My pregnancy: 16 weeks

Here I am in week 16 of pregnancy! Do I look like I’m giving you the stink eye in that picture?  I’m not, I promise.  The sun was in my eyes and this was the best of the bunch.

This is the week that seemed like it would never come because I had a check up. As usual, I was nervous going in.  I swear the doctor can probably hear my heart beating through my chest as he moves the doppler over my belly.  Everything went well and my pregnancy is progressing nicely!  Here’s what I learned:

• Baby Bean’s heartbeat sounded strong at 149 beats per minute.
• I gained 6 pounds in the last month, for a total of 8 pounds overall.  I thought it sounded like a lot, but I looked in my pregnancy journal from my  first pregnancy and it’s exactly how much I’d gained at this point with Meghan.  Weird.
• I get to have an ultrasound in 3 weeks!  I am so anxious and excited to see that everything is developing normally and of course what gender baby we’ll be having.  Yes, we’ll find out the sex.  I couldn’t stand to wait until December to know!

How I’m Feeling

I’m happy to report that the worst seems to be behind me.  This was a great week!  I felt much better than I’ve felt the entire pregnancy.  I didn’t throw up or even dry heave once this week and only felt a few waves of nausea.  I even had two days where I didn’t need to take a nap so I’m hopeful that my energy levels are returning.

At the beginning of the week I had some trouble sleeping at night, so I dug my old full-body pregnancy pillow from storage.  It has helped me get comfortable and sleep much better.

I did have one entire day when I had a horrible headache, but that is all.  My doctor told me to take Tylenol if this happens again, but I prefer to stay away from over-the-counter meds as much as possible, especially when I’m pregnant or nursing.

What’s Going on with my Body

There’s no denying that I feel pregnant this week.  It’s weird to feel my belly getting in the way when I bend over to pick things up.  Not only is my belly growing at a steady pace, I can feel my entire body getting bigger.  My butt and thighs are holding on to that extra fat just like they were designed to do.  Oh, the joys of a pregnant body.  Some days I embrace it, other days I can’t help but feel like a bus.   Mostly, I marvel at this wonderful gift God gives to women:  the ability to grow a baby.  I am in awe of what my body is doing right now.

The Pregnancy Diet

I am hungry all. the. time.  I eat every two hours to keep myself satisfied. Mostly I’m eating fruit for snacks because that’s what I’m craving.  Fresh, cold fruit is perfect during these hot summer days.  I also munch on almonds or cashews to help keep me more full.  My meals are pretty similar to how I normally eat, with the exception of eating more meat and eggs than I do when I’m not pregnant.  The biggest change is that I’m eating more often now.  I don’t keep track of calories because I really don’t think it’s necessary.  My body will tell me if I’m not eating enough (ha! as if that’s going to be the problem).  If I start to gain too much, I’ll look more closely at how many calories I’m consuming, but I think as long as I’m eating mostly healthy, nutrient-dense calories, I’m going to be okay.

There’s definitely a baby growing in there!

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