Our little guy has been part of the outside world for 3 weeks now, and those 3 weeks have been quite an adventure. I actually started writing this when he was only a week old - he definitely keeps me busy!
Little man's arrival was not like I expected at all. After spending 3 weeks at 1.5 ish cm and 70% effaced, I was pretty sure baby was sticking around until at least his due date. At my 39 week appointment (6/17), I had finally made progress - 2 cm and 90% effaced - but I still wasn't convinced. My OB, on the other hand, was very confident that I would not need a 40 week appointment. The next day, I had a couple of friends ask if I felt like baby would be arriving soon, and my answer was a very definite no - I had maybe had a few contractions, but overall I felt fine and baby seemed comfortable. Apparently those friends knew something I didn't, because that evening, around 10:30, I started feeling contractions. They were pretty mild at first and very sporadic, so I didn't pay much attention. After an hour or so, it was a different story. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom (sorry for the TMI), and the contractions were getting more uncomfortable, so I focused on timing them, and B woke up and started getting ready to head to the hospital. I called the after-hours call center to let them know I would be coming in soon, and then started throwing up from the pain (sorry for more TMI). We left our house shortly after 1 a.m. and drove about 15 minutes before I realized I didn't have my photo ID on me, so we went back home, grabbed my wallet, then made our way to the hospital (spoiler alert: I didn't even need the damn ID, because of course). The ride was very uncomfortable because all of my contractions were in my back, so sitting in the car was pretty painful. We arrived at the hospital around 2 a.m., and at my first check, I was 3 cm - not what I wanted to hear. The nurses mentioned possibly sending us home, which we REALLY didn't want to hear (the hospital is about a 40 minute drive from home), but thankfully I was leaking amniotic fluid so I was admitted. The request was put in for an epidural, and then we waited. One of the nurses came back after a bit to give me some meds to take the edge off the contractions until I could have the epidural, but I needed to be less than 8 cm in order to safely get it. After she checked, she had another nurse come in to double check - I was already 10 cm, so it was too late - no epidural for me. (B likes telling people this part of the story because when I heard I couldn't have the epidural, I said "oh no" in a very Winnie the Pooh like voice. I couldn't help it, I was disappointed and in pain. B was kind enough to take a picture of that moment as well. Good man). The on-call doctor was called in, the room was prepped, and the doctor broke my water so I could start pushing. It didn't take long at all - maybe half an hour or so - before our little guy made his way to the outside world. At 3:52 a.m. on June 19, we welcomed our little man, and on June 21 - Father's Day - we took him home to start this new adventure.
*Birth Stats: 7 lbs, 14 oz, 21 inches long*
His fast and furious entrance into the world caused quite a bit of damage to my body, in the form of 4th degree internal tears - ouch (if his birth had a theme song, it would be Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus). He's lucky he's so cute :). My recovery hasn't been that bad, considering. I spent the days in the hospital mostly in bed, but once we got home, I tried to be a bit more active. I'm not sure if that helped or hurt the healing process, but it made me feel more like myself. My tailbone is pretty sore, but the lady bits have felt fine. My postpartum appointment is scheduled for early August, hopefully things are healed by then.
I won't lie - this little guy is pretty demanding so far. He's kind of a fussy baby. I'm still learning his cues, trying to figure out when he's over or under stimulated and tired. I can tell when he's hungry, mostly because it seems like he's hungry 24/7. At night he goes 3-ish hours between feedings, but during the day, it's usually closer to 1.5 - 2.5 hours between feedings. I'm hoping this is just a growth spurt and he'll make it longer between feedings soon. I have been exclusively breastfeeding him, and that has been a learning experience. In the hospital, the lactation consultant said we were naturals - she gave me a few pointers, but said we would be fine. And then my milk came in and all hell broke loose. I have an awesome supply so far, which is great, but also caused problems. I was so full of milk, my skin was too stretched out, and there was nothing for baby to latch onto. At his newborn appointment, the PA we take him to watched as I tried to feed him, and recommended using a manual pump to get some milk out and relieve the engorgement, and then try to latch baby. He ended up eating okay on Monday, but then on Tuesday, I felt like I was starving him. I talked to a lactation consultant from the hospital and I had a nurse from the county come to the house to help figure out how to feed him. He ended up drinking expressed milk from a bottle a few times until the lactation consultant recommended a nipple shield. We've been using it ever since. My sister in law came to help support me through the breastfeeding challenges just in time - she had problems with low supply and has become very passionate about breastfeeding - so it was nice to have someone at the house to help out. I'm hoping to wean little man off the shield by 6 weeks - we try latching without it at almost every feed, but I have a very strong let down that he can't handle yet, so we haven't had much luck. One of my friends on Twitter said it perfectly - "breastfeeding is the hardest thing I have ever done. It may be natural, but it isn't easy!" It's absolutely the truth, it is not easy at all, but it's been so worth the effort. (I am not at all trying to make formula feeding or pumping seem like an easy out. Formula feeding isn't always easy, either, especially when you plan to breastfeed but can't for whatever reason. And formula is soo expensive! And exclusively pumping is hard work! Props to all moms who feed their babies using whatever form of milk - as long as baby is fed, it's what is best for baby!)
I still have moments when I look at my little clone of B and think "is this really mine?" He's absolutely perfect and wonderful, and I'm loving every single frustrating, exhausting minute of motherhood.
