date and Meditation. I didn’t know I was pregnant until I was just over 4 weeks so I didn’t find these weeks quite as inspiring so I will start my reflection with Week 5: Cravings!
Week 5: Cravings- This week you will learn about paying attention to cravings, finding balance in your meals and lastly indulging (just a little). I loved the ideas in this week for making own potato chips, a craving that many women have during their first trimester. I also loved that the suggestion to sit back and relax and watch Eat, Pray, Love.
Week 6: Womb- Much of this week discusses your bodies preparation for your growing baby. One thing that suggested in this topic is to eat smaller meals throughout the day to help combat morning sickness. I didn’t learn this until around week 9 in my pregnancy and I wish I had known back at week 6!
Week 7: Expectations- This has been one week that I consistently go back to whenever I get wrapped up with others birth and pregnancy experiences. The more stories that you hear the more that we set up good or bad expectations for ourselves; instead we need to slow down, reflect on our own expectations and look for support.
Week 8: Body Image- This week gets into the nitty gritty of the challenging transition that you take on as a pregnant woman, a new body, a growing body and a new look. This is something that was a bit and continues to be a bit of a struggle for me to deal with. After years of maintaining a weight loss it is a challenge to feel comfortable gaining weight especially when you can’t control it and it is necessary. One thing that has helped me is to budget for new maternity clothes, and not just any clothes ones that make me feel good.
Week 9: Romance- The topic of the week is all about making quality time with your partner. This could be as simple as a hug, holding hands, and if you are feeling into it hitting the sheets. Finding time for romance can help reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with pregnancy. To help keep the romance going my husband and I have weekly date nights, even more now than pre-pregnancy and it has been wonderful.
Week 10: Birth Art Expression- Although the suggestion was to get artistic during week 10 we did this during week 23. We have been working on art for the nursery and will continue until the baby arrives.
Week 11: Exercise- During week 11 I was still feeling pretty nauseous so my workouts were lacking back then but increased around week 14. Currently my favorite exercises to do are nice long walks with my husband and prenatal yoga.
Week 12: Mindful Eating- This week reminds you of how essential it is to really focus on what you are eating because what you eat the baby eats.
Week 13: Radiant Glow- This is the week when you really start feeling more connected to your pregnancy. Once the nausea has calmed down it is really easier to enjoy being pregnant. This week one of the ideas was to start taking belly photos to document your progress. We started taking our photos around week 14 and it has been a lot of fun.
Week 14: Bonding- This week is about preventing uncomfortable symptoms before they happen such as drinking lots of water, eating a high fiber and high protein diet. Additionally, one of the ideas is to talk to you belly and this feels weird at first but the more you do it the more connected you feel to you baby.
This week I didn’t accomplish all my fitness goals. It happens. On Saturday we flew back from Raleigh to Boston and then had to drive home from Boston so by the time we got home we were exhausted-hence the scheduled off day. In addition to being exhausted I was feeling a lot of round ligament pain which was probably brought on by all of the walking and activity during our vacation so I decided that I need to take a full on rest day Sunday to see if that would help, and it did! As for why I missed pre-natal yoga this week…well no (good) excuses but I do plan on going this Sunday!
Goals for Week of 3/9-15:
Th: 1.5 mile walk
F: 2 mile walk
S: OFF
Su: 2 mile walk
M: 2 mile walk and/or workout DVD
T: Pre-natal Yoga
W: 2 mile walk and/or workout DVD
Actual for Week of 3/9-15:
Th: 1.5 mile walk
F: 2 mile walk
S: OFF
Su: REST
M: <–nothing. I don’t know what happened here.
T: 45 min strength
W: 20 Min Prenatal Fitness Fix DVD and 10 minutes yoga
When I first found out we were pregnant I was preparing to train for my first half marathon, had canceled by gym membership since I wasn’t using it and was overall pretty active. My goal was to keep up with this my entire pregnancy and to help me do so I decided to purchase a few prenatal DVD’s to do at home workouts. After looking over reviews of a number of prenatal fitness and yoga DVD’s on Amazon I finally settled on three- one yoga and two fitness. One of the fitness DVD’s I chose was Prenatal Fitness Fix with Erin O’Brien which received 4.5 stars and 134 reviews on Amazon, making you think that it was a a great workout DVD.
Well boy was I surprised when I first turned it on and it was nothing like what you would expect from the reviews or the cover. The DVD is first of so out dated. I felt like I was watching an old 80’s workout DVD with awful music. The picture quality was awful, the set up was dim and looked like it had been tapped in her living room one afternoon. I also felt like the whole workout was something similar to what my mom used to do in our living room when I was a child.
Well I did the workout a few times and just couldn’t get into it at all, it was pretty awful. Having apparently not learned my lesson this week I decided to try one more time but this time do the partner workout with my husband. Well let me tell you it was worse than the regular workout. Calling it a “partner workout” is stretching it a bit or at least it wasn’t what my husband and I were expecting. We were both expecting to get a workout, but instead the partner part of it was basically me using him as support or resistance while I worked out. Honestly my husband was just about as thrilled to participate as her husband seemed to be in the DVD. The partner workout really could have been done on your own using bands and a table or chair for needed assistance; it was actually more awkward to have my husband help me than anything.
Overall this receives a 0 star rating for me. I would not recommend this to anyone. I however would recommend the other two prenatal DVD’s that I have been using and I’ll post reviews of those in the upcoming weeks.
How far along are you: 28 Weeks
1. Cropped Denim Jacket |2. Jeggings | 3. Faux Wrap Dress | 4. Toms | 5. Scarf | 6. Wrap Jacket
Last Week–>Week 27: Air Energy: This week was intended to focus on breath meditation something I made time for every day this week. It also was a time to reflect on my thoughts and fears about giving birth and becoming a mother. What are the thoughts that have you up at night in regard to becoming a mother and giving birth? My fears include not making it to the birthing center (it’s 60 minutes away), having a giant baby and being in active labor for many hours. Currently one of my fears that isn’t about becoming a mother or giving birth is not passing my glucose test which is next week-eek! 
How far along are you: 27 Weeks
How far along are you: 25 Weeks
How far along are you: 24 Weeks
When I first found out we were pregnant I was preparing to train for my first half marathon, had canceled by gym membership since I wasn’t using it and was overall pretty active. My goal was to keep up with this my entire pregnancy and to help me do so I decided to purchase a few prenatal DVD’s to do at home workouts. After looking over reviews of a number of prenatal fitness and yoga DVD’s on Amazon I finally settled on three- one yoga and two fitness. One of the fitness DVD’s I chose was 
