20 Week Ultrasound and Update

Today was our 20 week ultrasound. We are actually almost to the 21 week mark but it was the "big ultrasound" where all the anatomy checks are done. Everything looked really good on the ultrasound. The baby looks great - healthy and cozy. Things seem to all be checking out normal.

The kids were elated to get to see their baby live on the screen. They've been feeling her little tap, tap, taps of late and I keep telling them how she is laying (laterally with head on my left and feet on my right) but now they are able to visualize it.

The doctor asked if we had any names picked out. T immediately said he wants to name the baby Violet. I think that's a beautiful name but probably not going to be her name. He is referencing Violet from The Incredibles movie. Lil Sister wants to name the baby Rapunzel (really not going to happen), but it was still fun to hear them converse with Dr. L. T also mentioned he wants to have 5 kids to which the doctor replied, "T, grab my card on the way out. You'll need it!" Dr. L was good with the kids, especially since they were so calm and quiet during the visit - made us very proud parents. He even printed them out their very own copies of the 3D image of their baby sister. 

I seem to be doing better - not great. I still have at least one or two days during the week where I have to rest a lot. The vomiting seems to have stopped but not the nausea. Sometimes I just do not feel like eating and have to force myself to eat. That is a struggle. I take advantage of the times when I am hungry and stock up on calories then. At this point my weight gain is about 3-5 lbs and still taking antnausea meds. 

I have also been studying and enjoying the hypnobirthing book my neighbor loaned me. I think I really want to give it a try. There are classes at the hospital where we are going to deliver and I am seriously thinking of signing up and introducing Hubby to all the concepts. It sounds kind of weird and vodoo-ish at first but once I started reading and studying the concepts, I was hooked. The relaxation exercises have really helped me with some of the other not-so-fun aspects of this pregnancy. My last epidural experience was not a great one - more pain involved than I had experienced up to that point laboring (it took three tries to get it in, too). Plus, each time it seems I have low blood pressure issues and with T his heart rate dropped and I had to be given meds to speed it up which made me miserable. With him, though, it was worth it - 56 hours of labor, the 14 hours of epidural were heavenly. With Lil Sister, I had the epidural in for less than 3 hours. If things go like they did with her, I can do three hours of laboring without meds, especially if I master these hypnobirthing techniques. However, I am fulling willing to accept an epidural if we head down the back labor for 56 hours like we did with T. If not for me, for the sake of Hubby. 

I am including some profile photos - 18 weeks and 20 weeks. Just to document. Again, not looking too pregnant from the side but my staff at work says they are starting to notice more baby belly these days and my patients are being more forward about asking and less shy (and worried about asking a non-pregnant woman if she is pregnant). I am a little embarrassed about a couple of the photos from this series. I usually do not show bare belly shots but it is kind of hard to take photos of someone getting an ultrasound without having the abdomen uncovered. Yes, T is dressed up as Clark Kent/Superman - he insisted on being my protector. Lil Sister is wearing her Wonder Woman dress - see the stars? They were extremely patient as the doctor was running about 45 minutes late so I added a photo of their eager faces waiting for the appointment.

20 week photos

18 week photos