Pregnancy at 24 Weeks

Posted on May 21, 2015 by llpitlwp

Pregnancy at 24 Weeks

Your baby continues to grow:

He is about the size of an ear of corn
He weighs in at about 1 1/3 pounds
He is about 12 inches long
He still is pretty skinny and his skin is still almost see through, once he puts on weight that will change
His brain continues to grow quickly around this time in gestation
His lungs are developing their branches
He is beginning to produce surfactant that will help his air sacs to fill with air and inflate when he is born

About now you should know the signs of preterm labor just in case:

increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge, watery, mucus-like or bloody or blood tinged, pinkish.
any vaginal bleeding or spotting
cramping like menstrual pain
abdominal pain
more than 4 contractions in one hour even if they do not hurt
increased pressure in your pelvis
low back pain especially if you did not previously have back pain

Symptoms like the above can be normal and confusing but they should be checked out by your midwife or doctor. Contractions can be Braxton Hicks contractions which are normal and pelvic pressure and back pain can be normal too but always better to get your caregivers opinion before assuming that this is normal for you.

If you think that you are experiencing preterm labor call your practitioner right away without delay.

You will probably will be told to go to the hospital to get an assessment. Once you are there your contractions will be monitored as well as your baby’s heart rate. You will probably have a speculum vaginal exam to determine if your membranes have ruptured. A swab of your cervix and vagina will probably be done and sent to the lab to check for infection. Another swab will be sent to check for a fetal fibronectin test.

This test analyzes your cervical and vaginal fluid for the presence of a protein that helps bind the amniotic sac to the lining of your uterus. Between 24 and 34 weeks, elevated levels of fFN mean that this “glue” is disintegrating ahead of schedule (due to contractions or injury to the amniotic sac). A negative result means that it’s highly unlikely that you’ll give birth in the next week or two, which can set your mind at ease and allow your practitioner to hold off on treatments that may prove to be unnecessary.

via Baby Center

Preterm labor is always worrisome. Premies born between 34 to 37 weeks tend to do okay although they are still at risk for some long and short term problems. Babies who are extremely premature may have serious long term problems although there have been many advances in their care and survival rates.

Good prenatal care can help reduce your chances of preterm labor. So continue to be good to yourself and attend your appointments as scheduled.

Life changes during this stage of pregnancy:

Your uterus has grown and is now above your belly button and about the size of a soccer ball.
Glucose screening tests will usually be done between now and 28 weeks to check for gestational diabetes
If your test is abnormal you will have a glucose tolerance test to find out for sure if you have gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes can cause your baby to grow too large during pregnancy and make it difficult to deliver your baby vaginally. It also can increase your baby’s risk for low blood sugar complications after delivery.

It is a time to learn about the signs of preterm labor and know that it is okay to call your doctor if you have questions about whether or not you are having symptoms of it. It may be good to make your own list of these preterm labor signs so that you can have them handy if you do have a question.

Continue to take care of yourself and enjoy your pregnancy.

Traveling Through the First Trimester

Posted on May 20, 2015 by llpitlwp

First Trimester (in a nutshell) by Adrienne Lavine

I had no nausea and no morning sickness but I was rid with anxiety with a touch of depression. Living half way across the country from my family and the bitter cold winter with a snowstorm every other day did not help.

I taught yoga through my first trimester. However, not having a regular 9-5 job, not having family nearby and not having as many friends around is very hard, especially while pregnant. All I wanted to do was to go home and be with my family. My husband was annoying me but when he wasn’t around, I wanted him to be home. I couldn’t win and neither could he.

In addition to the homesickness, boredom and loneliness during my first trimester, I was also experiencing panic attacks. I decided that I needed to go and be with my family so I traveled to Chicago at the end of February. It was supposed to only be for a week but ended up to be a three weeks.

I spent a lot of time with my mom. She took me shopping and bought me some new bras that I desperately needed and some brightly colored maternity clothing that cheered me up. My mom is also an incredible cook and made sure that I had good food and enough of it! I even relaxed to the point of being able to take a nap and sleep through the night for the first time in weeks. Trust me that was a big deal.

