Monday, November 28, 2011

Week 9: Q&A

Ahhhh, nothing like a long weekend to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.  Very much needed!  In turn, I am a few days behind on my regular weekly post so I'll jump right in.

I'm sure this blog post will be short and sweet since I feel like there hasn't really been anything really new happening this past week.  :)

I'm still fighting nausea but no actual puking.  I find my self very tired still but I somehow manage to push through the day.  After our Thanksgiving feast, I managed to put up our Christmas tree and decorate it.  How's that for pushing through being tired?  Ha!

Other than that, I'm just the same old me.  I really want to start taking belly pictures so I can physically see the changes.  I don't notice them because I'm obviously with myself at all times.  I think this week will be the week that I start.  I just need to do it now!

So my best friend, Katie, was asking me some questions the other day so I thought I'd address them here as well.  I'm sure there are others out there are wondering the same types of things.  Here we go!

Q: Can you notice a physical change with your body?
A: Not really.  I have yet to really gain any weight even.  Just the normal fluctuating of weight.  Since Thanksgiving I have somehow actually dropped 2 pounds.  My pants that fit somewhat snug before seem to be getting a little tighter but not uncomfortable yet.  At my doctor's appointment, my doc told me that my uterus is enlarged but I just don't notice that yet.  Cramping has stopped though.

Q: Have you been eating better and/or working out?  Can you work out while prego?
A: I haven't really been eating any different than I was before.  The feeling of wanting to eat a horse has subsided.  I know when I'm full now and can stop before I feel crappy.  As far as working out, I personally haven't been working out.  I know I probably should get into a routine though.  I read through all of the paperwork the doctor sent home with me.  One of the pamphlets went into what you can or can't do while pregnant.  For the most part, it's supposed to be low impact stuff.  You aren't supposed to accelerate your heart rate more than 150 bpm, or something like that (Don't quote me on this.  I'm just going off of what I can remember reading, not quoting anything directly).  I do remember seeing something in there about those who were physically active beforehand.  Most can keep up their running routines and such.  It's always best to talk to your doctor before doing so though.

Q: Did you know you were pregnant before taking the test?
A: I did not know that I was pregnant before taking the test.  For some reason though, I felt the need to take the test the day my period was supposed to start.  I would normally have waited a couple days after my missed period to take it.  Maybe it was intuition.  :)  I peed on the stick though and set it down.  I started getting ready and glanced over at it and thought "I swear I'm never going to get pregnant".  At the next glance over I noticed the faint line saying I was pregnant.  The rest is history!

These are just a few things I've been asked.  I'm sure there are plenty of other questions out there.  If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!  Ask away!  I want my experience to be able to help others in their journey too. :)



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Week 8: Doctor's visit #1

Onto week 8, month 2!  The baby is now the size of a raspberry or kidney bean.  We are nearing the end of the first trimester! Wow! That's crazy to think. I realize that there are still 4 more weeks before that but those weeks creep up on you in a hurry. Before I know it, this little fella or gal will be here!

Anyhow, today was my first visit to the doctor to check things out. Exciting. I was looking forward to it all week.  As the time to go got closer, I was a bit more nervous than I thought.  Things went well though.  Got a flu shot.  Had 5 vials of blood drawn.  The best part, we got to see the baby.  This early in a pregnancy, they do an internal ultrasound.  They take this long, stick like thing and insert it through the vagina, into the uterus.  Don't worry, it's not bad at all and doesn't hurt.  I say long too, but they don't insert much of the stick thing either.  We saw the baby's heart beating at an incredible rate.  We didn't hear it yet but you could definitely see that the heart was beating away.  Totally cool.  James is already wanting to know when we can find out the sex of the baby.  We still have a ways to go there!

As far as any changes in how I'm feeling... nothing too different, other than more frequent trips to the bathroom (I'll touch more on that in a minute). Still have acne. Still get nauseous from time to time. Nothing that isn't manageable though.  I have noticed that my two tender ladies aren't quite as tender anymore.  They are feeling somewhat normal again.  WOOHOO!  I have been told that it only gets worse when your milk comes in though.  I dread that day. 

About my excessive need to pee all of the time.  I have always seemed to have a small bladder and had spent a good amount of time in the restroom.  Yeah, that was nothing compared to this.  I wake up at least once a night, sometimes two.  The mornings seem to be the worst.  After breakfast I'll take a potty break and then, no joke, not even 10 minutes later I seem to have a full bladder!  The other day I was in the bathroom 4 times all within an hour.  I guess tinkling is better than spending my time in the bathroom puking my brains out!  I'll take this over that!  I must say, I'm doomed when the baby is big enough to be putting pressure on my tiny bladder though.   

I have noticed that some of the muscles in my stomach seemed to be getting a bit tight from time to time. I noticed this as I went to roll over in bed the other night.  It has made me realize that my nights of belly sleeping will probably soon be coming to an end. I probably sleep on my belly 90% of the night. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a new favorite sleep position when the time comes.  Maybe a body pillow will come in handy.

All in all, this week has been a good week.  I'm more excited today than I was when I found out.  Like I've said before, I have KNOWN that I was pregnant, just never really FELT it.  I know there are symptoms that I've nagged about but still.  Maybe it's just me.  Seeing the baby today was the official confirmation for me though.  I AM PREGNANT!  I am going to be a mom.  And so my journey continues onward.  :)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Pregnancy: Week 7

Yep, already to week 7. My baby is already the size of a blueberry. Still so tiny but growing rapidly. Hands and feet are beginning to form. At the rate these weeks are going by, I'll have my very own baby in my arms before I know it! It's still a bit surreal but as the weeks pass, I feel more and more excited and like this is finally something so real.

