Today marked 18 weeks pregnant and it’s been fun to be in Florida to share it with my grandmother!
Here are baby’s milestones at 18 weeks…
- Baby is yawning, hiccupping, sucking, swallowing and twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking too. Just wish I could feel it! 🙂
- Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin that speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell, are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further developing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.
- Baby’s hearing is growing more acute, making it more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body. (uh…baby is probably hearing lots of gas bubbling from mom!)
And with me!
Weight Gain/Body Changes: well, the week after Thanksgiving I was coming in 11 pounds up at my doctor’s appointment but I think some of that was post-bird bloat as this week I seem to be hovering around 8-9 pounds. I’m kind of whatever about it and trusting my body to do what it needs to do.
Bump is definitely getting more noticeable and my grandmother is loving how I wake up looking relatively normal but then have a pretty decent belly by the end of the night. She told me she thinks it’s grown in the few days I’ve been here. Haha.
Workouts/Workout Modifications: as of about 2 weeks ago, anything on my belly is officially no bueno. No sphinx or cobra in yoga and definitely no super mans. I think my last few full burpees all the way down to the ground have happened.
I stopped doing most crunching/ab compression type core work mid-first trimester and I am having a hard time going from laying down to sitting up these days without rolling to my side and pushing off my hand. Crazy how fast this all happens! I’m still doing some plank variations as it feels okay but I have WAY cut back and only for class teaching purposes. Most of my push ups are on my knees.
During the core work potion of yoga classes that I take, I do things like spinal balance, glute bridge lifts squeezing a block between my knees and pelvic floor exercises sitting on a block.
Symptoms: feeling good overall and honestly can’t complain. Gas is…not fun. (for anyone…haha) And I’m peeing so much. On Monday I tried to go back and count how many times I peed and couldn’t do it. It’s a joke at this point!
Food Aversions: none. Gimme allllll the food.
Food Cravings: nothing specific although I was SO looking forward to an apple fritter from The Donut Hole while visiting my grandmother and THEY’RE CLOSED until December 16 for renovations. I’m devastated!
Sleep: since I’ve been at my grandmother’s, I’ve been sleeping on my side with the spare pillow between my knees and that’s been nice. Sleep overall has been good and sound but getting up once or twice a night to go to the bathroom.
Maternity Clothes: none but my sports bras are getting SO tight! I just ordered a few more a size up today. Taking off my bra/sports bra at the end of the night has never been so glorious. I’ve also retired quite a few pairs of Lululemon shorts that will not be seen again until after baby or maybe never!
Miss Anything: I would love some sushi with raw fish right now! I’ve had sushi with cooked fish/shrimp once in pregnancy but missing the real stuff.
Fun/Weird Stuff Shares: oh I have a few things…
- I think my grandmother helped me pick a boy name. I’ve always been really drawn to family names and I’ve been quizzing her on names for a while. I have a few girl family names that I know I love but on Monday my grandmother remembered a boy name that she said she thought I’d like and I instantly fell in love. I didn’t think I’d be set on a name this early but it just seems so right. My heart was beating when I shared it with Tanner because I was so scared he wouldn’t like it and I was thrilled when he replied back quickly that “he loved it.” And “should we go with it?”
- My spina bifida screen came back negative.
- I started a baby registry. I’m keeping it private for now but I thought I should start getting my mind wrapped around what I need for baby and shower dates are already in talks which is crazy to think about! I’m thinking I’m going to do Target and Amazon for my registry and then possibly something like Pottery Barn Kids for bedding. I’m trying to avoid Buy Buy Baby if at all possible unless y’all think that’s a bad idea? That store has always traumatized me for some reason. It’s so overwhelming!
Looking Forward To: my anatomy scan on Thursday. I’m also nervous about it. I am eager to learn if everything is growing and developing properly because I feel like I might be able to relax a little after that. We’ll also find out the gender!
Also, movement. I still haven’t felt any and I’m so ready. Every night when I get in bed I try to be very still and see if I can feel anything but nothing yet.
Where did you register? And I know so much of this stuff depends on the mom/baby but if there is anything you think I absolutely can’t live without on my registry, I’d love to hear it!
For those of you who found out gender (I cannot believe how many of you didn’t!), did you find out in the office during the visit or did you have it put into an envelope and wait for a private moment or a reveal party?