Having family nearby has so many benefits, although my husband doesn’t fully understand why I want my mom so badly. I am close with my family and tell my mom everything (she jokes sometimes that I probably tell her too much). The amount that I wish to spend more time with my mom will never change and certainly won’t during pregnancy.

The day before I was supposed to return to Rhode Island was week 13. My mom and I thought it would be nice to be able to get an ultrasound done so that she could experience something special with me. We decided to go and have my husband on Face Time. The tech asked if my husband and I wanted to know what we were having… Absolutely! She knew that it was on the early side and was pretty sure it was a boy. My dad walked in the room and it was like he had a reaction. “Oh. It’s a boy!”

Very excited with the news of finally adding a male to the family, we all waited for the tech to bring the DVD of the ultrasound. It was such a happy experience to be able to share with everyone special to me. Plus, I could stop referring to the baby as an “it”.

When I got back to my parents’ house I called Rich to talk. I was supposed to fly home late Tuesday night and would have arrived after midnight. He was going to leave work early on Friday to go on a snowboarding trip to Vermont. I decided to stay in Chicago for an extra week. There was no point in going back to Rhode Island just to be alone for the whole weekend.

The following Tuesday rolled around and my new flight was in the afternoon. I was nervous just at the thought of going back. I was also nervous of flying alone and being alone all of the time.

My mom was driving me to the airport. We were approaching Midway when I had a panic attack. My mom drove the car into one of the garages and parked. After I had calmed down we called my dad. We canceled my flight and booked another for a week later. Then we called Rich. I was still very upset so my mom told him what had happened. He was very understanding and just wanted me to feel better. We ended up flying Rich to Chicago on Saturday so that he could fly back with me on Tuesday. We made it to Rhode Island with a minimal amount of anxiety.

First trimester was full of emotional and physical changes…looking forward to what’s next.

TGIF – Weekend Reading

Posted on May 16, 2015 by llpitlwp

TGIF Weekend Reading

Moments in Sand

I love my Canadian blogger friends. These suggestions for a fun filled holiday weekend is just a sampling of what you will find at Yummy Mummy Club.

Flower Power Make a trip to your local garden centre so you can create a cascade of rainbows in your yard by planting colourful flowers.

Source: Ten Ways To Celebrate The Victoria Day Long Weekend :: YummyMummyClub.ca

These two styles of parenting have been news worthy recently. What style are you? I fall somewhere in between. Here are the “facts” from NYTimes.

1. What are Free Range and Helicopter Parenting? Free Range and Helicopter Parenting are two different and opposing parenting styles that illustrate what happens to a flourishing post-industrial society with excess leisure time. This also explains why “The Bachelor” is in its 19th season.

Source: Free Range vs. Helicopter Parenting: Get the Facts – NYTimes.com

New York City was my home when Etan Patz disappeared as he was going to school one morning. I have never forgotten his story nor have I ever forgotten Adam Walsh, who disappeared from a store in South Florida while I was living there with small children. I became a helicopter parent then and there.

It is there in the quick steps of a woman hurrying up the street in Brooklyn, muttering to herself, “I’m a good parent, I’m a good parent.” She was regretting letting her son run home alone from a restaurant and was rushing to catch up with him. It is there in the childhood memories of a girl who grew up always looking over her shoulder. She would become a mother telling a cautionary tale to her own children. The one about the little boy who left for school one day and was never seen again. It is there in the father who remembers, as a boy, the room going silent when the news anchor Roger Grimsby gave his nightly update on the search. Today, that father says he always has “an eye in the back of my head.”

Source: The Legacy of Etan Patz: Wary Children Who Became Watchful Parents – NYTimes.com

A lot of clouds here this morning…we will have to make our own sunshine this weekend!

Pregnancy at 23 weeks

Posted on May 14, 2015 by llpitlwp

Pregnancy At 23 Weeks

Your growing baby can now hear music and can feel your movements at this point in your pregnancy. He is weighing in at just over a pound and a little more than 11 inches in length about the size of a mango.

