20 Weeks Pregnant: The Halfway Point

We're halfway there!

The most exciting part last week was, by far, seeing this:

Oh, and this:

No surprises there! We would have been very happy with a girl, but it was kind of a relief to find out this baby I was convinced was a boy actually was.

I felt the first little flutters and jabs a few weeks ago, at 17.5 weeks pregnant. Aside from feeling the baby and getting bigger, I haven't even felt very pregnant the last few weeks. I had been having daily headaches, and now I don't even remember when the last one was. I've had some pretty bad restless leg syndrome since I was 7 weeks pregnant, which still hasn't gone away completely, but doing a few yoga poses/stretches before bed has helped me fall asleep.

Having no energy and not feeling well in the first trimester meant I wasn't able to do much, which was kind of depressing as an acts of service type person. I managed to find the energy to bake blueberry bread one day only to dump it directly on the floor as soon as I pulled it out of the oven. I'm much happier now, even though I'm still not doing as much as I was pre-pregnancy. The less desert-like weather has helped too, especially since I walk to work every day.

For a while I was worried I wasn't gaining enough weight. At 18 weeks pregnant, I had only gained 4 pounds. By 20 weeks, I had gained another 5 pounds, for a total gain of 9 pounds. I really don't think I've been eating more than normal or being less active, so it's just my body catching up I guess. I've tried to postpone buying maternity clothes so far, not wanting to buy too much too early, but after this most recent jump in weight, I don't think I'll be able to wait much longer!

I'm so excited to meet our baby, but I'm glad we still have another four months or so to get everything ready!

Boy or girl? The Old Wives' Tale Predictions

Who's in there?

By the time most of you read this, we will already be done with our 20 week ultrasound and have a much more accurate prediction of our baby's gender. But just for fun, I thought I'd look at some of the old wives' tales for predicting gender and see which way they lean.

1. Carrying high with weight all over means girl. Carrying low in the front means boy. Boy
2. Heartbeat above 140 is a girl. Below 140 is a boy. Tossup. (181, 162, 135)
3. Sweet cravings mean girl. Sour cravings mean boy. Boy
4. If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. Girl
5. The Chinese Gender Chart is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived. Boy
6. The Mayan tale adds the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number it's a girl.  If the result is an odd number then it's boy. Boy
7. If you are having headaches, it's a boy. Boy
8. If the husband gains weight during the pregnancy, it's a girl. Girl
9. Severe morning sickness means you're having a girl. Boy
10. It's a boy if the hair on your legs grows faster. Girl

Hmmm...noticing a trend?

There are 3 boys and 1 girl in Nathan's family, his dad is one of 4 boys, and his brother has 2 boys. Since it's the husband who determines gender, that may mean we're more likely to have sons. However, I also read that gender is not at all genetic and one gender running in families is purely coincidental. 

I've never thought this baby was a girl, just based on intuition. I've been saying "he" most of the time. The thing is, this baby has surprised me from the start. I never would have guessed that the same week I had to pry a stray pit bull's jaws off the neck of my puppy, deal with a leaking water heater, and be matron of honor in a wedding, I would also end up conceiving my first child. It's very possible that I'm in for another surprise when I find out this baby's gender.

Pregnancy Q&A

Now that I've let everyone know my big news, I decided to write a post answering some of the questions people have asked me during my pregnancy thus far.

Have you had any morning sickness?

I don't feel like I can answer "yes" to this question since I haven't experienced any vomiting, although there have definitely been times when I felt weak, achy, and nauseated like I had the flu, just without the vomiting. The first trimester definitely wasn't a walk in the park. I'm doing better now for the most part, except for frequent headaches. I'm not quite as tired, but I'm still sleeping more than I was before I was pregnant.

Are you going to find out the gender?

Probably? Before I got pregnant, we were pretty adamant about waiting until birth to find out the gender. It turns out you can change your mind about things when the baby is actually inside you. Plus, it'll make it easier for people who want to buy clothes. 

Do you have names picked out?

We have some ideas, but we haven't shared them with anyone. Nathan's approved the girl's name I've had picked out since high school but we aren't sure on the middle name. We've had a horrible time choosing a boy's name. I think we're pretty sure on that one now though. This is part of why knowing the gender would be helpful - it's hard enough figuring out one name!

What's your theme going to be?

I love Rachel Jonat's answer to this in The Minimalist Mom's Guide to Baby's First Year : "Uh...Craigslist?" I want to try to stick with a color scheme of reds and teals for the baby gear, but if it's cheap or free, I'm not going to be that picky. Since we aren't going to have a real nursery, there's no need to go crazy with a theme.

Are you going to quit your job?

I'm not planning on it, at least for now. At the moment, I'm the one with the stable job with health insurance and benefits. I know some claim if you look at the true "cost of working" (childcare, clothes for work, lunches out, etc.) you aren't actually making anything as a working mom, but with my calculated worst case scenario, I'd still only be losing half my income. Of course, it's not all about money. If it turns out I can't bare to leave my baby, we'll reevaluate.
  

Who's your doctor? 

I've chosen to see a midwife. Unless I develop complications, I'll only see a doctor once.

Wait, so you're going to have a natural birth?

That's the plan, but I know things don't always go as planned. Although I'm not against using pain medications, I feel natural birth is the best option in most cases. Plus, anyone who knows of my intense fear of needles being inserted into me can probably understand why I would view epidurals and intravenous pain killers as terrifying and a last resort. I really think I'll be more relaxed without them.


Anything else you'd like to know? For those who are parents, did people ask you any unusual questions when you were expecting?