How far along? 20 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I’m actually 21 weeks today.)
Total weight gain/loss: At my 20 week appointment, I was up 3 lbs. total so far in this pregnancy. I was a little concerned and asked my OB if this was not good or if I should try to gain more and she said I was perfectly healthy and that baby is growing great. She said women’s bodies are different and that some women just gain the majority of their weight later on in the pregnancy. I eat constantly, so I guess my body is just doing what it needs to do.
Maternity clothes? I’m wearing maternity pants and all of my other clothes are just my regular clothes.
Stretch marks? Not yet—I’m still using Belli’s Elasticity Belly Oil and Mamma Mio Tummy Rub). I also recently purchased Mustela double-action stretch mark cream after reading about it on several blogs.
Symptoms: Lately I’ve been peeing like crazy. I drink a lot of water, but still. Other than that I feel pretty good. I still get super tired some days after work, but that’s to be expected.
Sleep: Still using my Snoogle and have been sleeping pretty well this week.
Best moment this week: Seeing baby at our 20-week anatomy scan. What an amazing experience. Seeing baby’s heart and brain and spine and kidneys was surreal. We actually saw all for chambers of the heart and the blood flowing through it…it was incredible. I am thrilled to report that baby looks healthy and was moving a ton during the u/s. Baby weighed 13 oz and was in the 75th percentile for size. Oh, and the tech confirmed that baby is still a girl. I wanted them to check again to get the green light to buy some girl clothes. Here are a few shots from our a/s:
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Not having to pee every 25 minutes.
Movement: I started to feel movement day and night. It is more prominent at night, but I sometimes feel movement during the day too. In fact, I just felt the baby kick as I was writing this sentence. I also feel external kicks daily, which is a very cool sensation.
Food cravings: Pizza, fruit. This isn’t a craving necessarily—but every morning for the past couple of weeks I’ve eaten the same breakfast of oatmeal with a little brown sugar and topped with heaps of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Absolutely delicious! I didn’t eat super well in first tri so I’m trying to make up for it now.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Grilled chicken and plain salads made with iceberg lettuce. I also haven’t been able to order food from our favorite Chinese food takeout place. I tried twice after learning I was pregnant and felt sick each time after I ate it 🙁
Have you started to show yet: Yes, though it largely depends on what I wear. In a fitted top, you can see my bump and in looser clothes no one would know I was pregnant. I am loving my little bump though.
The other day at 20 weeks, 5 days, I was in the cafeteria at work and a woman behind me in line kind of kept looking at me so I just smiled. Then, a couple of minutes later she asked “excuse me, are you pregnant?” Normally I think it is really rude to ask anyone that, even if they are clearly pregnant (because you just never know, so it’s best to wait to see if they bring it up), but it felt kind of nice for someone to notice since I’m always getting asked “where’s your bump?” I wore one of my J.Crew no. 2 pencil skirts that day, and you can definitely see my bump in that skirt!
Baby is a: Girl!
Belly Button in or out? Still in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Hitting the 24-week mark.
What I’m reading: I finished “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” and “Brining Up Bebe” and now I’m focusing more on pregnancy and newborn books—reading Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Pregnancy, The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy and Happiest Baby on the Block. I’m also reading Baby Bargians. I haven’t gotten to the chapters on birthing yet—so I am asking you ladies—did you take a birthing class or did you rely on learning from books? We registered for Infant Care and Infant CPR already and I also plan to take a breastfeeding class offered at the hospital where I’ll deliver.
Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going 🙂 I also welcome everyone’s advice and comments about pregnancy!
Heather says
I would recommend taking a birthing class of some sort. The hospital where I delivered had one and that's the one we went to. It was fun to go with my husband and we learned a lot. It was so good for bonding together as a couple in relation to labour and delivery.
Also, I recommend reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It's mostly stories of home births, which I didn't have, but it's more about the experience of labour and how amazing the female body is about having babies.
karebear304 says
We went to birthing class and it was terrifying. Basically 8 hours of watching videos of each different kind of birth, but there were quite a few natural births in there. My actual birth experience was way less traumatizing than those videos! I'm sure the classes where you go a few weeks for shorter periods of time are better, but the condensed class wasn't worth it. We also went to breastfeeding class, but I liked that one a lot. It was really helpful and it gave me good questions to ask the lactation consultants once Reed was here. (BTW – Happiest Baby on the Block is good, but the first few chapters drag on and on. The Girlfriends book is a little more jokey, but good. I also used Baby Bargains and read their "sister" book Baby 411, which was really helpful, but I pretty much threw it out the window once baby was here).