He is getting his lungs ready to breath on his own after delivery.
He is able to hear loud noises as well.
You may even see his movements on your belly at this point.

Your body is still changing too:

You may have some ankle and feet swelling especially now that the warmer weather is coming.
The swelling is called edema and is due to changes in your circulation and blood chemistry.
This fluid will go away after you have your baby.
Remember to lie on your left side and put your feet up whenever you can.
Stretch out and avoid standing or sitting in one place for long excessive periods of time.
Regular exercise is important for your circulation and drinking plenty of fluids helps with fluid retention.
If you experience sudden swelling in your extremities, hands ,face or eye puffiness call your caregiver as this could be a sign of a serious condition known as preeclampsia.

“When I started having trouble sleeping during my pregnancy, I asked my friends what to do. One suggested I take a half-hour walk during the day. It really helped me sleep better, and it felt great to have a little time for myself.”

Source: Things to think about:

Cord Blood Banking

If you bank your baby’s cord blood, the blood left in your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta after birth is collected, frozen, and stored for future medical use. Cord blood is prized because it’s a rich source of stem cells – the building blocks of the blood and immune system.

Stem cells have the ability to develop into other types of cells. Because of this, they can help repair tissues, organs, and blood vessels and can be used to treat a number of diseases. Cord blood has already been used successfully in the treatment of more than 70 diseases. And many more uses for cord blood are being researched and tested.

The process of collecting cord blood is fast and painless for you and your baby. Storing cord blood makes it more likely that that its unique, potentially lifesaving stem cells won’t go to waste.

Your pregnancy: 23 weeks | BabyCenter

Find out more:These are links from Baby Center that discuss cord blood banking pretty thoroughly.

Overview of cord blood banking
Choosing whether to donate or use a private cord blood bank

Another suggestion from Baby Center:

Make a collage about your pregnancy and your hopes and dreams for your baby or write a letter to your baby. It will be something that your child will treasure.

Vanity Fair Gives to Women

Posted on May 13, 2015 by llpitlwp

Vanity Fair Gives Back

As I told you all, I attended a wonderful meeting of mom bloggers, MOM 2.0. in Scottsdale Arizona a couple of weeks ago. While there I enjoyed visiting with great sponsors one of which was VF Lingerie

As a thank you they are offering you a discount with purchase from their online site until May 18 2015.

Thank you to Vanity Fair for this opportunity.

We’re partnering with Dress for Success® to support women who are overcoming obstacles and finding lasting careers and happiness. Because all women deserve a chance to succeed in life, love and the pursuit of whatever they dream.

Source: Inside Vanity Fair

This post was not sponsored.

Our Kids are Watching Us!

Posted on May 10, 2015 by llpitlwp

Watch Out Our Kids (and Grandkids) are Watching Us!

Last week, I was at a meeting of mostly mom bloggers and I had a conversation with the women at Responsibility.org.

As a grandmother, I have experienced the teenage years and college years and yes I survived and of course I can say “I wish I knew then what I know now”.

But seriously, I wish I had access to the internet and a world of “friends” on Facebook to talk to about a given topic like alcohol responsibility during those years of raising adolescent kids and young adults.

When I was a mom of grade schoolers, I worked with some moms from their school once in awhile when they were preparing for hot dog day, a monthly lunch ritual. A group of moms would gather at a home to count money and prepare a roster. My eye opening experience occurred at one of these morning meetings after school drop-off at around 9 a.m. To my surprise a bottle of wine was served rather than coffee. I suspected some issues with alcohol and moms from previous luncheon experiences when the wine disappeared before any food was eaten.

So looking back now as a grandmother in today’s world of social media, I realize that moms still are trying to balance everything, and relaxing moments are still elusive at best.

Social media definitely has added another perspective to parenting. We are still learning the boundaries of what we should and should not say. Our words follow us like shadows that never disappear.