10 July 2015
16 June 2015
Counting Down
I've been meaning to post for a few weeks now - I'm such a slacker. Between writing thank you cards, washing baby laundry, and the last few weeks of babysitting, I just haven't had the attention span to sit down and write anything. I know it's only going to get more difficult after baby arrives, but I'm hoping to etch out some time at least once a month to update after he's here in an attempt to help me keep up with his baby book. Anyway, enough of my rambling, here are the updates!
In about a week - maybe even less (!!!), this kid will be on the outside, and I kind of can't believe it. I'm definitely getting into the crunch-time/final countdown phase - making lists on top of lists of things I need or would like to get done before this dude arrives and attempting to get a little more organized (although let's face it, organization is not my strength).
I am very lucky to have several friends who have recently had babies to rely on for information about things that I need or don't need and tips on how to prepare for labor and life at home. I've been asked by a few people if I feel "ready" and the answer to that is - I hope so! Obviously there are a bunch of smaller things that I'd like to get done before this little guy arrives, but I think we're pretty set on the big stuff. I'm not sure that I'm 100% ready to be responsible for this tiny, needy little thing 24/7, but I have a pretty good idea of what to do (I think). I know B is nervous about the baby's upcoming arrival - mostly because of the huge change in lifestyle. But ready or not, he's coming soon, so we'll just have to deal. We've been making plans to do some of the activities we usually do - baseball games and the comic convention - and we're bringing the dude with us, so hopefully we'll be able to maintain some of our non-parent lifestyle with a baby in tow. I've heard from experienced parents that it's do-able with one, especially when they're small and not mobile, hopefully this baby is easy and we can follow their path.
At my 36 week appointment, the "fun" started. I had my Group B strep test done, and found out the results at my 37 week appointment - negative! So I won't have to worry about antibiotics during labor, which is good (although I have heard it's really not too bad. I'm just glad for one less thing to think about). I also got some exciting news during my first cervical check - I was about 70% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated. I was really not expecting any progress, and my doctor was a little surprised as well. She mentioned that this was a good sign, and believes that the baby will be coming sooner than his due date. I didn't make much change between appointments - at 37 weeks, I had only dilated a teensy bit more, up to almost a 2, still 70% effaced, and there was no change between weeks 37 and 38. I'm planning on getting some nice walks in, and maybe some squats to help encourage his head to push down and open things up a bit :). Baby has started to drop, so that's exciting. I noticed a week ago when it was easier for me to breathe, and a friend of mine said the bump looked a little lower. The pressure on my bladder is definitely increased, so I'm taking that as a good sign! I have to admit, I was really disappointed that progress has stalled. I would really like for baby to come a little early, but he needs to come some time this week for that to happen.
I'm still feeling pretty good most of the time - I feel like maybe I'm a bit of a special snowflake when it comes to pregnancy, because I really don't have much to complain about. I've had some swelling in my feet and a little in my legs, but not constantly and it's been easy to manage. Heartburn has come back, but not in full force. I get a little burpy at night, but a Tums and an extra pillow help. I've had a few contractions - probably Braxton Hicks - but nothing painful, just different enough to notice. Oh, and baby has decided to start head butting me in the lady bits, which is a little uncomfortable, but I don't mind because I know it means he's getting into position.
I really hope this baby comes soon. I'm so excited to meet him!!
In about a week - maybe even less (!!!), this kid will be on the outside, and I kind of can't believe it. I'm definitely getting into the crunch-time/final countdown phase - making lists on top of lists of things I need or would like to get done before this dude arrives and attempting to get a little more organized (although let's face it, organization is not my strength).
I am very lucky to have several friends who have recently had babies to rely on for information about things that I need or don't need and tips on how to prepare for labor and life at home. I've been asked by a few people if I feel "ready" and the answer to that is - I hope so! Obviously there are a bunch of smaller things that I'd like to get done before this little guy arrives, but I think we're pretty set on the big stuff. I'm not sure that I'm 100% ready to be responsible for this tiny, needy little thing 24/7, but I have a pretty good idea of what to do (I think). I know B is nervous about the baby's upcoming arrival - mostly because of the huge change in lifestyle. But ready or not, he's coming soon, so we'll just have to deal. We've been making plans to do some of the activities we usually do - baseball games and the comic convention - and we're bringing the dude with us, so hopefully we'll be able to maintain some of our non-parent lifestyle with a baby in tow. I've heard from experienced parents that it's do-able with one, especially when they're small and not mobile, hopefully this baby is easy and we can follow their path.
At my 36 week appointment, the "fun" started. I had my Group B strep test done, and found out the results at my 37 week appointment - negative! So I won't have to worry about antibiotics during labor, which is good (although I have heard it's really not too bad. I'm just glad for one less thing to think about). I also got some exciting news during my first cervical check - I was about 70% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated. I was really not expecting any progress, and my doctor was a little surprised as well. She mentioned that this was a good sign, and believes that the baby will be coming sooner than his due date. I didn't make much change between appointments - at 37 weeks, I had only dilated a teensy bit more, up to almost a 2, still 70% effaced, and there was no change between weeks 37 and 38. I'm planning on getting some nice walks in, and maybe some squats to help encourage his head to push down and open things up a bit :). Baby has started to drop, so that's exciting. I noticed a week ago when it was easier for me to breathe, and a friend of mine said the bump looked a little lower. The pressure on my bladder is definitely increased, so I'm taking that as a good sign! I have to admit, I was really disappointed that progress has stalled. I would really like for baby to come a little early, but he needs to come some time this week for that to happen.