I would register at BBB.,,, they have everything! Plus you’ll want a place to make returns/exchanges. I asked a mom friend to go with me to point out important things before i made my registry. Super helpful.
Thank you for the tip! I definitely will not go alone. Otherwise I might just stand there and cry lost tears, haha.
I second this! They also have 20% off coupons alllll the time
Check out Ollie Gray bras- they are the BEST “athleisure” bras and will take you from maternity to nursing and are a hands free pumping bra! I couldn’t live without mine- seriously a game changer if you plan to nurse and workout post baby (they offer me plenty of support, even for running). Plus it was started by a local Charlotte mom!
Ahhh I cannot thank you enough for this recommendation! Just what I needed and always happy to support another female entrepreneur, especially a local one!
You look fantastic!! I registered on Amazon; it worked out best because it has EVERYTHING and you can also put things on it from other sites.
We did find out gender, but we just did something small. I get home before my husband, and after the day of my appt, I wrapped a big satin pink ribbon around my belly and waited for him to notice. It took a couple minutes (men!) but it ended up being really sweet.
Awesome note on Amazon, thank you Emily! That is SO sweet about the gender reveal with the two of you!
You look great! We did BBB for easy of returns. It was so overwhelming but we did it in spurts and a lot of it online. My must haves are the rock n play! And a wrap or carrier whatever works best for you. I have the moby wrap and the ergo carrier. Baby wearing has been a life savor for me especially when grocery shopping.
Thank you Nikki! Rock n’ Play was the first thing I added based on the recommendations of fellow mama friends. And yes, I plan on baby wearing so I’ll be getting a wrap and a carrier so thanks for your suggestions! 🙂
I used Amazon baby registry, which is great for allowing you to add things from anywhere. I never set foot in a Buy Buy Baby, which I haven’t regretted 8 months in 🙂 Amazon Prime is a wonderful thing for busy parents.
oh, and for products: the Miracle Blanket (swaddle) for the early days, the Graco Little Lounger – it’s light and easy to carry around the house, and the Bjorn baby carrier.
Woohoo, happy to read this Catherine! 🙂 And thanks for the product recs!
Check out the Lucie’s List website to help with your registry – I found registering super overwhelming and pretty much based my entire registry off that site plus some recommendations from friends. I think I originally saw it on Sarah Fit’s blog and I am obsessed! I still go back to it now for recommendations on the next phase of gear as my baby gets older. Can’t wait to hear what you’re having!
Hey Amy – yes on the overwhelming part but trying to remind myself that one tiny human can’t need SO much stuff. I have heard great things about Lucie’s List so I have it bookmarked and subscribed to their emails!
It’s so exciting following your journey! I don’t have much to add (no kids, not pregnant but we’re working on that ?) but my sister has said that the baby registry list on Mint Arrow’s website (under baby sub group) is a great guide. It has reviews for everything and includes must haves for Mom and baby.
Sending you LOTS of baby dust! xx Thank you for this recommendation!
Check out pregnantchicken.com as you’re building your registry!! It’s SUCH a helpful resource – it divides everything by category and has suggestions at budget and splurge prices. It really helped me not be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of baby stuff there is out there! (from the homepage go to resources > registry)
Also I can’t recommend babylist.com enough for registering. It keeps everything in one place and makes it so easy.
So excited for you!! What a special time with your grandmother. 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation Christin! I haven’t heard of this site yet so I will check it out! And yes, so lovely to be here with my grandmother and she’s already trying to get me back for Christmas! 🙂
When I first went to register I brought a mom friend with me to guide me because man those baby stores are overwhelming and you only need a quarter of what they try to tell you you need.
We found out the sex of our kids right in the office. This was before reveal parties were a thing, not that it would have mattered because, truth be told, I have zero, as my kids like to say, “patience power.” I wasn’t waiting even a minute longer to find out what we were having. With my second son the technician didn’t tell us it was a boy until the very end, but I already knew because it was pretty hard to miss during the scan:)
I am excited for you and us to find out:)
Hey Erin – yes, luckily I’ve had a few mom friends offer to help me out so I’ll take them up on that. And I think we’ll be one of those “right in the office” because I just don’t think I’m interested in doing a big gender reveal. I feel like life is already so focused on pregnancy right now that I am good on that! 🙂 And haha, I’ll be checking that screen for boy parts first thing tomorrow! 😛
You look great and I’m so glad you are feeling good! For registry stuff, I got so overwhelmed by it all. In the end, I wish I had been calmer about everything. Lucie’s list is a great recommendation I see a lot of people have mentioned here. I also liked Babylist for registering, although some of my family members wouldn’t know what to do with that ;). Matt and I didn’t find out the gender, so we had several name options picked out. All family names. I love following your journey here my friend! xoxo
Thanks friend! 🙂 I have heard such great things about Lucie’s List so I’m glad to have that resource!