Sam says
What a cute post – and an even cuter bump! Glad to read that all is going well for you. 🙂
https://theworldfrommystilettos.blogspot.ca/
Kristen says
you're so cute! your little bump is adorable! i have to pee all the time too! it's so annoying, especially at work.
Lindsey says
You look fantastic! Super cute baby bump!
In regards to taking a birthing class, I took a 4-week birthing class, and I would highly recommend taking at least some sort of class. No matter what type of birth plan you have, knowledge is power and it really empowers you to know some things to anticipate with birth and make some decisions prior to going in to your delivery. I will say that while giving birth, some of the things I thought I would want totally changed, but I having the knowledge of my options and their repercussions was really beneficial for me. Honestly, I don't see any benefit to not taking some sort of class… I know that some people don't like seeing birthing videos, but honestly, it's what you are going to experience and it doesn't do any good to bury your head in the sand and pretend like it isn't going to happen to you. I had a natural, pain-med free delivery and a WONDERFUL experience delivering my 9 pound, 2 oz. baby five months ago. :o) I attribute a lot of that to having done research and being as knowledgable as I could be about birthing techniques and my options during delivery. No matter what route you choose to go in, though, you should be knowledgeable about it & how it will affect you and your baby. There are so many options during delivery that I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't taken the class and done my own reading.
I also recommend taking a breastfeeding class if you're planning to breast feed or are on the fence about it. I had always planned to breast feed, but didn't know a lot of the "ins and outs" of doing it until I took the class. I had a wonderful lactation consultant in the hospital and it helped set us up for a really successful nursing relationship with my daughter and I.
Shadowy Lady says
I did birthing class and read books/article online. I believe in being super prepared but also knowing that birth can be so unexpected. I never did expect to have such quick labour (mine was 3.5 hours from start to finish).
You look amazing! Love your little bump and agree with your doctor. All women are different in how they carry pregnancy…I was a lot like you amd worried about how little I had gained…but everything was fine in the end 🙂
natasha {schue love} says
I would definitely recommend a breastfeeding class! It's great to get a visual understanding of how nursing works before you meet your baby and are overwhelmed with about 1,000 other things. I know some babies just latch right on, but I felt so much more confident knowing the optimal way to nurse ahead of time instead of having the lactation nurse come in right after birth and shove my boob in the baby's mouth! Haha! 🙂
Melissa Gonlan says
The bump is definitely visible now (or at least in this picture) and it looks so cute !!!
Maren Meade says
I would also recommend a birthing class. As a first time mom I thought it was really helpful and a nice thing to do with my husband and other couples who were going through the same thing. Also, it's great that you're taking a breastfeeding class. I think it did help me to have a successful breastfeeding experience. Utilize the lactation consultants at your hospital and pediatrician's office (if they have them).
Meg O. says
Love that bump in the pencil skirt!!! Happy HALFWAY through your pregnancy!!! I definitely recommend taking a birthing/breastfeeding class at your hospital! They usually include a tour so you get to see inside every type of the rooms and stuff. I also highly recommend 'Breastfeeding Made Simple' – one of the best BF books ever and it is so empowering. I really think it helped me nurse Kennedy for more than a year (and still going strong)!
Kari says
I'm another recommending a breastfeeding class! I got quite a bit out of mine-but I also read the "Complete Art of Breastfeeding" and I really got a lot out of it. I just had a friend give me a bunch of little books on the subject too that I'm looking forward reading.
Your bump is adorable! And I remember how excited I was when people started noticing on me. 🙂 Now you can't miss it!
Don't worry about your weight gain, girl! I was only gaining a few lbs per visit until I hit the 6 month mark..then I started packing it on. I *knock on wood* only have 1-3 weeks left to go and I gained a total of 45 lbs so far..but I also lost 10 during the first trimester before I finally started gaining weight! You're absolutely right-your body will do what it needs to do!
