the good news is that i'm feeling great and all is well with the baby. he's estimated to weigh 1 pound, 14 ounces (64th percentile) and seems happy and active. i can feel him moving all the time and he looks adorable in the ultrasound pics, when he'll show his face.
the maybe not-so-good news is that when i went in to see the high risk doc this morning, they found that my cervix seems to be effacing. for those not in the pregnancy know, that means it's shortening -- which it's not supposed to do until just before birth. normally, when you're not pregnant, the cervix is open a bit to allow things to pass through. but during pregnancy, it stays tight and closed to keep the baby in, and develops a mucus plug to make sure nothing gets in or out before it's supposed to.
the last time i was at the doc (two weeks ago) the closed part of my cervix measured 37 mm, which is about in the middle of the normal range of 3 - 5 cm. but today it only measured 33 mm, which alarmed them a little. the doctor told me they don't like to see it shorter than 35mm, but that 25 is the real danger zone. he said it could just be a fluke and maybe caused by traveling, or the fact that the baby still likes to sit real low, putting a lot of pressure on my cervix. in this case it could get better, or at least not get any worse. he said that happens with a lot of women. he wants me to take it easy for a week and go back to see him then, when they'll measure it and see if this shortening is a trend that will likely continue, or if things are holding stable at 33mm (in the latter case, they'll just continue to monitor it and won't worry). he was glad to hear i am on summer vacation; he said if i was working he wouldn't want me to go in for a week! egads. but there's nothing stopping me from doing mostly nothing for the next seven days, so that's my plan.
you may be wondering what will happen if it seems that my cervix is still effacing when i go back next week. i sure was. he said the first step will be medication (steroids) and possibly bed rest. the steroids can stop preterm labor and also help the baby's lungs to develop faster just in case the little guy ends up arriving early. bed rest will depend on how bad it is. and if that doesn't work (which the doc tells me is unlikely in most cases) they will have to do a surgical procedure to basically tie the cervix shut. this is called a cerclage and i really, really hope it doesn't come to that. but i like having all the information, so at least i know the worst case scenario.
so. that's where we're at. i'm not over-thinking anything and just hoping that a week of r&r, which was already in my plans post-school year and post-vacation, will do the trick and everything will be a-ok. this is not to say i'm not worried as heck, because i am. but there's not much i can do other than follow the doctor's orders. and, of course, be thankful that i'm getting the monitoring that i am so that this didn't go unseen!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
23 1/2 weeks
summertime and the living is easy. well, easier than waking up at 5:30am, running around like a crazy person all day and not getting home until 6. i am still in the initial flurry of doing all of the little things that need to get done but i haven't had time to do until now (getting a plumber and the exterminator to come over, scheduling a dentist appointment, taking the dog to the vet, refilling prescriptions, etc.), but overall i am taking it easy and am quite happy about it.
went to the regular OB last friday and the high risk doc this past monday. all seems to be going well. i got a warning from the regular OB because she said i've gained 9 pounds since i saw her last, which is way too much for four weeks. my scale doesn't quite agree with hers, but she's the professional. she said i'm still fine overall because i gained so little in the beginning, but i need to slow it down a bit. so i told her i'd be more careful. and truthfully i could see once i thought about it where i've gotten a little off-track the past few weeks, what with a billion end-of-year meetings at school with decadent treats, my bagel binge, and the chocolate chip cookie fest that occurred when i was craving them and so decided to make a double batch for our cookout and ended up eating one whole batch myself, i'm pretty sure. so it should be relatively easy to stop that weight gain pattern. i always lose weight in the summer when i'm not stress-eating and surrounded by temptation at school, so while i know i don't want to start losing pounds, slowing the gain should be doable. it also helps that red grapes are still as good as a hot fudge sundae in my book.
otherwise, everything is fine. the baby is doing well, estimated weight is 1 pound, 4 ounces, which is 57th percentile. he's moving around a lot, which i like, but i have to say i become a total freak show when i haven't felt him in awhile. the doctor said it's too early to have his movement be predictable, and it's still totally fine at this stage if i go a day or two without feeling anything. but i don't like that idea at all. it is such a constant reassurance when i feel him doing whatever he's doing in there. the cool thing is that some of his movements now are strong enough that you can feel them on the outside of my belly, so the hubby has been able to feel him a couple of times. he mostly tries to tell me that he thinks i'm just having gas when he feels it, but i am trying to convince him that i definitely know the difference now.
