more opportunities to see Baby!

I was recently recruited for a research study at KU since I'm pregnant. The study is looking at the influence of mom's activity level prior to and during pregnancy on fetal heart development. What this means for me is that I get to have an ultrasound (and other testing which I'll explain) at 28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 36 weeks and then the baby will go in for testing at 4 weeks of age. My first session was yesterday, and Baby Zucchini was kicking like crazy during the ultrasound. It was like he/she was punching the probe, like, "Hey! Get out of here! This is my clubhouse!" I found out that little Zucchini weighs about 2 lbs now. I still don't know if he/she is a boy or girl.

After checking my heart rate, blood pressure and weight, they sat me in this crazy chair in front of this spaceship-like apparatus. It kind of reminds me of the television chocolate scene in Willie Wonka where Mike Teavee tries to travel through television. The machine is called a biomagnetometer, which picks up the natural magnetic fields produced by the baby's heart and brain to measure electrophysiologial activity in the fetus. The machine doesn't actually touch you, and it makes no sound. You just lie there and relax while it records the activity.

The ultrasound pictures were 2D this time, and they're harder to make out the baby's features compared to the 3D ones, so I didn't post them this time. If we get some good snapshots at the next one, I'll be sure to put those up.