Pregnancy Journal
November 13, 2008
Headache last night like I've never had in my life. Got out of breath really easily this morning, like when just talking on the phone to my sister. Really thirsty. Mary convinced me to call my doctor. When the nurse called me back, she had me come in for some monitoring. I sat in a nice cushy recliner hooked up to a monitor for a few minutes. Everything sounded perfect. Blood pressure was 110/68, and urine looked fine. Nurse felt around on my tummy and just said I was probably out of breath because the baby is taking up my lung space. Dr. McNelis checked in on my and verified being out of breath is just part of being pregnant.
November 3, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up 18 pounds
bp -- 120/72
fundal height -- 31 1/2 cm
I'll start seeing the doctor every other week now. I made my next appointment for a Tuesday and plan to take Caroline along.
I have been feeling lots of pressure on my bladder. For example, I can't walk the block without feeling like I have to pee urgently. It is very tempting to stop at one of those Johnny-on-the-Spots the construction crews have all over the place in our neighborhood. Once I stop walking, though, the urge isn't there so much. I'm also having some shortness of breath. I think that's a combination of a lingering cold and baby decreasing my lung capacity.
Once I get Christmas and fall/winter birthday wrapping completed (I've done my Christmas shopping and bought for the upcoming birthdays through January already), I'll start sorting baby clothes and diapers and getting that stuff set up. I'd like to have that all ready by Christmas and just spend the last weeks of pregnancy resting.
October 8, 2008
I passed the three-hour-glucose tolerance test.
October 6, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up 12 pounds (similar to my weight-gain pattern with Caroline)
bp -- 114/70 (again)
fundal height: 27 cm (I'm only 26 weeks but doc says it's give or take a couple of cm)
blood sugar level per the one-hour GTT: 151 -- winning me an 8-hour-fast and chance to take the three-hour glucose tolerance test
September 7, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up six pounds
bp -- 114/70 -- much better! My doc was right, I guess.
I forgot to ask what the baby's heart rate was, but we listened and doc said it sounded good.
She said not to give that low-lying placenta a second though. It will fix itself in the coming months as my uterus grows. It was at 1.7 cm she said, and it just needs to be at 2 cm. And it has nowhere to grow by up. :-)
September 4, 2008
Last night, John felt the baby move for the first time, and he and I both SAW it move from the outside. Very exciting!!
August 28, 2008
We had our 20-week anatomy ultrasound today. I had listened to the heartbeat before we left so that I wouldn’t be terrified, but of course, I was still nervous. Baby was moving around lots. Caroline was fascinated that the baby was kicking me so much. The tech did comment that I have a low-lying placenta. It is at 1.7 cm, and she said they like to see it at 4 cm. My internet research tells me 2-3 cm is acceptable, though, and that it will most likely move in these next weeks. If it doesn’t, I’d have to have a c-section. I’m OK if it comes to that.
Baby weighs 11 ounces. Heartrate was 153 bpm.
August 13, 2008
We’re pretty open with our news now, as if it isn’t obvious by looking at me. I wore maternity pants this week at 18 weeks. I called and told Nanny yesterday, and she has a quilt she started for my last pregnancy that she will finish for this baby. I was touched by that. My blood pressure was high at this appointment, too. 130/80 last month and this month. Dr. McNelis said they don’t get concerned / medicate until 150s over 100s. She thinks that I have hypertensive tendencies already, and that I am stressed and worried at this point in my pregnancy due to the loss at this time last pregnancy. She said my bp will probably go down once I get past 20 weeks. I stopped and took it at the HEB pharmacy this week and the first time was 112/72. Second time was 107/70. Much better! I believe I’m feeling some flutters, too!
August 1, 2008
John and I went to have an ultrasound last week. I chose that for reassurance instead of having the NT scan done (a test for Downs Syndrome that is pretty inconclusive anyway.) Baby was moving a lot. Heartbeat was 156 bpm. I’m thinking girl. My belly is growing, for sure, so keeping my secret is not working so well. I had lunch with some friends from an old playgroup. One of them asked right away. I told some other friends this week, too. I suppose news will slowly spread as my tummy does.
July 15, 2008
Feeling quite a bit better. Still gag occasionally. Still very tired. But it is all bearable.
We told the Bindels this weekend at a family gathering. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice their shirts, but once they did, everyone was excited for us. Looks like Bindel babies are coming every month from October to March (except February.)
