15 Week Appointment

15 weeks, 3 days

Weight: -4 lbs
B/P: 132/80
HR: 80's
Baby's HR: 145

We went to the OB again this morning. My blood pressure is still high, unfortunately. We had some labs taken for the triple screen. This will help us determine the baby's risk for down syndrome and trisomy 18. While reading up about this test, it looks like there is roughly an 80% detection rate and there are lots of false positives. Meaning, some babies pass this test and have problems and some don't pass and end up fine upon further testing. So we shall see. I am taking it with a grain of salt.

My doctor is referring me to a perinatologist for my blood pressure issues. This doctor is a high-risk OB, to put it simply. I will see this doctor and my normal OB for the time being. She said he will take measurements via ultrasound of the baby to make sure the baby is growing well and will monitor my labs. At some point, I may have to take medication for my blood pressure. I am completely expecting it to get higher as I progress to the 3rd trimester...and I have roughly 25 weeks to go! We will see the specialist in about 2 weeks. We see Dr. A again in 4wks, so a minor change in plan from before.

I am still planning to take it easy and relax as much as possible. Hopefully we can sneak a peak at the baby's gender at the appointment with the specialist.

ER Trip

So yesterday, I developed a bit of a migraine while at work. It was so intense that I ended up throwing up, had to leave work early, and couldn't shake it with Tylenol/ice packs/sleep.

I had Paul and my mom take me to the new hospital down the street around 8pm so that I could be seen. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was already 145/85. (When I left work at 2 it was only 127/78 or so. Not good!!) They did a CT scan of my head and double wrapped my belly/back in lead shields for the baby. The doctor on call said that everything looked great. They gave me a cocktail of IV Reglan/Benadryl to get rid of the headache, and I got a half a liter of saline to rehydrate me.

Today, I had an appointment with my Opthamologist to make sure that I didn't have any vision problems as my headaches have been increasing in frequency and strength. She didn't find anything, either. So it remains a mystery at this point. know that headaches/migraines can also be from stress/hormones, so I am trying to ride it out the best I can. I have an OB appt. on Friday, so hopefully we will know more then.

On the plus side, I did get to see an ultrasound of the baby while at the ER. S/he had the head towards the screen. It looks like the baby was lying on its back with its feet in the air. We could see the baby kicking its feet back and forth and when the Dr. moved the wand over the baby's head, the baby shot its arms/legs out like "WHEE" as mom says. LOL! I am glad mom got to see the baby finally.

Bad Connection

In the fax, that is. The baby clearly didn't get the memo. I felt like poo all day yesterday at work and ended up with 5 patients on primary (by myself, and damn that sucked). As soon as I got home (YAY! I made it to 8pm) I took a hot bath, dried off and lost all my dinner. :o( It was an early bedtime for me with an ice pack in tow for my headache. ugh....

In other news, my friend Tamara's Dr. Appt went well yesterday. She is at 10 wks. HR is in the 150's. And I am so glad that Wendi's appointment went well today! I am so excited the munchkin will have some playmates!

Rough Week

So this week has been a really tough one. I had an amazingly fun day with Elizabeth on Monday and even got to go swimming and enjoy some chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva. Around midnight, I threw up everything. :o(

It just came out of no where, too! I wasn't very nauseated or gagging; I just stood up and had to run to the bathroom. Tuesday morning I woke up with a pounding headache and continued to gag (since I didn't have anything to toss). I couldn't even get dressed for work and ended up staying home.

I developed a really bad headache at work on Wednesday and couldn't get it to go away. I took Tylenol, used ice packs, took it easy, and nothing worked. My blood pressure was only 120/70. Finally, I left work because I couldn't even function. On the way home, I ended up pulling over on the side of the road to puke, which is very embarrassing, lemme tell you. Not that I noticed mid-barf, but when I was walking back to my oddly stopped car, I noticed several cars slowing down and looking. :o( I told Paul the people in the houses must have been shaking their heads and thinking "These damn youngsters! No respect nowadays; just puking in people's yards because they are drunk at 6pm." LOL! Not even the case over here.

