I attended a little family get-together yesterday, and I find it amusing that no one has come to me with suspicions that I may be pregnant, my mother especially. She knows I've completely given up caffeine. She saw me turn down beer and beer bratwurst yesterday. She (and my aunt, who commented on my thinness yesterday) are under the impression that I'm as thin as ever (boy, do I feel chubby right now). In two more weeks, I can tell everyone!
My morning sickness is almost completely gone, so I'm certainly happy about that. I wake up with kind of a dull discomfort in my stomach, but it doesn't get better if I eat, and it doesn't get worse if I don't eat. Perhaps I've just become hypersensitive to the way my stomach feels. I've noticed that before following bouts of food poisoning or stomach flu: for a few days afterward, my stomach just isn't quite comfortable.
So, right now, the only signs I'm still pregnant are that I'm chubby and large-breasted, and that I want to eat all the time. I have another appointment this Friday to see if we can locate the baby's heartbeat. In a way, it seems a waste of $20 (my office visit copay). But now that the morning sickness has abated, it would be reassuring to hear a heartbeat.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Week Ten
My visit to the doctor last week went well. My blood work looked good. I found out my blood type is A+. We weren't able to hear the baby's heartbeat, so I have another appointment in 2 weeks to try again. She also assigned me to a doctor who will be able to do all my OB care including delivery. And I've gained 3 pounds so far, which is reasonable.
My pants are starting to fit a bit tighter. I had hoped I wouldn't need any maternity clothing until the 16 week point or thereabouts, but I may have to go shopping sooner than that. Of course, I should probably tell people I'm pregnant before I start wearing maternity clothes. And I'm still determined not to tell anyone until week 13, so no maternity clothes until then.
I received that book I ordered. It's great! This week, my baby is going from the embryo phase to the fetus phase. It's a little over 1 inch long from "crown to rump," which is how they measure babies in the womb (since they can't stretch their legs out and measure those). It already has fingers and toes. It's amazing to see pictures of development in the womb. So much happens in such a short space of time. Pregnancy.com has great pictures, if you're interested.
My pants are starting to fit a bit tighter. I had hoped I wouldn't need any maternity clothing until the 16 week point or thereabouts, but I may have to go shopping sooner than that. Of course, I should probably tell people I'm pregnant before I start wearing maternity clothes. And I'm still determined not to tell anyone until week 13, so no maternity clothes until then.
I received that book I ordered. It's great! This week, my baby is going from the embryo phase to the fetus phase. It's a little over 1 inch long from "crown to rump," which is how they measure babies in the womb (since they can't stretch their legs out and measure those). It already has fingers and toes. It's amazing to see pictures of development in the womb. So much happens in such a short space of time. Pregnancy.com has great pictures, if you're interested.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Week Nine
Not much has changed since last week. My morning sickness has become a bit more manageable, so that's nice. I still get queasy when I see food on TV, and I still have to make sure that I eat often.
The skin on my tummy has been a little itchy the last few days. I wonder if that indicates that it's being stretched a bit. I've begun using this lotion that's supposed to help prevent stretch marks. It may not actually help at all, but I can hope, can't I?
I have an appointment for a full exam on Friday morning. There's a small chance that we may be able to hear the heartbeat. That would be awesome, but there's nothing to worry about if that doesn't happen. A lot of women don't get to hear a heartbeat until the 12th or 13th week. At this appointment, I'll talk to my nurse practitioner about being assigned to an OB/GYN. I hope there's a woman available somewhere in town. I just can't ask a man the same questions I can ask a woman.
The skin on my tummy has been a little itchy the last few days. I wonder if that indicates that it's being stretched a bit. I've begun using this lotion that's supposed to help prevent stretch marks. It may not actually help at all, but I can hope, can't I?
I have an appointment for a full exam on Friday morning. There's a small chance that we may be able to hear the heartbeat. That would be awesome, but there's nothing to worry about if that doesn't happen. A lot of women don't get to hear a heartbeat until the 12th or 13th week. At this appointment, I'll talk to my nurse practitioner about being assigned to an OB/GYN. I hope there's a woman available somewhere in town. I just can't ask a man the same questions I can ask a woman.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Week Eight
Wow, week eight already. I think I'm getting better at managing the morning sickness. I just have to keep plenty of bland food around so I can eat all the time. I'm still constantly queasy, but I've been able to bring it down to a 1 or 2 on a scale of 10 for the majority of the day.
My breasts are larger and more sensitive than the last time I complained about them. I've read that some women end up buying nursing bras far before they begin producing anything because of this same issue. I may have to do that, too. I'm going to put it off as long as possible, though.
I'm a little ahead of the curve on weight gain, but I'm not going to worry about that at this point.
I ordered a book called Your Pregnancy Week by Week by an obstetrician named Glade B. Curtis. I looked through it at a bookstore here in town, but I was able to save about $12 by ordering it from a site online. It looks like an interesting and thorough book. The only problem is that, since I ordered it, I have to wait for a couple of weeks before it'll arrive.
My breasts are larger and more sensitive than the last time I complained about them. I've read that some women end up buying nursing bras far before they begin producing anything because of this same issue. I may have to do that, too. I'm going to put it off as long as possible, though.
I'm a little ahead of the curve on weight gain, but I'm not going to worry about that at this point.
