7 Weeks (taken in the morning) – I’m starting to think that might actually be a baby bulge, not a fat bulge…
7 Weeks (October 30, 2013)
Category Archives: First Pregnancy
First Doctor’s Visit in One Week… and Counting
One week from tomorrow, November 6th, is my first doctor’s appointment. I can honestly say that I have never been more ready, anxious and excited to go to the doctor… EVER. Everyone tells you to relax and to not over think things, but really, it’s not 100% possible. For the most part, I go through my days happily and without worry; however, without fail, my mind seems to wander to that scary place at least once a day.
This morning it started pretty early… 5:45 am to be exact. I was straightening my hair and found myself googling, “would I know if my baby’s heart stopped beating – first trimester,” on my phone. Like I’ve mentioned, this week I’ve felt pretty darn good. I’ve had little bouts of symptoms – nausea, headache, heartburn, emotion overflow, exhaustion – but nothing that really changes my step. As much as I’m grateful for feeling great, I’m also longing for some gut-wrenching vomiting. No, I do not enjoy vomitting, but I did read that momma-to-be’s who throw up are way less likely to miscarry. I’d for sure take some barfing to ensure our little baby is going to stay with us.
So, back to my googling and what I learned… Pretty much nothing. As with most pregnancy-related things, it’s different for all women. Some people will experience the same symptoms of a miscarriage if their baby’s heart stops beating… however, this could take days for some women and months for others. Some people don’t. So I guess I just have to wait for my appointment to make sure everything is going well.
Which actually has me thinking… I hope they’ll do an ultrasound at this visit. All I know is that it’s 1.5 hours and I’m not seeing the doctor.
Does anyone know what this appointment consists of?
Symptoms
Sheesh… can you tell I’ve been in “a mood” this week? For some reason, I’ve been super gloomy the past few days. I’ve been pretty happy when I’m home, but not so much when I’m at work. I feel very tired and worn out and could use a little break. Maybe this weekend I’ll be able to get a little R&R. That might help.
On the positive, I did in fact work out last night! And actually, despite the fact that I felt so tired on my way over, I had a great workout. I go to a place called 9rounds, and absolutely love it. It’s a 30-minute, kickboxing circuit workout. I let them know that I’m in the early stage of pregnancy and they were able to adjust my workout, which was great. And, even better, I’ve got sore arms to show for it. As much as muscle-soreness is a pain (literally), I kind of love it. It’s nice proof that you did in fact work your bod. I’m going to try and make it again tonight.
I was supposed to head to a friend’s for dinner after work, but she cancelled this am. Now, the night is mine! And, since I was the one who was making / bringing dinner, the hubs and I will be ready to go when I get home from the gym.
High School: 10 Years Later
The Reunion (Saturday, October 26, 2013)…
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been dreading this past weekend for a while now, because this weekend was my 10-Year High School Reunion. So, why was a I dreading it (if it’s not obvious)?
- The superficial conversations.
- The judging.
- My insecurities.
- My pregnancy secret.
- The fact that my pregnancy secret would prevent me from tipping back enough drinks to forget about my insecurities.
HOWEVER, to my surprise, I actually had a great time. The superficial conversations were at a total minimum and I was able to catch up with some friends I hadn’t seen in a heck of a long time. In fact, I ran into one friend who I literally hadn’t seen since high school and it was SO nice catching up. She actually lives by me… very exciting news!
As for the dreaded judging, there was definitely still judging, but I was too excited to catch up with old friends to notice too much of it. And my insecurities… these actually almost got the best of me thanks to my husband. Sometimes men are just so dumb. In his attempt to “help me,” he informed me that he didn’t like my eye makeup. I spent about 10 minutes trying to fix it, while holding back tears. But, I toughed it out, my husband apologized for being a dick and we had a great time!
Regarding the whole no one knows I’m pregnant thing, my secret turned out to be pretty easy to keep. I strategically went to the bar when no one was around and ordered a club soda with lemon. Being that my normal drink is a vodka soda water with lemon, it was an easy fool. Plus, the reality is, no one cared enough to play detective… and thankfully, I left before any shots were taken!
So, all-in-all, it was a pretty fun night! Also, a learning opportunity for me. Who knew I didn’t need a drink to kill the nerves?
