Another rough week. I had to take another two days off of work at the end of this week with headache, nausea, and exhaustion. I feel a bit better this weekend but get tired easily. My goal this week is to make it to work all week. I'm trying hard to stay positive but I'll be honest - its hard not to whine. I feel like my body has been taken over! Hopefully this part will end in a few more weeks.
I did manage to get out on Saturday to buy some maternity clothes. None of my pants fit comfortably anymore and my choice was to either buy the next size up in regular clothes and wear those for a few weeks or go straight to maternity clothes. The clothes that I bought are a bit big but I'm sure I'll grow into them soon enough!
Mark continues to be my rock and I'm so lucky to have him.
Week 10 Biology Lesson
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
End of Week 9
We had our fist appointment with our midwife, Cathy, this week. At that appointment she gave me a prescription for Diclectin and I have had a good amount of relief since I started taking the medication on Tuesday. I still feel "off" in my stomach, and actually threw up on Friday morning, but I can function much more normally than before. I'm exhausted most of the time but have been able to get back to light house work and getting through the work day is no longer torture :)
At our midwife appointment we discussed Integrated Prenatal Screening. This screening consists of two blood tests and an ultrasound and looks for markers that indicate an increased risk of having a baby with Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 18, or Spina Bifida. We originally thought we would have this screening performed. However, after discussing it with our midwife and reviewing the literature we've decided not to. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Neither of us has a history of these conditions in our family and we are both healthy with no other risk factors.
2. If we got a positive result it wouldn't necessarily mean that our baby had any of these problems. In fact its quite unlikely, even with a positive screen, that the baby would have any of these conditions.
3. The only way to be sure that the baby had any of these conditions would require an amniocenteses which has a 1 in 100 to 1 in 200 chance (depending on which research you look at) of resulting in a miscarriage.
4. Even if the baby did have any of these things we wouldn't abort.
So, given the risk of miscarriage we wouldn't have an amniocentisis. And, given that the chance of a false positive in the screen is high and it would just make us unnecessarily anxious, we've decided not to go forward with the screening. This means that those of you excitedly waiting for ultrasound pictures will have to wait a few more weeks - probably around the middle of May for a routine second trimester ultrasound.
I've started reading a great book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. As many of you may already know we are hoping to have a drug free home birth. So far I've just been reading the stories of women who have had natural births outside of a hospital setting and I find it encouraging to read their stories. The second half of the book offers information about the various interventions that can occur in labor and ways to cope with labor. We will be attending the home birth information session that the midwifery practice we're signed on with offers. Having worked at a midwifery clinic for 4 years I am comfortable and quite excited at the idea of a home birth and Mark is also keen on having our baby at home. I think it would be so special if we are able to bring this baby into the world in the home we have built together.
Week 9 Biology Lesson
At our midwife appointment we discussed Integrated Prenatal Screening. This screening consists of two blood tests and an ultrasound and looks for markers that indicate an increased risk of having a baby with Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 18, or Spina Bifida. We originally thought we would have this screening performed. However, after discussing it with our midwife and reviewing the literature we've decided not to. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Neither of us has a history of these conditions in our family and we are both healthy with no other risk factors.
2. If we got a positive result it wouldn't necessarily mean that our baby had any of these problems. In fact its quite unlikely, even with a positive screen, that the baby would have any of these conditions.
3. The only way to be sure that the baby had any of these conditions would require an amniocenteses which has a 1 in 100 to 1 in 200 chance (depending on which research you look at) of resulting in a miscarriage.
4. Even if the baby did have any of these things we wouldn't abort.
So, given the risk of miscarriage we wouldn't have an amniocentisis. And, given that the chance of a false positive in the screen is high and it would just make us unnecessarily anxious, we've decided not to go forward with the screening. This means that those of you excitedly waiting for ultrasound pictures will have to wait a few more weeks - probably around the middle of May for a routine second trimester ultrasound.
I've started reading a great book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. As many of you may already know we are hoping to have a drug free home birth. So far I've just been reading the stories of women who have had natural births outside of a hospital setting and I find it encouraging to read their stories. The second half of the book offers information about the various interventions that can occur in labor and ways to cope with labor. We will be attending the home birth information session that the midwifery practice we're signed on with offers. Having worked at a midwifery clinic for 4 years I am comfortable and quite excited at the idea of a home birth and Mark is also keen on having our baby at home. I think it would be so special if we are able to bring this baby into the world in the home we have built together.
Week 9 Biology Lesson
Sunday, March 15, 2009
End of Week 8
I am sick all day, everyday and it seems to be getting gradually worse. I come home and lie on the couch all night - sometimes I just go straight to bed after I've forced myself to eat something. Its worse if I dont eat.
I ended up over the toilet retching and crying Friday morning before we left for work. It really sucked and I nearly turned around when I got to Union Station to go home. I didn't but it was a long day at work.