Rebecca says
I didn't read any book or take any birthing or breastfeeding classes. I was in the room with my sister when my niece was born a year prior, so I felt I had a pretty good grasp of the whole birthing thing. Plus, I was terrified of giving birth and didn't want to think about it during pregnancy. My plan was simply to get an epidural, which I did get; however, it ended up not working because I waited too long to get it! I won't make that mistake next time. 🙂 I ended up doing just fine though despite having not read a thing about it.
You look great and your bump is adorable! Don't worry about the weight gain – I gained about 25 lbs and most of it was put on during the third trimester!
Beautygirl24 says
The bump is in full force now! Gosh, already 20 weeks…pregnancy goes by so quickly! That can be good and bad I guess.
Lizzy says
First of all, I think you look lovely! Nothing is better than when you finally have that bump!! I recommend a birthclass, especially if it is designed to share both non-medicated techniques and medicated techniques. I found it very helpful. Be as open as possible to your "birth plan" because that's acutally an oxymoron… you don't have a lot of control over that part of the pregnancy and the more open you are to just doing what is best for you and baby, either natural or medicated, will be best in the long run. Best of luck!
stephanie mclaughlin says
We took Lamaze classes. It had a ton of info, although at times seemed a little boring. I chose to have an unmedicated birth and the breathing methods taught really really helped me with coping with pain. I also had a Doula and I would highly reccomend one. It was such an amazing experience and she was able to help me transistion from one stage to another so easy and almost pain free.
Becca says
I'm 33 weeks and have read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way (I am preparing for a drug-free birth, but reserve the right to change my mind at any point in labor! HAHA) which I have found helpful (Ina May's book moreso, I think the Bradley one is a little outdated on facts but provides more actual relaxation techniques) in helping me have realistic expectations on what labor and delivery will feel like! I haven't taken a childbirth class yet (my hospital doesn't let you sign up until you are 36 weeks!)… and I don't feel unprepared. I think prepping for labor and delivery is kind of a crap shoot, you can do all the prep in the world and there is no way to predict what will happen to you or your baby when the time actually comes so I've felt pretty relaxed about it all. I am also taking a breastfeeding class offered by the hospital and have started attending local La Leche League meetings which have been great!
You look great so far, every woman gains weight so differently! I had a friend who barely gained anything until 6 months, put on 20 lbs all at once, and then only gained another pound or two between then and delivery! Your body knows what it's doing so as long as you are taking care of yourself it will take care of the rest! 🙂
Bonnie says
My husband and I took a birthing class and we really enjoyed it. Now, I'm not sure how much of it I will actually remember once I'm in labor (I'm 33 weeks along), but it was nice learning about your options and just being overall informed. We took ours through the Memorial Hermann system here in the Houston area. I have signed up for a breastfeeding class in the next few weeks and I'm looking forward to that one!
Audra says
If you plan on getting an epidural, I wouldn't bother with the birthing class. That's just my two cents. Was totally unnecessary for us, but probably good if you want to have a natural childbirth. I got the epidural, and it was MAGICAL.
Schnelle says
Your bump is growing and it's so cute! I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the having to pee all the time gets worse and sometimes you even well, leak from from all of the pressure. Everyone told me that the birthing classes are a waste of time so we're not going to them but we did go to a breastfeeding class that was very informative.
tuttibeauty says
Awwww your baby bump is so cute! I love reading your baby posts! I'm 12 weeks on Sunday and in going to start my weekly posts then 🙂 we had a our scan last week it's so exciting seeing the baby wriggling around hehe! Good luck can't wait to read your next post! Charlie xoxo
Potatoes and Pilates says
Look at your little bump, Mama!
You look fantastic and to be honest, I feel sick at the thought of eating iceberg lettuce salads too and I am not pregnant!
Katie {Miss Dixie} says
You look fantastic! It was so strange for me to go from no one being able to spot the baby bump, to everyone being able to. Sometimes I'm still caught off guard when a stranger says something and I'm like, "wait, I look pregnant?!" We start our classes in a few weeks, ill be sure to post on how they go.