This is what happens when I ask my husband to take a photo…
For your enjoyment, my senior quote: “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” I had it listed as “anonymous”… turns out those are the wise words of Tim McGraw.
The Birthday Celebration
Sweet Carolyn Making a Wish!
Yesterday was a great day celebrating a really great friend. We were off to a little bit of a rocky start due to some friction between our friends fiance and us girls, but thankfully, it didn’t cloud our day! We picked the thirty, flirty and thriving Carolyn up at around 10:15 am for a delicious brunch at the River Club. After we were thoroughly stuffed, we took the birthday girl to Neroli for a prenatal massage (our sweet Carolyn is 15 weeks into her pregnancy with her first little nugget). When Carrie was done with the rub down, we were all waiting for her with the sweetest little ducky onesie you’ve ever seen.
THE cutest little onesie gowns!
Then, it was time for a mani / pedi and some coffee. Once she was thoroughly pampered, we took her back to my house, where I had some delicious treats (non-alcoholic beer bread and cheese ball dip from Tastefully Simple) ready and dinner on the stove. Unfortunately, our sweet Carrie’s man couldn’t get over the tension to join us for dinner, but all the other men were able to come, which was great! We all sat together around the table and celebrated a truly amazing woman. Although I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like, I just love my girls.
My lovely ladies!
Symptoms
Today I am officially 6 weeks and 5 days pregnant, and I’ve gotta say, I feel pretty good. The biggest symptoms I’ve been having is feeling bloated, a bit nauseous and feeling extremely sensitive. And actually last night, my hands and feet were feeling very puffy. So much so, I put a huge pillow under my legs in the middle of the night. I think that helped, but the big reminder is that I need to get my ass to the gym to keep my circulation going. I’m going tonight, no matter what! You can hold me accountable.
I’m also very tired. I got a pretty decent amount of sleep this weekend and last night, so I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or the fact that it’s Monday… but either way, I’m ready to curl up with my hubs for the night.
Engagements and birthdays and babies… oh my!
I’ve decided that my life has never been any better than it has been this past year. Last night I met my sweet little Erica – a friend who I’ve known since 1st grade – for our monthly happy hour. Last time we met, I was 3 weeks and 2 days pregnant and 99% convinced I was with-child; although, I had no test to prove it. Being that most of our happy hour visits include at least 2-3 glasses of wine each, my little drinking partner noticed my lack of consumption. I had told her about all of my symptoms and that I thought I might be pregnant, and we left it at that. SO, I was excited to see her last night and confirm that I was right!
BUT, everything got way better and so much more exciting upon arrival. Erica started telling me about her recent trip that weekend to the Smoky Mountains with her long-term, live-in boyfriend (who is just perfect for her). She told me this great story about taking a walk in a field and coming across this huge pack (or herd?)… whatever, a group of elk. She said they just stood there watching and Jake (the bf) took tons of pictures. I’m a visual person, so of course, I was anxious to see them.
She handed me her phone and told me to scroll to the left. I’m going through the pictures, loving these giant elk, when all of a sudden, I came across THIS ONE:
The beautiful & perfectly happy Erica & her future hubs
Obviously, my reaction was something like… “SHUT UP! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD! YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!” All the while, my eyes are welling up. Now you have to understand, we all knew that Erica and Jake would be getting engaged SOMEDAY… but we always joke that every time it rains, Erica pushes back her timeline. Like, “We were going to get engaged this year, but did you see that rain? Now we have to pick up sticks this weekend. We’ll probably push back the engagement a few years.” It’s not really THAT bad, but kind of… regardless, it was such a happy moment to hear that they were finally making the commitment and entering into such a happy time together.
Now, onto the goods… how amazing is that ring? Just under 2 carats of flawless beauty. Her lovey designed the ring himself, including all of the engraving. Beautiful!
That’s a lot of bling!
So, we started talking about how to tell the other 3 girlies in our little group, which was a blast. We have a pretty fun idea planned. BUT, Erica was saying how she wanted to wait to tell them until after the weekend because we are celebrating our beautiful friend Carrie’s 30th birthday on Sunday and she didn’t want to take away from her day. She was mentioning how she hoped all the other girls would be excited with everything going on in their lives and I said, “yeah, I wonder how they’ll react to me being pregnant.” She said, “Yeah… wait what? You are? I KNEW IT!!”