We are only registering at Amazon as it’s just easier for us to maintain one registry and we didn’t want anything too specific when it comes to bedding. Plus, we are house hunting so we won’t even set up a nursery before the baby is born as we know we won’t be in our house long enough to make it worth the effort to decorate one. I used Amazon for our wedding registry in May and it was wonderful! I think going to s store to register is too overwhelming so I’ve used other friends’ registries to build ours and then I sent it to a friend who loves to review registries/make recommendations. I started to build it around 18-20 weeks, I think but kept it private until around 24 weeks I think. My husband is a huge minimalist so I’ve tried to be really intentional about what we put on the registry and have tried not to over-register! That’s easier said than done, though. I’ve also been keeping an eye on facebook buy/sell groups as you can score some great deals on there. That’s where I got our Halo Bassinet. It retails for $250 and I got it for $125 and that included 3 sets of fitted sheets!
Not feeling movement is tough. I also have an anterior placenta so I did not feel movement until around 22 weeks and even now, I feel less movement that the average mom does since the placenta makes it so much harder to feel movement. So maybe just mentally prepare yourself to not feel movement until around 22-24 weeks so that you aren’t disappointed or anxious when you don’t feel movement.
You look so great!
Hi Lisa – thanks for the reassurance RE: the anterior placenta. It’s tough not to compare the movement you’re (not) feeling to other moms at the same stage as you.
I really want to try not to go overboard with baby stuff as well. We are hoping to get as much used or borrowed stuff as possible because they use these things for such a short window of time. And so glad to hear that you’re also going to the Amazon route!
I love apple fritters! I’m sorry the Destin Donut Hole was closed during your visit. Are you aware there are 2 other locations within 45 min drive? One in Santa Rosa Beach and one in Rosemary Beach. Have you ever had an apple fritter from Wawa? Those are my favorite! We used to live in the northeast, and then the panhandle, and now in Asheville. Vortex Donuts here makes a decent fritter, but Wawa fritters are still the best!
I’m enjoying following your pregnancy. I was pregnant with a due date very close to yours, but unfortunately experienced a miscarriage this fall. With time I’m learning to accept the news and I’m feeling pretty well emotionally. I’m going to live vicariously through you and your updates, so thank you! We look forward to trying again come the spring…
Hi Michelle –
First, I want to express my condolences on your miscarriage. I am so sorry that you experienced that and I am sending you prayers for healing. <3 I’m glad to hear that you are feeling well emotionally. I know it’s not an easy thing to navigate and thank you for opening up about it.
Sadly, all of the Donut Holes seem to be closed for remodeling! I haven’t ever heard that about Wawa but I will check it out FOR SURE next time I pass one.
Again, lots of love to you. xx
Look at babylist.com to set up your registry. It lets you add stuff from any store you want, and its all in one place. If something is available from multiple places, it also shows prices for each place. Its a great way to register!
As far as stuff we couldn’t live without (my daughter will be one next week):
– Rock N Play was a must. It moves easily from room to room, and it was basically what we used as her bassinet in our room for the few 2 months.
– As expensive as they are, the BOB stroller is a must for runners. We use it for every day walks too, because its so smooth, but I pushed it during our turkey trot and it was great!
– Halo sleep sacks – I sucked at swaddling and this made it easy. Plus they make sleep sacks that grow with your baby, so our daughter still sleeps in one that is just a wearable blanket now that stays on her all night!
Thank you so much for the recommendations Ashley! Babylist is definitely on my radar thanks to y’alls feedback. And I’ve got the rock n’ play on my registry. I think it was the first thing I added. Haha. And yes totally to the BOB stroller and then also the Halo sacks. Thanks so much!
I used MyRegistry for my baby registry and would highly recommend it! You can add things from any website so it’s all in one place. And you can download the app on your phone so you can easily add things whenever you want. It was so much easier than having a million separate registries!
