Week 18

Week 18 and the sleep deprivation continues!  

The word of the week is STRETCHED!

I feel day in and day out like someone is blowing up a balloon in my belly.  Things are stretching and aching and moving around.  This is what is making sleep tough.  Couple that with my allergies and nights get rough.  I've popped a couple benadryl here and there on the nights where I am very sniffly and that helps a lot and allows me to sleep through the night.

We bought a fetal doppler and while it took me a few minutes to find the heartbeat the first time, it took hubs all of 1 second the next time we played with it.

This week I also came to the sad realization that riding Pongo is getting much more uncomfortable.  On Saturday (Sad-urday) I started to feel achy at the trot.  Like a grapefruit was using my insides as a trampoline.  Walking under saddle I'm completely fine and cantering is sort of OK, but not great.  We've been looking at new barns to get him out in a pasture for the time being until baby comes and I figure out what happens next with the spotty horse.  

Week 18 pic - there's finally a belly!

Oh The Places You'll Go...or Have Gone Already

Baby, you've been going places!

By land, by air and by sea!  You've been on planes, trains and cruise ships all before you were even born...

So far we've been to:

Tampa, FL
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Grand Cayman
Ochos Rios Jamaica
Costa Maya, Mexico
Kona, Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii 

and in a few weeks you'll be heading to the mid-west for your 2nd cousin's wedding!

Week 17

Week 17!

This week can be described in one word as...

INSOMNIA!

Shockingly though, even with the lack of sleep I am almost functioning during the day at full capacity.  I guess the body just adapts.

Fortunately I was battling my insomnia here...

Big Island of Hawaii

But, as I've come back home I've still been dealing with sleepless nights.  Mainly because I cannot get comfortable to save my life.  Our mattress is very soft and I am sinking in all the wrong places.

So I ordered one of these...at 3:30am a few nights ago.  Here's hoping it helps!

The Snoogle Pillow

Week 17 also brought with it the realization that I needed maternity pants.  My shirts all fit fine, but my pants are getting too snug in the waist.  I have one thing to say about buying maternity pants...DON'T WAIT AS LONG AS I DID!  I think it was a pride thing, like, how long can I still say I fit in my normal clothes.  I was happy my shorts from last summer still (kinda) fit while I was in Hawaii, but maternity pants...those are phenomenal.  I only wish I'd caved around Week 15 (although I fill them out better now than I would have a couple weeks ago, so 

Nuchal Translucency Scan and 1st Trimester Bloodwork Screen

Tests, tests and more tests...

For better and worse there is a lot of info you can get about your little one from a very early stage of their development.

On the for better side, it allows you to prepare a bit should something not be ok and on the other side of that also gives you peace of mind that things are all good assuming your results show the baby is within the normal developments limits or showing low risk for certain abnormalities.

On the for worse side, you're constantly scared that one of the many many tests you'll have will come back with results that you don't want to hear.   Which makes you wonder if not knowing is better.

At 13 weeks we went for another ultrasound, this time to check in on the baby's nuchal translucency (NT) which I talked about briefly a couple of posts ago...

"This test assesses the quantity of fluid collecting within the nape of the baby's neck.  Increased fluid can be an indication of Downs Syndrome. 

Baby Bruce passed the test with flying colors and is developing normally.  Measuring exactly the same length as his or her due date at 13 weeks and 4 days old."

Along with the NT test was (ANOTHER) round of blood tests.  

We reviewed the results of everything with our OB a couple of weeks later and got the good news that Baby B is doing great.  

Here are the scans!

Healthy little Baby B!

Based on the scan on the left I am convinced Baby B is a boy.  The U/S technician wouldn't tell us either way, said it was too early to know...but...

Here's the low down on this testing/appointment...

• 7 vials of blood.
• 1 ultrasound.  This is done on your tummy and takes about 10 minutes or so.  It doesn't hurt at all and is really fun to watch.  There is some pressure as they push down to get a good image of the baby, my bladder was full since I had to wait so long in the waiting room, I think that contributed to feeling more pressure than I would have otherwise.  A tech did the u/s and then the doctor came in and talked to us briefly about it.
• For us, covered by insurance, the cost of this visit was a little under $300.

Fetal Testing and Anxiety Over The "Announcement"

One comment I keep hearing from women who had kids many years ago is that they never got to see their babies with such accuracy (think 3D scans) and were never tested (think 10 week chromosomal tests or nuchal screening) for as many things as we are now.

I think that's a blessing and a curse.

