Hello there! Another pregnancy update because we’re halfway there (20 weeks) and there’s been a lot of developments since my last update! I had my anatomy scan yesterday and what a drama. I was extremely nervous that something might be wrong or that they were going to tell me my baby wasn’t going to make it. I guess after 2 losses, I’m not expecting things to go right even as I fervently pray that they will. All of this stress manifested into an anxiety/panic attack as I showed up at the medical center for my appointment. I wasn’t expecting to, but I started bawling my eyes out in the car as I was driving into the parking garage. After a few more minutes in the car, I walked in but as I was handing my cards to the receptionist, I completely lost it again. I wish you could have seen the bewilderment on the receptionist’s face. I had completely fallen apart and there was nothing I could do to control it. She quickly ushered me out of the waiting area and I got a hold of Brady on the phone who thought I’d lost it because we’d lost him. It felt horrible to do that to my husband but between him and the sonographer, I was finally able calm down enough to get started. It took 2 separate scan sessions of 60 and 30 minutes to complete the scan but as far as I was told, everything is looking good. I’ll see my OB tomorrow and Brady will finally be able to come along for the first time so hopefully that appointment goes well.
20 Weeks – Pregnancy Update
Size of Baby
The baby is now the size of a banana or about 10 inches long and weighing approximately 10.5 ounces.
Weight Gain
Still the same story as far as weight gain. I’m having trouble eating consistently – some days I’m able to eat a lot which helps pull my weight back up after a couple days of eating very little but it means I still haven’t gained any from my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m currently sitting between 2-3 lbs less to right about where I was before I got pregnant depending on how much I’ve been eating.
New Developments
I can finally say that I am for sure feeling him move around in there! As the days go by, it gets stronger and more frequent. I had started sort of feeling things a few weeks ago but it didn’t happen often and it happened so quickly that I never felt positive that I’d actually felt anything at all. In the last 7-10 days though it’s become undeniable that it’s my little baby flipping around and kicking in there.
My belly is really starting to make a statement as it’s getting firmer every week and popping out just a bit more. I feel like I still look like I’m fat more than I am pregnant but it’s around that point where you would definitely question it. I’m embracing it and trying not to think about it too much while I’m out. If I am feeling a bit self-conscious, I just throw a hand on my belly to eliminate any doubts.
Symptoms
Nausea is still hanging on like a beast and I am struggling hard. Preggie Pop Drops (<affiliate link) help some but it doesn’t get rid of it. I feel it everyday but there are some days where I am just worn from feeling so ill. I’m still throwing up 1-2 times a week and at this point I’m probably not eating enough on most days which may be making it worse. To all those who claim it gets better in the second trimester, you lie.
Heartburn is inconsistent but I’ve had some more serious bouts with it in the last couple weeks which is annoying because I feel like there’s even less I can do for heartburn than nausea and so far when I have heartburn, I’ve had nausea as well.
Sleep is getting a lot harder. I’m waking up at least 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom and always have a hard time falling back asleep. It’s getting increasingly more difficult to find a comfortable position so I’m not sleeping that well and for some reason I can’t sleep in anymore even if it’s the weekend. I don’t feel like I’m sleeping enough and I’m exhausted all day now.
Food Aversions
I haven’t had any specific food aversions lately but at any given point there’s a decently long list of things I’m 100% not into eating.
Cravings
The other night I had a hard craving for fruity candy but it didn’t last too long and I was able to get some sleep. On Sunday we were driving home from a photoshoot, trying to decide what to do for dinner, when I was overcome with the desire for a good milkshake. I say good because McDonald’s or Wendy’s junk wasn’t going to cut it. We went to a burger place and I got a delicious raspberry cheesecake shake that made my day.
I’ve made it sound like all my cravings have been sweet but for the most part I’m still hanging back from a lot of sweet stuff and really wanting fresh salads, subs, and anything really salty. Ramen noodles have really been hitting the spot lately.
Exercise
I still haven’t jumped into any real exercise but we’re just about to move and I’ll finally have a good space to work out again. Couple that with slowly improving spring weather conditions and I should finally be getting somewhere with fitness. What I have done is pull out my Fitbit again. It’s been sitting in the bottom of a box since we moved a few months ago and it’s motivating me to get more steps in. We’re closing on our first home TOMORROW and the next couple weeks are going to be full of moving, wallpaper stripping, painting, and unpacking so that should help a lot with getting in more movement!
Maternity/Baby Purchases
We were given a $75 gift card to Babies R Us a while back and as soon as we found out it was closing, I figured we’d better use it as soon as we could. We went out I think the day after they announced all the store closings and decided we’d chop a big ticket item off of our registry. We decided on a Graco Pack ‘n Play with the bassinet and changer attachments since that’s what we’re planning on using for a bassinet for the first few months. It was a sweet pattern with little cartoon woodland creatures so I’m really glad we found it. The best part was, since we went before liquidation started, we were able to use a 25% off coupon and got it for $60 instead of $80. Currently the stuff is only 10% off and you can’t use coupons anymore.
I went again yesterday to finish off the balance on our gift card and I grabbed a hooded towel, a sonogram picture frame, and some penguin footie pajamas. The store looks like it’s been ransacked which is ridiculous when things aren’t even really on sale yet. Oh well.
I received a Motherhood Maternity gift card for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I used it to purchase a couple dresses in the same style but with different patterns.
Overall Feelings
I am so glad to finally have the anatomy scan behind us because it was something I was very nervous about. I’m tired of feeling sick and I’m hoping that once we’ve started to settle into our new place that some healthier eating and a regular pantry are going to make a big difference. We’ve been living with my dad + family for a few months to save up money and look for a house but it’s been especially difficult not having our own kitchen.
I am feeling so blessed to have this little one still growing healthy and strong inside of me. I fall more and more in love with him every day and I am so excited to meet him in a few more months.
Thanks for reading!
Recommendations for some good prenatal exercises or classes?
What are some maternity must haves for the second half of pregnancy?
Previous Updates:
Linking with Amanda from Running with Spoons for this post.
2 Comments
Look at that little one! I’m so excited for you guys. ๐
Thank you! ๐