I ordered a book called Your Pregnancy Week by Week by an obstetrician named Glade B. Curtis. I looked through it at a bookstore here in town, but I was able to save about $12 by ordering it from a site online. It looks like an interesting and thorough book. The only problem is that, since I ordered it, I have to wait for a couple of weeks before it'll arrive.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Week Seven
This morning sickness stuff is not fun. I've found that, if I wake up feeling pretty good, I'm going to feel really bad by about 2 hours later. That happened today, and I almost thought I was going to have to leave work. The sickness generally isn't as bad if I start the day sick. So I've found a reason to be thankful for waking up sick. Go figure.
There are a lot of foods that gross me out right now just thinking about them. And I can't think of dinner at all until late in the afternoon or it'll make me queasy. If a food advertisement comes on TV, I have to look away and think of something else. Saltines are starting to get boring, but they're the only thing I can count on to ease my stomach.
I've talked to a few different women in different pregnancy forums, and they all say that every pregnancy is different. One said that she had three pregnancies, one where she was sick 24/7 throughout the pregnancy, one where she was never sick at all, and one where she was fine unless she smelled shampoo. Isn't that odd? It makes me wonder if morning sickness has more to do with the individual fetus than with the mother.
Other than that, I think the only change is that I may have gained one or two pounds.
There are a lot of foods that gross me out right now just thinking about them. And I can't think of dinner at all until late in the afternoon or it'll make me queasy. If a food advertisement comes on TV, I have to look away and think of something else. Saltines are starting to get boring, but they're the only thing I can count on to ease my stomach.
I've talked to a few different women in different pregnancy forums, and they all say that every pregnancy is different. One said that she had three pregnancies, one where she was sick 24/7 throughout the pregnancy, one where she was never sick at all, and one where she was fine unless she smelled shampoo. Isn't that odd? It makes me wonder if morning sickness has more to do with the individual fetus than with the mother.
Other than that, I think the only change is that I may have gained one or two pounds.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Week Six
Well, morning sickness has started to kick in. I'm not throwing up yet, but I feel pretty close. And it's lasting all day instead of just in the morning. Saltines help a bit. I read that some women are helped by sour candy, but that doesn't seem to help me. I've also read that ginger helps (even ginger ale, if it has real ginger in it), but I haven't gotten around to buying any yet. My mom has said in the past that peppermint helps her when she's feeling sick to her stomach, so I think I'll try peppermint candies, too.
I really want to eat healthy and get some housecleaning done, but I don't feel like I can do either of those things right now. My body wants to be in bed, asleep, and eat nothing but dry bread and crackers with the occasional piece of fruit. I think I can continue to handle a reasonable diet, for the time being, as long as everything is really bland.
I really want to eat healthy and get some housecleaning done, but I don't feel like I can do either of those things right now. My body wants to be in bed, asleep, and eat nothing but dry bread and crackers with the occasional piece of fruit. I think I can continue to handle a reasonable diet, for the time being, as long as everything is really bland.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Week Five!
I just got back from the doctor's office, and I have a lot to do today, but I want to get this all recorded first.
Pregnancies are generally expected to be 40 weeks long counting from the first day of the woman's last period. As such, my due date is January 14, 2008, give or take 2 weeks.
I can continue to drink decaf Chai tea (yea!). I need to avoid lunch meats because of Nitrites, though they're actually a bigger worry for the baby once it's born. I need to avoid open-water fish because of mercury levels. I need to avoid cheese, or really any dairy stuff, that hasn't been pasteurized. I don't need to worry about weight gain at this point because my doctor says that weight gain in the second semester is the best indicator of a healthy pregnancy. I can even lose weight now (moderately, of course), and it wouldn't be a big deal.
Most exercise that's good for a normal person is also good for a pregnant person. If it begins to hurt or feel uncomfortable, stop. Oh, and don't do obviously dangerous stuff like skydiving, horseriding, and water skiing.
I should continue to take calcium supplements daily and iron supplements every other day. I can continue to take Claritin daily, but I should only take pseudoephedrine when I really need it. My asthma medication is totally safe.
She gave me a bunch of stuff to read, so I'll let you know if I glean anything new from that. She also had me do a TB test and a full battery of blood tests. I go back in four weeks to get the results on the blood tests and to get a full exam. There's a small possibility that I'll be able to hear the baby's heart beat by then. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but that would be so awesome.
Oh, and I found out I'm at 5 weeks and 3 days.
Pregnancies are generally expected to be 40 weeks long counting from the first day of the woman's last period. As such, my due date is January 14, 2008, give or take 2 weeks.
I can continue to drink decaf Chai tea (yea!). I need to avoid lunch meats because of Nitrites, though they're actually a bigger worry for the baby once it's born. I need to avoid open-water fish because of mercury levels. I need to avoid cheese, or really any dairy stuff, that hasn't been pasteurized. I don't need to worry about weight gain at this point because my doctor says that weight gain in the second semester is the best indicator of a healthy pregnancy. I can even lose weight now (moderately, of course), and it wouldn't be a big deal.
Most exercise that's good for a normal person is also good for a pregnant person. If it begins to hurt or feel uncomfortable, stop. Oh, and don't do obviously dangerous stuff like skydiving, horseriding, and water skiing.
I should continue to take calcium supplements daily and iron supplements every other day. I can continue to take Claritin daily, but I should only take pseudoephedrine when I really need it. My asthma medication is totally safe.
She gave me a bunch of stuff to read, so I'll let you know if I glean anything new from that. She also had me do a TB test and a full battery of blood tests. I go back in four weeks to get the results on the blood tests and to get a full exam. There's a small possibility that I'll be able to hear the baby's heart beat by then. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but that would be so awesome.
Oh, and I found out I'm at 5 weeks and 3 days.
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