So when I saw this campaign #TalkEarly and #RefreshYourFunny from Responsibility.org at Mom 2.0 Summit, I wanted to lend my support in any way I could.

Basically, #RefreshYourFunny refers to monitoring yourself when it comes to “wining” about how you want a “drink” to unwind from a day of mothering madness. Remember, our kids and grandkids are watching us and learning from all that we do. If you listen to them closely you will hear yourself talking. It is cute but at times, it is also frightening

So lets try to join in #RefreshYourFunny and be aware that “Our Kids are Watching Us”!

#RefreshYourFunny

This is not a sponsored post.

Pregnancy at 22 Weeks

Posted on May 9, 2015 by llpitlwp

Pregnancy at 22 Weeks

Baby continues to grow and this is what is happening:

He is about 11 inches from head to toe and now weighs in at around 1 pound.
He is beginning to look like a tiny little newborn with lips, eyelids and eyebrows.
He has fine hair.
He looks wrinkled because he has not developed fat tissue yet.

You feel yourself getting larger especially your tummy.

Pregnancy keeps changing how you are feeling?

People tend to touch your belly if you don’t like this tell them.
Others will ask you how far along you are and will comment on how you look, bigger or smaller than you should at 22 weeks.
Pay no attention since everyone is different.
Stretch marks may begin to appear on your tummy, buttocks, thighs, hips and breast.
Lotion is not proven to help and many stretch marks disappear after you get back you pre-pregnancy body.
See your practitioner on a regular basis to make sure all is okay.

Other things are changing too:

Your hair is getting thicker.
Your fingernails are growing faster.
Your nipples may be getting darker.
Your feet may increase in size.
Your rings may start to get snug, you may want to take them off now and wear your wedding band around your neck.

“I kept a journal for my son while I was pregnant, and I brought it to the hospital with me so I could write in it as soon as I was up to it. It really helped to share all the feelings I was having.”

Your pregnancy: 22 weeks | BabyCenter

Grief takes its Toll!

Posted on May 6, 2015 by llpitlwp

Grief leaves no one out!

Alone

This morning I was reading my notices and this one took hold of me. Losing someone close is a grief we will all know at one time or another. Most of us we will not have to share our loss in public like Sheryl Sandberg.

What never ceases to amaze me are the comments that crop up on Facebook. They are absolutely cruel and show no compassion or empathy for someone who has just lost their loved one.

This type of person, who feels free to utter such “rot” makes me sick. I know they are also suffering in their own way but why must they infect the comment posts on a post about the death of a loved one. Are there no limits?

Sheryl is suffering and trying to make sense out of a grief that she will have to work through for a long time both personally and with her young children.

My heart goes out to her as a human being experiencing one of life’s most difficult times.

“I want to thank all of our friends and family for the outpouring of love over the past few days. It has been extraordinary – and each story you have shared will help keep Dave alive in our hearts and memories,” she wrote.

Source: Sheryl Sandberg: ‘Unexpected hell’ of husband’s death is ‘darkest and saddest’ moment of my life – The Washington Post

Mom2Summit in Scottsdale

Posted on May 5, 2015 by llpitlwp

Mom2Summit

Last Wednesday, I made my way to Scottsdale, Arizona’s Phoenician Resort and my fourth Mom2Summit.

There is always something new to learn at Mom2.0 but the best part is the energy these young women, mostly moms, have and the love they have for what they
do in the world of social media and blogging.

Mom2Summit was all it was meant to be.

Kia picked us up at the airport and delivered us in style to the Phoenician resort in Scottsdale. It was my first ride in a Kia, my husband and I loved the ride and he even got to test drive a Kia during our stay.

Dove welcomed us with products and a beautiful book celebrating the curly haired girls. Dove has some fabulous new products for those of us with
natural curls…I am thrilled. Thank you Dove!

The first evening cocktail party was so beautifully sponsored by Breyers Ice Cream and In the Raw Sugar… outdoors on the lawn. But alas, jet lag and the Arizona heat overtook me so I joined my family for an early bedtime.