I had 8 hours of near normalcy yesterday. It was so great to only feel tired. Unfortunately around 630pm I started feeling sick again and today has been a bad day.
My first midwife appointment is Tuesday morning. I'm going to ask her for a prescription for Diclectin a drug that helps alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy sickness. I'm no hero - there's no way I can continue working if this keeps up or, gasp, gets worse. I've probably got another 3 weeks to go ("morning" sickness usually stops by the second trimester) which just seems unfathomable to me.
I read somewhere that pregnancy sickness is comparable to the same kind of sickness people going through chemo therapy experience. At least I get a baby out of it (I'm trying to stay positive...with mixed results).
Mark continues to be his fantastic self. He's very understanding and supportive inspite of my inability to do much but lie around and be miserable these days and puts up with my sometime less than chipper behavior.
Week 8 Biology Lesson
I ended up over the toilet retching and crying Friday morning before we left for work. It really sucked and I nearly turned around when I got to Union Station to go home. I didn't but it was a long day at work.
I had 8 hours of near normalcy yesterday. It was so great to only feel tired. Unfortunately around 630pm I started feeling sick again and today has been a bad day.
My first midwife appointment is Tuesday morning. I'm going to ask her for a prescription for Diclectin a drug that helps alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy sickness. I'm no hero - there's no way I can continue working if this keeps up or, gasp, gets worse. I've probably got another 3 weeks to go ("morning" sickness usually stops by the second trimester) which just seems unfathomable to me.
I read somewhere that pregnancy sickness is comparable to the same kind of sickness people going through chemo therapy experience. At least I get a baby out of it (I'm trying to stay positive...with mixed results).
Mark continues to be his fantastic self. He's very understanding and supportive inspite of my inability to do much but lie around and be miserable these days and puts up with my sometime less than chipper behavior.
Week 8 Biology Lesson
Sunday, March 8, 2009
End of Week 7
The novelty of "morning" sickness (aka 24 hour pregnancy sickness) has definitely worn off. This weekend has been brutal. It's been difficult for me to get off the couch and I'm starting to feel sorry for myself (which could just be hormones). On top of the pregnancy sickness I've got a barky cough which I can only treat with Vicks Vaporub because I can't take any medication. I did manage to make it to a movie theater with Mark and another couple to see Watchmen and it was good to get out of the house. I had to have a three hour nap afterwards though...
I bought some motion sickness wrist bands today and I've been wearing them all afternoon. I think they're helping. I'm afraid to take them off in case they are working really well and by taking them off open up the flood gates for worse nausea.
No actual vomiting which I cant decide is a good or bad thing. I occasionally wonder if actually throwing up wouldn't make me feel better. I've gained about 2 pounds which I read is normal.
Mark has been great in supporting me - he's made dinner the last few nights and is very attentive to me while I feel sorry for myself on the couch.
Week 7 Biology Lesson
I bought some motion sickness wrist bands today and I've been wearing them all afternoon. I think they're helping. I'm afraid to take them off in case they are working really well and by taking them off open up the flood gates for worse nausea.
No actual vomiting which I cant decide is a good or bad thing. I occasionally wonder if actually throwing up wouldn't make me feel better. I've gained about 2 pounds which I read is normal.
Mark has been great in supporting me - he's made dinner the last few nights and is very attentive to me while I feel sorry for myself on the couch.
Week 7 Biology Lesson
Sunday, March 1, 2009
End of Week 6
It appears that I wont be so lucky as my mom. I've been sick this week with a cold/cough and increasingly an all day version of morning sickness. I had pretty much convinced myself that I was just feeling sick because of the cold - it couldn't possibly be pregnancy sickness - no sir, not me. However, my body has betrayed me (apparently it didn't get the memo about the no pregnancy sickness thing) and increasingly I feel shaky and uncomfortable if I don't eat every three hours. Not really nauseous - more like hypoglycemic. Before I was pregnant if I waited too late into the afternoon to eat I felt the same way - irritable, hollow tummy, shaky. That's the way I feel most of the day now. There are a few minutes of relief after I eat - so I'm eating alot these days. No weight gain so far which I was surprised about given how much food I've been shoveling in. I'm crossing my fingers that the sickness doesn't get worse and ends soon!
Another pregnancy related thing happened this week while I was watching a stand-up comedian clip on YouTube (Louis C.K.). What he was joking about made me laugh really, really hard. Then I burst into tears and was laughing and sobbing at the same time. It was very odd. Poor Mark didn't know what to make of me. I've been banned me from watching stand-up comedians on YouTube for the duration of my pregnancy...
Week 6 Biology Lesson
Another pregnancy related thing happened this week while I was watching a stand-up comedian clip on YouTube (Louis C.K.). What he was joking about made me laugh really, really hard. Then I burst into tears and was laughing and sobbing at the same time. It was very odd. Poor Mark didn't know what to make of me. I've been banned me from watching stand-up comedians on YouTube for the duration of my pregnancy...
Week 6 Biology Lesson
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