i am definitely feeling the bodily strain now, especially since it's gotten hot out. my feet and ankles swell up if i sit without elevating my feet or stand still for too long. my center of gravity and general ability to navigate through spaces are definitely compromised and my back aches a lot. and since i weigh more than i ever have, any kind of physical activity is more challenging. but i'm feeling okay overall, just... whale-like. i'm going for my first prenatal massage tomorrow, thanks to a gift certificate my friends from work gave me. i cannot wait.
next week we go to louisville to visit my cousins for our last pre-baby airline trip. i'm super excited about that, but also psyched to get home and have almost two solid months to relax and also get organized and prepared. i'm really looking forward to doing a lot of yoga and dance central this summer, and getting lots of sleep. plus, of course, tackling the items on our summer project list, which is lengthy but not overwhelming. i hope. it's all getting very real. now i am going to lay on the bed and try to feel the baby move so i can continue the day stress-free.
went to the regular OB last friday and the high risk doc this past monday. all seems to be going well. i got a warning from the regular OB because she said i've gained 9 pounds since i saw her last, which is way too much for four weeks. my scale doesn't quite agree with hers, but she's the professional. she said i'm still fine overall because i gained so little in the beginning, but i need to slow it down a bit. so i told her i'd be more careful. and truthfully i could see once i thought about it where i've gotten a little off-track the past few weeks, what with a billion end-of-year meetings at school with decadent treats, my bagel binge, and the chocolate chip cookie fest that occurred when i was craving them and so decided to make a double batch for our cookout and ended up eating one whole batch myself, i'm pretty sure. so it should be relatively easy to stop that weight gain pattern. i always lose weight in the summer when i'm not stress-eating and surrounded by temptation at school, so while i know i don't want to start losing pounds, slowing the gain should be doable. it also helps that red grapes are still as good as a hot fudge sundae in my book.
otherwise, everything is fine. the baby is doing well, estimated weight is 1 pound, 4 ounces, which is 57th percentile. he's moving around a lot, which i like, but i have to say i become a total freak show when i haven't felt him in awhile. the doctor said it's too early to have his movement be predictable, and it's still totally fine at this stage if i go a day or two without feeling anything. but i don't like that idea at all. it is such a constant reassurance when i feel him doing whatever he's doing in there. the cool thing is that some of his movements now are strong enough that you can feel them on the outside of my belly, so the hubby has been able to feel him a couple of times. he mostly tries to tell me that he thinks i'm just having gas when he feels it, but i am trying to convince him that i definitely know the difference now.
i am definitely feeling the bodily strain now, especially since it's gotten hot out. my feet and ankles swell up if i sit without elevating my feet or stand still for too long. my center of gravity and general ability to navigate through spaces are definitely compromised and my back aches a lot. and since i weigh more than i ever have, any kind of physical activity is more challenging. but i'm feeling okay overall, just... whale-like. i'm going for my first prenatal massage tomorrow, thanks to a gift certificate my friends from work gave me. i cannot wait.
next week we go to louisville to visit my cousins for our last pre-baby airline trip. i'm super excited about that, but also psyched to get home and have almost two solid months to relax and also get organized and prepared. i'm really looking forward to doing a lot of yoga and dance central this summer, and getting lots of sleep. plus, of course, tackling the items on our summer project list, which is lengthy but not overwhelming. i hope. it's all getting very real. now i am going to lay on the bed and try to feel the baby move so i can continue the day stress-free.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
21 Weeks
Time feels like it's flying by. I am past the theoretical halfway point of this pregnancy, and it's beginning to feel quite real. I've started collecting some hand-me-downs from friends, so there's even some baby stuff in the house now. Friends are organizing baby showers, I'm talking with folks at work about plans for my maternity leave next school year... it sorts feels like full speed ahead at this point.
Not that that means I've stopped worrying about something going wrong. I guess that may never stop. I'm now in the time of my pregnancy where my friend from work went into premature labor and lost her baby in January, so that weighs on my mind. And this past Sunday the hubby and I were in a car accident, which really put me into a tizzy. I went to the ER as a precaution (all the cops and EMTs on the scene thought it was a good idea, and I agreed) and after a terrifying hour or so we learned that everything was fine. We were very lucky the accident wasn't worse than it had been and that we were all relatively un-hurt. I think the hubby and I had our first foray into the all-new worries of being a parent. It wasn't a lot of fun.
This week I had my Level 2 sonogram, generally known as the anatomy scan. This is a big event for people who aren't seeing a high risk doc and getting ultrasounds every two weeks, but for us it wasn't super exciting. We ended up doing it in two parts, because my appointment with the doc was today, but I went in yesterday as a cautionary measure after the car accident and the ultrasound tech did most of the measurements then. Today the doctor looked over all of those photos and did a couple more that the tech wasn't able to get: head shots, since this baby doesn't like to show his face. But the doc got him to shift a bit by adjusting the table so that I was practically standing on my head!