I'm still feeling pretty good most of the time - I feel like maybe I'm a bit of a special snowflake when it comes to pregnancy, because I really don't have much to complain about. I've had some swelling in my feet and a little in my legs, but not constantly and it's been easy to manage. Heartburn has come back, but not in full force. I get a little burpy at night, but a Tums and an extra pillow help. I've had a few contractions - probably Braxton Hicks - but nothing painful, just different enough to notice. Oh, and baby has decided to start head butting me in the lady bits, which is a little uncomfortable, but I don't mind because I know it means he's getting into position.
I really hope this baby comes soon. I'm so excited to meet him!!
11 April 2015
Third Trimester
I meant to post this last week, but I've been a terrible slacker. I am firmly in the third trimester now - I'm pretty sure I say it every time, but I can't believe how fast this is going! I also feel like every time I write, it's basically the Lego Movie song on repeat - everything is awesome! Things are continuing to go well (knock on wood) and I really can't complain. (Well, I mean, I could, but not about anything too major.) My OB warned me that the 3rd trimester is probably the most difficult because of the rapid changes and preparations for labor that kick in, so I'm definitely interested to see how this all plays out.
Speaking of how this will play out, we attended our birth and labor class a few weekends ago. The instructor was fun and didn't putz around, so we actually finished way ahead of schedule (like, 2.5 hours ahead of schedule). Some of the other preggos in the class asked some questions that I had on my mind, which was very helpful. Overall, I felt like the class was useful, so that's a win. After the class, we went on the hospital tour. The hospital is only a few years old, and they're finishing a remodel of the L&D unit, so everything is really new and fresh. We'll probably end up taking the tour again after the Breastfeeding class I signed up for in early May because the remodel will be done by then, and the unit will be different. They're opening up more L&D rooms, they built a bigger NICU, and they're adding doors to make it a locked unit. The rooms are really spacious - each one is private, and everything happens in that one room - labor, delivery, and postpartum. It's nice to not have to deal with switching from one room to another.
I had my 27 week OB appointment a couple weeks ago, and I got to do the lovely gestational diabetes screening. I was able to get the drink before my appointment, so the wait for the blood draw wasn't too bad. The appointment went well - my belly is still measuring on track, my weight gain was good (+2 lbs since last time, up a total of 8-9), and baby was really easy to find on the doppler. I was able to record a 5 second snip of his heartbeat on my phone, and I sent that to my mom and sisters - they loved it. The glucose test wasn't too bad really - I had my choice of orange or lemon-lime for the drink - I chose orange because I heard lemon-lime is gag-worthy. It tasted pretty much how I expected - like 1,000 melted popsicles mixed with flat Hi-C Orange from McDonald's. The results were posted on my online chart on Thursday, but I didn't get the official call until Friday (and of course I missed it, so they had to leave a voicemail). Thankfully it was good news - I passed! My result came back at 123 (the cutoff was 139). My next appointment is scheduled for 30 weeks (this upcoming Wednesday!), and then I'll start the every 2 weeks schedule. Crazy!!
I think I may have caught the nesting bug. Or maybe I just really want to get some spring cleaning done. Either way, I've been strangely motivated to get housework done lately - I've been mopping and vacuuming floors, organizing and rearranging rooms (so we can start getting nursery furniture bought/assembled), and I even did some stain treatment on some of the hand-me-down clothes we were given. I tried the miracle stain removal recipe that I've seen 1,000 times on Pinterest - two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part each of Dawn dish soap and baking soda. The first load of clothes that I washed came out with mixed results - most of the clothes came out looking like they had never been worn, some of them still had a little staining. I think not letting the mixture sit on the clothes for at least an hour is partly to blame. I re-treated and re-washed the remaining clothes, following the directions a bit more closely, and there was more improvement. There are a few outfits that still have a little bit of staining, but it really isn't that noticeable, and our kid is just going to spit up all over them anyway, so they're good enough in my book.
With the 3rd trimester sneaking up on me like this, I wanted to do a fun countdown to baby. One of my sisters suggested a countdown chain, so that's what I did. I cut some patterned paper into strips and used a tape runner to connect them. Unfortunately, the tape runner was kind of cheap, so a bunch of the strips came undone and I had to re-make the chain using staples. It turned out really cute, and we hung it from some hooks in one of the corners in our living room. It's a fun little decoration as well as a reminder that we are now only 73 (!!!) days away from baby's due date.
Aside from all of the small things that need to be done before baby gets here (finishing the nursery - happening this weekend, actually!, washing small clothes, packing a hospital bag, etc), we don't have a lot of exciting things coming up. I have a breastfeeding basics and storage class in a few weeks, and my shower at the end of next month, and that's about all before baby comes (unless I'm missing something).
