Not too much new to report since Tuesday's post. I'm starting to get a little belly which is almost starting to look like a pregnancy belly not just a pot belly!
I cleaned out the room that we've chosen for the baby. We're starting to think about how we want to decorate and are thinking about a music/alphabet theme which reflects Mark's love of music and my love of reading. We (lets be honest - Mark) will probably paint in the next few weeks which seems soon but that third trimester will creep up quickly and I'd like to get lots done in the second trimester while I'm feeling comfortable and energetic.
Week 14 Biology Lesson
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
End of Week 13
I have begun to feel *much* better these days. I got a cold just over a week ago and strangely kept feeling more and more energetic the sicker I got! I've started weaning myself off the medication for my nausea and so far so good. Oh, and I'm HUNGRY. Every two hours during the day I am suddenly ravenous. I can usually make it through the night without a meal but at 430 on Saturday morning I woke up feeling hungry and had to eat a bowl of cereal before I could get back to sleep!
This weeks blog is a bit later than my usual Sunday post because I wanted to wait and report on my midwifery appointment on Tuesday. All went well, my uterus is measuring at a normal size which means its unlikely I'm pregnant that with twins although we wont know for sure until the ultrasound at the end of May/early June. The midwife assured me that the 10lbs I've gained to date is normal. We listened to the baby's heart beat for the very first time! It was so exciting and amazing - I cried. For your listening pleasure I've attached the recording of the heart sounds from the doppler:
Baby Heart Beat 14w0d ga
An article about a recent study that found that women who suffer from morning sickness give birth to smarter babies:
This baby is going to be a frickin' genius!
Week 13 Biology Lesson
This weeks blog is a bit later than my usual Sunday post because I wanted to wait and report on my midwifery appointment on Tuesday. All went well, my uterus is measuring at a normal size which means its unlikely I'm pregnant that with twins although we wont know for sure until the ultrasound at the end of May/early June. The midwife assured me that the 10lbs I've gained to date is normal. We listened to the baby's heart beat for the very first time! It was so exciting and amazing - I cried. For your listening pleasure I've attached the recording of the heart sounds from the doppler:
Baby Heart Beat 14w0d ga
An article about a recent study that found that women who suffer from morning sickness give birth to smarter babies:
This baby is going to be a frickin' genius!
Week 13 Biology Lesson
Sunday, April 12, 2009
End of Week 12
The nausea has been pretty much under control this week although I still have to be very careful to eat every two hours and watch what and how much I eat. My energy level seems to be gradually returning - slowly, slowly - I'm starting to feel like the light at the end of the tunnel might not be a train. I have, however, managed to land myself a cold so I'm snuffling and sneezing through the long weekend.
Wendy is here for a visit and its been great to see her.
Week 12 Biology Lesson
Wendy is here for a visit and its been great to see her.
Week 12 Biology Lesson
Sunday, April 5, 2009
End of Week 11
Hooray for me - I managed to make it to work all week. The nausea is mostly under control although I definitely notice if I forget to take any of my medication (I take it three times a day and forgot the mid-afternoon pill twice this week). My energy level is a bit better but I have to be careful not to push myself too much or else I have to take a nap!
Next weekend is a four-day long weekend for me. It will be a nice break. If I can muster the energy I'm going to clean out the spare room which will become the babies room (the pink room at the end of the hall for those of you who have been to our house). We'll be painting and setting it up over the next months for our new arrival!
Week 11 Biology Lesson
Next weekend is a four-day long weekend for me. It will be a nice break. If I can muster the energy I'm going to clean out the spare room which will become the babies room (the pink room at the end of the hall for those of you who have been to our house). We'll be painting and setting it up over the next months for our new arrival!
Week 11 Biology Lesson
Sunday, March 29, 2009
End of Week 10
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
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 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
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