Merry Christmas! ...a day late.
So, yesterday I was 7 weeks pregnant, but since it was Christmas and I spent it with my family, I didn't get a chance to blog.
We announced to the world on Tuesday that we're pregnant. =] It feels good telling people, because now I can update my Facebook status to something like, "Impulse-bought a big jar of pickles the other day... best purchase ever. Does anyone know: Do they sell just the juice anywhere?" or "My pants are already a bit too tight," and they won't think I'm getting fat because they'll know it's all baby. (Actually, I've lost weight recently, so I KNOW it's either bloat or baby. There is a good chance it's bloat.)
Baby has doubled in size again. S/he is about half an inch long, or the size of a blueberry. The brain and kidneys are continuing to develop and get more and more complex, and the arms and legs are beginning to form.* Quite the busy little bee, while I sit here and bemoan my lack of motivation and ability to have a bowel movement.**
Speaking of which, let's go over symptoms. My biggest, most uncomfortable issue right now is constipation. I have hardly pooped in weeks, and it's starting to bother me. Now, I'm typically pretty irregular, so some bloat I'm used to, but this... ugh. So very uncomfortable. I'm going to call my doc today, I think, and get some ideas and okays for relief. I'm thinking epsom salts, or prune juice, or magnesium are good places to start (I'd like to keep it to natural approaches, at least at first. The DigestZen wasn't doing anything... although maybe if I apply it topically it would be better. I just don't like the smell...) The constipation is so bad that I don't ever feel hungry, it's making my back hurt, my gut feels like a million pounds, and I'm irritable. So we need to get this figured out soon.
Other symptoms include more nausea (although still not terrible) and getting motion sick (nausea, headaches) very easily still. Peeing... maybe a little more than before. Oh, gagging while brushing my teeth. That's the only time I've "thrown up." (It was a teeny tiny amount.) But this one is super counter-productive and irritating. Smells are stronger. Still no real food aversions, but Baby loves mushrooms. Food has sort of lost it's appeal; it's main goal now is to make my stomach not hurt; but it's hard to find something that sounds good. Most of the time I just eat to eat, not because I want something specific. Although white bread toast with butter and grape jelly is a staple that I would eat every few hours if I let myself. So yummy. I have had more vivid dreams than is typical (um... more or less.) but none of them are about babies. I guess I've been a bit more emotional than average, but nothing major (still).
I have an ultrasound scheduled for January 7th, but I have to contact insurance and see if they'll cover 2 ultrasounds or not, because I don't want to have to end up paying for like the anatomy scan or something. I can't wait to hear the heartbeat... I think that's when I'll really KNOW and FEEL like I'm pregnant...
So, there's my week 7. Sorry these posts tend to be so long. Hope you all had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
* Info found at thebump.com
** Sorry if I give out too much info on some things. I'm really open about stuff, and I want to be able to look back and remember everything. If you don't like that, don't read my updates... or something. Most pregnant women are queens of TMI.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Pregnant After IUI: Weeks 5 and 6
My baby's heart is beating, kidneys are forming, and even the nose, eyes, chin, and other facial features are beginning to form. How crazy is that?! And yet some try to tell me that it's not a real baby yet...
Let's jump right in to the symptoms. My symptoms have changed so much! My boobs got really sore and then settled down. I'm so much more tired during the day (but don't sleep great at night). Before I wanted to eat everything, and now food just isn't as exciting. Some things still sound good at first, but then when I think more about it, I'm not so sure. I've been starting to get a little nauseous, but only if I go too long between meals. I don't get hungry anymore; I get sick! If I eat a little something, though, I feel much better for a while... maybe an hour or so, then I need another little snack. So I feel like I'm constantly eating! My motion sickness is really bad... I get car sick ssssoooo easily now a days. Even looking at moving objects can set me off. My back has been hurting off and on, but nothing that using my Pilates roller can't fix. My cramps have gotten much less bothersome; however, if I move a certain way my uterus "twinges," which my mom said is completely normal and is just telling my body not to move that way any more. Those also have decreased in frequency. I have never in my life craved anything other than water to drink. But I WANT APPLE CIDER. Jon is actually going to stop and pick some up for me today. I'm so excited. I am so, so constipated...It's awful. Just terrible. I have been taking a DoTERRA Essential Oil blend called DigestZen that is supposed to help (very much diluted, btw, and safe for pregnancy) but I haven't noticed a huge benefit from it. What else...? Irritability has increased, but is still bearable (for me... Jon may say otherwise). Mild night sweats. My sense of smell has increased. Just today I realized our dog stinks. I can't say I have to pee much more, but anyone who knows me know that I already pee quite often. Wow this is a long paragraph.
Now, as for what I've been taking/ doing this pregnancy: I am taking an organic prenatal (that still has soy, go figure), a probiotic ( I want Baby's "first meal" to be a good one!) and taking that DigestZen (1-2 drops in a capsule filled with a carrier oil, taken on a full stomach). At first I kind of ate crap, gained 2-3 pounds, and then "felt" malnourished, so I've gone back to eating better (Baby needs no additional calories in the early stages...) and I've gone back to my starting weight and feel better. I am looking for high-protein meals and well-balanced snacks. I am also going to be looking into early pregnancy exercises and other things I can do to prepare for labor. I am trying to get more walking in, but that hasn't worked out very well.