Speaking of how this will play out, we attended our birth and labor class a few weekends ago. The instructor was fun and didn't putz around, so we actually finished way ahead of schedule (like, 2.5 hours ahead of schedule). Some of the other preggos in the class asked some questions that I had on my mind, which was very helpful. Overall, I felt like the class was useful, so that's a win. After the class, we went on the hospital tour. The hospital is only a few years old, and they're finishing a remodel of the L&D unit, so everything is really new and fresh. We'll probably end up taking the tour again after the Breastfeeding class I signed up for in early May because the remodel will be done by then, and the unit will be different. They're opening up more L&D rooms, they built a bigger NICU, and they're adding doors to make it a locked unit. The rooms are really spacious - each one is private, and everything happens in that one room - labor, delivery, and postpartum. It's nice to not have to deal with switching from one room to another.
I had my 27 week OB appointment a couple weeks ago, and I got to do the lovely gestational diabetes screening. I was able to get the drink before my appointment, so the wait for the blood draw wasn't too bad. The appointment went well - my belly is still measuring on track, my weight gain was good (+2 lbs since last time, up a total of 8-9), and baby was really easy to find on the doppler. I was able to record a 5 second snip of his heartbeat on my phone, and I sent that to my mom and sisters - they loved it. The glucose test wasn't too bad really - I had my choice of orange or lemon-lime for the drink - I chose orange because I heard lemon-lime is gag-worthy. It tasted pretty much how I expected - like 1,000 melted popsicles mixed with flat Hi-C Orange from McDonald's. The results were posted on my online chart on Thursday, but I didn't get the official call until Friday (and of course I missed it, so they had to leave a voicemail). Thankfully it was good news - I passed! My result came back at 123 (the cutoff was 139). My next appointment is scheduled for 30 weeks (this upcoming Wednesday!), and then I'll start the every 2 weeks schedule. Crazy!!
I think I may have caught the nesting bug. Or maybe I just really want to get some spring cleaning done. Either way, I've been strangely motivated to get housework done lately - I've been mopping and vacuuming floors, organizing and rearranging rooms (so we can start getting nursery furniture bought/assembled), and I even did some stain treatment on some of the hand-me-down clothes we were given. I tried the miracle stain removal recipe that I've seen 1,000 times on Pinterest - two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part each of Dawn dish soap and baking soda. The first load of clothes that I washed came out with mixed results - most of the clothes came out looking like they had never been worn, some of them still had a little staining. I think not letting the mixture sit on the clothes for at least an hour is partly to blame. I re-treated and re-washed the remaining clothes, following the directions a bit more closely, and there was more improvement. There are a few outfits that still have a little bit of staining, but it really isn't that noticeable, and our kid is just going to spit up all over them anyway, so they're good enough in my book.
With the 3rd trimester sneaking up on me like this, I wanted to do a fun countdown to baby. One of my sisters suggested a countdown chain, so that's what I did. I cut some patterned paper into strips and used a tape runner to connect them. Unfortunately, the tape runner was kind of cheap, so a bunch of the strips came undone and I had to re-make the chain using staples. It turned out really cute, and we hung it from some hooks in one of the corners in our living room. It's a fun little decoration as well as a reminder that we are now only 73 (!!!) days away from baby's due date.
Aside from all of the small things that need to be done before baby gets here (finishing the nursery - happening this weekend, actually!, washing small clothes, packing a hospital bag, etc), we don't have a lot of exciting things coming up. I have a breastfeeding basics and storage class in a few weeks, and my shower at the end of next month, and that's about all before baby comes (unless I'm missing something).
08 March 2015
Viability and an Ultrasound
This week, I celebrated reaching the lovely 24 week viability milestone (I'm closer to 25 weeks now - I'm such a slacker). Obviously this isn't an invitation for baby to come any time soon, but knowing that we'd have a pretty good chance if that did happen is comforting.
A lot has happened since I last posted, so to keep myself organized and to keep this from getting too confusing, I decided to break things down under each topic.
ANATOMY SCAN
We had our anatomy scan the first week of February. Baby was kind of wiggly, so the sonographer had a little bit of difficulty getting some of the images she needed, but after a few tries, she was able to capture everything she needed. After the ultrasound, we talked with the MFM doctor and learned that he saw a very small VSD (ventricular septal defect - hole in the heart), but everything else looked perfect. He reassured us that the hole would likely heal itself before birth, and in the event that didn't happen, no surgical intervention would be needed - baby would just have a slight heart murmur during childhood. We scheduled a repeat ultrasound 4 weeks later so the MFM could have a better look at the status of the VSD.
SEX REVEAL
The week after the anatomy scan, I put together Valentine cards for family and some close friends, and included scratch-off cards that I bought from an Etsy seller. A lot of people really loved the cards, and the reveal inside was extra exciting. B's mom came over to get her card personally, so I was able to see her reaction in person, and my family got together at my parents' house and FaceTime'd to share their reaction. B's parents and one of my sisters guessed correctly (and a couple of our friends did as well) - baby is a BOY! B had been guessing girl since day 1, and I was pretty on board with that until the week of the anatomy scan. I started to feel like I was too set on having a girl, and thought the universe was going to trick me with a boy, and I was right. I was a little disappointed for about 2 seconds (I feel like an awful mom saying that) because I babysit 2 (sometimes 3) boys, but I'm really excited about our little guy. He'll even out our family - 2 boys (B and baby) and 2 girls (me and the cat).
A lot has happened since I last posted, so to keep myself organized and to keep this from getting too confusing, I decided to break things down under each topic.