Yesterday we noticed that the baby was head down for the first time, and his head was really low and pressing on my cervix. This isn't a bad thing, but it was uncomfortable and when I felt it yesterday after the accident I got nervous that something was wrong. He seems to have moved a little as of this morning... he's still head down, but I don't feel the pressure anymore.
The doctor said everything looked great and both the baby and I are doing just fine. The baby weighs about 15oz now, which is the 51st percentile at this stage. He has all of his parts, and all seem to be doing what they're supposed to be doing. I wish we could see his face a little more often, but he really doesn't seem to like the ultrasounds. Now that I can feel him kicking, I definitely know when he's all worked up about something! (But I love feeling him move. It is my favorite thing so far. It's changed now from feeling like little bubbles to feeling like someone flicking my insides with their fingers. They say over the next few weeks it'll feel more and more like actual kicks and punches. Fun!)
I've been holding steady at about 10-12 pounds gained. I'm still feeling really good. Occasionally I still get nauseated, and occasionally REALLY nauseated, but I think it's all related to how often and how much I eat. As long as I eat small amounts of food every couple hours, I'm fine. I still eat about five pounds of red grapes a week. It's sick but I figure there are worse cravings to have. Otherwise I feel pretty normal, other than having this alien being in my belly. The congestion isn't bad most of the time, the round ligament pain is sporadic now, I'm sleeping great (as long as I have my belly wedge pillow!), pooping mostly normally, and haven't noticed any more weird side effects.
And I really look pregnant now. It's still mostly in my belly, and I'm still carrying pretty much all in front, but the rest of me is changing, too. It's definitely a whole body experience now. I've outgrown my "new" bra so i gotta get another one of those. Every day is an adventure.
But summer vacation is a mere two weeks away! I'm really looking forward to getting the house ready for this baby and to a lot of relaxing time for me and the hubby before the insanity sets in. Fingers crossed that the relative and ease of the past few weeks (car accident excepted) continues for awhile. :)
Not that that means I've stopped worrying about something going wrong. I guess that may never stop. I'm now in the time of my pregnancy where my friend from work went into premature labor and lost her baby in January, so that weighs on my mind. And this past Sunday the hubby and I were in a car accident, which really put me into a tizzy. I went to the ER as a precaution (all the cops and EMTs on the scene thought it was a good idea, and I agreed) and after a terrifying hour or so we learned that everything was fine. We were very lucky the accident wasn't worse than it had been and that we were all relatively un-hurt. I think the hubby and I had our first foray into the all-new worries of being a parent. It wasn't a lot of fun.
This week I had my Level 2 sonogram, generally known as the anatomy scan. This is a big event for people who aren't seeing a high risk doc and getting ultrasounds every two weeks, but for us it wasn't super exciting. We ended up doing it in two parts, because my appointment with the doc was today, but I went in yesterday as a cautionary measure after the car accident and the ultrasound tech did most of the measurements then. Today the doctor looked over all of those photos and did a couple more that the tech wasn't able to get: head shots, since this baby doesn't like to show his face. But the doc got him to shift a bit by adjusting the table so that I was practically standing on my head!
Yesterday we noticed that the baby was head down for the first time, and his head was really low and pressing on my cervix. This isn't a bad thing, but it was uncomfortable and when I felt it yesterday after the accident I got nervous that something was wrong. He seems to have moved a little as of this morning... he's still head down, but I don't feel the pressure anymore.
The doctor said everything looked great and both the baby and I are doing just fine. The baby weighs about 15oz now, which is the 51st percentile at this stage. He has all of his parts, and all seem to be doing what they're supposed to be doing. I wish we could see his face a little more often, but he really doesn't seem to like the ultrasounds. Now that I can feel him kicking, I definitely know when he's all worked up about something! (But I love feeling him move. It is my favorite thing so far. It's changed now from feeling like little bubbles to feeling like someone flicking my insides with their fingers. They say over the next few weeks it'll feel more and more like actual kicks and punches. Fun!)
I've been holding steady at about 10-12 pounds gained. I'm still feeling really good. Occasionally I still get nauseated, and occasionally REALLY nauseated, but I think it's all related to how often and how much I eat. As long as I eat small amounts of food every couple hours, I'm fine. I still eat about five pounds of red grapes a week. It's sick but I figure there are worse cravings to have. Otherwise I feel pretty normal, other than having this alien being in my belly. The congestion isn't bad most of the time, the round ligament pain is sporadic now, I'm sleeping great (as long as I have my belly wedge pillow!), pooping mostly normally, and haven't noticed any more weird side effects.
