Week 28: A bag of flour

With approximately three months left in my pregnancy, things are starting to get really real. I have started purchasing some items. The S.O. and I have created baby registries. My friends are starting to plan a shower. I've even started my hospital checklist. And we'll attend a birth class this month.

My e-mail newsletter from Fit Pregnancy this week tells me I may start to experience Braxton Hicks contractions around this time. For those of you who don't know (like me):

Braxton Hicks contractions  are "irregular, mild tightness or cramping, usually felt in the lower abdomen, lasts a few seconds and may increase during the night and while exercising. Unlike true labor contractions, Braxton Hicks do not progress in frequency."

The information about Baby is pretty interesting:

"Your baby has doubled her weight in the past month and is the size of a bag of flour. She now weighs almost 2 1/2 pounds. Her total length is nearly fifteen inches. Your baby's lungs are now capable of breathing air! This is big news. It means if the baby is born from now on, she'll be able to survive with less medical intervention. Your baby's main job right now is to put the finishing touches on major organ systems, such as her brain, lungs, and liver. As you can probably tell, she's also working on gaining layers of fat. Her body fat is about 2 to 3 percent. Your baby's eyes, which were covered by her eyelid folds at the sixth week of development, are capable of opening this week. Her sucking and swallowing skills are improving."

But the info on my changing body is a bit redundant now as I already see or am experiencing those things without being told. "You're getting larger, and as you get larger, you become more uncomfortable. Your legs may ache or cramp, it's hard to get a good sleeping position, and the baby is big enough to give you some sharp kicks to the ribs!"

Yep. You don't need to tell me I'm getting larger. I see it. Almost daily. Everything is more difficult now. I'm still working out, but at a much, much lower intensity. Just walking up and down the stairs has me out of breath, but I know how important exercise is, so I'm keeping at it. (In fact, I recently became a Certified Fitness Trainer! That should help motivate me to get back in shape after Baby is born.)