My mom is already convinced this is a girl. I'm kind of hoping she's right, but I'd be ecstatic either way. I just can't believe I'm finally pregnant. =]
Let's jump right in to the symptoms. My symptoms have changed so much! My boobs got really sore and then settled down. I'm so much more tired during the day (but don't sleep great at night). Before I wanted to eat everything, and now food just isn't as exciting. Some things still sound good at first, but then when I think more about it, I'm not so sure. I've been starting to get a little nauseous, but only if I go too long between meals. I don't get hungry anymore; I get sick! If I eat a little something, though, I feel much better for a while... maybe an hour or so, then I need another little snack. So I feel like I'm constantly eating! My motion sickness is really bad... I get car sick ssssoooo easily now a days. Even looking at moving objects can set me off. My back has been hurting off and on, but nothing that using my Pilates roller can't fix. My cramps have gotten much less bothersome; however, if I move a certain way my uterus "twinges," which my mom said is completely normal and is just telling my body not to move that way any more. Those also have decreased in frequency. I have never in my life craved anything other than water to drink. But I WANT APPLE CIDER. Jon is actually going to stop and pick some up for me today. I'm so excited. I am so, so constipated...It's awful. Just terrible. I have been taking a DoTERRA Essential Oil blend called DigestZen that is supposed to help (very much diluted, btw, and safe for pregnancy) but I haven't noticed a huge benefit from it. What else...? Irritability has increased, but is still bearable (for me... Jon may say otherwise). Mild night sweats. My sense of smell has increased. Just today I realized our dog stinks. I can't say I have to pee much more, but anyone who knows me know that I already pee quite often. Wow this is a long paragraph.
Now, as for what I've been taking/ doing this pregnancy: I am taking an organic prenatal (that still has soy, go figure), a probiotic ( I want Baby's "first meal" to be a good one!) and taking that DigestZen (1-2 drops in a capsule filled with a carrier oil, taken on a full stomach). At first I kind of ate crap, gained 2-3 pounds, and then "felt" malnourished, so I've gone back to eating better (Baby needs no additional calories in the early stages...) and I've gone back to my starting weight and feel better. I am looking for high-protein meals and well-balanced snacks. I am also going to be looking into early pregnancy exercises and other things I can do to prepare for labor. I am trying to get more walking in, but that hasn't worked out very well.
My mom is already convinced this is a girl. I'm kind of hoping she's right, but I'd be ecstatic either way. I just can't believe I'm finally pregnant. =]
4 Weeks... PREGNANT!
I wrote this back on November 4th, when I was 4 weeks pregnant. (About 3-4 days after I found out.) I decided I'm going to be doing weekly updates, and I wanted to start early, but I knew we wouldn't tell right away. So here it is for you to read, now.
So, today I am 4 weeks... pregnant. I have waited so long to be able to say that I'm pregnant! I can hardly believe it.
Here's the back story:
In early September, Jon and I agreed that it was time for me to go see an OB/GYN. We had been unable to get pregnant for a long while. I got a reference from a couple of friends of my sisters' to see Dr. Erica Barrette through Sacred Heart. I made an appointment with her, and she is GREAT. Very nice, very friendly, and took me seriously (which, I must be honest, I did not expect. I thought she'd tell me to go home and lose weight or try for another year, since we're young, or try harder, etc. She said none of those things). So we ran several tests on both Jon and me, and decided that an IUI was our best option.
An IUI is Intra-Uterine Insemination. Meaning that they take ejaculated semen, "wash" it (not with soap and water, but a machine that concentrates the sperm) and then insert it via a catheter through the cervix (not unlike a pelvic exam. *Small "ew" noises acceptable.* Chances of getting pregnant through this method are approximately 25%-30%.
So in October they took a blood test to make sure my progesterone was high (it was), meaning that I ovulated (I knew I had), and on Tuesday, November 19th we went in for the procedure. I will spare you the gory details. You may ask if you wish.
I had decided that I was going to take a pregnancy test on Thanksgiving (9 days after the procedure), hoping it would be positive, but knowing that it would still be early so I wouldn't be too depressed if it was negative. I couldn't wait until Thursday. So Wednesday morning, I took a test and it was negative. Wednesday evening I had a tiny bit of spotting, but nothing major, and thought I'd still test Thursday morning. Well, Thanksgiving rolled around. My test was negative again, and I was still bleeding, although admittedly it was just a tiny amount. The spotting finally stopped Friday afternoon, but I figured I was getting my "monthly subscription" so I hadn't tested that morning. But when the spotting stopped, I figured I should test again.
Saturday morning I woke up and took a test. I *thought* I saw a second line, so I called Jonny in and asked if he saw anything. He told me he did see 2 lines, but that one was "really faint." I looked at him and said, "That means I'm pregnant."All calm and not freaked out at all. Oh, by the way, this was at 5:45. AM. Yeah. I didn't cry, which surprised me, but I was on an adrenaline high for about an hour and a half. I've taken two more tests, Sunday (12/1, 12 days after IUI) and Monday (12/2, 13 days after IUI) with progressively darker lines on the tests.