We spent the next couple hours reminding each other of the other’s new situation… “You’re getting married!” “I know… you’re pregnant!” “Holy shit!” Don’t you just love girl friends? Mine really are the best!
She’s getting married!!!!
I feel like this post should end, “And they all lived happily ever after.” It’s just so amazing to see everyone so happy and to be so happy. Every day gets better. Even just the little things. I laid in bed with my hubs this morning for a good 30-45 minutes just chatting and laughing. It just felt so simple and amazing. I’m very grateful.
Symptoms
Still feeling happy, alert and chipper today (can you tell?)! I find myself getting pretty darn tired at night, but am otherwise feeling great. And actually, I don’t even really feel nauseous today.
I will say that I slept like a ROCK last night. My head hit the pillow at 10 and I didn’t wake up until my husband got up for a drink of water this morning at 6. It’s crazy because my husband was also out last night and didn’t get home until 11pm, which means that I slept through him coming home and my dog’s very verbal welcome. That’s success.
Oh! The other thing I discovered yesterday is that nylons are the devil. I had to get up and take my nylons off in the bathroom at work yesterday by about 2 pm because I felt like they were trying to kill me. To counteract yesterday’s horribly uncomfortable outfit, today I’m in a sweater, black leggings and riding boots. RELIEF!
6 Weeks, 2 Days (October 25, 2013)
6 Weeks, 2 Days (taken in the morning) – Don’t be fooled by the bulge… I’ve always had a little bit of a tum.
Goodbye Gummies, Hello Horse Pill
As I mentioned before, beginning a few months before my pregnancy and up until Monday, I was taking Target brand Gummy Prenatal Vitamins with the VitaFusion Prenatal DHA + Folic Acid supplement. I can’t remember exactly what prompted me to look further into vitamins (maybe a babycenter.com email), but either way, I got to Googling. Pretty quickly, I came across this list of suggested prenatal vitamin ingredients from WebMD:
After comparing my gummy vits to WebMD’s list, I discovered that my supplements were falling short. There was no iron whatsoever in them and other values were too low. This prompted further Googling and the eventual purchase of Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multi Tablet and Oceans Mom Prenatal DHA from the Vitamin Shoppe.
Here’s my reasoning…
Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multi Tablet
PROs:
- All requirements are met or exceeded
- All ingredients are 100% natural
- Only one pill per day (some vitamins required up to 6 per day!)
- Rainbow Light is a well-reviewed brand
- When I went to the Vitamin Shoppe, the guy confirmed my research – this brand is the most purchased at the store for Prenatals
CONs:
- The pill is GIANT – make sure to take it during a time when you’re not feeling like you want to throw up… because this thing is big and smells funny.
PROs:
- There weren’t a lot of options for DHA supplements, which are essentially Omega 3’s, so this choice was pretty simple.
CONs:
- As with all fishy Omega 3’s, this thing smells like shit. The box says something about a “yummy strawberry flavor,” but I’m calling bluff. Just toss it in and knock it back.
As of now, I’m happy with my vitamin choices. However, I must mention that the first day I took the new vitamins, I was super shocked to see that my pee looked radioactive. I almost had to Google, “why is my pee so yellow pregnant.” (FYI: that’s my Googling technique… question and throw in the word pregnant.) Thankfully, before I could worry too much, I remembered I had switched vitamins and knew that this was just my body’s way of releasing the unneeded nutrients.
So, at this point, everything seems to be working and I’ve actually been feeling great. Maybe my new vitamins are part of my recent chipperness? Or maybe it’s just because I’m pregnant and beyond excited! Either or…
Symptoms
I’ve been feeling pretty darn great lately. I think I’m getting used to the faint nausea and it’s not really bothering me so much anymore. I’ve even been feeling way less bloated and way more myself – weight and everything is pretty normal. I’m guessing this has to do with the fact that I’ve been back to my normal diet which includes between 1200-1500 calories / day depending on exercise. (Yes, this seems low, but I am 5′ nothing. I’ve looked this number up and it is what it should be! Also, as an FYI, turns out you don’t actually get to “eat for two” when you’re pregnant. More like, increase your diet by 300 calories starting in your second trimester – sometimes first depending on your current weight situation. Google: “how much should I eat when pregnant” or check out this link from WebMD)
Last night after work – on my way to my bi-weekly mani with my mom and sister – I was feeling so uncomfortable. I wish I could have videoed the ride because I was literally using the automatic seat decline to move up and down for about 15 minutes, trying to find a comfortable position. I wasn’t crampy or anything… just achy and uncomfortable. I think the discomfort was mostly in my lower back. Again, it wasn’t pain at all… just couldn’t find a comfortable position. Thankfully, the joy of mani-time distracted me from any and all discomfort.
