Week 13: Whip Out the Spandex

Well, here we are at week 13.



Kiddo is forming finger prints on his/her fingers, the head is about half of the total length of the kid- size of a peach!- and vocal cords are forming, which we surely will regret when he/she hits about 13 years old.

Some news!  We got the results back from the Early Risk Assessment and our nugget has a 1 in 10,000 chance of developing Downs or other major chromosomal problems.  High fives all around.

We have some check-ups between now and then, but we all know we're counting down until June 19th. Then we can find out the sex and buy all the things.

Ok, so let's remember this is not only a blog for updates on me (#ego) and Meg, but also to drop pregnancy knowledge bombs.  So, in the 13th week there are a couple things you will experience as you start your Second Trimester. #whaddup!

Your nausea will likely subside.  This will be replaced by gastro-intestinal miladies that mimic rush hour on the Mass Pike, after a Red Sox v. Yankees game, with the green line not even functioning at it's normal speed of smell, during a blizzard and then going back in time to when the Big Dig was happening. Here's my advice, friends: pray to whatever deity you believe in and consume all the fiber.  That's all I've got.

When you see a TGIF's commercial
and they show mozzarella sticks.

Your cravings will get stronger.  As your appetite returns (dammit, that was the best diet ever- next to mono. But for reals, I lost 9 pounds in the first trimester) you will want things more than Leo DiCaprio wants an Oscar.  And you'll try, as a rational adult, to make yourself eat super healthy because you are growing a child.  But you know what?  Dairy Queen beats guilt EVERY TIME.  So, yeah, eat that salad (for health and to aid the aforementioned tummy traffic jam), but chase that sucker with a Dilly Bar.  Your thighs will grow with or without it.  I haven't experienced any weird cravings (ie. things I hated before pregnancy, pickles, etc), mine exist solely in the dairy category which is milk which is healthy.  [Meg would like to interject that Kate has indeed been craving-and eating-more hamburgers than ever before.]

What Kate imagines a baby kicking
feels like.

You will start to expand.  And I'm not just talking about gas although you will start burping like a trucker... is that a thing?  You will also start to feel things stretching and growing- no kicking yet, that's around 18-20 weeks.

You will also have some pains every once in a while.  Of course they are typically around the uterus area ... let's remember team, there's a freakin' life form growing in there.  At 13 weeks, the uterus is slightly bigger than a grapefruit so some things have to move and shift to accommodate for the freeloader. Unless it is severe pain with blood, it's pretty much the norm.  Take your finger off the panic button.

Finally, as you grow your pants will start to feel like you just ate a big Thanksgiving dinner.  Now I know most pregnant women aren't my size, but for you fellow plus-sized preggos, Meg did a little research for us on maternity clothes that don't look like they were based on a dare.  Destination Maternity (check out this cute bathing suit that's not in a freakin' floral print!), Target, Kohls  (cute summer work pants that aren't pleated!) & JC Penney's (jeans that aren't stone washed!). That's basically all the options she found, so if you know of others- please leave suggestions in the comments!