Thursday was a little better, but I stayed queasy all day. I finally had a reprieve when I woke up this morning, and I have been able to get some stuff done.

Paulie told me on Tuesday, "You're not supposed to be getting sick anymore; you are in the second trimester." I am assuming the munchkin didn't get that memo, but I did my best to fax it through, so I am hoping s/he cooperates from here on out. :o)

It's creeping up...

My blood pressure that is. I took it yesterday at work because I keep having headaches. I know that headaches can be yet another symptom while pregnant, but one of the girls suggested I check my BP just so see.

139/80!!!!! Holy Snikees! That is way to high.

I have been trying to take it easy and not overdo it at work, but holy cow. I am not sure what I am doing to make it go so high. I don't think I am eating that much salt, and I haven't really changed the way that I eat.

Before I left to go home, I re-checked it again and it was 122/72. I need to think happy thoughts and stay off my feet.

3rd OB appt.

11 weeks, 2 day

Weight: -3.5 lbs total
BP: 134/80
HR: 70's
Baby's HR: 162


I had my third OB appointment this morning. So far, I have been feeling much better. I haven't been throwing up quite so much. This week I have only felt a little bit queasy, and I have been taking my Zofran regularly. However, my weight is down a bit, so I can tell all that nausea/vomiting did a little bit on my overall weight gain.

Meghan was able to come with us to my appointment since she was in town! Yay! When we got back to the roo, the technician attempted to find the baby's heart rate with a hand held doppler. I knew that it was going to be a little challenging since I am only eleven weeks and the fundus (top of my uterus) is below the pubic bone until after 12 weeks. She had a REALLY hard time, and was even listening way up by my belly button (where the fundus is at 20 weeks). Finally, we heard a half a beat and Paul, Meghan and I all perked up our ears. The tech asked us if we heard it, and we said "for just a second." She tried and tried to find it again, but couldn't.

When the doctor came in, she exclaimed, "So, you heard the heartbeat in the 160's?!" We all looked equally puzzled and I told her, "No, we only heard like half a beat." So she got the doppler back out and found it for us. It was soooo quiet that we could barely hear, but it was there.

Dr. A was concerned about my blood pressure and asked me why it was so high. I am not quite sure why because it usually is 117/75 or so. She told me that my blood pressure will drop in the 2nd trimester and spike up in the third. So we will be keeping a close eye on it for sure.

I am supposed to have an appointment at 15 weeks where she will check the triple screen and then around 17-18 weeks for a Level II ultrasound to check anatomy. We are hoping to find out the sex, so come on baby and cooperate! :o)

So yesterday I woke up with a belly. A noticeable one. This nurse that knows I am expecting but hasn't seen me in awhile saw me in the elevator and noticed immediately. "Oh, you have a lil' belly!" she exclaimed as she reached over to rub my tummy. Which is cute and all, but.... I AM ONLY TEN WEEKS. I am gonna be so huge.

I have been feeling better this week. I haven't gotten sick since Monday. I haven't taken as much Zofran, although my bottle of 30 has been depleted, and I am picking up a refill tomorrow.

My clothes are pretty snug and my mom wants to go shopping tomorrow for some cute maternity pants. I am gonna need them at this rate. :o( However, I weighed myself this morning and I am down to 206 lbs from 214....I guess it is all moving to the middle.

10 weeks

"With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.) "- thebump.com

Well, I am hoping for a reprieve soon. Something. Anything. I still have nausea and vomiting (it comes and goes all day but it's worst in the evening after 5 or 6 pm). I have missed MORE work, which makes me want to cry because I need the leave for when the munchkin arrives. But on the other hand, it's hard for me to "be there" if I am puking all day long in the bathroom. This week has been manageable enough so that I haven't missed any work, yet, and I have actually felt well enough to smile and joke around.