ANATOMY SCAN
We had our anatomy scan the first week of February. Baby was kind of wiggly, so the sonographer had a little bit of difficulty getting some of the images she needed, but after a few tries, she was able to capture everything she needed. After the ultrasound, we talked with the MFM doctor and learned that he saw a very small VSD (ventricular septal defect - hole in the heart), but everything else looked perfect. He reassured us that the hole would likely heal itself before birth, and in the event that didn't happen, no surgical intervention would be needed - baby would just have a slight heart murmur during childhood. We scheduled a repeat ultrasound 4 weeks later so the MFM could have a better look at the status of the VSD.
SEX REVEAL
The week after the anatomy scan, I put together Valentine cards for family and some close friends, and included scratch-off cards that I bought from an Etsy seller. A lot of people really loved the cards, and the reveal inside was extra exciting. B's mom came over to get her card personally, so I was able to see her reaction in person, and my family got together at my parents' house and FaceTime'd to share their reaction. B's parents and one of my sisters guessed correctly (and a couple of our friends did as well) - baby is a BOY! B had been guessing girl since day 1, and I was pretty on board with that until the week of the anatomy scan. I started to feel like I was too set on having a girl, and thought the universe was going to trick me with a boy, and I was right. I was a little disappointed for about 2 seconds (I feel like an awful mom saying that) because I babysit 2 (sometimes 3) boys, but I'm really excited about our little guy. He'll even out our family - 2 boys (B and baby) and 2 girls (me and the cat).
OB CHECK-UP: 23 WEEKS
We had a standard check-up at 23 weeks, and everything was looking good. Between the 19 and 23 week appointments, I didn't gain any weight. I was a little worried this would result in a lecture from my OB, but she said that my weight gain is on a healthy path. She would be concerned by the lack of gain if I was 90 lbs, but because I'm already overweight, she said the lack of gain is most likely because I'm making smart food choices and keeping fairly active. Baby's heartbeat sounded great on the doppler (I didn't get a number), and we finished the appointment by discussing what to expect next time - the dreaded Glucose Tolerance test. I've been told by a few friends who have been through it already that it isn't that bad, and my OB gave me instructions to make it less of a time suck. Before my next appointment, I am supposed to stop by the lab, drink the sugar water solution, then go to my appointment. After the appointment, I'll go back to the lab and have the results drawn at the 1 hour mark, and I'll be done. It sounds like there will be a regular blood draw to check for anemia and just a finger poke to check the glucose levels, so it shouldn't be too bad.
VSD FOLLOW-UP
On Thursday, we had our follow-up ultrasound to check on the VSD. Baby was much more cooperative this time - the sonographer said he was an ultrasound model when she was getting pictures of his heart - until we tried to see his face. Apparently he was still sleepy, and he kept putting his arms in front of his face. He did flash us a quick peace sign, and we got a really sweet picture of his feet, so that was nice at least. Baby's measurements at the anatomy scan were a little on the high end of average (which scared me that I was going to have a giant baby), but at this appointment they were more on track. He was measuring about 3 days ahead, mostly because of his long legs (sounds like he'll be tall like B), but everything else was normal. We were very relieved after talking to the MFM doctor this time - the VSD has completely healed. Even though the problem wasn't very serious, I was a little worried about things, so I'm very happy to have one less potential issue to think about.
SPOILED
The family I babysit for was especially excited when they found out baby is a boy - they have spoiled us rotten with hand-me-downs. They've given us a bassinet, tons of clothes in newborn-6 months, and blankets and towels. This baby will never be naked - except for bath time. We are really lucky to have such generous friends. Also, I'm pretty sure I say this every time, but I've also been spoiled by an easy pregnancy. I never thought it would happen, but I'm one of those annoying women who actually enjoys being pregnant. Aside from the occasional heart burn or kick to a full bladder, everything has been a breeze (I think that's part of why I'm so worried about failing the glucose test). I like to think it's the good karma being paid back to us after having to go through so much crap to get to this point. Baby's movements are getting stronger, and I'm starting to feel them on the outside a little. B may have even felt a kick the other day - the trick to feeling movement has been for me to lean forward and squish baby a little so he has less space to move. I'm excited for him to continue growing and getting stronger so the movements are easier to feel and see.
CLASSES
I have signed up for 2 classes through our hospital. The first will be our Birth and Labor express class, coming up next weekend. We'll spend almost the whole day being traumatized by the miracle of birth :). I also signed up for a comprehensive breastfeeding course, which is scheduled for early May. It's hard to believe that it's already time to start thinking about these things - I'm pretty sure someone accidentally hit fast-forward on the Click remote.
So that's pretty much the whole update - like I said, we had a lot going on the past few weeks. And there's a lot to look forward to for the next update - a recap of our birthing class, glucose results, and the third trimester! Stay tuned :).
We had a standard check-up at 23 weeks, and everything was looking good. Between the 19 and 23 week appointments, I didn't gain any weight. I was a little worried this would result in a lecture from my OB, but she said that my weight gain is on a healthy path. She would be concerned by the lack of gain if I was 90 lbs, but because I'm already overweight, she said the lack of gain is most likely because I'm making smart food choices and keeping fairly active. Baby's heartbeat sounded great on the doppler (I didn't get a number), and we finished the appointment by discussing what to expect next time - the dreaded Glucose Tolerance test. I've been told by a few friends who have been through it already that it isn't that bad, and my OB gave me instructions to make it less of a time suck. Before my next appointment, I am supposed to stop by the lab, drink the sugar water solution, then go to my appointment. After the appointment, I'll go back to the lab and have the results drawn at the 1 hour mark, and I'll be done. It sounds like there will be a regular blood draw to check for anemia and just a finger poke to check the glucose levels, so it shouldn't be too bad.