No advice on what to register for, but as a shopper I like BuyBuyBaby because the registry will tell you exactly what aisle the item is on, plus I think you can actually buy the items online and pick them up in store. Haha, it helps those of us who are shopping for a baby registry and know nothing about baby supplies!
I’m 19 weeks today and have my anatomy scan scheduled for next Wednesday! I can barely focus at work because I’m so excited to have the sonogram. My husband and I decided we wanted to share the big reveal with close friends and family so our get together is scheduled for next Saturday. It’s going to be so hard waiting those extra few days to find out!
You have to get a Dock A Tot. A lifesaver when they are so little you can put it on the couch or a table with no fear of them rolling away it also kept dog noses further away ? great for traveling ! We loved it and could not live without. My only other recommendation is Halo Swaddle sleep sacks.
I just had a baby in August so I’m still new to the mom thing but for newborns I can help! We loved the Halo sleep sacks. I also got a Snuza for peace of mind. I love love love it. It helps me not be such a worrier! We use a Chicco Lullago portable bassinet for the first little bit of him being in our room. It’s not too big and is great next to my side of the bed so I can get up with him if I need to. We also use Chicco bottles and really like them. Definitely get a Bob!! 🙂 My son is 3.5 months now and we’ve moved from the Halo sleep sack with the wrap around swaddle to just the plain sleep sack, so get a couple of both! Actually I have way too many of the swaddle ones so if you’re interested in me sending you any, please let me know because I would be glad to, just email me 🙂 I live in Greenville SC- not too far away! Lastly the biggest piece of mom advice I could offer has nothing to do with registry items but it’s on nursing. I thought I would breastfeed until my son was a year. I never made enough supply and I was so frustrated and down on myself about it. I thought for sure I would have no issues given that I was healthy and a marathon runner. I was pumping around the clock and nursing and it just didn’t work out for me. I’m not sure what your plans are around this but don’t put too much pressure on yourself if things don’t go as planned- I’m much happier and able to enjoy my son more now that I’ve moved to formula. 🙂
I agree 100% with your breastfeeding advice. It is a totally different experience for everyone, and no matter what the hospital lactation consultant tells you, the best thing for you and your baby is for the baby to be fed, period. My daughter was a big baby, and it took a few weeks for my body to produce enough milk to satisfy her. I was so adamant at first that I was only going to give her breastmilk (so I was nursing and pumping 24/7) and the baby still cried. Thankfully, we had a night nurse in those early days, and she told me to just give the baby a bit of formula to supplement. It made all the difference in the world. So we supplemented for a few weeks until my body caught up. You do what you have to do, but I would recommend having a few bottles of that ready-to-feed formula on hand.
I would recommend using Amazon Assistant and adding your pottery barn kids items directly to your amazon registry. You can add anything to your amazon registry from different websites that way.
We registered at target, amazon, and babysRus and I wish we would have just stuck with Amazon but the items we did add from other websites to amazon worked out well!
I took a little note card and envelope to our anatomy scan and had the tech write the gender on the card and seal it. Hubby and I went out to dinner that night to our special/fav spot and opened the envelope there. So it was still a super sweet and special moment for us, but not in a cold, sterile doctors office!
I felt the baby for the first time 2 nights before the 20 weeks anatomy scan 🙂 (same placenta position) And we chose the envelope was the best decision for the gender, we wanted to be alone to see it!
Love these updates. You look so happy and at the risk of being cliche, are just glowing. It’s wonderful.
For a registry, you’ve gotten a lot of great suggestions so far, so I don’t have much to add except that you probably don’t need as much stuff as you think you do (honestly, some clothes, tons of diapers & wipes, somewhere to sleep, a car seat, a carrier, a stroller, and some swaddle blankets are probably enough to start). You’ll learn a TON about what works for you and your little one once he or she is here, so don’t stress about having everything before his or her arrival! Every baby is different and like different things, and you’ll likely end up picking up things you didn’t expect post-partum. I don’t say that to be scary, but to say to give yourself the grace to not be fully prepared ahead of time (because in a lot of ways, that’s not possible anyway!).
That said, asking people what they liked and used is an awesome idea and will be helpful (as is pregnantchicken.com). Baby Bargains is also an awesome book/site to check for product reviews.
Also, there are some great Buy/Sell/Trade groups on Facebook here in Charlotte (M2M-Baby & Maternity, M2M – kids, Charlotte Moms, micit – baby & maternity) that are worth requesting access to now (as they take time to get approved for). You can get some awesome bargains there.
