I'm happy to report that my ultrasound and bloodwork appointment this morning went very well, despite waiting at least an hour longer than I should have and a very interesting waiting room experience...
First of all, my ultrasound, from what I could see and deduce from the screen, was fine. The baby nuchal fold is scanning at about 2.5mm at 13 weeks, which is well within normal range. It will take a week to get the bloodwork back. I don't expect any problems, but again, that's all in God's hands.
Alarmingly, I had forgotten (probably fortuitously) that they also take an ultrasound of the ovaries and cervix during this appointment, which means they had to look up my hoo-ha, too. (Hey, if I can talk about leakage, I can talk about my hoo-ha.) There's nothing quite as disconcerting as being told to "undress from the waste down, there's the sheet" when one wasn't expecting it. Good thing I took a good shower this morning! LOL!
At any rate, while I was in the waiting room, another expectant mother came in, apparently for the same reason I was there. While filling out the 6+ page "OB History," she called up her baby daddy to ask if his family had any illnesses, because she "don't know nothing about you or your family." The conversation that followed was extremely enlightening, to say the least. I was more than happy when the nurse finally called me back, especially as her last comment to him was, "Don't you yell at me!"
Geesh!
Anyway, big thanks to my Dad for sitting the boys during the unnecessarily long appointment. As I'd forgotten about it, I had let my daughter go spend the night at her friend's house last night, so she wasn't here to sit as she normally would've been. I hated to bother my Dad with it, but he was, as usual, gracious and right here when I needed him.
Best part of the morning - more ultrasound pics!!! And boy does this baby have a big head! LOL!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Pregnancy Sexy
*****WARNING: GRAPHIC GROSSNESS AHEAD. MALE READERS (DAD) MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS POST. FOR THAT MATTER, EVERYONE SHOULD PROBABLY SKIP THIS POST.*****
So tomorrow, I go in for my genetic testing and nuchal translucency scan. Basically, they look for the fluid at the back of the baby's neck, because an increased amount could indicate Down's Syndrome or Trisomy. As I've had two of these come back clear already, I'm not really worried about this one. However, as I'm significantly older (maternally speaking) than I was with the last two, I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly more concerned this time. Everybody wants a healthy baby, but there's really nothing I can do about it either way at this point, so I'll go in the morning and say a little prayer.
However, this is not what I wanted to talk about today. Today, I want to talk about the Pregnancy Sexy, aka - all the gross stuff nobody tells you about being preggo. And this stuff is just the beginning - it's all downhill as the fetus continues taking over every single internal organ and bodily function in my body.
First of all, let's talk about the shedding. Some women grow long, beautiful locks during pregnancy, especially in the second trimester. Their skin looks amazing. They glow. They're all about being the most beautiful, albeit slightly porkier, versions of themselves.
Not me.
Anyone who knows me well knows that hair is just Gross. Even my own. I hate digging it out of the shower drain. I hate vacuuming it off the floors (constantly). And I hate cleaning up after your hair (or anyone else's) even more than my own. Unfortunately, I am not one of those folks blessed with zero shedding and beautiful locks during pregnancy. My hair (most likely due to my hypothyroidism) comes out by the HANDFULS. And I'm not even exaggerating. And when I wash it, it's even worse. Just this morning, I washed and combed my hair, and it was all over the place. I've gotten in the habit of just going ahead and pulling out the handfuls of washed hair in the sink after my shower, because if I don't, they just fall out all over the hallway and my carpet - which is even grosser. Nothing says good housekeeping like feeling someone else's hair all over your toes when you walk through a room.
Secondly, I want to talk about hemorrhoids. Why, you may ask? Because they're gross. And because, if you happen to have been blessed with one during the latter weeks of a previous pregnancy (this is all hypothetical, of COURSE), you may or may not be blessed with a return of the booger MUCH earlier along in a subsequent gestation.
And, they're gross.
Thankfully my (hypothetical) one isn't huge or all that bothersome, most of the time, but I've heard stories of other women getting some produce-sized-worthy ones, and I fear that, as this pregnancy progresses, I may be stocking up on some serious medicated relief.
Now, so long as we're talking about private issues that I would never share with a total stranger, let's talk about a particular issue that's plaguing this pregnancy that didn't seem to occur during the last two. Namely - leakage.
Yes. I'm talking about what you think I'm talking about.
And if you think the hemorrhoids are gross, this issue reaches a level of grossness that is - for me, at least - nearly unspeakable. Like, changing my underwear twice a day unspeakable. Like secretly lifting some of my daughter's panty liners when she's not at home unspeakable, then feigning shock and ignorance when she continuously asks to buy more. (I just like picking on her like that.)
So, yeah. It's really gross, and I'm hoping it will get better as we go along. Because I can't tell you how alarming it is to work an endless 12 hour shift while feeling soupy in that "special area."
And lastly, let's talk about pregnancy style. Now, I have never been a fashion plate. I'm not really into the latest fads or trends. My style has always basically been so long as it's clean, relatively wrinkle free, and covers all the appropriate areas (which have all gotten alarmingly larger over the years) - then it's a yes!
