The 12 week and 16 week visits are very similar. They're short visits to check vitals, answer questions, get a current weight, and listen to the baby's heart beat. The big difference was the baby's heart sounds amplified by the doppler. Last visit, the heart beat sounded like a fast swishing. This time, the baby's heart beat was much stronger and we could hear the different heart sounds (blood flowing through from the chambers as the valves opened and closed). The baby's heart beat sounded much more like an adult heart this time. So the baby's growing well and we're both doing fine.
Most of the excitement comes with our next visit (20 weeks). We'll have another screening ultrasound, where they'll measure the baby's organs and other body parts. We may also learn the baby's sex... if we decide we want to know. That's right, we still haven't decided, though Eric is leaning toward wanting to find out. Actually, he wants to see if he can read the ultrasound himself to learn the baby's sex. We're scheduled for our ultrasound on July 15th and then we're back to see another midwife on July 24. But for now, we're just enjoying the fact that I am feeling well again.
We're approaching the time when well have to start making a number of decisions... do we want to know the baby's sex, where to deliver the baby, where/how to search for daycare, finding a pediatrician, what classes to take and when. We'll get to those decisions with time.
Another installment of the Pregnancy Symptom Tracker
A newer symptom lately has been vivid dreams. Yes, dreaming (and worrying) about this little peanut has begun. The dreams are so vivid that I am sure we already have an infant sleeping in our newly purchased bassinet when I wake up. Fortunately, the "pregnancy brain" (forgetfulness) takes over shortly after and I don't remember what I had actually dreamed.
