Hi everyone, hope you’re doing well. Here’s the weekly Baby Garrett update…
Kraken is a bit over 5 inches now and weighs about 5 ounces. By the end of the week, S/he will be just under 6 inches and weigh as much as 7 ounces. In a few weeks, the baby’s weight will have doubled. Sweat glands are beginning to develop, and all joints can now move. The startle reflex has also developed, so when Stanley randomly barks at a falling leaf or Fred knocks something off the counter, Kraken is likely jumping at the sound. Starting now, Kraken will begin to develop brown fat deposits which help regulate temperature and give the skin a less transparent look. Kraken is also beginning to develop its sleep cycles (hopefully as long as possible through the night) and improved muscle control allows him/her to grasp things with its hands.
Today was a big day – Kraken must have known that we would be sending an update to you all today! First, I got my very first Braxton-Hicks contraction. These are “practice” contractions which get the uterus ready for labor. Typically they begin around 6 weeks but are not felt until about halfway through the pregnancy. Then about a half hour later, it felt like I was being tickled from the inside – it was the baby moving! It was such an odd but amazing sensation.
As I mentioned in previous weekly updates, I had a Nuchal Translucency test (ultrasound to measure the back of the neck, and a blood test – the results are combined to determine the Kraken’s risk ratio for having chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down’s Syndrome). During last week’s appointment, I had the second part of the test done, and the results came back today. Typically, the risk ratio for a woman of my age is 1:500 risk of chromosomal abnormalities. My risk came back as 1:125. My ob stressed that this is still a good number, but it is a “positive” result for increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. He is recommending that I have a level II ultrasound, which is a more detailed ultrasound that will look for specific anatomical abnormalities that come with chromosomal disease. This ultrasound should take place this week (he called me after 5 pm, after his staff had left, so they will call me first thing tomorrow morning to schedule it). At the ultrasound, they will also counsel about amniocentesis, to see if that is a test we want to pursue. That test carries a small risk of miscarriage, as it is an invasive procedure.
We’ll keep you updated about the tests. Hopefully we’ll be able to send an update later this week, if the ultrasound really can be scheduled for this week.
Have a good week,
Love, Karen, Erik & Baby Garrett
Tags: baby