Hailey is 21 weeks now!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 21:

Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (and weighing up to 16.5 ounces), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any healthy baby’s sleep schedule. While in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, rather translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.

So today Sean and I watched "Business of Being Born" a movie by Ricki Lake. It discussed using a midwife and having birth in a home or birthing center verses a doctor in a hospital. Sean and I feel much more educated about the things we will face in the hospital. It's a little scary but we trust that God will give us wisdom and lead us through the process. I'm pretty calm about the thoughts on birthing but I'm sure as it gets closer I will have to really prepare myself. I have noticed with all the birthing shows/movies that I have watched, things go quicker and better when the mom doesn't fight the pain but works with it.

My plan is to not have any type of medications. I hope to be able to use the tub to aleviate pressure though I won't be able to give birth in it. I also want to walk a lot, squat and use the birthing ball all in preparation for the actual delivery. Tough I can write out my "birth plan" that it's totally going to get thrown to the wayside once we get there! We are going to set up for a tour of the delivery facilities at Florida Hospital Altamonte which I heard has been newly remodeled.