oh, crap.
i went back today to have them check my cervix again prior to going out of town tomorrow. i was so nervous the past two visits but after it had held steady at 3.2cm for two weeks i pretty much stopped worrying and assumed everything was fine. well, you know what happens when we assume.
suddenly today my cervix is only measuring 2.5cm. yes, that's a decrease of almost an entire centimeter in just over one week. the doctor was alarmed. i suppose i have been more active the past week or so than i was prior to that, but i'm still not doing anything crazy. i've done a lot of walking, gone to prenatal yoga and pilates, went to the movies and out to dinner, done some stuff around the house. but no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise. it's so frustrating.
he told me i absolutely could not travel, and then when i started to cry told me that the only way he could possibly consider it okay would be if i laid flat on my back for the entire car ride there and back (the jostling and bumping of the car is very bad for pressure on the cervix) and, while at my parents' house, i remained on the couch or in bed at all times. he went over the details of me going into labor and having the baby super early in a city so far from home, with doctors that don't know my situation, and then having the baby hooked up to machines for months and us unable to come home. i know he was being dramatic and giving me the worst case scenario, but it was enough to convince me that it was not worth the risk to travel right now.
so for the next week it's complete bed rest, plus i'm starting two medications. one i'll stay on for the rest of the pregnancy: procardia, which prevents further shortening and other labor symptoms. the other one is indomethacin, and i'm only taking it for four days. that one is apparently the same kind of medication, but it seems to be stronger and can actually help to rebuild the cervix, so there's a chance it might get thicker and more stable again. this medication may also give us information about why the cervix in shortening in the first place: studies have shown that if it does restore the cervix to normal after a week of use this generally means the woman was experiencing preterm labor which led to the shortening. but if, after a week on the medication, the cervix doesn't change this means that the cervical tissue is simply weak. if this is the case, the cerclage (cervical stitch) surgery is usually done, but i think that i am too far along in my pregnancy for that procedure now. so... i'm guessing for me that would just mean more bed rest.
i go back a week from today. in the meantime, instead of embarking on an exciting vacation to see all my family and close friends, i will be sitting on my butt on the couch. i am so bummed about this. but i'm hoping beyond hope that this week will take care of the problem and i'll at least be able to resume some activity. but even if it's bed rest 'til the end, i know the most important thing is taking care of this baby. as excited as i am for him to get here, i don't want it to happen before it's time. the doctor said 34 weeks is the absolute earlier that it's even remotely okay for him to arrive, and even that (still 5 1/2 weeks from now!) would obviously be early. so i will do what i need to do, and hope that the hubby is available and amenable to waiting on me hand and foot for the next week. i guess that part could be kinda fun.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
27 Weeks!
i feel like i've been living at the doctor's office lately, but at least it's all been good news. i went to the regular OB the friday after i was put on modified bedrest, where they were surprisingly unconcerned about my shrinking cervix. the doc admitted that yes, if it continued to shorten it would be problematic... but she did not seem at all concerned about it at 3.3cm. of course, i've yet to see anyone in that office concerned about anything. it's the polar opposite of the high-risk doc's office.
but i continued my mostly bedrest status until i returned to the high risk doc the following wednesday. they measured my cervix again and said it was "stable," though by the numbers it actually measured 1mm shorter than the previous week. i guess that small of a difference isn't notable. the doctor told me to resume my "regular activities" (though he still seemed pleased that i'm not currently working) until i came back today. so i did my normal thing for a few days... certainly not anything strenuous, but walking and yoga and going out to dinner and whatnot. it was really, really nice after being stuck on the couch for a week.
i went back to the doctor today and once again my cervix measured 3.2cm, just like last week. they seemed relatively confident that it would remain stable, but as a precaution i'm going back next week before i go out of town. they want to make absolutely certain that there's no need to put me on medication to prevent any further shortening. i am actually glad to have the additional appointment next week. i have been slightly paranoid about this and don't want to embark on my trip worried every second that something is wrong.