And I really look pregnant now. It's still mostly in my belly, and I'm still carrying pretty much all in front, but the rest of me is changing, too. It's definitely a whole body experience now. I've outgrown my "new" bra so i gotta get another one of those. Every day is an adventure.
But summer vacation is a mere two weeks away! I'm really looking forward to getting the house ready for this baby and to a lot of relaxing time for me and the hubby before the insanity sets in. Fingers crossed that the relative and ease of the past few weeks (car accident excepted) continues for awhile. :)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
19 weeks, 3 days
there is no hiding it now... i am very definitely looking pregnant. my biggest proof is that every day the tales i've heard for years about new yorkers not giving up their subway seats for pregnant ladies are being proven false! i don't know if i'm taking different trains than others who've shared their woes about this or if people are just getting nicer, but for the past week almost any time i don't have a seat on the subway one is offered to me. i don't always feel like i need the seat, and i don't always take it, especially if i'm only on the train for a few stops. but it is really nice to feel surrounded by considerate people. and while a lot of them are women, a whole bunch of them are men, of all ages! that was the biggest shocker, given the stories i've heard people tell. so yay new yorkers!
i went to the perinatologist yesterday and everything is great with me and the baby. the baby is growing so quickly (as is my belly). it weighs 10 ounces, still about a week ahead of schedule, and has all of its parts. the doctor measured everything yesterday as best he could, given that the little bean still is quite stubborn about ultrasounds. however, it's getting a lot less roomy in there so the baby can't move around with the same acrobatics it used to, so eventually the doc was able to measure all of the arms and legs and count the fingers and toes and check out all the internal organs. everything seems to be perfect!
other good news includes the fact that my placenta previa is definitely totally gone, AND so is that pesky blood vessel! so we're cleared to finally have sex again (we'll see how much the hubby even wants to with my gigantic belly all up in his business) and i don't have to worry so much about bleeding and whatnot. that is a huge relief. my bloodwork has all been coming back normal, my vitamin D deficiency is gone thanks to supplements, and basically it looks like everything is progressing exactly as it should be. they cleared me to fly this weekend and gave me an official note allowing me to take my injectable meds on the plane.
i've also been feeling really great. the only thing that has been bothering me the past couple of weeks is the round ligament pain, which is totally normal at this point given the massive expansion of my uterus that's happening (and will continue to happen over the next few weeks). i'd been taking it easy and being even less active than i was before because it seemed like the more i did the more sore it was. but over the weekend i made an interesting discovery. the hubby and i went to an all-day concert on the beach and i danced and danced and danced... and felt better than i have in weeks! the pain actually went away almost immediately! the following day, since i wasn't sore, i was able to do way more at my prenatal yoga class than i have in the past, which must have also helped, because now -- three days later -- i am still nearly pain-free. i've had a couple of twinges here and there, but nothing like what i had before. so now i know i need to be MORE active rather than less, and with the blood vessel worries over i can do this totally happily and without anxiety.
my appetite feels back to normal; i still have weird cravings and aversions, but i'm not eating quite as much or often as i was for awhile... which is good for the weight gain. the regular OB (when i went last week) said i am exactly on track in terms of weight and to continue whatever i'm doing. mostly that's been eating red grapes, so i wasn't really sure what to tell her i'd been "doing." i know that this is around the time when the baby starts swallowing amniotic fluid and can taste what i'm eating, so i'm going to focus on that... i really want the kid to love veggies and hopefully to not be such a sweet-freak as i am, so i'm going to make a conscious effort to watch what i'm eating for both of those reasons.
otherwise, i am kind of a walking textbook of pregnancy symptoms, but none of them are awful. i'm actually really glad for the "textbook" lists because it has let me know what to expect so that nothing surprises or scares me when it happens. right now i'm definitely feeling the dizziness and lack of balance that comes from my expanding uterus, along with lower back pain, forgetfulness, bleeding gums when i brush my teeth, and -- brand new last night -- leg cramps. but i know all of this is normal and none of it is really impacting my life so i consider myself quite lucky. i feel mostly really good. i am loving this second trimester thing... and hoping the smooth sailing continues!
there is no hiding it now... i am very definitely looking pregnant. my biggest proof is that every day the tales i've heard for years about new yorkers not giving up their subway seats for pregnant ladies are being proven false! i don't know if i'm taking different trains than others who've shared their woes about this or if people are just getting nicer, but for the past week almost any time i don't have a seat on the subway one is offered to me. i don't always feel like i need the seat, and i don't always take it, especially if i'm only on the train for a few stops. but it is really nice to feel surrounded by considerate people. and while a lot of them are women, a whole bunch of them are men, of all ages! that was the biggest shocker, given the stories i've heard people tell. so yay new yorkers!