VSD FOLLOW-UP
On Thursday, we had our follow-up ultrasound to check on the VSD. Baby was much more cooperative this time - the sonographer said he was an ultrasound model when she was getting pictures of his heart - until we tried to see his face. Apparently he was still sleepy, and he kept putting his arms in front of his face. He did flash us a quick peace sign, and we got a really sweet picture of his feet, so that was nice at least. Baby's measurements at the anatomy scan were a little on the high end of average (which scared me that I was going to have a giant baby), but at this appointment they were more on track. He was measuring about 3 days ahead, mostly because of his long legs (sounds like he'll be tall like B), but everything else was normal. We were very relieved after talking to the MFM doctor this time - the VSD has completely healed. Even though the problem wasn't very serious, I was a little worried about things, so I'm very happy to have one less potential issue to think about.
SPOILED
The family I babysit for was especially excited when they found out baby is a boy - they have spoiled us rotten with hand-me-downs. They've given us a bassinet, tons of clothes in newborn-6 months, and blankets and towels. This baby will never be naked - except for bath time. We are really lucky to have such generous friends. Also, I'm pretty sure I say this every time, but I've also been spoiled by an easy pregnancy. I never thought it would happen, but I'm one of those annoying women who actually enjoys being pregnant. Aside from the occasional heart burn or kick to a full bladder, everything has been a breeze (I think that's part of why I'm so worried about failing the glucose test). I like to think it's the good karma being paid back to us after having to go through so much crap to get to this point. Baby's movements are getting stronger, and I'm starting to feel them on the outside a little. B may have even felt a kick the other day - the trick to feeling movement has been for me to lean forward and squish baby a little so he has less space to move. I'm excited for him to continue growing and getting stronger so the movements are easier to feel and see.
CLASSES
I have signed up for 2 classes through our hospital. The first will be our Birth and Labor express class, coming up next weekend. We'll spend almost the whole day being traumatized by the miracle of birth :). I also signed up for a comprehensive breastfeeding course, which is scheduled for early May. It's hard to believe that it's already time to start thinking about these things - I'm pretty sure someone accidentally hit fast-forward on the Click remote.
So that's pretty much the whole update - like I said, we had a lot going on the past few weeks. And there's a lot to look forward to for the next update - a recap of our birthing class, glucose results, and the third trimester! Stay tuned :).
04 February 2015
Halfway
I seriously cannot believe that this baby is basically halfway baked. Time is really flying by, and it's awesome. I love that we're only 20-ish weeks away from meeting the current resident of my uterus. Said uterus occupant can be quite a little party pants - I've been feeling more and more movement as the weeks go on, and I'm looking forward to when B will finally be able to feel it too.
I am so lucky (knock on wood) that pregnancy continues to be easy breezy. My biggest complaint is having to sleep on my side - it's harder for me to get comfortable, but once I fall asleep, I usually sleep okay. There were a few nights last week that were pretty awful thanks to a stress induced muscle knot in my shoulder that kept me awake 2 nights in a row, but B was nice enough to massage it out at 1 am and life was better.
I had an OB appointment on Wednesday the 28th, and everything was looking good. I was instructed to gain 2 lbs by that appointment, and I was worried because my scale kept saying I lost weight. Thankfully the scale at the doctor's office disagreed - I had gained 2.5 lbs, and I didn't need a weight gain suggestion this time. The top of my uterus is around my belly button, but sassy baby has decided to hang out on my bladder. I asked Dr. M for the heart rate this time because not knowing has been eating me up - it was a strong 142 bpm.
Our anatomy scan is finally coming up, and I'm so excited and also a little nervous. It will be nice to know who this baby is so we can start planning better. I'm hoping that baby is healthy and everything is in good working order - one of B's relative's baby will need heart surgery after birth, and that news has made me more anxious for the anatomy scan.
B gave me the green light to do a fun little reveal of baby's sex in the form of some fun Valentine cards. They may not arrive in time for Valentine's Day but hopefully people still enjoy them. I'm looking forward to having a secret for a little while.
I'm pretty much over my main aversion to hamburger - just in time, too, because I'm getting so sick of eating the same 5 meals every week. I should really look through my "What to Eat When You're Expecting" book (a Goodwill find) to get some new, baby-friendly meal ideas ... Hopefully there are some that B will actually enjoy as well.
That's pretty much all there is to update for now. Life is good.
B gave me the green light to do a fun little reveal of baby's sex in the form of some fun Valentine cards. They may not arrive in time for Valentine's Day but hopefully people still enjoy them. I'm looking forward to having a secret for a little while.
I'm pretty much over my main aversion to hamburger - just in time, too, because I'm getting so sick of eating the same 5 meals every week. I should really look through my "What to Eat When You're Expecting" book (a Goodwill find) to get some new, baby-friendly meal ideas ... Hopefully there are some that B will actually enjoy as well.