the more i reflect on this, the more i realize i could never have another "normal" pregnancy after this one, even if i wanted to. i am far too accustomed to this completely over-the-top monitoring, and it suits my type-A personality far too well.
anyway, other than the cervix stuff everything is great. the baby is still super active, and he's turned himself over again which i find significantly more comfortable than when his head was by my belly button and his feet were in my bladder. now he's head down so he's constantly kicking the top of my uterus, which isn't all that annoying. of course he'll probably shift again... he moves around like crazy.
today they estimated that he weighs 2 pounds, 4 ounces, which is the 57th percentile for size. i'm glad he's on the bigger side in case he does end up having to arrive early, but i hope he doesn't decide to supersize himself. i am not in favor of birthing a baby the size i was as a newborn (9 1/2 pounds).
i'm definitely feeling pretty huge, but i assume that's normal at this point. it's freakin' hot out and my hands and feet are having some swelling issues. feet especially. they throb. but my hands are on and off bad enough that i've given up on wearing my wedding ring -- i have it on a necklace around my neck. i'm still sleeping well, and a lot, though sometimes getting comfortable to fall asleep is tricky. overall, though, i feel mostly like myself. just a bigger and slower version. i assume that i passed my glucose screening, because they said they'd call if i didn't and it's been a week and a half and they haven't called.
the baby's room is starting to come together and we're amassing clothes and gear from various sources. my first shower is next weekend so we expect to be up to our ears by then. and in three months he'll (hopefully) be here! it feels like a long time to wait but i have no doubt it's going to fly by.
but i continued my mostly bedrest status until i returned to the high risk doc the following wednesday. they measured my cervix again and said it was "stable," though by the numbers it actually measured 1mm shorter than the previous week. i guess that small of a difference isn't notable. the doctor told me to resume my "regular activities" (though he still seemed pleased that i'm not currently working) until i came back today. so i did my normal thing for a few days... certainly not anything strenuous, but walking and yoga and going out to dinner and whatnot. it was really, really nice after being stuck on the couch for a week.
i went back to the doctor today and once again my cervix measured 3.2cm, just like last week. they seemed relatively confident that it would remain stable, but as a precaution i'm going back next week before i go out of town. they want to make absolutely certain that there's no need to put me on medication to prevent any further shortening. i am actually glad to have the additional appointment next week. i have been slightly paranoid about this and don't want to embark on my trip worried every second that something is wrong.
the more i reflect on this, the more i realize i could never have another "normal" pregnancy after this one, even if i wanted to. i am far too accustomed to this completely over-the-top monitoring, and it suits my type-A personality far too well.
anyway, other than the cervix stuff everything is great. the baby is still super active, and he's turned himself over again which i find significantly more comfortable than when his head was by my belly button and his feet were in my bladder. now he's head down so he's constantly kicking the top of my uterus, which isn't all that annoying. of course he'll probably shift again... he moves around like crazy.
today they estimated that he weighs 2 pounds, 4 ounces, which is the 57th percentile for size. i'm glad he's on the bigger side in case he does end up having to arrive early, but i hope he doesn't decide to supersize himself. i am not in favor of birthing a baby the size i was as a newborn (9 1/2 pounds).
i'm definitely feeling pretty huge, but i assume that's normal at this point. it's freakin' hot out and my hands and feet are having some swelling issues. feet especially. they throb. but my hands are on and off bad enough that i've given up on wearing my wedding ring -- i have it on a necklace around my neck. i'm still sleeping well, and a lot, though sometimes getting comfortable to fall asleep is tricky. overall, though, i feel mostly like myself. just a bigger and slower version. i assume that i passed my glucose screening, because they said they'd call if i didn't and it's been a week and a half and they haven't called.
the baby's room is starting to come together and we're amassing clothes and gear from various sources. my first shower is next weekend so we expect to be up to our ears by then. and in three months he'll (hopefully) be here! it feels like a long time to wait but i have no doubt it's going to fly by.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
25 weeks: good news & maybe not-so-good news
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!
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!
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!
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