Happily, before my evening ended, I had already met a few of my virtual friends in person. It is always special for me to meet new friends at Mom2.0. There are just so many talented women and moms raising this generation of children …so inspiring how they are willing to support one another in social media and on blogs.

Sponsors are important to so many bloggers and it is interesting to see some bloggers make the most of their sponsor relationships without losing their own authentic voice. I also have utmost respect for those moms, who respect their children’s boundaries and privacy.

It isn’t an easy task to balance yourself and your values when you want to monetize your blog but it is so important in my eyes.

Daphne Oz spoke to a group that I attended. Actually, it was an interview with Katie Rami from ABC television in Phoenix. Daphne spoke about work/mom balance and how it is constantly evolving as her daughter grows. In October she will add a new baby to her family to challenge her already hectic schedule. She too discussed privacy and boundaries and the care that she takes now that people have begun to recognize her daughter when she is out and about in NYC. To me, Daphne seemed to have a good handle on her goals as a mom along with handling her mom responsibilities which is no easy task. She also spoke about lending her support to certain products and is careful to curate what she sponsors.

Thursday night, I attended a dinner with Beech Nut baby foods where I met a lot of moms and learned about a brand that my family has used for three generations. Beech Nut has listened to moms and now has a whole line of organic foods and textures for baby and toddler. These foods are so very tasty that we enjoyed them in billinis and in our salad dressing at dinner … delicious!

Friday was a day of so many great sessions. I wish I could have split myself to attend many more of them.That night was the Iris awards … It was a late night which
I was unfortunately not able to attend .

I was so happy to see the winners posted on Facebook, but truthfully I was able to predict some of the winners myself!

Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners!

My husband came to Scottsdale with me and was amazed to see the sheer numbers in attendance. I dubbed the two of us, Grandma and Grandpa Mom 2.0. He said there were just too many women for him. I will miss him at Laguna next year but I
I’ll be there to absorb some energy from this great group of women!

Thank you to all those who made Mom2Summit possible!

Pregnancy at 21 Weeks

Posted on May 2, 2015 by llpitlwp

Pregnancy at 21 Weeks

Wow…your baby is really growing and weighs in at around 3/4 of a pound and is now 10 1/2 inches long…the size of a carrot.

His kicks and movements are felt more at this point and a pattern of wakefulness may be experienced by you.

Your life now at 21 weeks pregnant:

You are probably feeling pretty good now so enjoy this time
If you have acne, increased oil production in your skin may exacerbate your break-outs. Wash with a gentle soap and check with your doctor before taking any oral acne meds as some can be hazardous during pregnancy. Even check with your doctor about topical products as well.
Varicose veins can appear now due to increasing pressure on your veins and increased progesterone levels. This can be hereditary so if other family members have varicose veins you may develop them also. Minimizing them … suggestions include, daily exercise, elevating your feet and legs whenever it is possible and sleeping on your left side…maternity support hose is also recommended.
Spider veins may appear also, these are not varicose veins, they do not cause discomfort and may actually disappear after your delivery.

Your baby preparation:

Start your baby registry
Suggestions: do not register for clothes, you will get clothing, friends and family love to buy these cutie things, do ask for big ticket items because friends and families like to join in on these gifts rather than clothes because they know you will need these things.

Is sex ever off-limits during pregnancy?
You’ll need to abstain if you have any of the following conditions or symptoms:

placenta previa
premature labor
vaginal bleeding
abdominal cramping
cervical insufficiency
a dilated cervix
your water has broken

You’ll also need to abstain if you or your partner has an outbreak of genital herpes or feel one coming on. Avoid intercourse and other genital contact for the entire third trimester if your partner has a history of genital herpes (and you don’t), even if he has no sores or symptoms. The same applies to receiving oral sex if he has oral herpes (cold sores). Finally, don’t have sex if you or your partner has any other sexually transmitted infection unless you’ve both been treated and follow-up testing was negative.

There are other situations in which your healthcare practitioner may advise you not to have sex.

via Your pregnancy: 21 weeks | BabyCenter

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Pregnancy at 24 Weeks