That's pretty much all there is to update for now. Life is good.
10 January 2015
16 Weeks Update
I should have written/posted this on Tuesday, when my weeks start, but I've just been so tired! Better late than never I guess. This would probably be a lot easier if I would use one of those easy survey things, but I'm stubborn, and I'm going to do this freestyle.
As far as symptoms go, things have been mellow - not surprising because the second trimester is supposed to be fairly easy, and really, I've had very few issues overall(knock on wood). I had an OB appointment on New Year's Eve morning, and the doctor was able to find baby's heartbeat right away, but I didn't get a number. She was pretty happy with how things are progressing, and gave me a goal of gaining 2 lbs by my next appointment. I'm pretty sure that's an easy target, although I do need to work on making better lunch choices during the week (rough translation: I need to be less lazy and make actual food for lunch). My next appointment is close to the end of the month, and the following week we'll finally have another ultrasound (which is already causing some controversy, so that should be fun).
Sleep has mostly been pretty good - I usually get up at least once to go to the bathroom, which is manageable. I'm not the biggest fan of sleeping on my side, but I'm trying to get in the habit of it anyway. We recently got a very much needed new mattress. B isn't the biggest fan of it, but he's learning to like it. I like it most nights, although it is pretty firm, and combined with a firm pillow, it can be a little much.
Apparently I should be feeling movement soon. I'm looking forward to that for sure. I had one experience that had me thinking maybe ... But I'm still undecided. I was laying on the sofa napping one morning and had a weird leg twitch, and then a few seconds later, it felt like someone tapped their fingers on my insides. Maybe it was a weird side effect from the leg twitch - I haven't felt it again, so it's hard to tell.
Between my food preparation laziness and the stress and frustration that accompanies watching a very rambunctious (and that's putting it lightly) toddler, I'm a little worried that I'm damaging our baby. I'm worried that I'm not feeding it enough of the right foods, or that all the stress hormones are going to cause complications, and then I realize that being worried isn't great either. Not having any ultrasounds for 2 months is basically driving me crazy. I sometimes wonder if a Doppler would make the situation better - having the ability to at least find a heartbeat would be nice, but I'd probably want to check it all the time, plus even used ones are kind of expensive. I'll just have to suck it up and wait.
That's pretty much everything that's been going on lately - really nothing too exciting, but I'm okay with uneventful.
As far as symptoms go, things have been mellow - not surprising because the second trimester is supposed to be fairly easy, and really, I've had very few issues overall(knock on wood). I had an OB appointment on New Year's Eve morning, and the doctor was able to find baby's heartbeat right away, but I didn't get a number. She was pretty happy with how things are progressing, and gave me a goal of gaining 2 lbs by my next appointment. I'm pretty sure that's an easy target, although I do need to work on making better lunch choices during the week (rough translation: I need to be less lazy and make actual food for lunch). My next appointment is close to the end of the month, and the following week we'll finally have another ultrasound (which is already causing some controversy, so that should be fun).
Sleep has mostly been pretty good - I usually get up at least once to go to the bathroom, which is manageable. I'm not the biggest fan of sleeping on my side, but I'm trying to get in the habit of it anyway. We recently got a very much needed new mattress. B isn't the biggest fan of it, but he's learning to like it. I like it most nights, although it is pretty firm, and combined with a firm pillow, it can be a little much.
Apparently I should be feeling movement soon. I'm looking forward to that for sure. I had one experience that had me thinking maybe ... But I'm still undecided. I was laying on the sofa napping one morning and had a weird leg twitch, and then a few seconds later, it felt like someone tapped their fingers on my insides. Maybe it was a weird side effect from the leg twitch - I haven't felt it again, so it's hard to tell.
Between my food preparation laziness and the stress and frustration that accompanies watching a very rambunctious (and that's putting it lightly) toddler, I'm a little worried that I'm damaging our baby. I'm worried that I'm not feeding it enough of the right foods, or that all the stress hormones are going to cause complications, and then I realize that being worried isn't great either. Not having any ultrasounds for 2 months is basically driving me crazy. I sometimes wonder if a Doppler would make the situation better - having the ability to at least find a heartbeat would be nice, but I'd probably want to check it all the time, plus even used ones are kind of expensive. I'll just have to suck it up and wait.
That's pretty much everything that's been going on lately - really nothing too exciting, but I'm okay with uneventful.
25 December 2014
Silence is Golden
Holy shit - I haven't posted here in over 2 months. I feel super guilty about neglecting this space, and as always, I have excuses for why I've been away. The first is that I've been incredibly busy and exhausted lately. I've been doing a bit of babysitting, and the kids keep me running constantly. By the end of the night, I have no brain power left. And the second excuse ... I feel like this is a non-announcement announcement ... Given the fact that I wasn't here bitching and swearing after beta day, I think it's probably obvious - I'm pregnant! 14 weeks and a few days to be exact. (That still feels very weird to write/say.)