Somehow I managed to wait until our Family Night on Sunday to tell everyone in the family. Well, except Julie... I told her at church Sunday morning... I just couldn't hold it in!
So yes. I am four weeks pregnant...today, Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Baby's due date is the middle of August.
I want to do a quick symptom rundown, to keep track of all this. So far, nothing much, although I have noticed a bit of... tenderness, not even soreness, in ma boobies. I have had exactly 2 very mild bouts of nausea, that last only a few minutes and then are gone. My. Back. Aches. I don't know if this is pregnancy related, as it has been bothering me for a while now. Couple weeks at least. Oh, also, on Saturday I was eating breakfast and it tasted off to me. Now that was the day I found out I was pregnant. So it could have been mental, or the food could really have been off (although Jon said it tasted fine). It seems too early for that kind of thing, but maybe, just maybe, it was actually because of My Little Parasite. Oh, and cramps. Lots of cramps. Ever since the night we did the IUI. They have been mild, but I've been crampy nonetheless.
I'm hoping now this blog will turn more into pregnancy updates, at least weekly.
Anyway, thanks for all of you out there who were praying for me, and please continue to pray for a healthy and happy pregnancy for me and the bitty! He/she is the size of a poppy seed right now... how awesome is that?! So tiny, yet huge compared to the cells they start out as...
So, today I am 4 weeks... pregnant. I have waited so long to be able to say that I'm pregnant! I can hardly believe it.
Here's the back story:
In early September, Jon and I agreed that it was time for me to go see an OB/GYN. We had been unable to get pregnant for a long while. I got a reference from a couple of friends of my sisters' to see Dr. Erica Barrette through Sacred Heart. I made an appointment with her, and she is GREAT. Very nice, very friendly, and took me seriously (which, I must be honest, I did not expect. I thought she'd tell me to go home and lose weight or try for another year, since we're young, or try harder, etc. She said none of those things). So we ran several tests on both Jon and me, and decided that an IUI was our best option.
An IUI is Intra-Uterine Insemination. Meaning that they take ejaculated semen, "wash" it (not with soap and water, but a machine that concentrates the sperm) and then insert it via a catheter through the cervix (not unlike a pelvic exam. *Small "ew" noises acceptable.* Chances of getting pregnant through this method are approximately 25%-30%.
So in October they took a blood test to make sure my progesterone was high (it was), meaning that I ovulated (I knew I had), and on Tuesday, November 19th we went in for the procedure. I will spare you the gory details. You may ask if you wish.
I had decided that I was going to take a pregnancy test on Thanksgiving (9 days after the procedure), hoping it would be positive, but knowing that it would still be early so I wouldn't be too depressed if it was negative. I couldn't wait until Thursday. So Wednesday morning, I took a test and it was negative. Wednesday evening I had a tiny bit of spotting, but nothing major, and thought I'd still test Thursday morning. Well, Thanksgiving rolled around. My test was negative again, and I was still bleeding, although admittedly it was just a tiny amount. The spotting finally stopped Friday afternoon, but I figured I was getting my "monthly subscription" so I hadn't tested that morning. But when the spotting stopped, I figured I should test again.
Saturday morning I woke up and took a test. I *thought* I saw a second line, so I called Jonny in and asked if he saw anything. He told me he did see 2 lines, but that one was "really faint." I looked at him and said, "That means I'm pregnant."All calm and not freaked out at all. Oh, by the way, this was at 5:45. AM. Yeah. I didn't cry, which surprised me, but I was on an adrenaline high for about an hour and a half. I've taken two more tests, Sunday (12/1, 12 days after IUI) and Monday (12/2, 13 days after IUI) with progressively darker lines on the tests.
Somehow I managed to wait until our Family Night on Sunday to tell everyone in the family. Well, except Julie... I told her at church Sunday morning... I just couldn't hold it in!
So yes. I am four weeks pregnant...today, Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Baby's due date is the middle of August.
I want to do a quick symptom rundown, to keep track of all this. So far, nothing much, although I have noticed a bit of... tenderness, not even soreness, in ma boobies. I have had exactly 2 very mild bouts of nausea, that last only a few minutes and then are gone. My. Back. Aches. I don't know if this is pregnancy related, as it has been bothering me for a while now. Couple weeks at least. Oh, also, on Saturday I was eating breakfast and it tasted off to me. Now that was the day I found out I was pregnant. So it could have been mental, or the food could really have been off (although Jon said it tasted fine). It seems too early for that kind of thing, but maybe, just maybe, it was actually because of My Little Parasite. Oh, and cramps. Lots of cramps. Ever since the night we did the IUI. They have been mild, but I've been crampy nonetheless.
I'm hoping now this blog will turn more into pregnancy updates, at least weekly.
Anyway, thanks for all of you out there who were praying for me, and please continue to pray for a healthy and happy pregnancy for me and the bitty! He/she is the size of a poppy seed right now... how awesome is that?! So tiny, yet huge compared to the cells they start out as...
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