However, last night was pure misery. I got this horrible migraine that would not go away. As soon as I got home from work I "lost my cookies." I puked so hard I pee'd. How mortifying....

A running list of "symptoms" so far: N/V, constipation, tender breasts, gas, bloating, backaches, headaches, heartburn, FATIGUE...I think that might be all. lol! Can't wait till next Thursday...we get to hear the heartbeat!!!!

Second Ultrasound

7 weeks, 3 days

Weight: -1 lbs
BP: 128/78
HR: 84

Paul and I went to see the doctor today. Everything looks great! She said the baby's heartbeat was in the 160's. Paul got a really good look at the ultrasound. He was grinning ear to ear...I told him seeing his face was absolutely priceless. I was so busy looking at Paulie, I didn't get quite as good a look as he did. I was also lying down and had to twist my head around, but I did manage to see the heart blinking from black to white. Pretty cool!

The baby was measuring 7 weeks and 3 days, as well. We are still on for January 19, 2010.

Still hanging in there

So I am still here. The nausea definitely hits me in the morning. Had a great day on Wednesday though, and only felt queasy for a few hours. Didn't throw up on any of my patients, so that's a bonus, right? Yesterday, I was not so lucky. Well, I guess I was in the not throwing up on patients, but the nausea was in full force in the morning.

Paul has been bringing me crackers and sprite around 0430 in the morning, and I was (smartly) munching on them until I woke up for good at 0600. Well, I wasn't so smart (unfortunately) Wednesday night, and I didn't eat a darn thing. You better believe that wave of NAUSEA hit me full force at 0600 when I went to get up. I frantically stuffed some crackers in my mouth and sucked down some sprite, but really, it was too late. Paul was off and took me into work and I took a half a Zofran on the ride over. It finally gave me some relief during morning rounds.

I am just not so good at keeping food in my stomach. I am tired all the time, not hungry. It's hard to want to chow down on crackers when I can already feel my bowels and stomach being squished. It doesn't take much for me to feel "over full" when I eat either. But I am doing the best I can.

Besides the exhaustion and the "morning" sickness, I have been having some constipation and gas pain. I never appreciated my formerly functioning bowels more than I do right now. What I would give for a nice bowel movement after a good meal. Okay, maybe this is TMI. But it's the glamorous world of being pregnant. :o)

EIGHT MONTHS??

My ticker says "Only 8 more months to go." Today, that is not reassuring. Korinne tells me that it will get better. That some days I will feel like I wanna die but eventually, it gets better. Holy Cow, I am praying for that day to come soon.

Week Six

I hear by commence week six with a pray to the porcelain god. blah.

I don't know if I could ever do this again. I feel so miserable. I started spotting Sunday morning (at midnight) and spent all day Sunday in bed. Yesterday, I felt like a train ran me over and managed to drink some water, sprite and eat a few crackers. Today, I had to leave work before the day even began and threw up immediately upon my return home. I don't know how I am going to function like this....

First Ultrasound

5wks 3days

Weight: +0
BP: 110/70's
HR 70's

We had our first appointment today. The office was a lot busier this time. Several pregnant moms, a post-partum mother, and a few ladies that appeared to be there for GYN appointments.

We waited for about thirty minutes before they took me back and got my vitals, urine and a personal history. Finally we were taken back to the room and waited for the doctor to come and see us. She was very friendly and didn't seem rushed at all, although I knew they were busy. She did a vaginal ultrasound for "pregnancy confirmation" and said that the next appointment will be in 2 weeks (on June 5th) where we should see a lot more and get a confirmation of the due date. We were able to see the fetal sac, and she said it looks like we are 4-5 weeks along. Hopefully we will be able to hear the heartbeat next time!!! Paul and I are so excited.

I think it's finally sinking in!!!

First Doctor's Appointment...Scheduled!

