Next week I will officially be in the second trimester and I’m sooooo happy and excited for it. This is when I love pregnancy most. No more shots or drugs. Baby girl is going to be moving around a lot and soon I’ll get to start feeling it! That’s my most favorite. I seriously can’t imagine a better feeling in the world. I hope I never ever forget the joy and happiness I feel when I get to play with all these babies I’ve had rolling around inside me.

I have had a crazy last week. We unfortunately had a big scare last Friday. I went the the bathroom and there was so much blood. As crazy as it sounds I was confused on where the blood was coming from. Ricky of course was great and jumped into action. He called my mom and my dad came straight over and got Everett and also got our pizzas we had just ordered. We got to hospital and of course they took forever. 3 hours later we finally got in a room and the drs came in. They did the ultrasound and he was super secretive with it and that made me more nervous. Thankfully though he finally said he could see her and she was moving a lot! So I asked to see and he showed me. The ultrasound looked awful lol it looked like it was from 1972 lol. The quality was just so bad. I didn’t think she had a head. He assured me it was there. 😆 So Saturday I stayed in bed all day and did nothing. Thankfully I had no more bleeding all weekend. Monday I went back to my OB and we did another check. Baby girl still looks great. Praise Jesus! I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved and happy to she her sweet little hands moving all around. She was touching her face and just wiggling all over. It was so great.

I’m just so happy and relieved we have made it this far. I know it’s all going to just fly by from here now. I’m happy for Karen and Rodger of course but oh so sad for me. I wish human pregnancies could last longer. 😂 I know most people don’t feel the way I do about that. I’m just going to do my very best to soak it all in and enjoy each day with sweet baby Mac! I can only imagine how sweet and perfect she is going to be. ❤️❤️❤️

How’s Baby Mac?

Your sweet baby continues to grow rapidly, measuring just over two inches long, about the size of an apricot.

Right now, Baby Mac is starting to develop reflexes as their brain continues to grow and their body to curl their fingers and toes. Your baby’s nerve endings are developing right along with their reflexes, and at this point, if you poke your abdomen, Baby Mac will respond by wriggling (though you almost certainly won’t feel it). And your wee one’s neck, which they’ve only just started to form in the last few weeks or so, has already begun to straighten as they lift their chin off of their chest.

Baby Mac is also just starting to practice breathing by inhaling and exhaling the amniotic fluid that surrounds them, which is made up of mostly water, their skin cells, and their waste. This may seem a little icky, to be sure, but it’s also just one of the many incredible ways your little one is preparing for life on the outside.

Pretty soon, your little one’s intestines are going to  move into their abdomen. Baby Mac is beginning to form the waste that will become their first poop, a tarry substance known as meconium.

What’s new with you?

The good news? As you move toward the end of the first trimester, it’s likely that many of the more unfortunate symptoms you experienced in the first trimester may be behind you, like fatigue and nausea. You may, though, have a few new symptoms popping up. Symptoms like increased vaginal discharge, headaches, saliva, and flatulence along with a heightened sense of smell are all common symptoms right now.

Heartburn is another notable symptom that causes many pregnant folks a lot of discomfort. This is because the same hormones that relax your muscles to make it easier to give birth also relax the valve that keeps the stomach acid out of your esophagus. Your expanding uterus, which by now has grown to the size of a softball, doesn’t help either. As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on your stomach, which can push acid into the esophagus. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to try and reduce your heartburn. You can eat nutritious food in smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, and take your time when eating. You can also avoid food and drink that increases heartburn for you (for many people this can include spicy foods, caffeine, greasy or fatty foods, acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes, and carbonated beverages), and avoid lying down right after eating or eating shortly before going to sleep. And while staying hydrated is important and you should be drinking water throughout the day, some people find it helps to drink water between meals but not during meals. It may take some trial and error to find what works for you, but hopefully some of these will help. And don’t feel that you have to go it alone — speak to your healthcare provider if your heartburn is persistent so they can help you find some relief.