NT scan

Was AWESOME! It was so amazing to be able to watch the little one swimming around, kicking his or her legs. We even saw a few hiccups. The measurements are ahead again, by 2 days, but for now I will keep my ticker the same I like the idea of being 12 weeks tomorrow though.... ;)

The nuchal fold measurement was about 1.4mm and they want to see it under 2.0 so that was great. I had blood drawn (through my finger, no big deal) and I'll get the results next week but the doc said I was low risk and shouldn't have any concerns. I couldn't get over how much the baby looked like a baby. So incredible. A big improvement from the last ultrasound!




















11w4d

Excited for tomorrow

In spite of the fact that the MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine) office kept me on hold for TWENTY SEVEN MINUTES this morning, I am excited to go there tomorrow for my NT scan. I was calling because they didn't give me any instructions about how to prepare for the ultrasound, so I thought I'd call and check if I needed to drink like 12 gallons of water beforehand. I do not, which I am glad for. I hate that bursting bladder feeling...

Another rave for my doppler. Since the weekend, I have been able to pick up the heartbeat almost immediately, and now I can get it on either side of my abdomen! It's so cool. I'm pretty psyched that the little chicken is big enough to be heard all the way across. I wonder what he/she will look like tomorrow - I hope I get some good pics. Of course I also hope that everything is ok and all the parts are in the right place :) I'm still so in awe of the process of building a human being.

In other news, I'm feeling pretty good. Still tired here and there, but as the 2nd Tri approaches, I feel like I am doing well.

11w3d

11 weeks

ONE MORE WEEK until my 12 week milestone. I am so excited. I have my occasional freak-out but I feel pretty optimistic that this is meant to be. I love listening to the little one's heart beat. It is so calming... I could listen to it forever.

So, I'm told that this week, my baby looks like a fig in size. It's amazing to me how slow the growth is the first few weeks (pencil dot, appleseed, kidney bean) and then all of a sudden it hits a gigantic growth spurt.

Compliments of BabyCenter: Your baby, about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.
















11w

Stressful weekend

All good on the baby front, just a lot of unnecessary family stress. I had my second all-out bawling session (or 3) yesterday. I'm surprised it hasn't happened more often with all the hormones... but I seem to be handling it well. I went a whole day yesterday without the doppler, but of course the first thing I did this morning was hook it up to my tummy for a listen. Still steady in the mid 170's range. I also found it in about 10 seconds this morning, which is always nice. I am hoping that as the baby grows, it will be easier. And oh, I just read in my pregnancy book that my baby is this size:












10w3d

Most pregnant I've ever been

Today is a little bittersweet. I am so grateful to be pregnant by 1 day more than I've ever been before. At the same time, it's hard not to think that I should be nearly 36 weeks pregnant... I'm so sad about my first baby. That is a loss like none other. I'm also so happy about this baby but I will never ever forget my first pregnancy/baby.

10w1d

25% done!

I can't believe I am a quarter way through this pregnancy. That's pretty cool. Let's just hope these next 30 weeks sail by :)

So, the biggest problem of owning a doppler? TURNING IT OFF. Seriously. I might just quit my job and lie in bed all day listening to the sound of the baby's heart beat. It's the most soothing sound I've ever heard. It's still consistent around 175. So far today, I've only listened to it once, which is a big accomplishment :) I am going to try and hold out until tomorrow. I'm thinking if I just listen to it once a day, that won't be *too* obsessive, will it? I am hoping with time it will get easier to find it. Not that it's terribly difficult - I think the longest it's ever taken me to find is 10 minutes, but it's still a loooooong 10 minutes. Sometimes I find it immediately, which is nice. I wonder what twin heartbeats sound like. I bet that must be a pretty neat sound.

I am so glad that a lot of symptoms have dissipated a great deal. I am still exhausted, though. I also have an additional symptom, though I'm n0t sure what it is. It *might* be round ligament pain (ligaments stretching = super painful) or it might just be my uterus growing, but I have had this sharp pinching sensation on the left side of my abdomen. Fortunately, the baby is on the right and no where near the pain, but it's still annoying nonetheless.

