23 Week Update

A lot of women breathe a sigh of relief when they hit the second trimester, as the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after that point. Not me. Maybe with the first, but my nausea is so bad, I figure these kids aren't going anywhere (in fact, they like to cook an extra week or so).

Anyhow, this week is a different milestone of sorts. Babies born prematurely after about 22 or 23 weeks do survive. Granted, we are talking months in the hospital, feeding tubes, possible life-long birth defects. But at 23 weeks and over 500 grams, the hospital would treat Sweet Pea should he and I become prematurely separated, and he would have a fighting chance at survival. But please, little one, we're not in any hurry.

Baby is kicking and moving all over the place now. I think the kicks can probably be felt from the outside but I haven't confirmed that with anyone else. I'm eating well. I'm up to 120 pounds, three more pounds this month, and fundal height is 22 1/2 cm. (at 22 1/2 weeks). Blood pressure good.

At BabyCenter this week:

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

And oh! I love shopping for maternity clothes on Ebay. But I'm done. Really. I bought a lot of 6 t-shirts this week for $20 (that includes shipping). In great condition, too. Just in time for the weather to get cooler... :)