Going through IVF was a very interesting and intense experience. The stim drugs weren't too bad - it was a minor psychological battle the first couple of shots, but once I got back into the groove (this wasn't my first rodeo with injectables), it wasn't a big deal. I gave myself Lupron shots in a movie theater bathroom stall and a Qdoba bathroom, and Brent gave me PIO injections in our car twice - once at a friend's wedding, and once before a concert in downtown Milwaukee. We were professionals. The bloating and discomfort that come from over-stimulating egg production is no joke. It definitely made for some interesting days, but having a strong retrieval was well worth it. We ended up collecting 20 eggs - 17 were mature, 15 fertilized normally, 13 grew at a good rate, and in the end, we had 5 great quality embryos. Two were transferred, and three of them are waiting for us in the embryology lab freezer. The weirdest part of the whole process was the retrieval itself. I didn't realize that instead of a full, knocked out anesthesia, I would be getting a weird Twilight anesthesia, and I still have a funny feeling about it. I feel like I was too present, and I felt (and remember feeling) more than I was supposed to feel. I remember the weird pain-ish feeling of the long needle used to aspirated the follicles poking my insides, and I don't think that's normal. Thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. Anyway, the transfer was perfect, the 2 week wait was minimally annoying, and I managed to follow through on not testing at home before the beta. We ended up having 3 draws done to make sure the hcg was rising the way it should, and the values were doubling pretty perfectly - 152, 323, and 724.
Our first ultrasound had been scheduled for around 7 weeks, but a minor scare (that felt pretty major at the time) bumped our ultrasound up a few days. We were reassured by a strong heartbeat and a view of one healthy little blob. My favorite part about IVF was getting ultrasounds every 2 weeks in the beginning - seeing the changes at every appointment was amazing (I'm pretty sure my brain is going to explode when I see how different the baby looks after 8 weeks between ultrasounds). At our 8 week appointment, we saw perfect growth and a heartbeat of 178, which seemed to impress the doctor and made us feel more confident in everything, and at 10 weeks, we graduated from the fertility clinic after seeing a heartbeat of 180 and a very wiggly little gummy bear shaped baby. Graduating was a little bittersweet for me -Ii had grown quite attached to the nurses, so I was sad to say goodbye to them, but having a healthy baby growing (and not needing to go to appointments an hour away from home all the time) was very exciting.
I scheduled my first OB visit in early December, and everything was perfect at that appointment as well ... And I just feel like I'm probably dreaming all of this because it seems too good to be true. We told family and close friends as we reached different milestones at the early ultrasounds, and we recently made it Facebook official as well (which totally freaked me out, honestly).
I'm still trying to decide how I plan to document the rest of this pregnancy around here. Maybe weekly-ish updates on things. Or every 2 weeks. Or something, I don't know. All I really know right now is I am so incredibly thankful to be where I am right now - it's been a long time coming.
Going through IVF was a very interesting and intense experience. The stim drugs weren't too bad - it was a minor psychological battle the first couple of shots, but once I got back into the groove (this wasn't my first rodeo with injectables), it wasn't a big deal. I gave myself Lupron shots in a movie theater bathroom stall and a Qdoba bathroom, and Brent gave me PIO injections in our car twice - once at a friend's wedding, and once before a concert in downtown Milwaukee. We were professionals. The bloating and discomfort that come from over-stimulating egg production is no joke. It definitely made for some interesting days, but having a strong retrieval was well worth it. We ended up collecting 20 eggs - 17 were mature, 15 fertilized normally, 13 grew at a good rate, and in the end, we had 5 great quality embryos. Two were transferred, and three of them are waiting for us in the embryology lab freezer. The weirdest part of the whole process was the retrieval itself. I didn't realize that instead of a full, knocked out anesthesia, I would be getting a weird Twilight anesthesia, and I still have a funny feeling about it. I feel like I was too present, and I felt (and remember feeling) more than I was supposed to feel. I remember the weird pain-ish feeling of the long needle used to aspirated the follicles poking my insides, and I don't think that's normal. Thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. Anyway, the transfer was perfect, the 2 week wait was minimally annoying, and I managed to follow through on not testing at home before the beta. We ended up having 3 draws done to make sure the hcg was rising the way it should, and the values were doubling pretty perfectly - 152, 323, and 724.
Our first ultrasound had been scheduled for around 7 weeks, but a minor scare (that felt pretty major at the time) bumped our ultrasound up a few days. We were reassured by a strong heartbeat and a view of one healthy little blob. My favorite part about IVF was getting ultrasounds every 2 weeks in the beginning - seeing the changes at every appointment was amazing (I'm pretty sure my brain is going to explode when I see how different the baby looks after 8 weeks between ultrasounds). At our 8 week appointment, we saw perfect growth and a heartbeat of 178, which seemed to impress the doctor and made us feel more confident in everything, and at 10 weeks, we graduated from the fertility clinic after seeing a heartbeat of 180 and a very wiggly little gummy bear shaped baby. Graduating was a little bittersweet for me -Ii had grown quite attached to the nurses, so I was sad to say goodbye to them, but having a healthy baby growing (and not needing to go to appointments an hour away from home all the time) was very exciting.
I scheduled my first OB visit in early December, and everything was perfect at that appointment as well ... And I just feel like I'm probably dreaming all of this because it seems too good to be true. We told family and close friends as we reached different milestones at the early ultrasounds, and we recently made it Facebook official as well (which totally freaked me out, honestly).
I'm still trying to decide how I plan to document the rest of this pregnancy around here. Maybe weekly-ish updates on things. Or every 2 weeks. Or something, I don't know. All I really know right now is I am so incredibly thankful to be where I am right now - it's been a long time coming.
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