i went to the perinatologist yesterday and everything is great with me and the baby. the baby is growing so quickly (as is my belly). it weighs 10 ounces, still about a week ahead of schedule, and has all of its parts. the doctor measured everything yesterday as best he could, given that the little bean still is quite stubborn about ultrasounds. however, it's getting a lot less roomy in there so the baby can't move around with the same acrobatics it used to, so eventually the doc was able to measure all of the arms and legs and count the fingers and toes and check out all the internal organs. everything seems to be perfect!
other good news includes the fact that my placenta previa is definitely totally gone, AND so is that pesky blood vessel! so we're cleared to finally have sex again (we'll see how much the hubby even wants to with my gigantic belly all up in his business) and i don't have to worry so much about bleeding and whatnot. that is a huge relief. my bloodwork has all been coming back normal, my vitamin D deficiency is gone thanks to supplements, and basically it looks like everything is progressing exactly as it should be. they cleared me to fly this weekend and gave me an official note allowing me to take my injectable meds on the plane.
i've also been feeling really great. the only thing that has been bothering me the past couple of weeks is the round ligament pain, which is totally normal at this point given the massive expansion of my uterus that's happening (and will continue to happen over the next few weeks). i'd been taking it easy and being even less active than i was before because it seemed like the more i did the more sore it was. but over the weekend i made an interesting discovery. the hubby and i went to an all-day concert on the beach and i danced and danced and danced... and felt better than i have in weeks! the pain actually went away almost immediately! the following day, since i wasn't sore, i was able to do way more at my prenatal yoga class than i have in the past, which must have also helped, because now -- three days later -- i am still nearly pain-free. i've had a couple of twinges here and there, but nothing like what i had before. so now i know i need to be MORE active rather than less, and with the blood vessel worries over i can do this totally happily and without anxiety.
my appetite feels back to normal; i still have weird cravings and aversions, but i'm not eating quite as much or often as i was for awhile... which is good for the weight gain. the regular OB (when i went last week) said i am exactly on track in terms of weight and to continue whatever i'm doing. mostly that's been eating red grapes, so i wasn't really sure what to tell her i'd been "doing." i know that this is around the time when the baby starts swallowing amniotic fluid and can taste what i'm eating, so i'm going to focus on that... i really want the kid to love veggies and hopefully to not be such a sweet-freak as i am, so i'm going to make a conscious effort to watch what i'm eating for both of those reasons.
otherwise, i am kind of a walking textbook of pregnancy symptoms, but none of them are awful. i'm actually really glad for the "textbook" lists because it has let me know what to expect so that nothing surprises or scares me when it happens. right now i'm definitely feeling the dizziness and lack of balance that comes from my expanding uterus, along with lower back pain, forgetfulness, bleeding gums when i brush my teeth, and -- brand new last night -- leg cramps. but i know all of this is normal and none of it is really impacting my life so i consider myself quite lucky. i feel mostly really good. i am loving this second trimester thing... and hoping the smooth sailing continues!
Monday, May 7, 2012
17 Weeks!
Wow, I am really feeling pregnant. And looking pregnant. I think I'm finally starting to feel okay about that. I'm also still feeling really good. Nothing really new since my last report on the physical front... I've gained 8 or 9 pounds, my boobs are definitely bigger, and I'm hungry all the time. Luckily my biggest craving is not french fries or cupcakes... it's red grapes. I've eaten about a pound every two or three days. Weird. My acupuncturist says it's because I still need more hydration. I feel like I'm drinking enough water to fill a swimming pool, but I guess it's never too much. I've also started getting really forgetful and losing my center of gravity. It's kind of like feeling drunk or high a lot of the time. Sigh.
This is another week of double duty doctor visits. I saw the perinatologist today and I will see the regular OB on Friday. All went well at the visit today. Highlights:
1) The placenta has moved away from the cervix! Yay! No more placenta previa for me... but that errant blood vessel is still a concern. Still no sex, heavy lifting, strenuous activity, etc.
2). Baby weighs 7oz (a little ahead for this stage) and looks perfect. We counted fingers and toes today... when it would stay still. Which doesn't happen all that often.
3) The second round of our genetic testing came back normal. So chances are we're good. Yay!
4) They told me my next visit will be slightly longer than normal due to some measurements they will want to do, and my next one (at 21 weeks) will be my full anatomy scan. Which takes a long time.