In terms of sleep, I became exhausted around 8 pm. Finally, just before 9, I had to call it quits. I collapsed in bed, and slept decently well. I turned on a few songs to fall asleep to and only remember hearing about 15 seconds of one. I woke up at around 1 to go to the bathroom and then I was out of bed around 5:45. All in all, pretty successful. Although I will say, I notice I’m not sleeping in the same way anymore. I’m a total back-sleeper normally and actually sometimes cross my arms over my chest to take full mummy form and then lay still for the complete duration of my sleep. This is not my reality anymore. I am constantly tossing and turning… from my back to my side and even onto my stomach, searching for a comfortable position. I think I’m going to do some research and invest in a pregnancy pillow. I feel like I want to be in a cocoon of pillow, totally nestled in. Keep you posted on any purchases.
Lastly, this morning I woke up feeling insecure about the fact that I’ve been feeling so great. Does feeling great equate to something happening (or not happening) to the baby? Or should I just relax and enjoy it while it lasts?
“My parents went to Fiji and all I got was… my LIFE!”
Yes, I will be making a onesie that says exactly that… Because, as far as I’m concerned, our little lentil (yes, today, the baby is the size of a lentil) was conceived on our belated honeymoon. Technically my fertile week fell partly in Fiji and partly in Wisconsin, but I’m sticking with a Fijian conception. Much more romantic than the Cheese State.
The Honeymoon
My husband and I originally planned to get married on August 25, 2013, but due to my impatience and a slew of other reasons, we moved up our wedding to March 17, 2013. Our date adjustment turned wedding planning into wedding planning on drugs. We kicked it into high-gear and had an amazing wedding planned in 3 months. During that time, I also started a new job, and we purchased and moved into our new home. I think the saying is, “go big or go home,” right? We decided to go big and then go to our newly purchased home.
Anyway, I digress. My point is that with all the chaos surrounding our move and wedding, we had decided to delay our honeymoon until we could a) spend more time planning it, b) make sure we had enough (or any) money, and c) breathe. So, after months of online shopping for a honeymoon destination, we finally broke down and went to a travel agent, who led us to Fiji. From what we could see online, there was no way we could go to Fiji on the budget we had set, but with some buy-one-get-one-half-off airline tickets, we were convinced we could fit it into our budget. Of course, the trip was way over budget, but that’s beyond the point. The reality is that it was so darn worth it. We were able to relax and celebrate 6 months of marriage in the happiest and most beautiful place in the world. We also got to explore the underworld on 10 SCUBA dives and check out the air above while parasailing. Did I mention that we hung out with dolphins and saw humpback whales? I miss Fiji.
The happiest place on Earth.
Body Prep
So, some background: about 3 or 4 months before the wedding, I decided to get off of birth control. I had seen my sister and a friend struggle for a year to get pregnant and just knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle that. So I figured, I would cleanse my body of birth control so that when we were ready to try, my body would also be ready. To note, beginning a few months before we started trying to conceive, I also started taking prenatal vitamins. They were gummy, but regardless, I was taking them.
Now fast forward back to the honeymoon… we had decided that it would be just about the coolest souvenir in the world to bring home a baby from our honeymoon, so we decided to officially stop trying not to have a baby in Fiji. Now, don’t get me wrong… we weren’t trying… we were NOT not trying…. I think there is a difference.
So, the moral of the whole story is that we went, we didn’t not try, we had the time of our lives, and along with a beautiful golden Fijian pearl, a hand-carved bowl, tons of random knick-knacks, and an endless amount of photos and videos, my husband and I brought home a baby.
Future parents…
Symptoms
Today I woke up feeling amazing. I was happy, energetic, and ready to take on the day. So far, I’ve only had very mild nausea and I’m just feeling good. Maybe my little baby is celebrating her 6 week birthday and in doing so, has granted me a little break. Or maybe it’s just part of the swing of things.
