Being Pregnant
Unborn Babies Have Growth Spurts, Too!
Me at 24 weeks, getting much bigger now...
So the last couple of weeks…I’ve been feeling big.
At 20 weeks I was measuring right on schedule and sometimes barely showing. A lot of people missed the fact that I was even pregnant, especially if I was wearing loose clothing. I was fairly comfortable.
But then…came the growth spurt.
It was around 22 weeks. Suddenly I was eating a bit more (when I could) and I was having a lot of round ligament pain. My back hurt a lot. I just…was very sore.
I went to my midwives’ appointment tonight. Yesterday I felt the baby kick me up super high. I’ve had trouble eating sometimes because the baby’s sitting up so high. I felt like I was more like eight months pregnant than five months! I told them so. They decided to measure me immediately, just to see.
The result? I’d gained 9 lbs. and grown 6.5 cm in just under 4 weeks! I’m now measuring 2 weeks ahead. Yes, there’s only one baby in there. And yes, it’s actually head down now! (Yay for that, it was transverse last time.) But, a very definite growth spurt!
Babies do go through growth spurts, even in the womb. They might have a couple weeks where they don’t grow too much…then they leap forward! You’ll probably notice this much the way I did — increased appetite, fatigue, and probably low back and/or round ligament pain. The round ligaments are the ones that support your belly down low, around your hips and pubic bone. They’re getting stretched as your baby grows quickly.
It’s normal…though not especially fun! Since it’s not my first time, I knew things weren’t wrong, I just felt…big! My blood pressure and urine (they check for protein/sugar) all came back normal, and I’ve felt fine. Just, sore.
I’m thinking this baby will be a bit bigger than the last two. Which is fine with me. :) An early growth spurt may be evidence of what’s to come!
Have you ever felt your baby go through a growth spurt in the womb?
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3 Comments
Helen Palmer commented on Apr 20 11 at 6:32 amNow you say this, the same things happened to me. I was mega tried 2 weeks ago and couldn’t work out why (other than toddler, pregnany, working 80%!) and also my bump suddenly really popped out! am now in 26th week and my passenger is also head down – hurrah! First baby was stubbornly breech and didn’t turn until the c-section, when he turned sideways and got stuck :-(
Suebee commented on Apr 21 11 at 6:46 amI’ll be 26 weeks this weekend, and now that you mention it… we went out to eat the other night, and when we left I was SO uncomfortably full, despite the fact that I really didn’t eat THAT much more than usual. The back pain and round ligament pain have increased a little, as well. :P
Laura commented on Apr 21 11 at 8:11 amI can always tell when I’m about to pop more from the round ligament pain. I get so achy for 2-3 days, and then everyone comments about how big I am… makes me feel lovely :)
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