5) They tentatively cleared me for both of my upcoming travel-by-plane trips (at 19 and 24 weeks) but said that depends on how things look when we get closer. They also said I'll need a letter from the doctor that allows me to bring my injectible medication on the plane, which I hadn't even thought of.
That's about it! Feeling positive and excited and really looking forward to being able to FEEL this jumping bean jumping around in there. Soon, I hope!
This is another week of double duty doctor visits. I saw the perinatologist today and I will see the regular OB on Friday. All went well at the visit today. Highlights:
1) The placenta has moved away from the cervix! Yay! No more placenta previa for me... but that errant blood vessel is still a concern. Still no sex, heavy lifting, strenuous activity, etc.
2). Baby weighs 7oz (a little ahead for this stage) and looks perfect. We counted fingers and toes today... when it would stay still. Which doesn't happen all that often.
3) The second round of our genetic testing came back normal. So chances are we're good. Yay!
4) They told me my next visit will be slightly longer than normal due to some measurements they will want to do, and my next one (at 21 weeks) will be my full anatomy scan. Which takes a long time.
5) They tentatively cleared me for both of my upcoming travel-by-plane trips (at 19 and 24 weeks) but said that depends on how things look when we get closer. They also said I'll need a letter from the doctor that allows me to bring my injectible medication on the plane, which I hadn't even thought of.
That's about it! Feeling positive and excited and really looking forward to being able to FEEL this jumping bean jumping around in there. Soon, I hope!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
15 week ultrasound & weird body stuff
time is flying! i can't believe i'm 15 1/2 weeks already. i am feeling much more like myself in terms of energy level, appetite, and my rear end (whew!), but my body has started to rebel in other ways. weird, weird ways. some of which i expected, like increased body hair. which is still just gross. and on my belly it's dark, which is even grosser. my belly button is slowly turning into an "outie," and i can't get over being able to see the recesses that have been hidden away all my life. i can also see the scar in there from my laparoscopy, which is kind of cool. my most boggling recent development is what they call "rhinitis of pregnancy:" basically, nasal congestion for no other reason but that i'm pregnant. i had no idea this was a thing. apparently the increased blood flow to pregnant ladies' mucus membranes can just end up producing a lot more mucus. lovely. a woman i work with had it her whole second trimester, so i'm gearing up for a long and sniffly road.
but really, i feel pretty good, all things considered. so i try not to complain too much.
i went to the perinatologist yesterday for my regular two-week check-up. the baby looks great... still pretty active but not quite as nutso as last time. the hubby went with me so he got to see the little acrobat in action, which was nice. everything looks fine in terms of development, size, heart rate, etc. they did the last round of bloodwork for the genetic disorder screening but it seems like everyone is assuming based on baby's development that we should get normal results on that, too. i should get those results the next time i go.
as always they checked my cervix, which looked perfect this time (no more weird contractions like last visit, post-pap smear) and checked out the placenta and the uterus. the placenta is still partially covering the cervix. she said it seems like things are still adjusting as they should be so we're still hopeful it won't continue to be a problem. but the other thing they noticed is what they thought was a blood clot in my uterus near the cervix is actually a blood vessel that's lying lower than it should be. this could be related to the placenta previa, since the placenta is attached to the uterus via a lot of blood vessels and it's also a lot lower than it should be. the doctor said i still should not have intercourse because of the blood vessel and the potential for it to rupture. i wish i'd asked more questions when i was there but i never really process the information until later and now i'm wondering... if it doesn't move, won't i have to worry about it rupturing throughout the pregnancy? and especially during labor? and how serious would that be, exactly? they are never alarmist about anything -- at least they don't ACT that way -- so they didn't make a big deal of it other than saying NO SEX. (still!!!) so i will try not to think about it any more than necessary.
even though it stresses me out a little, i'm just so thankful to have all of this information... so many women don't know these details about the placenta and blood vessels so early on and end up bleeding and freaking out in the ER. if not worse. so while i'm a little concerned in the back of my mind, i'd rather have something KNOWN to worry about than to sit around imagining all of the things that i DON'T know. besides, my gut says this baby is going to be just fine. i'm already wishing it was time for my next ultrasound so i could see the little peanut again!
but really, i feel pretty good, all things considered. so i try not to complain too much.
i went to the perinatologist yesterday for my regular two-week check-up. the baby looks great... still pretty active but not quite as nutso as last time. the hubby went with me so he got to see the little acrobat in action, which was nice. everything looks fine in terms of development, size, heart rate, etc. they did the last round of bloodwork for the genetic disorder screening but it seems like everyone is assuming based on baby's development that we should get normal results on that, too. i should get those results the next time i go.