I'm a few days late getting this posted. I have been struck with an awful cold. It's miserable because there aren't any good drugs I can take. Lots of fluid and a neti pot have become somewhat helpful I guess. A friend of mine recommended a vitamin C drink that actually tastes really good and is great on cold days, such as today. You simmer for 20 minutes (in a very large pot) 5 quarts of water, 5 oranges, 5 lemons, juiced, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp cloves, and 2 cups of sugar. Maybe it's in my head but as I drink it, I feel a bit better. Anyhow, onto day 5 of the cold. I'm hoping it passes soon.

So anyway, what is new this week? Well, I have been introduced to nausea. There's a pattern to it, for the most part. I feel fine in the morning but as noon starts to approach, my stomach gets nauseous. I have found that eating a small snack between meals helps that though. I had the nauseous feeling come on this morning before I was able to eat breakfast though. As soon as I ate, it went away. Yay for food! LOL.

I have also noticed that the smell of chicken is becoming repulsive to me. Raw and while cooking. I can still eat it but getting the point of ready to eat is not my favorite part. That's probably the only thing so far that has made me sick to my stomach. Still no puking. HOORAY! Maybe I'll be lucky enough to skip that part?? I sure hope so!

My boobs are still tender as can be. I can't wait for this part to pass... it does pass, right? I have also started to notice that they seem HUGE. Maybe just to me, but I swear they are giant right now. I've discovered that wearing a sports bra is my favorite thing. It will hold the girls tight and where they belong. Feels wonderful! Ha! I never thought that I'd be so happy about the way my bra works.

I don't think I've experience any mood swings yet. Maybe that would be a question to ask James though! I'm feeling pretty normal still. I do notice that I am becoming excessively tired though. Take this morning, for instance. I got up and felt soooo tired. I had to force myself to get ready. As I sat at work for the first hour I could have easily fallen asleep in my chair, no questions asked. I'm also to the point of wanting to go to bed at 9:00 at night when I normally don't make it to bed until 11:00 or so. Growing a baby is draining!

Next week is my first doctor appointment and I must say, I'm totally looking forward to it. I have never before looked forward to an appointment with my gyno before now! Crazy what how something so tiny can already change your opinions of things. James has agreed to go with me. We will get to look at our little baby and we'll get to hear the heart beat. I KNOW I'm pregnant but like I said before, it's all so surreal. I think this will be what completely confirms things for me. Such an exciting thing to look forward to!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Pregnancy: Week 6

As I have been thinking throughout the past week about any new or exciting symptoms I've experience, I realized that I left out one thing from my last blog. So let me start with that: breast tenderness. Yes, they are as sore as sore can possibly get! With as sore as mine are, I don't know how I possible forgot to mention this last week! Walking up and down stairs is painful, especially when going bra-less. I swear, when my fiance even looks at them, I can feel the pain. After (or even shortly before) you find out you're pregnant, they become sore to the touch in a hurry. Possibly worse than any sore boob you've ever had. Pre-period tenderness has nothing on this! Good luck ladies! It's MAY be my least favorite thing so far.

My comment about boob tenderness possibly being my least favorite thing brings me to the next thing... ACNE!!! Acne is like a curse word in my books and comes to a close 1st place with the breast tenderness. It's awful and makes you miserable. My hormones are apparently raging and in turn has decided to rear it's ugly head in the form of acne. Not only is this acne on my face, but also my back and chest. These aren't just your normal, everyday zits I'm talking about. They are those deep, under the skin, hurtful kind. I swear there's nothing I can do to keep it at bay either. I have gotten into a really good ritual of washing my face morning and night. I limit my use of moisturizers to try to prevent any added aggravation to those nasty bumps that are already there. One of these days I am determined to find a good solution. If anyone has suggestions, I will gladly take them!

Since not everything about pregnancy is bad, I will share some crazy (and by crazy I really mean things that are actually kind of fun) things too. One new thing that I do find rather entertaining is the dreams. I've always heard that pregnant women have a tendency to have more vivid dreams but never thought that I'd notice much of a change. I have always had some crazy and fairly vivid dreams. The other night was probably the first of what I'm sure will be, many more crazy dreams to come. I remember specific details of the dream, colors and expressions on people's faces. I honestly just have to laugh about it. It almost make me excited to see what tonight will bring.

Another thing is the cravings. I personally haven't had any specific food cravings yet. I just find myself being SOOO hungry. I feel like I could eat a huge plate of food and then go back for seconds. This is only in my head it seems. I have the problem: MY EYES ARE BIGGER THAN MY BELLY. I and guilty. I have definitely filled my plate full and ate nearly (if not all) of it. The problem I have found with this is that I am overly full and just miserable. I get the instant feeling of wanting to make puke just to make myself feel better. I am getting better with this and have learned to eat only my normal portion size. Snacks here and there tend to help with the "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" issue. I am very curious to see if I do end up having any specific food cravings though.

I feel as if I've mostly complained and made my first few weeks of pregnancy seem to be horrible. It's really not bad. I have still been feeling great. Still no morning sickness (although my belly seems to be getting a bit queasy at times) and I have yet to feel more tired than usual. It's exciting to think that there's something so tiny growing inside of me and that I'm solely responsible for nurturing it. It's fun to follow the pregnancy trackers and see the progress that the baby is making week to week. That gives me something to look forward to. There's still so much more to come!