27 weeks pregnant (subtitle: I AM HUGE)

What’s happening with baby this week:

- Baby is gaining 6 ounces a week

- Lungs are capable of breathing air; excellent chance of survival if born at this time

- Can suck thumb to calm his/herself

- Brain is developing rapidly

Not much seems to be happening, really, just growing and developing on the systems that are already in place. My symptoms, on the other hand ...

Symptoms to expect:

- Fatigue and Nausea, my old pals, are due to make a re-appearance this week thanks to the hormone factory (OH, JOY)

- Fatigue often caused by a combination of: shortness of breath (check), weight gain (check), and sleep deprivation (check)

- Due to enter the "peeing-every-ten-minutes" stage (not yet)

- Breast tenderness as milk production kicks in (not yet)

- Stress incontinence (another thing to look forward to! Awesome!)

- Centre of gravity is shifting; balance is different (DEFINITELY)

- Stretch marks may appear (if they have, they are under my giant belly, and thus I can't see them - so, they don't exist)

- Shortness of breath may result from uterus growing near rib cage (YES)

- Braxton Hicks contractions (not yet)

Additional Symptoms I'm Having:

- Occasional swollen wrists/ankles

- Sore hip continues

The Websites of Expertise claim that I am now entering the third trimester. I thought that would happen at the end of 27 weeks / start of 28 weeks. But it would explain the wave of nausea I felt this morning, and the increasing difficulty I am having with heaving my bulk from one place to another (into/out of car, from one side to another in bed, etc). The next 12 weeks are not going to be my favourites, that's for sure. But there are things to look forward to as well: layette shopping with Mom, setting up the nursery, getting my belly painted and my pregnancy portraits done. And, in only 12 days, I will FINALLY know the sex of the baby!