Speaking of swing of things, last night I had the most absurd meltdown with my husband over a pillow. I’m not going to get into the details, because honestly, it was bizarre and hard to explain without rambling, but it ended with us “playing” tug-of-war with a pillow. By the time we were physically pulling on the pillow, we were both laughing, but the “pillow mishap” did not begin as a joke. So bizarre. Whatever… I’ll write that off as a pregnancy snafu.
Think skinny thoughts…
For the past 8 or so months, I have been celebrating my slimmed down, wedding body. It was about 3 years (50 diets and endless workouts) in the making, but I had successfully dropped all of my early-mid 20’s, binge-drinking and after-bar-eating weight and gotten back to a size I didn’t think I’d see again. I was even to the point where I felt comfortable eating lunch in nothing but my bikini (oh how I miss my honeymoon). That was a dream of mine. Yes, it’s a strange one, but I have always aspired to feel comfortable hunched over a cheeseburger in my bikini. Whatever… everyone has to have goals.
Anyway, my point is not to praise my wedding-bod, but to wish it good luck for a relatively slender future.
I’ve spoken to many mommas who claim to have lost weight in their first trimester. I am barely half-way through mine and I swear to you, I’m feeling thicker. Two weeks ago, I went to Banana Republic and tried on this super cute, simple black dress for my dreaded 10-year reunion this weekend. The dress looked great. I decided to order it online last week and it arrived last night. I excitedly tried it on and… needless to say, I will NOT be wearing that cute little dress. I literally looked pregnant.
That might be a weird statement because I am pregnant… but not as pregnant as I looked. Woof.
BUT, just for fun, I puffed out my buddah belly in front of the mirror again and decided that the dress would be ADORABLE if I were 6 months pregnant and not trying to keep my early pregnancy a secret from my graduating class.
I ended up deciding to wear a black dress that I already have. Win-Win… It’s slimming where it needs to be and will allow me to shove my face with some delicious food at the reunion without giving away my secret AND my husband will be quite pleased with the fact that I’m not buying more clothing.
As for my growing belly, I am going to be working hard to manage my portions. That’s really my issue. I love healthy food… I just love a lot of it.
Tonight, we’re actually having my cousin, Amy, over for dinner… I’m making white sauce chicken pizza and garlic sauce pizza, cheesy garlic bread and a Caesar salad. The girl has dietary restrictions, so we had to make a meal with no: meat, tomatoes, spicy, beans, peppers, and acidic food. So, tonight won’t be the model for my healthy eating, but it will be delicious. We can’t be perfect every day, right?
Healthy eating ends at lunch and will resume tomorrow… we’re having my Milly’s AMAZING Soy-Glazed Salmon with Brussels Sprouts Rice.
Symptoms
I slept through the night all the way until my husband’s alarm went off at 6 am! That’s 7 hours all the way through. I’m pretty happy about that. In terms of morning sickness, my worst times are definitely in the morning through maybe 1 pm or so and then later in the evening. In the mornings, I’m pretty queasy. Breakfast is becoming a thing of the past, although, I’m still able to choke down my morning “shake”… which is more like juice.
It includes:
Leaves of 4 pieces of Kale (stems removed)
1 cup frozen Strawberries
1/2 cup fresh Parsley
1 Banana
1 cup Juice and/or Water
1 teaspoon Ground Flaxseed
(recipe is for 2 servings, apx: 100 calories per serving)
It’s delicious. My husband and I both love it.
After the smoothie, I’m pretty spent on food. At least until lunch. In terms of the evenings, the nausea returns and comes accompanied by a whopping headache and severe exhaustion. Last night, I may have fallen asleep mid-conversation. It was crazy. I was up, folding laundry and putting everything away when all of a sudden it hit me. As I got closer to making it through my pre-bed routine, I became even more exhausted until I collapsed in bed. I think even my face was tired.
Anyway, I’d love to continue, but I have to pee.
Actually, one more important note before sign-off… I couldn’t be happier! I have a good feeling about this little sesame seed and am feeling very grateful. The cramping seems to be gone and the other side-effects as well. I’m feeling fat, healthy and happy!
Big Weekend!
Saturday, October 19. 2013
After a failed attempt at telling my parents on Friday evening, we decided to try again on Saturday. My brother was in town for a wedding and my niece and nephew were staying at my parents for the weekend. The husband and I went over there for lunch and after we ate, I pulled out a bag of goodies. I had some furry slap bracelets for the kids (something to preoccupy them during my reveal), and some “honeymoon souvenirs” to show my mom. With my niece on my mom’s lap, I showed her some necklaces and then pulled out a box and said, “Mom, look at this one. It’s my favorite from our trip.”