Last (I promise, this is turning into a novel, I know), we did find out the gender both times. The first time, we did IVF and genetic testing so we found out super early (like 7 weeks!), and the second time at our 20 week anatomy scan so we knew if we needed to keep all of our boy stuff (We did).
All in all, the nesting process is fun and exciting – keep enjoying and savoring it!
I made two registries – the main one at target and the other with amazon for stuff that Target didn’t have and for things I could double up on. Target is great because you can pretty much return ANYTHING and almost everyone has a target near them.
I found out with a private screening at 14.5 weeks and we put it in a envelope and then did a cupcake reveal with my boyfriends family!!! It was so fun that way.
We registered at Buy Buy Baby, their return policy is great. But honestly, I’ve heard good things about Target and Babies R Us too, so I really think you can’t go wrong. I personally found it easiest to register at just one place (made returns easier). I was able to find everything at BBB, except bedding, so I ended up just ordering it myself from where I wanted it. It ended up working out well though because, as soon as we knew the gender (19 weeks), I wanted to start putting together the nursery. So we, and our parents, bought the furniture and bedding ourselves. I was glad we did, it was nice to get that stuff done. There’s so many things to register for, we had no shortage of shower gifts!
We found out with our first in the office. I wouldn’t have done it any other way. With our second we wanted to include our first, so we did the envelope thing and had a small family party with a cake. It was nice.
We didn’t find out for our first 2, but found out at 10 weeks with our third! Doctor told us over the phone when he told us our harmony test results were all good! Then, we had Edible Art make a cake with the frosting inside reflecting that it was a girl! I love cake so that decision was obvious…and delicious! We served the cake to my parents and our 2 littles so they were surprised!
We registered at Target & Amazon for our little boy, and it was easy. He’s nine months now and keeping us busy every day!! Baby must-haves include:
-Nuna sena travel crib! He slept in this for months right next to our bed. SO much easier to set up than a traditional pack & play, amazing for traveling.
-Baby bjorn bouncer! I know, it’s expensive, but man is it worth it. Lightweight, no wires or batteries to deal with, and it’s honestly how I managed to shower every day while he was a newborn – just put baby in the bouncer next to the tub & keep an eye on him through the shower curtain
-SwaddleMe velcro swaddles! I couldn’t be bothered with learning how to swaddle with just a blanket, especially when sleep-deprived. Just wrap & velcro, it’s so cute to see them all wrapped up like a burrito 🙂
-Baby K’Tan wrap! My little man loved being worn for exactly three months, then he hated it. But for three months, this was a lifesaver. It’s so much easier than the Moby or Solly cause you don’t have to figure out how to wrap the fabric, it’s already done for you.
-And finally, the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child”. LIFESAVING. My son has been sleeping 12+ hours a night since seven months thanks to this book. Sleep = happy mama!
Best wishes & congrats!!!
Please reconsider your registry at BBB! I know it’s overwhelming. I’m in Charlotte and will go with you if you need a seasoned mom! Plus, if you register during the normal workday and not a weekend, they have more time to help you! Our first was born 6 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for 2.5 weeks. He had to pass the ‘car seat test’ meaning he had to sit strapped in his car seat for 30 minutes without having his O2 level drop. He failed it three times and a smart NICU nurse figured out our car seat (very well known brand) sat him up too far where his chin was on his chest. BBB took back the used seat and not one, but two strollers (one for us and one for my parents who are in town) without boxes since we unpacked the night of our shower and had everything ready to go. I went in the store thinking I would be out a large amount of money to replace and it was literally no questions asked and what could they do to get our little guy home. Not only did they replace, but they helped figure out what seat lay the infant back the most (Britax – from Ft Mill and Chicco if you are interested). Their policy is a one year return as long as it’s on your registry. You can even create a registry after your baby is born and add items and purchase to have the protection. Plus, all the coupons!!! They have hands down been amazing to work with over the course of two kids.
Hi Jen, your belly button is changing! So cute! Glad you had a good time with your gran! Now it’s a loooong time till we find out the names you have chosen!! Can’t wait to know if it’s a boy or girl!