July 10, 2008
Since Dr. McNelis is on maternity leave, I saw on of her partners. It really makes me appreciate my doctor. This other lady was nice, sure, and did her job fine, but I just like Dr. McNelis better. And Dr. McNelis gives me ultrasounds every visit. This lady just used the doppler to check the heartbeat. We do that at home. She did give a count, though, of 156 bpm. Right in the middle of the gender predictions, but she said it’s early for that anyway.
July 9, 2008
I shared our news with my family last week, though the announcement did not go according to my plan. I had ordered a shirt that says “Bun in the Oven” and planned to wear it and see how long it took them to figure it out. Instead, I told daddy and Mary both in tears as I was afraid Sophi had Fifth’s Disease. She did not, and I had my immunity checked and am already immune. That’s something we won’t have to worry about so much now. I told Carlye, too, because I’m announcing to the Bindels this weekend and had a feeling that we may need to coordinate our announcements. We do! I’m making shirts for Caroline and Georgia to wear to a party at Granda’s house Saturday night.
My friend Caroline brought me her Baby Beats doppler just a few days before I found out I was pregnant. John and I have been listening to the heartbeat every night now for a couple of weeks. I am so glad to have that! Dr. McNelis had her baby last week, so I’ll see one of her partners at my appointment tomorrow.
I’m still wearing my regular clothes, but I sure look fat in them. I think anyone who is paying attention probably has this pregnancy pegged already. They’re being kind and not saying anything, though.
June 20, 2008
Doctor’s Appointment today
Weight: holding steady – even after that cruise!
B/P: 102/68
Dating per ultrasound: 9 weeks 5 days (EDD Jan 19)
I am really, really tired all the time. Caroline is in a sometimes-napping stage. When she doesn’t nap, I let her watch TV while I snooze for an hour or so. It helps. I find I can get more done in the mornings if I take it slowly, so my plan for the next couple of weeks is to stay home in the mornings – slowly doing whatever chores I have to do and doing some activities with Caroline. Then I have her signed up for an afternoon camp from 1:30 to 4:30 every day next week. (I’m just going to sign her up one week at a time.) That will give me the chance to nap without parking her in front of the TV and will keep her awake and active so that she’ll go to bed at a decent hour. Naps are nice, but staying up until 9:30 or 10 p.m. is not.
June 16, 2008
Actually, the morning sickness hasn’t been that bad at all, at least not compared to my past two pregnancies. I’ve thrown up four times, I think. I’ll get a wave of nausea every now and then, but I’m not throwing up. I’m tired, but I am resting. We went on a family cruise last week, which was just great timing. I booked it right before I found out I was pregnant, knowing there was a possibility I’d be pregnant on the cruise. I figured – a vacation where I can nap every day, be waited on for every meal, and have no housework would be a great first trimester treat. It was! We had a great time. I did tell our tablemates a few days in to the cruise that I was pregnant. A mom was cruising with her teenaged daughters, one of whom ordered a virgin strawberry daiquiri two separate times – to be served a regular alcoholic daiquiri both times. I confessed that I’d sure like to order a virgin drink for myself but that I just couldn’t take the risk of having the order messed up.
I’ve been going to the doctor every week or so for ultrasound checks – for reassurance. The baby is measuring a bit behind my original due date per my cycle (January 15). We’ve seen a strong heartbeat, though, so my doctor isn’t concerned. She said she’ll give me a firm due date at my next appointment.
May 16, 2008
Brush teeth. Chat on phone with friend. I feel it coming…gotta get off the phone. Uh, uh, gag, uh…And so the “morning sickness” begins again.
May 9, 2008
You know you’re pregnant when you buy three Costco items not on your list just because you liked the samples.
I took a pregnancy test yesterday morning and began my plan for telling John (who happened to be working from home all day.) It was fun to carry my secret around those few hours. Caroline and I played in the morning. Then we ran some errands. When we got home, we baked brownies, and I went and took a digital pregnancy test. I used a cookie cutter to cut a brownie into a positive sign, handed it and the digital test with PREGNANT on it to Caroline, and asked her to take them to her daddy. He took them. Caroline said, “Look, it’s a cross.” I added that it is also a plus sign or a positive sign. John agreed. He ate the brownie. Caroline handed him the test, and he said, “That’s mommy’s.”
And then he turned back to his computer.
