15 Week Appointment

Eye sockets, 2 hemispheres of the brain, and a neck!

The placenta is healthy and has taken over the role of producting hormones and nutrition for the yolk sac.

Arms and hands up by the eyes. We counted the fingers. They are all there!

Baby H is drinking in fluid here. We were able to see a lot of very noticeable slurps!

Breech position, facing upwards.

These two are blurry because the baby was SO active. The ultrasound technician was really surprised at how alert and active this little one was before 8 am. She told us to expect an early riser! Or, a show-off!


The baby didn't have a Crown/Rump measurement, since its just been 2 weeks since the last appointment. However, the baby is as large as an apple now and approximately the same 8 oz. The heart rate is at a slower (but still high-average) 168 bpm. The scans today were to check the bladder, stomach, heart, and brain. All are right on schedule, working well.

I think I was most surprised by how much the baby is moving now compared to how little I feel it. I suppose I have nothing to compare it to except for digestion or my own pulse. I think that part of the reason I feel so uncomfortable is the baby's movement and how it affects other organs and muscle tissue in my body. I can't say for certain if I am feeling the "quickening" movements described in What to Expect... but its clear that there are no painful jabs, just sloshing.

I didn't gain any weight during the first trimester, and not since my last second trimester appointment. This is due to my intense nausea and daily vomiting. Dr. Kimberly said 90 percent of all women experience diminished or completely eradicated morning sickness by this the 15th week. Either I'm in the 10 percent or I will be feeling better soon! I've tried as many remedies as I've found to feel better: lemonade, ginger root/tea/ale/cookies, Zofran, Phenergen, Unisom and Vitamin B6, chewing non-mint gum, using non-mint toothpaste, frequent snacking, constant hydration, and acupressure bands. Fortunately, I am only on the cusp of needing IV fluids, and if I continue to make urine 3 times a day, I won't need hospitalization. I am supposed to check up with Nurse Mary in 2 weeks to make any notes in my health decline/improvement.

My blood pressure is still low, and besides the fatigue of teaching in a high school, and the nausea, I am pretty healthy! My energy level is twice what it was two weeks ago, but is definitely running at 60 percent of normal. Maybe one day I'll have the stamina to finish cleaning projects, reading late at night, or do a work out. But not now! I am most frequently found sleeping on the couch or relaxing in bed. I suppose it is really taxing on my body as it creates a new creature!