However, since I was not a small woman, by any means, when I had my first pregnancy; and, my size has only increased during the intervening years (and additional pregnancy), I started out this pregnancy already shaped like a huge, walking bowling ball. And while I am most certainly not eating us out of house and home, I am already "burgeoning," shall we say, which means that wearing pants with an actual waist band becomes an art of multitasking - simultaneously walking or doing dishes or cleaning house while constantly pulling up my pants (and unrolling my panties). It's either that or risk becoming the first white, pregnant woman to walk through the mall and be berated by security for wearing my underwear as outerwear.
Yes, I've heard of the belly band. No, I'm fairly sure they don't make "extra cow" sizes...
So, I'm basically relegated to wearing anything with elastic, because at least an elastic waistband tends to give you some warning before you pop your last stitch in the middle of Walmart and end up on that Website.
So, there you have it. All the pregnancy sexy in one place, for your enjoyment and future reference. If you're a male (or my Dad) who has stubbornly made it through this TMI posting, you are officially awarded the "Stomach of Steel" award, for not hurling up your toenails. If you're a lady who's enjoying laughing at my bouts of misery and utter ickiness - well, I guess I deserve that for sharing my most personal information with the nameless, faceless internet.
Well, all except you readers whose names and faces I do know. In your cases, shame on you for laughing at me! May you be infested with the fleas from the nostrils of a thousand mules! :)
So tomorrow, I go in for my genetic testing and nuchal translucency scan. Basically, they look for the fluid at the back of the baby's neck, because an increased amount could indicate Down's Syndrome or Trisomy. As I've had two of these come back clear already, I'm not really worried about this one. However, as I'm significantly older (maternally speaking) than I was with the last two, I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly more concerned this time. Everybody wants a healthy baby, but there's really nothing I can do about it either way at this point, so I'll go in the morning and say a little prayer.
However, this is not what I wanted to talk about today. Today, I want to talk about the Pregnancy Sexy, aka - all the gross stuff nobody tells you about being preggo. And this stuff is just the beginning - it's all downhill as the fetus continues taking over every single internal organ and bodily function in my body.
First of all, let's talk about the shedding. Some women grow long, beautiful locks during pregnancy, especially in the second trimester. Their skin looks amazing. They glow. They're all about being the most beautiful, albeit slightly porkier, versions of themselves.
Not me.
Anyone who knows me well knows that hair is just Gross. Even my own. I hate digging it out of the shower drain. I hate vacuuming it off the floors (constantly). And I hate cleaning up after your hair (or anyone else's) even more than my own. Unfortunately, I am not one of those folks blessed with zero shedding and beautiful locks during pregnancy. My hair (most likely due to my hypothyroidism) comes out by the HANDFULS. And I'm not even exaggerating. And when I wash it, it's even worse. Just this morning, I washed and combed my hair, and it was all over the place. I've gotten in the habit of just going ahead and pulling out the handfuls of washed hair in the sink after my shower, because if I don't, they just fall out all over the hallway and my carpet - which is even grosser. Nothing says good housekeeping like feeling someone else's hair all over your toes when you walk through a room.
Secondly, I want to talk about hemorrhoids. Why, you may ask? Because they're gross. And because, if you happen to have been blessed with one during the latter weeks of a previous pregnancy (this is all hypothetical, of COURSE), you may or may not be blessed with a return of the booger MUCH earlier along in a subsequent gestation.
And, they're gross.
Thankfully my (hypothetical) one isn't huge or all that bothersome, most of the time, but I've heard stories of other women getting some produce-sized-worthy ones, and I fear that, as this pregnancy progresses, I may be stocking up on some serious medicated relief.
Now, so long as we're talking about private issues that I would never share with a total stranger, let's talk about a particular issue that's plaguing this pregnancy that didn't seem to occur during the last two. Namely - leakage.
Yes. I'm talking about what you think I'm talking about.
And if you think the hemorrhoids are gross, this issue reaches a level of grossness that is - for me, at least - nearly unspeakable. Like, changing my underwear twice a day unspeakable. Like secretly lifting some of my daughter's panty liners when she's not at home unspeakable, then feigning shock and ignorance when she continuously asks to buy more. (I just like picking on her like that.)
So, yeah. It's really gross, and I'm hoping it will get better as we go along. Because I can't tell you how alarming it is to work an endless 12 hour shift while feeling soupy in that "special area."
And lastly, let's talk about pregnancy style. Now, I have never been a fashion plate. I'm not really into the latest fads or trends. My style has always basically been so long as it's clean, relatively wrinkle free, and covers all the appropriate areas (which have all gotten alarmingly larger over the years) - then it's a yes!
However, since I was not a small woman, by any means, when I had my first pregnancy; and, my size has only increased during the intervening years (and additional pregnancy), I started out this pregnancy already shaped like a huge, walking bowling ball. And while I am most certainly not eating us out of house and home, I am already "burgeoning," shall we say, which means that wearing pants with an actual waist band becomes an art of multitasking - simultaneously walking or doing dishes or cleaning house while constantly pulling up my pants (and unrolling my panties). It's either that or risk becoming the first white, pregnant woman to walk through the mall and be berated by security for wearing my underwear as outerwear.
