18-20 week pregnancy update

Here’s a picture from 18 weeks, when I was originally planning to post ☺ (I’m at 19.5 now). I tried taking a picture in the same shirt and jeans as the first pictures, per my dad’s request, but it just didn’t work. It’s not the best picture ever, but it gives you an idea. I think my belly’s sticking out at least another inch or two in the last week and a half.


Last week, I had my first person ask me if I was pregnant, just from looking. My belly still doesn’t stick out too far, but she had noticed that it was poking out and hadn’t been a month or two ago. I’m ready to start looking more pregnant now. I can feel myself walking a little differently and I can definitely feel all sorts of things stretching in my abdomen.

We heard a good strong heartbeat when I did finally go in for my last appointment (about 17 weeks). I also got to meet the new midwife in the practice and talk through what I was thinking about the different options for birth classes.

I’m 99% sure that we’re going to go with a Bradley class, which I hope will be helpful for really knowing the things we need to know to make good decisions and avoiding any interventions unless absolutely necessary, as well as helping empower Dave as a partner for the birth. One of the critiques I’ve heard about the Bradley method is that it tends to be very rigid – i.e. this is the proper way to give birth and you need to do this and this and this – and I’m definitely picking up that vibe from the Bradley book I’ve been skimming. All things considered, though, I still think it’s going to be the best option for us for a class, but I want to make sure that I have a really good doula who can help me to just relax, go with the flow, trust my body and follow my instincts – which are some of the really helpful aspects of other birthing philosophies/ways of preparing for natural childbirth. I’m not totally sure we’re making the right choice, but I’m hoping to get the best of both worlds between a good midwife, the Bradley class and a good doula.

I forgot to mention in my last post that my mom and I went to the cloth diaper store in Ann Arbor while she was here – so. much. fun! It was incredibly helpful to be able to feel and try the different kinds of diapers and to hear from other experienced parents. It actually changed my perspective on some of the different cloth diaper options. I can’t wait until it’s time to actually have them and use them!

Overall, I’m feeling good. I’m still tired, but not much more than I normally would be, as long as I get a good night’s sleep. I had a few days where all I wanted to do was clean, organize and decorate my house, but I was too busy working, and now that I’ve been a little less busy, I’m not so motivated. Hopefully that nesting urge will come back again soon!