as always they checked my cervix, which looked perfect this time (no more weird contractions like last visit, post-pap smear) and checked out the placenta and the uterus. the placenta is still partially covering the cervix. she said it seems like things are still adjusting as they should be so we're still hopeful it won't continue to be a problem. but the other thing they noticed is what they thought was a blood clot in my uterus near the cervix is actually a blood vessel that's lying lower than it should be. this could be related to the placenta previa, since the placenta is attached to the uterus via a lot of blood vessels and it's also a lot lower than it should be. the doctor said i still should not have intercourse because of the blood vessel and the potential for it to rupture. i wish i'd asked more questions when i was there but i never really process the information until later and now i'm wondering... if it doesn't move, won't i have to worry about it rupturing throughout the pregnancy? and especially during labor? and how serious would that be, exactly? they are never alarmist about anything -- at least they don't ACT that way -- so they didn't make a big deal of it other than saying NO SEX. (still!!!) so i will try not to think about it any more than necessary.
even though it stresses me out a little, i'm just so thankful to have all of this information... so many women don't know these details about the placenta and blood vessels so early on and end up bleeding and freaking out in the ER. if not worse. so while i'm a little concerned in the back of my mind, i'd rather have something KNOWN to worry about than to sit around imagining all of the things that i DON'T know. besides, my gut says this baby is going to be just fine. i'm already wishing it was time for my next ultrasound so i could see the little peanut again!
Friday, April 13, 2012
13 weeks, 4 days
time is just rolling along! i've been so busy at work and with some special extracurricular activities that i feel like i've hardly stopped to breathe the past couple of weeks. luckily, i took today off to visit both doctors, so i have some down time and a three-day weekend by default. i definitely need it.
physically, i'm doing pretty well. the nausea is mostly gone. i still have occasional morning bouts, but that's about it. i've started taking my prenatal vitamin before bed so i just make sure to stuff some crackers in my face when i wake up early in the morning and that change seems to have helped. my constipation is much, much better... but this week i developed a couple of hemorrhoids. the doctor said there's a chance they may have been inside during the Age of Constipation and now they've worked their way out as everything is... working more smoothly. it is definitely one of the most uncomfortable things i've experienced. i'm using the treatment cream and hoping to get a reprieve for part of the second trimester. i realize they will probably return in the end, and make delivery all the more thrilling.
my belly has reached a point where it's becoming almost impossible to hide unless i'm wearing a coat. or carrying something in front of it, which is still a strategy i use at work. i'm not quite sure why i'm still so self-conscious about it. i've announced the pregnancy at work and everyone is thrilled, of course, and i get frequent comments on how "cute" my belly is... but i'm still not used to this changing body. i'm exclusively in maternity clothes (maternity pants = amazing) other than a few really loose-fitting tops, sweatpants, and a couple pairs of hip-hugging pants. i am so much more comfortable than when i was trying to fit into my regular clothes. the belly doesn't seem to be growing at a speedy pace, either. even though it popped out weeks ago i'm not as huge as i feared i might be by the start of the second trimester. i know it's growing... mostly because i've started experiencing what they call round ligament pain from the growing and stretching of my uterus (mostly sudden shooting pain in my groin). and still, thankfully, it's really just my belly that is growing. i've officially gained two pounds, but aside from the belly the rest of me is still... me. i like that, a lot.
oh -- here's a weird thing! all of a sudden this week i started having urges to hug a stuffed animal. i haven't had one in years. maybe it's because i'm sleeping on my side now and don't know what to do with my arms. and with the hemorrhoids my couch time has also transitioned to side-laying because my ass hurts. after two nights of longing i finally went out yesterday afternoon and bought myself a stuffed elephant. i slept hugging it all night.
today i had an appointment with both my regular OB and the perinatologist. at the regular OB's office we just listened to the baby's heartbeat ("nice and strong") and she did a pap smear. i have to assume that she would have done an ultrasound by now if i wasn't having them done at the other doctor's, but she doesn't seem to feel the need to do them... yet? ever? like i said, she is very laid-back and hands-off, which i appreciate only as a total contrast to my other doctor.
after that appointment i went to see the high-risk folks. at first they were a little concerned because my cervix seemed to be contracting, but once i told them i had just had a pap smear they assumed that was probably the cause. my cervix still looks fine, and the blood clot is still there, but small, and --sadly-- the placenta is still partially covering the cervix... so our ban on intercourse continues. but in general, things looked fine.