Paige says
Wow, you can really see the baby in the sonogram! Exciting! 🙂
The Millers says
first time commenting – congratulations on your little girl!
i loved bring pregnant and really enjoyed learning everything i could about the entire process, taking care of a newborn, etc. i took a breastfeeding class and found that it was very helpful. for my husband and i, the birth class was just a review. i had already researched and read books (i'm a planner like you!), so i didn't find it necessary. we took it because it was linked to the hospital tour, but ended up skipping out early to have a fun dinner date night! 🙂
my birth plan was very simple. healthy baby and access to an epidural if i wanted it. i believe in modern medicine and i trusted my doctors and nurses. they told me (quite a few times!) they really appreciated having parents come in with open minds and reasonable goals. it was difficult for me because i am such a planner, type-a personality. but flexibility has been key to raising a child as well. 🙂
i love reading your blog. motherhood will suit you!
candacelamb.com says
Hi! I'm so glad your pregnancy is going so well. I was wondering if you could tell us where you got your comforter? I love the design!
Nicole says
Hi V! I read this post a couple days ago on my phone and have been meaning to comment! First off, you look beautiful as always- don't worry about the weight gain, your body knows what it's doing!
Regarding the classes… I'm a super planner like you, so I read several pregnancy/birth books and breastfeeding books during my pregnancy. I also did a lot of research online about both subjects. For me, the childbirth class was not super helpful, as it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. However, I took it because it included a maternity floor tour, and went over the admittance process, triage, etc. That was super helpful for me, as I like knowing what to expect. My hospital offers the tour without the accompanying class, so maybe that is an option at your hospital as well.
I also took a breastfeeding class at my hospital, and that was helpful. I don't think their is such a thing as being over prepared for breastfeeding (if that is what you choose to do)… it is very challenging, both physically and especially emotionally. Some moms and babies do great from the beginning, and for others it is a long and difficult road. I fell into the later category. My best advice is to take a class, read and have on hand 1 or 2 books, and also have the number for an IBCLC on hand for when you get home for the hospital. She will come to your house, give hands on advice, do weighted feeds, etc. You can call/email her as much as you need too. I found that many of the lactation nurses at the hospital were not helpful, and often had conflicting advice. With the nature of the shift system, you will see many nurses, and they all might have different opinions. It can get very overwhelming. Add them to the lactation consultants at the pediatrician office, and you end up with a lot of voices. Having an IBCLC who you trust can help you sort things out and keep you from feeling so crazy!
Okay, I think I'm done with my novel! Good luck, you will be a great mom!
RowJen says
Hi – this is my first time commenting, but I have followed your blog for awhile and love all of your style and beauty posts. Congratulations on your baby girl! Being a mother is so fantastic – I am a working mom, myself, with an 18 month old son that keeps my husband and I very busy.
As far as the birthing classes, I recommend them mainly to get as much information as possible. For me, I could only get so much out of reading the books and I needed the class to make it all real for me. The birthing class that I went to was really good (Memorial Hermann at Memorial City – I live in the Houston area as well.) It showed the different kinds of births in a relatively non-scary way. (Though, I have to say the videos did seem to lean toward natural birth with no pain medication, but I just ignored that and planned to have in epidural.)
I also took a breastfeeding class, just because, and actually found that to be the most helpful of all the classes I took – if that is the route you decide to go. I think I would have really struggled with the breastfeeding if I had not taken the class. (I took the Breastfeeding class at Memorial Hermann Katy – the head lactation nurse there was AWESOME.)
Congratulations and enjoy this time – a year from now you will wonder what you did with your free time before you had a baby! 😉
Bridgette Nicole says
You look so cute even with a bun in your oven!! I have that same skirt and love it with everything!! 🙂
-Bridgette
https://bridgettenicole.blogspot.com
Lindsay Churchman says
Hi,
love reading your blog.
any thoughts on names for the baby girl?
Lindsay.
[email protected] says
thank you everyone for all of your comments and advice 🙂 I love reading them!
Lindsay—we have our name picked out but we are not announcing it until she is born!
Katrina Goodman says
Hi Veronika! I gave birth at a hospital in Houston last March (I live in a suburb) to a baby girl. We took the Saturday birthing class at the hospital. It was good for my husband since I was the one reading the books and doing the research. However, I am not sure it actually helped–I fell asleep because we watched so many videos! Those videos didn't really apply to my situation, and when I gave birth I wish I would have known the things that actually happen! The tour of the hospital was nice.
I wish I would have taken the breastfeeding class though. I did not prepare enough for that aspect. It was torture in the hospital. I gave birth in the "best" hospital in Houston, but when the nurses and lactation consultant grab your crying baby's head and try to force the baby to latch on it is painful–not physically at the time but emotionally!
Your bump is adorable!