I discovered I was pregnant at week 5, but week 7 is where we shall start.
According to What to Expect when You’re Expecting, at week seven our little bundle of cells (that is busy growing into what will eventually be a baby) is about the size of a blueberry. So, we shall call our itty-bitty little baby-to-be our “howeberry.”
I can’t take all the credit. My sister was the one who came up with the adorable nickname.
So just how big of a blueberry are we talking here?
Monday was our first ultrasound, and to be honest, baby looks like, well, a pickle. At 7 weeks 3 days, baby was 1.28 centimeters long.
The first thing the nurse technician pointed out on the ultrasound screen was baby’s heart beat. This was impressive and just about took my breath away. (There really is something alive and growing in me, causing all these hormonal reactions!) Heart beat was a strong 158 beats per minute. Beats. Per. Minute! Damn, that’s fast! Both the nurse and doctor said everything looked healthy and normal. Right on target.
Here’s the first picture of our tiny howeberry:
The little ball above the pickle-shape is the yoke sack. This provides nutrients to baby until the placenta is formed. The howeberry is just the pickle-shape. (See what I see?) Learn something new every day!
So there we are.
And how am I, the mama-to-be, doing? Great! No morning sickness. Occasional mood swings (but what else is new?). Mostly been craving meat and cheese. No complaints there. I haven’t gained much weight, maybe a pound or two. The hubby has commented that my fatty girl-parts (breasts, hips) have gotten wider. Guess they’re busy preparing for baby growth.
I started taking prenatal yoga classes this week. Class is small, there were only 2 other pregnant girls – one is 2 weeks ahead of me. The teacher is hoping for one or two more to join. It’s very gentle, focused on increasing strength to help with current conditions & those to come, and increasing lung capacity for the later months and birth. It’s meditative. It’s a comfortable place to talk about being pregnant with other girls experiencing the same thing. It’s also allowed me to preview things to come. The instructor is a caring middle-aged Indian woman, who trained in India (this is no American gym-style yoga). She’s extremely accommodating and encouraging. I’m a little sad that the next class is more than a week away.
Next doctor’s appointment is at the end of the month. This is when we’ll review all the tests, which should be informative. Stay tuned!