In total “my mom style,” she half-ass started opening the box, attention lost on the surroundings. With me standing at her side, she finally got the box open and in it was a card. I helped her open the card (because her attention was almost completely lost at this time), which read, “Baby Lang – Due 6-18-14” and had a positive pregnancy test stuck to it. My mom made her weird, “I’m not paying attention” laugh and then just stared at the card. It felt like forever, but FINALLY, she got it! She looked at me and screamed, “WHAT!” and burst into tears. All the while, my poor brother is just staring at us like, “What the f is on that card??”
Ahhhh relief!
Later in the evening, we had Mark’s mom and grandpa over to celebrate my Milly (mother-in-law)’s birthday. I made Indian food, we played a game of Clue, and then had birthday cake and opened presents. We gave his mom her birthday card and some flowers first, and then gave her the box we had given to my mom earlier that day. She stared, and stared, and then very quietly – fighting back tears – said, “Really?” Lots of hugs and a good 5 minutes of her hiding her head in Mark’s chest later, we decided to FaceTime with Mark’s sister. We chatted and then showed all of Milly’s birthday gifts, including the card with the pregnancy test stuck to it! Everyone was so happy… it was amazing to finally share the excitement with everyone!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Last, but not least, it was time to tell my sister. She and her husband had been laying low for the weekend, so, on Sunday we planned to all get together for lunch so they could retrieve their children from my parents and see my brother. Before lunch, I had gone to my mom’s house to quickly make a shirt for my nephew that read, “I’m getting a cousin! Expected Delivery: 6-18-14” using an iron-on transfer. Once he was in the shirt and ready to go, I made my way to meet my sister and beat my parents and the kids to the restaurant. My sister and her husband arrived just a few minutes after us and thankfully, we were able to get a table before my parents and the kids came in. My nephew went right to my sister for help taking his jacket off and her reaction was hilarious. The jacket was unzipped and then, using her mom juggling skills, she moved the edge of the jacket over a bit with her pinky to reveal the full message on the shirt. She instantly SCREAMED… in the restaurant… and ran over to me! It was a perfect reaction. She was so sweet.
To add a little funny to the whole thing, right behind my sister was a girl I went to high school with. I hoped and prayed that she didn’t notice my sister’s scream, or me, to ensure my secret stayed secret a little longer. Oh well!
After lunch, Mark, my parents and I headed over to Aurora Grafton Medical Center to check out the labor and delivery center. I really wanted to see the hospital before selecting a doctor. Prior to our visit, I was going between the West Allis Women’s Center and the Grafton hospital and after the visit, I was set. The nurses were absolutely amazing and answered my entire list of questions (see below). They also ALL recommended the same three doctors, which was very reassuring. So, I’ve officially selected Dr. Kosnik and will hopefully deliver at the Grafton Medical Center.
It felt like a huge relief to have my secret out and have a doctor selected…
Clearly, the only way to celebrate such a big weekend was a trip to CostCo! Mark’s first to be exact!
Symptoms
So, this weekend I have been deciding how PC to be with this “symptoms” section. I am pretty private when it comes to my body, but feel like there is value in sharing my full experience. So, here it is… for the past week, I have had light to mild cramping. In addition to that, I’ve noticed that after my many trips to the ladies room, I can see a faint pink or very light brown coloring left on the toilet paper. I emailed my regular doctor and she simply said, “that could be reason for concern.” Obviously, that has left me in a total panic. However, I’ve done a LOT of Googling and it seems that it’s pretty normal. Right now, my uterus is expanding, and in doing so, there is cramping and a little bit of blood (some old blood that’s being released and some new). So, I’ve decided to monitor, but not freak out about it. I found this thread, which made me feel a lot better.
Other than that, my sleep is a lost cause and I’m headachy. BUT… all the while, feeling obnoxiously happy and optimistic.
Questions When Selecting a Hospital
Here’s the list of questions I asked the hospital when I went for my mini-tour. Also, they have scheduled “tour times,” but I called the Labor & Delivery department and asked if I could just stop by for a quick visit to check things out. I would recommend doing the same. They had no time to spruce anything up and I got one-on-one time to ask all of my questions.