Tomorrow marks the day that I am the most pregnant I have ever been. Woohoo!

10w

Best $99 I've EVER spent

So, my doppler arrived today. I swore I wouldn't even attempt to use it until 10 weeks (full well knowing that even 10 weeks was probably way too early). Well, I put the batteries in, loaded it up with the gel, and proceeded to place it on my abdomen. Literally 30 seconds later, I got the baby's heartbeat! It hovered around 175, which is absolutely perfect! I am sooooo over the moon. The first few seconds I put it on, I was getting readings of 260... I was so confused. Then I realized that the number was both mine and the baby's together. Aww :)

Wow. This is really happening.

9w5d

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Two weeks from today is my NT scan. The doctor's office called me and asked me to move it up one day because the doctor will be away at a conference the next day. So, my appointment is 2 weeks from today. I really wanted it to be more towards 12ish weeks, but oh well. This is when they could do it. The date is very bittersweet for me. March 31st will mark the 13 anniversary of my mother's passing. So, on one hand, it will be great to see the babe again, but on the other hand, that day always brings great sadness to me. I'm just hoping that all looks good, and we can start to tell people afterwards. I think after the NT scan, and hearing the heartbeat on the doppler, I will feel a bit more relaxed. Speaking of dopplers, I found a really good one on eBay yesterday for $99 with free shipping (the Hi Bebe) and it *might* pick up the heartbeat at 10 weeks, but I won't get discouraged if I can't hear it. At least, I'll try not to! Doctors encourage use of home dopplers until you can feel the baby move and then you're supposed to rely on feeling movements to make sure everything is OK. So I'm glad I'll have it on hand and I should get at least 2 good months out of it.

Otherwise, I'm doing pretty well. Still extremely tired all the time, and queasiness that is typically throughout the day, except when my belly is full of food. I think I've gotten off fairly easy in terms of sickness - no throwing up or close to it. I got on the scale yesterday and I weighed exactly the same as I did before I got pregnant, so that was nice. I can't imagine putting on 30lbs in the next 7 months...

Once again - Happy St. Patrick's Day! B has taken to calling the babe "Chicken MacNugget" - for those who know our last name, it's cute, because our name begins with "Mac." But today, he's calling the baby "Chicken MCNugget" hehehe. He's funny.

9w4d

9 weeks

Yay! I feel like every week is such a huge accomplishment. I had my first OB appointment, and while I didn't see my usual doctor, I saw another doctor who I had seen once or twice before and is sooo nice. Really like her. It was a fairly standard appointment... pee in a cup, answer a boatload of questions about family history, genetic stuff, etc. and then because it has been nearly a year since my last annual appointment, I got all of that taken care of as well, so at least I won't have to deal with that until next spring. Then, I gave some more blood (4th time so far this pregnancy) and made another appointment (with my regular OB) for April 7th. I got a referral for the NT scan (my next ultrasound which rules out chromosomal issues) for April 1st, so 19 more days until I get to see the little chicken again! I'll be nearly 12 weeks at that point, and the ultrasound *should* be an abdominal one, which is nice.

I've been more nauseous than ever before. The last couple of days have been the worst. Yesterday I felt pretty bad all day long, and I was totally exhausted. I think I tend to feel less icky when I get plenty of sleep at night. Today has been much better, though it's now mid-afternoon, and I'm fighting to stay awake. I've definitely not been as queasy. I think what I eat helps contribute to how I feel. So far today, I've had: A bowl of Rice Krispies with 1% milk, 1/2 grapefruit, peanut butter & jelly sandwich on oatmeal bread, and 2 glasses of water. Yesterday I had a ton of sushi (cooked!) for lunch and perhaps that's why I felt so terribly throughout the rest of the day. I guess it's possibly that my little one has not developed sushi taste buds yet...