The ultrasound technology really is fascinating.  It is such a treat to get to see the baby up close and personal so early into the pregnancy.  The 3D technology is also incredible.  I didn't know when we got our nuchal screen that the facility had 3D and just did it for you as part of the exam.

A 3D baby at 13 weeks looks frighteningly like a velociraptor in case you're curious.  I much prefer looking at them on the 2D ultrasound at this stage of the game.

The other testing offered tells you so much about the baby's health at such an early age (as early as 10 weeks), but leaves you wondering....what would you do if you found out your baby was really not going to develop normally?

When you find out you're pregnant and start telling people they naturally get excited and can't wait for you to tell EVERYONE.  But I experienced a fair amount of anxiety as it related to telling more and more people because of all.the.tests.

I felt like it wasn't safe to tell people because...what if?

When you first get pregnant some people advise to only tell people about it that you would want to tell if you had a miscarriage.  Meaning, if you tell 40 people the amazing news early on that you're expecting and you lose the baby, you 40 people to recount the sadness of your miscarriage to.

We're blessed that Baby B is healthy and developing normally.  But it's just now, at 14 weeks and a clean nuchal scan that I am feeling OK telling people beyond immediate family.  Our plan was to announce the baby broadly on Valentines Day this past Saturday but we didn't for two reasons...

1.  The announcement for social media is not V-day specific, but some of our initial ideas were
2.  We had a lot of personal (non-baby) things to deal with over the past couple of weeks that just left us feeling like we wanted to make the announcement under less stressful conditions for us

The bottom line for couples is, you get to announce to who you want, when you want, how you want.  If that's at 2 weeks, 6 weeks or 20 weeks, the choice is yours alone (unless someone spills the beans, which does happen sometimes unfortunately).  Make sure you're clear with the people you're telling, even if it feels really awkward, whether you're ok with them telling others or if it's a secret they need to keep to themselves for a little bit longer.  Most people we told at 6 or 10 weeks were so excited they're in the know early on they kept their lips zipped.

For the people who know the couples and know about the baby, just rest assured, when they are ready...really ready... to share the happy news with a broader audience you have to trust them that they will let you know when it's finally public information.

First OB Visit and Nuchal Translucency Scan

Our progression of ultrasounds and Dr's appointments has been slightly unconventional since we used a fertility specialist to make our little kiwi.

I had ultrasounds at 6 weeks (it looked like a marble), 10 weeks (it looked like a BABY!), 12 weeks (at our first OB appt) and 13 weeks (nuchal translucency scan).

At 12 weeks we met our OB, Dr E.  Dr. E is the dad of our fertility specialist.  Their offices are literally across the hallway from one another.  We had such a positive experience with Dr. A that it made sense to at least meet her dad and see if he'd be the one we wanted to use as our Dr. going forward for my care.

Dr. E is Iranian, I am too (well at least half Iranian).  Meeting him and hearing his soothing accent and jovial demeanor I knew from the get go he was our guy.  It felt like having family care for me if that makes any sense.  I just felt completely at ease.

He asked several times if we had questions and while I had a couple, I feel like it's so easy now a days to get information and answers about pregnancy online and in books and I've had a relatively uncomplicated pregnancy besides the initial getting preggers part, that I didn't have much on my mind.

This was the first time Corey got to see the baby on the ultrasound since the 6 week scan.  I couldn't wait for him to see the tiny head, body, arms, legs, hands and feet.  The baby was somersaulting around and wiggling.  Then, it did one big stretch.  Cuteness overload.

The following Friday we had another ultrasound, this time to check the nuchal translucency.  This test assesses the quantity of fluid collecting within the nape of the baby's neck.  Increased fluid can be an indication of Downs Syndrome.

Baby Bruce passed the test with flying colors and is developing normally.  Measuring exactly the same length as his or her due date at 13 weeks and 4 days old.

We won't get to see Baby B again until 20 weeks when they do a full anatomy scan to make sure everything is still developing on target.  But, I will see my OB in another couple of weeks for another monthly check-in.

Week 13

Week 13 and 5 days!

Week 13 can be described in one word as...

I felt fairly normal in terms of energy, eating and overall well being.  Some things this week that came up...

Things definitely go better when I reverse eat...large breakfast, medium size lunch and tiny dinner.

I am able eat good for me things like fruits and veggies, and find that mainly due to my heartburn, that these things are more appealing actually than unhealthy foods because I know the unhealthy stuff  now = pain later.

I don't have my full energy reserves and it is easy to over do it.  Wednesday night I found myself on the couch in PJS by 6pm.

What I need to do is start exercising regularly now.  My goal is to walk at lunch for an hour every weekday.