I left the room not knowing what was going on. Was he upset? I gave myself a moment to calm down, and then I just went in the bedroom and asked him, “What’s up with you?” He was puzzled. I had to explain everything to him, and then he got it! He didn’t even look at the pregnancy test. He thought Caroline was playing store and bringing him something to check out.
I called my doctor to make sure continuing to workout is fine. It is, but I need to keep my heartrate below 140. I’ll still walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, I’ll just slow down my pace and use no incline. I made a doctor’s appointment for seven weeks. My estimated due date is January 15.
I feel a bit silly now with how down I got over not being pregnant “already” after three months. I was being such a fatalist. I’m so happy to be cutting out the wine and cutting down on the diet cokes!
And I just read that Michelle Duggar is due to birth her 18th child the same month I will. It does seem odd to me that she announced her pregnancy to the whole world (via The Today Show) at just six weeks.
Headache last night like I've never had in my life. Got out of breath really easily this morning, like when just talking on the phone to my sister. Really thirsty. Mary convinced me to call my doctor. When the nurse called me back, she had me come in for some monitoring. I sat in a nice cushy recliner hooked up to a monitor for a few minutes. Everything sounded perfect. Blood pressure was 110/68, and urine looked fine. Nurse felt around on my tummy and just said I was probably out of breath because the baby is taking up my lung space. Dr. McNelis checked in on my and verified being out of breath is just part of being pregnant.
November 3, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up 18 pounds
bp -- 120/72
fundal height -- 31 1/2 cm
I'll start seeing the doctor every other week now. I made my next appointment for a Tuesday and plan to take Caroline along.
I have been feeling lots of pressure on my bladder. For example, I can't walk the block without feeling like I have to pee urgently. It is very tempting to stop at one of those Johnny-on-the-Spots the construction crews have all over the place in our neighborhood. Once I stop walking, though, the urge isn't there so much. I'm also having some shortness of breath. I think that's a combination of a lingering cold and baby decreasing my lung capacity.
Once I get Christmas and fall/winter birthday wrapping completed (I've done my Christmas shopping and bought for the upcoming birthdays through January already), I'll start sorting baby clothes and diapers and getting that stuff set up. I'd like to have that all ready by Christmas and just spend the last weeks of pregnancy resting.
October 8, 2008
I passed the three-hour-glucose tolerance test.
October 6, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up 12 pounds (similar to my weight-gain pattern with Caroline)
bp -- 114/70 (again)
fundal height: 27 cm (I'm only 26 weeks but doc says it's give or take a couple of cm)
blood sugar level per the one-hour GTT: 151 -- winning me an 8-hour-fast and chance to take the three-hour glucose tolerance test
September 7, 2008
Doctor's appointment
weight -- up six pounds
bp -- 114/70 -- much better! My doc was right, I guess.
I forgot to ask what the baby's heart rate was, but we listened and doc said it sounded good.
She said not to give that low-lying placenta a second though. It will fix itself in the coming months as my uterus grows. It was at 1.7 cm she said, and it just needs to be at 2 cm. And it has nowhere to grow by up. :-)
September 4, 2008
Last night, John felt the baby move for the first time, and he and I both SAW it move from the outside. Very exciting!!
August 28, 2008
We had our 20-week anatomy ultrasound today. I had listened to the heartbeat before we left so that I wouldn’t be terrified, but of course, I was still nervous. Baby was moving around lots. Caroline was fascinated that the baby was kicking me so much. The tech did comment that I have a low-lying placenta. It is at 1.7 cm, and she said they like to see it at 4 cm. My internet research tells me 2-3 cm is acceptable, though, and that it will most likely move in these next weeks. If it doesn’t, I’d have to have a c-section. I’m OK if it comes to that.
Baby weighs 11 ounces. Heartrate was 153 bpm.
August 13, 2008
We’re pretty open with our news now, as if it isn’t obvious by looking at me. I wore maternity pants this week at 18 weeks. I called and told Nanny yesterday, and she has a quilt she started for my last pregnancy that she will finish for this baby. I was touched by that. My blood pressure was high at this appointment, too. 130/80 last month and this month. Dr. McNelis said they don’t get concerned / medicate until 150s over 100s. She thinks that I have hypertensive tendencies already, and that I am stressed and worried at this point in my pregnancy due to the loss at this time last pregnancy. She said my bp will probably go down once I get past 20 weeks. I stopped and took it at the HEB pharmacy this week and the first time was 112/72. Second time was 107/70. Much better! I believe I’m feeling some flutters, too!
