Things are progressing slowly but surely. I am feeling more and more movements above my belly button, whereas before most of the kicks and punches stayed in the lower regions. I have also started to feel simultaneous jabs this week (ie, one on my upper right side and the other on the bottom left) which can only mean that she is getting stronger and starting to really explore my belly.
My weight gain is now at 25 lbs. With 15 weeks left in this pregnancy, and estimating that I will gain the recommended 1 lb per week, it is very likely that I will hit — and possibly go over — the 40 lb mark. Even the additional 25 lbs is starting to take a toll on my body. I get tired more easily when walking around, I am developing back and pelvic pains, and every bone in my body feels arthritic. I can only imagine how I will feel when I get bigger!
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According to BabyCenter, the baby is now about 13½ inches long and weighs about 1½ lbs. She is starting to develop the fat that will smooth her wrinkled skin and make her cute and chubby at birth. They say that hair color and texture should be discernable by now, but we already know that she’ll have the typical Asian dark brown hair. That’s one good thing about both J and I being Asian: we don’t have to guess how the baby will look in terms of hair or eye color.
My current obsession is to peruse the pregnancy boards for updates on women who have given birth at 25, 24, and even 23 weeks — and have had their babies survive. It is amazing how tiny yet so human these premies look, and I can only imagine my own baby looking like that inside my stomach.
I only have a couple of weeks left in the second trimester, and I’m a bit afraid to enter my third. Will I swell like a beached whale? Will I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? Will I develop complications like pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes?
And more importantly, how will I ever get this baby weight off? (You may now commence throwing your stones.)
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You look great!
I started taking "boot camp" classes in Central Park (also held at the Brooklyn Bridge) that are intensive and known for major calorie-burning. Non-stop cardio incl. jogging and drill exercises like squats. I felt a difference in my legs and butt after just the first time. You could try that to help with baby weight later if you’re up for coming to the city. 🙂
* Burn up to 800 calories per hour
* Have a changed body in 5 sessions
* Tone your arms and abs, slenderize your hips and thighs, and lift your butt
http://www.brooklynbridgebootcamp.com/
the weight will come off eventually, especially if you breastfeed. once the kid starts moving, then you’ll be chasing the little one around. you’re naturally slender so it’ll be fine. you’ll need to exercise if you want everything to be toned, not just skinnier.
the beached-whaled swelling usually comes at the very end. when i wore ballet slippers, my feet got muffin-top.
I don’t have any advice for you on the weight, because I have seen with myself that it’s tougher as I get older to stay as thin as I have been in the past. I’m secretly worried about that too, once I have a child. No stone throwing from me!
Another secret worry of mine? The hair color. I’m a redhead and would love to have a redheaded little girl, but I can’t be sure that recessive trait will make it through.
You’re looking great and I’m enjoying your baby updates and the info about what’s going on in the development front!
You look lovely! I gained 60 lbs and every single time I went in to the OB, the nurse said "wow, you’ve gained a lot of weight haven’t you?" Every single time!!! Surely 4 pounds a month isn’t the most they’ve ever seen. Anyway, I lost every pound of it. I highly recommend Weight Watchers – you can do it while nursing and get to eat quite a bit of food really.
And since this is my first comment to your blog, thanks for speaking up for the girly geeks of the world!
i’m going to end up at the 50lb mark *sigh* – i started off small like you. of course, i’ve not eaten as healthily as i could have at times, but i’ve kind of given up because once i went over 35, it was pretty pointless to worry about it too much. i’ve also heard *really* good things about weight watchers after pregnancy.
that being said – your bump is ADORABLE & i’m so happy you’ve made it this far!!! you’re past a big milestone!
You look great! Thanks for sharing your journey with us 🙂
@Sunny — To be honest, I’m scared of group exercise classes and I’d be TERRIFIED of bootcamp classes! I prefer to do my exercising in private and will probably go back to Jillian Michaels after birth. But thanks for the suggestion…I’ll definitely keep that in mind just in case any of my friends are interested!
@Teresa & @kalen — I too, have heard great things about WW and how they even have specific plans for new, breastfeeding moms. I will definitely look into it when the time comes!
First and foremost, you are a tiny person. You are pregnant and have pregnancy weight and you carry it well (at least from what I can tell in the pictures). I really enjoy following you on this journey and know you are enjoying it, too. The baby weight will come off (though honestly, you do not look fat or too heavy–you look like a lovely preggo mommy to be)!
Second, I have no real advice on weight. I do know that different women experience their pregnancy and the weight gain differently. I think the best approach is to be gentle to your body. Do a lot of walking and low weights or yoga to tone arms and legs. That’s what I’m endeavoring to do and maintain, but worrying about your weight (unless your doctor says it’s too much) isn’t necessary from an aesthetic point of view because, again, you look fantastic!
Congrats on the baby! You look great! And uh, I don’t have any advice regarding losing the weight because with mine, I did absolutely nothing and it was gone two weeks later. But you look like a tiny person, so maybe you’ll get lucky too!
Just thought I’d add that you do look fantastic. I don’t have any suggestions on getting rid of the weight, but I plan to breastfeed too, and hopefully, just walking my dog on a regular basis should help.
Do you have a pool near you? Swimming while pregnant is good exercise, too, and the weightlessness is divine. 🙂