I registered on myregistry.com (can add any item online) and at BuyBuyBaby (totally overwhelming the first time too- but super fun after going with a list of a few essentials for the registry). They are incredible with taking things back – like a nursing scarf and ring sling that didn’t work for me and baby but I had already used them. Also helpful with car seat advice etc.
But- you do what ever you want and see how it goes. From now on you can make the plans but when baby arrives you just try this and that until something works! Until next week xox
Dockatot!!!! The best!
Check out Babylist! You can combine things from various stores, Etsy, etc. I used it & loved it! I did almost my entire registry online, and then went to BBB specifically to look at strollers and car seats. Doing the whole thing there would have been a bad scene. So overwhelming!!
So glad you’re enjoying this time with your grandma!! 🙂 EVERY time I see you spending time together it makes my heart swell for you. I really understand these sweet relationships and I miss one of my grandma’s so much. What I wouldn’t give for another conversation — it’s been a year and a half now and I can’t remove her number from my favorites on my phone.
Now I want you to have a boy so I can find out this name!! Brandon and I already have 4 names (2 boys / 2 girls) for the kids we likely won’t have(?) I LOVE our names. Definitely meaningful to us, uncommon but easily identified/spoken/spelled. Perhaps future pups will carry those names for us 😉
Jen, check out Dwell Studio for nursery bedding/changing pad, etc. I was having the hardest time deciding (looking everywhere, Land of Nod, pottery Barn, etc) and once I found the Dwell Studio stuff it was an obvious choice. My daughter is 2.5 now and it’s held up very well!
We found out right there in the doctors office because we were so excited.For us, we just wanted to know that we had a healthy baby, developing on schedule. It was a moment we will always remember as we sat there watching him move around and listening to his heart beat. Whatever you choose it will be your own, special moment!
Okay, I see everyone has weighed in quite a bit at this point and covered most of the important stuff. I am 6 months post partum, so just went through a lot of this.
I didn’t register, but my baby showers were pretty small. My thought process was that I had NO idea what babies need and because I’m in my late 30s all my friends already have small kids so they know better anyway. It really worked out for us, but we also bought our crib and stroller/car seat ourselves because those were the things most important to us to be exactly what we wanted. Most other people have said Buy Buy Baby really is worth it, and I agree. I liked that they have a lot of variety of things in stock for you to look at and try (we were able to push our top 2 stroller choices around the store to figure out which we liked better). Their return policy is extremely generous, there’s always 20% off coupons to be had, and their staff are knowledgeable. Pottery Barn Kids bedding is really nice. Land of Nod has cute, high-quality stuff too. A lot of people say don’t get much newborn clothing, so we didn’t, and it totally backfired because our baby was pretty small and wore newborn sized clothes for a couple of months. That’s my two cents. My personality is super-organized and a total planner and I think the best thing I did was realize I had to be completely open and flexible. Lowering my expectations and not needing everything to be perfect has helped me enjoy all the messy, sleepless, imperfect wonderfulness.
I love seeing these updates! I had my daughter in mid-May last year so my pregnancy timeline was very similar to yours. Our anatomy scan was just a few days before Christmas so my husband and I decided we would find out the sex together there and then we told all of our family what we were having at our Christmas celebrations. They were on pins and needles for those few days before finding out, but the anticipation was so fun! We ended up taking the ultrasound picture and digitally adding in a bow on top of our daughter’s head and wrapping that up for everyone to open (I guess we would have done a bow tie or something if she had been a boy). However you decide to find out and share your news is bound to be special!
We registered at Babies R Us (no Buy Buy Baby in our city) and while it was overwhelming as all get out, they did have everything we needed and we could see it in person if we wanted to check it out. In addition to doing research online at places like Lucie’s List (which I still check for things like potty training potties which is the stage we are now approaching!), I got a trusted mom friend to email me a list of her recommendations. And I made sure that I kept in mind that each baby is different and has their own preferences so I tried to be as prepared as possible but also go with the flow once we met her and figured out what she liked (i.e. don’t buy tons of a particular type of bottle or swaddle or whatever because baby might not like it!).
Oh! And I was about 19.5 weeks when I felt the first official “taps” that I knew were baby and not just gas bubbles (she had been moving around like crazy at the anatomy scan not two weeks before and I felt nothing). Then at 20.5 weeks, my husband was able to feel her for the first time while we were laying in bed one morning. However, I did not have an anterior placenta so you might be a bit later, but I’m sure you’ll be able to feel baby moving pretty soon!