cramps

The past few days I have had a few spasms of cramps. It's not consistent - just occasionally. Whenever it happens, I try to not do anything until the cramps go away. I finally read a little about it today and apparently it's common during this time (10 weeks). It's either the placenta latching on or it's the expansion of the uterus to accommodate all that's going on inside. Either way, nothing to be worried about unless it's accompanied by bleeding (which, for me, it's not).

I was thrown off yesterday when I found out that our genetic counselor/possible CVS appt is actually next week instead of 2 weeks from now. It's not a big deal, I suppose, it's just closer than I was thinking. At least if we go through with the CVS, that part of the worry will be over! If I have it done, I plan on just going home and laying on the couch all day - I think that's what they usually recommend. Hopefully I'll feel good enough to go to work the next day so I don't blow through my sick/vacation before maternity leave. If I don't take any vacation time between now and then (only using sick days) I'll have around 15 days saved up (which is only 3 weeks).

Something new

I've been feeling a bit better lately, but still really tired and sometimes I feel like I'm on the verge of throwing up. Something new started yesterday - I feel this weird "fluttering" in my lower stomach and/or pelvic bone area. I know it's too early to feel the baby move, but I've read a bit online and apparently it's rather common. It kinda feels like a slight twitch, but not as strong. If you looked at the area, you wouldn't be able to see anything, but it's strong enough that I feel it every time it starts up. Thankfully, it's not something that's constant b/c it's rather distracting.

3/23

So, nothing new to report. I'm at 9 weeks and 3 days and everything seems to still be on track. All of last night I felt like I was on the verge of throwing up every time I woke up, but thankfully, I never did. I think I really need to examine what I'm eating. I suppose there's no sense in cutting out caffeine and peanut butter for the health of the baby, but then still eating a lot of other crap. Lately, I feel like I need more veggies. I'm really good about eating lots of fruit (mainly b/c it's easy to bring to work as snacks), but I bought some zucchini and hummus yesterday and salad fixings so I can have those as snacks, too. I think one of my problems with feeling hungry all the time is that my snacks (fruit) are so small. I think I need something more "substantial" so that I don't feel like I have to eat every 30 minutes. I really need to start counting calories again though b/c I really don't want to let my weight get carried away and make it harder for me to lose after the baby comes.

Nothing new as far as appts any time soon. Our next appt is 3 weeks from now - with the genetic counselor.

A post

We're in the ninth week, and I'm feeling some of the effects of the pregnancy I'm bloated and having a hard time falling asleep. I can't imagine what it's like if I actually had to carry the little bugger. :) ha ha.

I don't have much to add to what Theresa has already said. I just felt like I should post something to be, I dunno, participatory. So, this is my celebratory post for us having cleared the 7.5 week jinx. There are plenty of hurdles left in front of us. But, at least that one is behind us.

Unrelated commentary: everyone seems to think this one is a boy. Both our mothers think so. We don't have a clue and don't really care. But, boy names are harder for us. The only boy name that Theresa really likes is Wesley (but not Wes).

another dr appt

I had my first dr appointment today. She talked to us about screening for Down's and other genetic issues. One thing that I was surprised by was the idea that CVS didn't have as high of a risk for miscarriage as I thought (CVS is 1 out of 350 and amnio is 1 out of 400). She said that they have very experienced doctors that perform CVS' almost every day. On the plus side for a CVS, it's done at 11-12 weeks (earliest for an amnio is 16 weeks). On the negative side, a CVS doesn't check for as many defects as an amnio - it definitely checks genetic markers, but it doesn't check for things like spina bifida.

She did a quick ultrasound and I was able to still see the little (fast heartbeat) - so that's a relief! She also did a regular pap exam to check if everything's ok and I "donated" about 7 vials of blood. She said that they would only contact me with the results if there was a problem.

I set up an appt to meet with a genetic counselor in 3 weeks. I'll, also, have the option that day to have a CVS. If we decide to not have the CVS, it's not a big deal to cancel that appt. I think we'll be doing a lot of research in the meantime!

Ultrasound photos

The baby at 7 weeks

Ultrasound appt

I just got back from my ultrasound and we saw the heartbeat! It's a bit of a relief since this weekend is the dreaded weekend (7.5 weeks) but it was nice to have a bit of reassurance going into it instead of worrying all weekend. Based on the size, they placed me at 7 weeks so we're due Oct 23rd. Not too shabby to have all those holiday months off for maternity leave! :)

I'm hitting the yucky green phase of the pregnancy now. I'm feeling crappy a lot of the time and food is starting to be a challenge. I'm good for about 10 minutes of eating a meal and then I have to stop or I feel like I'm going to hurl. We went for lunch after the dr appt this morning and all I could eat was my cup of soup. I know I'm going to be mega hungry in about an hour so I took my salad with me for later. I hope I find a good combo of what doesn't make me queasy. I'm also at the point where I just want to be at home when I'm feeling badly. It's not like there's something magical about the place, just that I can lay down if I need to or go to the bathroom without worrying about other people sitting in the stall next to me. Blargh!

However, for all my bellyaching, I'm glad that the little one is there and has a strong heartbeat! ;D

Tomorrow is 7 weeks

Well, the time has arrived. Tomorrow will be 7 weeks. The other 2 miscarriages happened at 7.5 weeks, so I'm hoping that this next weekend will be uneventful. I know that doesn't mean smooth sailing - just that we'll be over the first hurdle.

I have started to have more symptoms in addition to the constant hunger. I definitely feel tired a lot (especially in the afternoon), so I have been trying to go to bed around 9:30-10pm. I also have a bit of the breast tenderness. The weirdest one is the "not feeling well" randomness, but I can't quite put a finger on what's actually wrong - just a general icky feeling. I also feel that my body is sometimes out of sorts, sort of like I haven't been exercising for a long time and that I'm not very limber. I try to go to the gym every day now to ride the bike for at least 30 minutes, but sometimes it's not easy to make myself go (especially since it was snowy & icy yesterday). Tonight, I don't want to drive around on the roads more than necessary (even though it's mostly dry), so I'm going to try one of my prenatal DVDs at home. I'm hoping that by doing all the exercise, I'll hold off the feeling of being super out of shape and stiff.

This Friday is another ultrasound. They want to check the fetal pole, get some measurements, and see if they can pinpoint a due date more accurately. According to the online calculators, I'm due October 21, but we'll know more on Friday.