June 20 - 29 weeks

Our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I'll be drinking extra almond milk these days (along with other good sources of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, and OJ). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into her hardening skeleton each day.

Some old "friends", including heartburn, are back again in the third trimester. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout the body, including my gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in my abdomen, slows digestion. Sluggish digestion can cause gas and heartburn — especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation. This is the fun part, right? :)

I have noticed some more nasal congestion lately, but no telling if that is due to the weather or rhinitis of pregnancy. About 20-30% of pregnant women experience rhinitis, so it could very well be that. I have some nasal spray from earlier in my pregnancy prescribed by my pulmonary specialist that I will use if and when needed.

Anywho, it is Friday at noon and I am still at the office. Just got done with my annual review, which went great by the way, and I am out of here...