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Week Fourteen
Published 04.23.2008 | Permanent Link | Comments (4)
Your Baby:
- Is about the size of your fist, unless you have giant man-hands or something, so maybe I should just compare it to a peach instead.
- Has a strong, whoosh-whooshy heartbeat that can usually be found pretty easily now with a doppler. It's much faster than yours (between 120 - 160 bpm), and sounds vaguely like a washing machine.
- Has probably started sucking its thumb.
You:
- Should be noticing a definite decrease in some of the more crap symptoms from the first trimester, although fatigue and nausea do tend to stick around a little longer for some women.
- Probably aren't as bothered by breast tenderness anymore, although your boobs will continue to grow in size in the weeks and months ahead. Reassess your bra size periodically and make sure you aren't mashing the girls into something you've outgrown.
- If this is your first pregnancy, you may FINALLY feel like you're starting to "show" with a little belly pooch.
- If this is your second (or third or fourth or etc.) pregnancy, you've probably been in maternity clothes or been rubber-banding your pants for a few weeks already, so pffft.
I don't feel like I personally have that much to report this week. I flew from Washington, DC to California for a few days, where I spent the first day telling anyone who would listen about HOW MUCH BETTER I WAS FEELING, OH I HAVEN'T THROWN UP IN DAYS AND I REALLY FEEL MY ENERGY RETURNING. Then I returned to my hotel room after dinner and proceeded to yak up everything I'd eaten that day. And then I went to bed and slept for 12 straight hours.
Air travel is perfectly safe for most pregnant women, really, but you should always tell your doctor about any trips in case he/she does think there's a risk involved for you. Try to request an aisle seat, both for easier potty access and for regular short walks up and down the aisles. Pregnant women are more vulnerable to that deep-vein thrombosis thing, especially on longer flights at higher altitudes. So don't cross your legs while seated and get up to move around at least once an hour. Trust me, the movie probably sucks and you've seen that episode of 30 Rock like a dozen times.
When I got home, Jason couldn't get over the size my belly, which definitely seemed to pop a little further while I was gone. Some of my bump's size can still be blamed on bloating (and I am SO SURE that my dinner of airport McDonald's had NOTHING to do with it), but I am definitely showing already, much more than I did last time. With the exception of one lonely pair of stretchy low-rise jeans, I am in elastic waistband land and feeling rather lumpy. I'm also going to say that I'm noticing that general sort of pregnancy "spread" -- my upper arms and face look fuller, as do my thighs.
So that's where I'm at, at the end of week 14. Still occasionally gagging or puking, but not that much. Slight headaches but no migraines. Food cravings and aversions are settling down. Am expert at finding baby with the doppler. Looking a lot more pregnant and feeling a little more human. Nails? Great. Hair? Just okay. Skin? Ugh. Still tired as hell, but hey! What's that? Why, it's my libido! I was wondering where that went. Hi, husband, don't you just looooove my physique? Yes? Great, now get yo' pants off.
Oh Yeah, THIS: Ah, the second trimester. I love you so, second trimester. Even though I still have a few lone symptoms of misery that haven't yet left me completely, I do remember the unadulterated joy that comes with suddenly realizing that you totally don't feel like warmed-over ass 100% of the time! It's only, like, 43% of the time now! Hooray! 'Tis a pregnancy miracle.
New This Time Around: Muscle aches and pains, man. I don't remember having this many painful knots in my neck and back last time. I don't remember my tailbone hurting quite this badly until much, much later last time -- like third trimester later. I'm sure I could blame some of the pain on just being flat-out older this time around, but I think the classy thing to do would be to go ahead and blame all of it on my ungrateful 30-pound toddler who still wants Mama to carry him places, can you believe the nerve of that kid.
Video for the Week: Maternity Style Must-Haves.
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About this column
Zero to Forty is a week-by-week guide to the miracle of pregnancy and all the various indignities that come with it. New installments will be published on Wednesdays, with other pregnancy-related content and ramblings to be published whenever the columnist can stay awake long enough to type themzzzzzz.
The column is well-researched but not written by a health care professional. Consider it your internet BFF pregnancy guide. See our legal disclaimer below.
About the author
Amy Corbett Storch, aka Amalah, is a freelance writer and professional blogger from Washington, DC. She is currently knocked up with her second child, due in October. Her first child is still currently wearing diapers. Amy is currently wondering what she has gotten herself into now.
Amy also writes Alpha Mom's Advice Smackdown.
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The Zero to Forty masthead and illustrations were created by the artist Brenda Ponnay aka Secret Agent Josephine. Brenda is very talented and these images are copyright-protected. You should hire her!
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Comments (4):
Zoot said:
Okay. SERIOUSLY? You have made me feel 100 times better that I'm still carrying my toddler around. Now, she is a scrawny 25lbs - so not as daunting. BUT STILL. I can't bring myself to stop because I know I won't be able to for awhile and everyone keeps yelling at me about it.
STOP CARRYING THE CHILD!!!
(So I punch them in the face.)
Posted on April 25, 2008 11:39
psumommy said:
I have photos of me carrying my 3-year-old (on her 3rd birthday, no less) while 28 months pregnant with my son. (No, really, it looked like I was smuggling a body ball.) She weighed...I dunno, in the neighborhood of 30+ lbs. I held my son until my youngest was born (he was much younger, but holy moly was he heavy!)...and now will be carrying both of my sons until I give birth. There just isn't any way around it. They seem to have no pity for moommy's poor back and, in fact, seem think it makes me feel *better* to hold them, because it's when I"m in the most pain that they want me to hold them the most.
And morning sickness (I'm...20 weeks? Maybe? Possibly wishful thinking?)...if I forget to take my B6, I throw up the next morning. It's a joy. So I'm right there with you this time!
Posted on April 25, 2008 18:09
Amy Corbett Storch said:
I will never understand the people who try to scare or guilt you out of carrying a toddler around. Sure, he can walk, and he does, but he's still small! Big world! Short legs!
I'm not trading him in for a smaller, cuter model or anything -- right now he is still my baby and like psumommy said, there's just no way around it sometimes. And I'll miss carrying him soon enough. In the meantime, I just demand a lot of backrubs.
Posted on April 28, 2008 17:06
Bethiclaus said:
Oh, WORD on the skin tags. I had a ton of them the first time around and, for me at least, they did go away once Alli was born. And it was a good thing. Because, ew. I would have spent all my money at the dermatologist to get that shit removed.
Posted on April 30, 2008 11:08