Since we are almost half way through the pregnancy (19 weeks tomorrow!), I thought I would give a little insight as to how we got here, as one of the most frequent questions I have been asked is “Was it planned?” For future reference, don’t ask pregnant women this question, it’s personal and it could be bringing up feelings that the pregnant woman is trying to work through if it wasn’t planned. Granted, it’s mostly people that don’t know me or know that I plan everything in my life. Bringing a child into the world would definitely not be an exception to that rule. We made the first steps in the beginning of the year when I went off the Pill. There were several reasons for going off the Pill, one for obvious reasons and also due to me converting to the Catholic Church. No, I’m not one of those holier-than-thou people that think everyone should go off the Pill, women have worked way too hard to make their own decisions about their bodies for progress to stop now. However, through the RCIA process, we had a class on morality and the Church's teachings in regards to contraception and family planning.
The discussion really got me thinking about my role as a woman and my role in my family. I personally felt that I was messing with God’s ultimate plans for me and my family, and being off the Pill has consequently made me realize that there were medical implications that I didn’t even now were happening until the medication had worked its way out of my system. As we were still not immediately ready for a child and as I also wanted to let my body recover from the hormonal changes that are triggered by the Pill, we began charting. After much research and conversation with friends that were also charting, we began using the Creighton Model of natural family planning. In a nutshell, you observe the signs that your body gives you to determine your fertility that day which actions you will take according to your family plan, which are achieving or avoidance of pregnancy. I will not go into details here, (if you want to know more just ask!) but it really was the best method for us, and it has ultimately brought Joey and me closer in our marriage.
We started the method not really knowing when we wanted to start our family, but my grandfather’s passing in June made me personally wonder what we were waiting for and thus began our conversation in regards to exactly when we wanted to get start our family. We were finally settled in our home, have completed most of our desired renovations, and were ready for the next step. Of course, once you see that positive sign on the EPT, you immediately begin to second guess yourself J, but more on that later. As I will be 19 weeks tomorrow, I thought I would add a BabyCenter update (the idea stolen from my dear friend Sarah).
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
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