One of the best parts about my doctor's visit was my doctor asking if she could refer patients to me for therapy. There's nothing better than easy referrals like that... my regular GP refers all mental health patients to me, and once in a while, my chiropractor does as well. Of course now that I'm thinking of it, I wish I had mentioned to the doc that I'd be very interested in receiving refferals of women who have dealt with pregnancy loss. I feel like I am uniquely qualified in this arena, and I'd even consider starting a group for women who have had to go through this unfortunate experience. Well, I'll be back in a month, and I suppose I can mention it then.

9w

O.M.G.

I HAVE A BABY WITH A HEARTBEAT!! A real, live, in utero baby. Soooooooo cool.

I was going fairly well with anxiety/nerves until the drive over to the doctor's office, and then sitting in the waiting room. My heart started to beat out of my chest. I just didn't know what to expect. I got called back to the ultrasound room and I thought my heart was going to explode- it was the same room I had 2 of my bad ultrasounds and also with the same technician. I told her I was a little nervous based on the past and asked her how soon I'd be able to know if everything was ok. She said immediately. I didn't even have time to react - 2 seconds later, she said everything looks good and turned the monitor in my direction and I could CLEARLY see a close to 9 week looking fetus with a strong heartbeat. Then she turned on the machine so I could hear the heart beating away! It was 180bpm which I was told is totally normal and good. The baby is measuring 1 day ahead too (an overacheiver already). I actually changed my ticker at the top of the blog since my due date moved up to 10/16/09. My first OB appt. is Friday and while I'm not scheduled with my usual doc, at least it is a doc I've seen before.

I'm just so, so relieved. The miscarriage rate is now only about 3-5% and I will take those odds!!! And now for Chicken Junior's first photos. The first photo is a side view, and in the 2nd, you can actually see the little arms and legs.




8w5d (yay for gaining an extra day!)

By this time tomorrow...

...I'll know exactly what is going on. Aghhhhhhhhh! The fear has totally set in. I wish I was 100% excited and optimistic. I had lots of weird dreams last night. I also felt pretty queasy yesterday afternoon/evening, so I am hoping, PRAYING, that is a good sign. I literally had no symptoms by the time I went for my ultrasound the first time. If all goes well tomorrow, we'll probably wait another month or so (until the NT scan) to tell everyone. Although, if I had my way, I would be about 20 weeks pregnant before everyone knew. I mean, it's fun to tell strangers... like in Florida, when we went to the various dinner shows, I always made sure to mention that I would not be having a beer or any alcohol because I was pregnant. Or, at Universal or Epcot, I kept asking whether the rides were safe for pregnant women, such as myself. It was fun to tell people without any strings attached! And, by the way, there wasn't a single ride at Universal that I could do :( It was such a waste of money for me to be there. At Epcot, I could go on mostly everything, but Epcot isn't really a place for rides anyway.

I just have to get through the rest of the day... and then I have 1 client tomorrow morning before my appointment (I needed something to take my mind off of things, and work helps because it forces me to focus on the person sitting on the couch across from me!)

8w3d

Back from my trip

Well, I survived the trip to Orlando. It had its ups and downs but I'm glad I went. I only had one pregnancy freakout when I got food poisoning last week. B made me a sandwich with 3 week old turkey (which they were still selling at the store) and I got violently ill (along with my 11 year old nephew). Not cool. I was very tired throughout the week, taking a nap pretty much every afternoon. I also had trouble staying awake past 10pm. The nausea/queasiness came and went - some days I felt fine, other days were iffy, but nothing past about a 3 on a scale of 1-10. I am sincerely hoping I am just lucky, and not that things aren't going well :/

My appointment is 48hrs from now. I am 50/50 excited and terrified. I just don't know what to think. Of course I've not had any bleeding or cramping and I want so desperately to take that as a good sign, but based on last pregnancy, it's more like my body NOT recognizing when things aren't going well. I keep saying little prayers throughout the day, trying to remain as hopeful as possible, but I know I'm jaded from last time. If you're reading this, please pray for me!!

8w2d