- Does the hospital offer birth classes?
- Can we see the worst room? (Often times, during a more formal tour, they will show you the best room… ask to see the worst, because there is sometimes a big difference!)
- What kinds of rooms are available?
- Are all rooms private?
- Does the labor and delivery happen in one room? Or will you have to switch rooms?
- What is the usual care if labor is progressing slowly?
- What percentage of women get an episiotomy?
- What drug-free measures for pain relief are available?
- How does the doctor / nurse help a mother stick to her birth plan?
- What percentage of births are C-Sections?
- If a C-Section is required, will my husband be allowed in the room with me?
- Is the baby taken out of the room after birth?
- Does this hospital have a newborn ICU?
- If I deliver early, will I still come to this hospital?
- What happens if all the birthing rooms are taken?
- Which doctor would you recommend?
- Do you have experience working with a Doula? Any recommendations of Doulas?
Baby on Board
Today marks 7 months of marriage with my amazing husband and the day we officially found out I am pregnant. I stress the word officially, because literally since September 27th (just one or two days after ovulation), I have had an inkling that I was pregnant. So much so, that today’s positive HPT (mommy-to-be code for Home Pregnancy Test) was the tenth test I’ve taken in the past three weeks. And actually, I was conveniently at the doctor yesterday for my flu shot, begging her to take a pregnancy blood test so I could stop obsessing. She denied my request.
So, this morning – my 7th day sans period – I decided to take another test and this time, confirmation!! Being that this was our first month of “not trying not to get pregnant” (or whatever we called it), I don’t know if I’m really that in-tune with my body or if I was searching for signs. Either way, today I can say with confidence that I’m pregnant!
Telling the Husband…
Breaking the news to the daddy-to-be!
This morning began the way many of my mornings had recently… I got up early, ran to the bathroom to pee on that magical stick and waited. Of course, this meant pretending I was patient, putting the stick on the other side of the counter while I brushed my teeth… sneaking a peek every 15 of so seconds. THEN… it happened. What I had been waiting to happen for the last 9 tests. The second line appeared. Lightly, but it was there! I can’t even explain how I felt… relieved, excited, and whatever the emotion is that’s paired with the, “Holy shit” reaction. I was definitely feeling that.
Now was the fun part: surprising my husband! So, as I had planned over the past three weeks, I took our little framed, “I Love You Because…” sign and finished the sentence with… “you’re going to be an amazing dad.” Then, I propped the pee stick up against the frame and put it by my husband’s sink and waited patiently for him to drag his butt out of bed.
Finally, 45 minutes or so later, he emerged. I hid my smile and continued getting ready as my husband came into the bathroom. He immediately went to the toilet and, mid-pee, noticed my reveal. With the stream still flowing, he grinned and said, “REALLY?? Come in for a hug!!” So, almost as magically and even more “actual real life” than I had planned, my husband and I hugged and celebrated the little baby we were brewing to the bitter smell of his morning pee.
The Symptoms
The first few days after ovulation, I was absolutely brain-dead. I have a tendency to be a little ditzy, but I was operating at a level of pure ridiculousness. From forgetting to set a timer while cooking (3 times in one cooking session), to getting on the highway going the wrong direction on my daily drive to work, to literally pouring my bowl of soup all down the front of my shirt, I just wasn’t “feeling myself.”
Thankfully, the utter brain-dead feeling only lasted 3 or so days… although I’m still waiting to regain my motivation at work. The next big thing I noticed was my bionic sense of smell. I was on the other side of the basement from the litter box and still had to speed steam my shirt while holding my breath before RUNNING upstairs for fresh air.
The other big (and fun) ones were the headaches and serious bloating. I tend to get headaches quite often, so at least I’m used to that. But the bloating… Yikes. By the end of every day, my stomach is rivaling Buddah’s.
But honestly, nothing is unmanageable. And actually, now that I have that blessed positive test, it all feels great. I cannot even begin to explain how frustrating it is to have a gut feeling about something, signs that support your gut feeling, a period that’s 7 days late, and a test that says it’s all in your head.
So now that I can put that behind me, I’ve found my incapable-of-chilling-the-f-out brain obsessing over my next hurdle… will I be able to carry this little sesame seed through the first trimester?
Playing House 