we were hoping to get some good pics of the baby today since it officially has all of its parts, but it was jumping around like crazy in there! the ultrasound technician and the doctor both had some giggles over how active the baby was. from what they managed to see (the heart, spine, fingers and toes and arms and legs) everything looked just great, but mostly the little thing was doing handstands. backwards. i couldn't believe how much it was dancing around. i'm sure it's going to be even weirder when i can feel its acrobatics. but even though i was sad not to get a good look at its cute little face, i was just happy to see it doing its thing in there and to know things are still progressing as they should be.
and after the second appointment i went and got a pedicure. cause a pregnant lady's gotta pamper herself, right? pampering will be much easier once i'm done working for a couple months and on summer vacation. i have eternal respect for ladies who work all the way through their pregnancies. i'm barely into mine and i already can barely keep it together during the work week. i'm so tired, and crabby, and sore. weekends are glorious, though, so i'm not thinking about any of that right now. it's sunny and lovely outside and i think it's time for a nap.
physically, i'm doing pretty well. the nausea is mostly gone. i still have occasional morning bouts, but that's about it. i've started taking my prenatal vitamin before bed so i just make sure to stuff some crackers in my face when i wake up early in the morning and that change seems to have helped. my constipation is much, much better... but this week i developed a couple of hemorrhoids. the doctor said there's a chance they may have been inside during the Age of Constipation and now they've worked their way out as everything is... working more smoothly. it is definitely one of the most uncomfortable things i've experienced. i'm using the treatment cream and hoping to get a reprieve for part of the second trimester. i realize they will probably return in the end, and make delivery all the more thrilling.
my belly has reached a point where it's becoming almost impossible to hide unless i'm wearing a coat. or carrying something in front of it, which is still a strategy i use at work. i'm not quite sure why i'm still so self-conscious about it. i've announced the pregnancy at work and everyone is thrilled, of course, and i get frequent comments on how "cute" my belly is... but i'm still not used to this changing body. i'm exclusively in maternity clothes (maternity pants = amazing) other than a few really loose-fitting tops, sweatpants, and a couple pairs of hip-hugging pants. i am so much more comfortable than when i was trying to fit into my regular clothes. the belly doesn't seem to be growing at a speedy pace, either. even though it popped out weeks ago i'm not as huge as i feared i might be by the start of the second trimester. i know it's growing... mostly because i've started experiencing what they call round ligament pain from the growing and stretching of my uterus (mostly sudden shooting pain in my groin). and still, thankfully, it's really just my belly that is growing. i've officially gained two pounds, but aside from the belly the rest of me is still... me. i like that, a lot.
oh -- here's a weird thing! all of a sudden this week i started having urges to hug a stuffed animal. i haven't had one in years. maybe it's because i'm sleeping on my side now and don't know what to do with my arms. and with the hemorrhoids my couch time has also transitioned to side-laying because my ass hurts. after two nights of longing i finally went out yesterday afternoon and bought myself a stuffed elephant. i slept hugging it all night.
today i had an appointment with both my regular OB and the perinatologist. at the regular OB's office we just listened to the baby's heartbeat ("nice and strong") and she did a pap smear. i have to assume that she would have done an ultrasound by now if i wasn't having them done at the other doctor's, but she doesn't seem to feel the need to do them... yet? ever? like i said, she is very laid-back and hands-off, which i appreciate only as a total contrast to my other doctor.
after that appointment i went to see the high-risk folks. at first they were a little concerned because my cervix seemed to be contracting, but once i told them i had just had a pap smear they assumed that was probably the cause. my cervix still looks fine, and the blood clot is still there, but small, and --sadly-- the placenta is still partially covering the cervix... so our ban on intercourse continues. but in general, things looked fine.
we were hoping to get some good pics of the baby today since it officially has all of its parts, but it was jumping around like crazy in there! the ultrasound technician and the doctor both had some giggles over how active the baby was. from what they managed to see (the heart, spine, fingers and toes and arms and legs) everything looked just great, but mostly the little thing was doing handstands. backwards. i couldn't believe how much it was dancing around. i'm sure it's going to be even weirder when i can feel its acrobatics. but even though i was sad not to get a good look at its cute little face, i was just happy to see it doing its thing in there and to know things are still progressing as they should be.
and after the second appointment i went and got a pedicure. cause a pregnant lady's gotta pamper herself, right? pampering will be much easier once i'm done working for a couple months and on summer vacation. i have eternal respect for ladies who work all the way through their pregnancies. i'm barely into mine and i already can barely keep it together during the work week. i'm so tired, and crabby, and sore. weekends are glorious, though, so i'm not thinking about any of that right now. it's sunny and lovely outside and i think it's time for a nap.
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