Cracking 70

When I was 20, I weighed a meagre 50kg.  I was stick thin.  Of course, by my mid 20s, I was more like 57kg, and I was happy there.  Moving into my 30s and my weight moved into the 60s.  I wasn't too unhappy so long as it stayed at around 60-62kg, but over the years, it kept creeping up.  It settled at 65kg for a while and there was no way in the world I was going to EVER let it creep above 65kg!!

Until now.

Now, I jump on the scales and eagerly look to see how close to 70kg I'm getting.  It was actually depressing for the first 14 weeks when I was stuck on the 65kg mark.  Come on, where's my baby weight??

Finally, at 14 weeks, it went up 500 grams - woo hoo!  And it's been going up almost 500g each week since.

I'm really looking forward to cracking 70kg!

The Beating Belly

I attend pregnancy yoga weekly.  I'm absolutely loving it.  Our teacher not only teaches us yoga but she teaches us anatomy and about the changes in your body during pregnancy and labour.  Understanding what is really happening allows you to have so much faith in your amazing body.  I am really enjoying it.

The other girls at yoga are between 10 and 24 weeks pregnant, but most of them started feeling their babies around the gestation I am now.  I know that I won't, due to the anterior placenta that cushions any kicks and prods from my little one.  I'm sure I'll be thankful for that towards the end.  For now, though, feeling my baby would be a godsend.

That is why my experience the other day was so amazing. 

I will just quickly explain an anterior placenta for those not in the know.  Having an anterior placenta means that the placenta has formed at the front/top of the uterus, between the baby, and my stomach.  This means that when the baby kicks or pokes my belly, it will be poking the placenta, not the uterine lining.  The placenta acts as a nice big cushion between the baby, the uterine lining, and my belly.  This means I won't feel movement for quite some time, and when I do, it's likely to be less powerful.  Not great for someone who constantly wants to monitor their baby. 

But I had a blessing that I wasn't expecting.

The other day, I was sitting (slouching) on the couch in a thin summer dress, laptop on lap, belly in air.  It was then that I noticed my belly was beating.  Strange.  I studied for a moment.  Sure enough, the material resting on my belly button was moving as if with my pulse.  I then noticed that even the laptop was moving slightly, beating a pulse.  I watched in awe as my belly beat.

I can only assume that it is the beating of the blood into and out of the placenta.  It's fascinating, and a real treat for someone who cannot, and will not for quite some time, feel their baby.