Yes, I've heard of the belly band. No, I'm fairly sure they don't make "extra cow" sizes...
So, I'm basically relegated to wearing anything with elastic, because at least an elastic waistband tends to give you some warning before you pop your last stitch in the middle of Walmart and end up on that Website.
So, there you have it. All the pregnancy sexy in one place, for your enjoyment and future reference. If you're a male (or my Dad) who has stubbornly made it through this TMI posting, you are officially awarded the "Stomach of Steel" award, for not hurling up your toenails. If you're a lady who's enjoying laughing at my bouts of misery and utter ickiness - well, I guess I deserve that for sharing my most personal information with the nameless, faceless internet.
Well, all except you readers whose names and faces I do know. In your cases, shame on you for laughing at me! May you be infested with the fleas from the nostrils of a thousand mules! :)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Good Doctor Appointment
I am happy to report that my doctor's appointment today went well. Baby's heartbeat is a steady 160 beats per minute, and all my vitals look good. As my next appointment will be at 16 weeks, it will likely be at my September appointment (20 weeks) when we find out the sex of the baby. However, I am scheduled to get my genetic testing done next week at the OB specialist's office. These are blood tests and an ultrasound that are used to identify genetic defects, such as Trisomy disorders and Downs syndrome. As I am of "advanced maternal age," when the risks for genetic abnormalities is greater, I am quite eager to get an all clear on these reports. At today's appointment, my midwife said that they will be repeating the second part of the genetic testing at my August appointment. The good news, though, is that since I have officially entered the
second trimester, my risk of miscarriage is very, very low now.
Other than that, I am eager to reach that "bloom" stage, where I feel good and stop being so tired. I still crash at about 3:00 in the afternoon and struggle to make it to a 9:00 bedtime. I'm also supposed to start waking up less overnight to potty during the second trimester. Still awaiting that, too...
Other than that, I'm doing well, and I'm getting more and more excited to find out the sex and to meet our new baby!
Other than that, I am eager to reach that "bloom" stage, where I feel good and stop being so tired. I still crash at about 3:00 in the afternoon and struggle to make it to a 9:00 bedtime. I'm also supposed to start waking up less overnight to potty during the second trimester. Still awaiting that, too...
Other than that, I'm doing well, and I'm getting more and more excited to find out the sex and to meet our new baby!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Thankful
I'm happy to report that this pregnancy is, so far, uneventful! I still have random nausea at various times throughout the day, but it's not debilitating. Just irritating, especially when it comes on as I'm trying to cook dinner. Do you know how difficult it is to cook dinner when you feel like you want to puke? LOL!
Today's biggest pregnancy dilemma is that our daughter wants sub sandwiches tonight for her birthday, but I can't eat deli meat! So - I guess we'll have to heat my meat and make a warm sandwich. Kinda yuck, but I can handle it! I'm also still a marathon pee-er, and it is discouraging to be up all hours of the night, but again, it's temporary. I can handle it.
I can't help but think of a friend of mine, who discovered at some mid-point during her pregnancy a couple years ago that her baby had trisomy 18 and would likely be stillborn or only live for a few hours. She bravely chose to continue that pregnancy into about 32 weeks, I think, when the baby stopped moving. I cannot imagine what it must've been like for all those weeks, knowing that any day, you could lose your child. Being unable to look forward to the birth or to decorating a nursery or to sharing your joy with family and friends. It was an awful situation that I didn't really identify with until I'm now pregnant again and realizing just how grateful I should be for "uneventful." I'll take it. My friend handled the loss of her child with the grace of God and touched so many others' lives with her faith amidst devastating circumstances. I know her reward - and her son - are waiting in Heaven, and I know she longs for the day when she can hold him and never have to let him go.
Saying a prayer today for all mothers who get an "incompatible with life" diagnosis, and saying thank you to God for a (so far) healthy pregnancy.
Today's biggest pregnancy dilemma is that our daughter wants sub sandwiches tonight for her birthday, but I can't eat deli meat! So - I guess we'll have to heat my meat and make a warm sandwich. Kinda yuck, but I can handle it! I'm also still a marathon pee-er, and it is discouraging to be up all hours of the night, but again, it's temporary. I can handle it.
I can't help but think of a friend of mine, who discovered at some mid-point during her pregnancy a couple years ago that her baby had trisomy 18 and would likely be stillborn or only live for a few hours. She bravely chose to continue that pregnancy into about 32 weeks, I think, when the baby stopped moving. I cannot imagine what it must've been like for all those weeks, knowing that any day, you could lose your child. Being unable to look forward to the birth or to decorating a nursery or to sharing your joy with family and friends. It was an awful situation that I didn't really identify with until I'm now pregnant again and realizing just how grateful I should be for "uneventful." I'll take it. My friend handled the loss of her child with the grace of God and touched so many others' lives with her faith amidst devastating circumstances. I know her reward - and her son - are waiting in Heaven, and I know she longs for the day when she can hold him and never have to let him go.
Saying a prayer today for all mothers who get an "incompatible with life" diagnosis, and saying thank you to God for a (so far) healthy pregnancy.
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