I went to see my Family Nurse Practitioner yesterday to follow up on the edema (swelling) in my legs that I have been having. She had the girls take my blood to check my electrolytes and a thyroid panel. She said that my thyroid could be causing the problems, but if the test come back negative, she wants me to have an ECHO done for my heart to make sure my heart is okay. This is good for me because I have been wanting to get my heart checked. I have funny palpitations every once in awhile. My weight was +1 lbs from normal, too, so I guess I will keep an eye on things.

While I was there, my FNP asked me if I had an OB and referred me to a MD that delivers at the hospital by the house. She didn't know her very well, but she hadn't had any complaints from women she had referred. I swung by to check it out and found the office very quiet, clean and the girls friendly. They set me up with an appointment for May 22nd at 10:30. My insurance also told me that aside from the initial visit, I have 100% coverage for all appointments and the entire hospital stay (48 hrs after V/D and 96 hrs after C/S) if I use a PPO provider. This doctor and the hospital are in the PPO Network! :o) I am really excited. Not sure how much we will see next week as I should be about 5w3d along at that point.

Holy Fat Girl!

So I have managed to gain +/- 10 lbs since Friday.

WTH?

I have been experiencing edema in my shins and ankles for about a month, as well. As in pitting edema. I was talking to my dad and he thought I should have my thyroid rechecked. I know that I have had it checked in the past, but it just seems odd that I gained so much weight so quickly. Plus, my mom, her mom, and my great aunt all experienced thyroid problems.

I am going to re-weigh myself when I get home, and hopefully things will be different. However, low thyroid levels (Hypothyroidism) is know to cause complications in pregnancy and fetal brain development, so for peace of mind, I would rather just know that everything is fine. :o)

I AM PREGNANT!!!

omg!!!!

I absolutely cannot believe that we are pregnant. I am soooo excited. I took the test by myself and was pretty much convinced that it was negative as it was taking so long for the results to come up. Just as I was about to leave the room, it read "PREGNANT." I had to pick it up and look closer, as I could not believe my eyes! I walked out to show Paul, but he wasn't in the room. I looked out our door and saw him in the hallway.

I sat down on the bed, trying to appear very nonchalant and asked him if he would brush my hair. I had left the HPT test on the counter and just knew that he would see it. He walked off to the bathroom to get the brush and was very quiet. After about a minute, I went to the door to investigate. He was blowing his nose. LOL. He hadn't even seen the test. Actually, he was about to walk out empty handed when he saw me standing there. I asked him, "are you forgetting something?" and he says "oh, yah" and grabs the brush without turning his head.

"Aren't you forgetting something else?"

Paul looks very puzzled.

This time he actually looks at the sink and sees the test. His eyes light up and he can't stop smiling. He has tears in his eyes. We both hug each other and get teary-eyed. He kisses my face and tells me that he loves me with tears coming down his cheeks.

We are staying at a B&B, Auberge de la Ville, in Lexington, Virginia. My mom and dad are right across the hall. I really wanted to do something special for them, but I am away from home and don't have a lot of resources right yet. So I placed the test on the floor outside their room and ran back to hide. Paul knocked on the door and I can hear mom, "Come in!"

After no one enters, she finally opened the door. Needless to say she was VERY excited. My dad and grandparents were very excited, too. We had Jon come back over, and he was excited. No one can stop smiling. We called Nomi, Tara and Jason and shared the news. We told Irma tonight, too, instead of waiting for when we got home and could tell her in person. She sounded so excited.

I am only 3 weeks and 4 days along. Soon to be 5 days as it is nearing midnight. I am still in shock. I am so excited and happy, but nervous and scared all at the same time. I am just praying that this baby will stick around and that he/she will be a healthy and happy child for Paul and I. OMG, WE'RE PREGNANT!

Back on the Wagon

In November, Paul and I decided to take a little break from TTC. It was becoming too overwhelming, and we needed some time to think and relax.

So, here we go now. We are excited to expand our family. It has been a long journey so far, and it is only the beginning. It's been almost 11 months now since I stopped taking birth control, and we are very anxious to start this next journey in our lives. I am still scared. I doubt that will ever go away completely, but I have faith in us and I know that we will figure it out along the way.