August 1, 2008
John and I went to have an ultrasound last week. I chose that for reassurance instead of having the NT scan done (a test for Downs Syndrome that is pretty inconclusive anyway.) Baby was moving a lot. Heartbeat was 156 bpm. I’m thinking girl. My belly is growing, for sure, so keeping my secret is not working so well. I had lunch with some friends from an old playgroup. One of them asked right away. I told some other friends this week, too. I suppose news will slowly spread as my tummy does.
July 15, 2008
Feeling quite a bit better. Still gag occasionally. Still very tired. But it is all bearable.
We told the Bindels this weekend at a family gathering. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice their shirts, but once they did, everyone was excited for us. Looks like Bindel babies are coming every month from October to March (except February.)
July 10, 2008
Since Dr. McNelis is on maternity leave, I saw on of her partners. It really makes me appreciate my doctor. This other lady was nice, sure, and did her job fine, but I just like Dr. McNelis better. And Dr. McNelis gives me ultrasounds every visit. This lady just used the doppler to check the heartbeat. We do that at home. She did give a count, though, of 156 bpm. Right in the middle of the gender predictions, but she said it’s early for that anyway.
July 9, 2008
I shared our news with my family last week, though the announcement did not go according to my plan. I had ordered a shirt that says “Bun in the Oven” and planned to wear it and see how long it took them to figure it out. Instead, I told daddy and Mary both in tears as I was afraid Sophi had Fifth’s Disease. She did not, and I had my immunity checked and am already immune. That’s something we won’t have to worry about so much now. I told Carlye, too, because I’m announcing to the Bindels this weekend and had a feeling that we may need to coordinate our announcements. We do! I’m making shirts for Caroline and Georgia to wear to a party at Granda’s house Saturday night.
My friend Caroline brought me her Baby Beats doppler just a few days before I found out I was pregnant. John and I have been listening to the heartbeat every night now for a couple of weeks. I am so glad to have that! Dr. McNelis had her baby last week, so I’ll see one of her partners at my appointment tomorrow.
I’m still wearing my regular clothes, but I sure look fat in them. I think anyone who is paying attention probably has this pregnancy pegged already. They’re being kind and not saying anything, though.
June 20, 2008
Doctor’s Appointment today
Weight: holding steady – even after that cruise!
B/P: 102/68
Dating per ultrasound: 9 weeks 5 days (EDD Jan 19)
I am really, really tired all the time. Caroline is in a sometimes-napping stage. When she doesn’t nap, I let her watch TV while I snooze for an hour or so. It helps. I find I can get more done in the mornings if I take it slowly, so my plan for the next couple of weeks is to stay home in the mornings – slowly doing whatever chores I have to do and doing some activities with Caroline. Then I have her signed up for an afternoon camp from 1:30 to 4:30 every day next week. (I’m just going to sign her up one week at a time.) That will give me the chance to nap without parking her in front of the TV and will keep her awake and active so that she’ll go to bed at a decent hour. Naps are nice, but staying up until 9:30 or 10 p.m. is not.
June 16, 2008
Actually, the morning sickness hasn’t been that bad at all, at least not compared to my past two pregnancies. I’ve thrown up four times, I think. I’ll get a wave of nausea every now and then, but I’m not throwing up. I’m tired, but I am resting. We went on a family cruise last week, which was just great timing. I booked it right before I found out I was pregnant, knowing there was a possibility I’d be pregnant on the cruise. I figured – a vacation where I can nap every day, be waited on for every meal, and have no housework would be a great first trimester treat. It was! We had a great time. I did tell our tablemates a few days in to the cruise that I was pregnant. A mom was cruising with her teenaged daughters, one of whom ordered a virgin strawberry daiquiri two separate times – to be served a regular alcoholic daiquiri both times. I confessed that I’d sure like to order a virgin drink for myself but that I just couldn’t take the risk of having the order messed up.
I’ve been going to the doctor every week or so for ultrasound checks – for reassurance. The baby is measuring a bit behind my original due date per my cycle (January 15). We’ve seen a strong heartbeat, though, so my doctor isn’t concerned. She said she’ll give me a firm due date at my next appointment.
May 16, 2008
Brush teeth. Chat on phone with friend. I feel it coming…gotta get off the phone. Uh, uh, gag, uh…And so the “morning sickness” begins again.
May 9, 2008
You know you’re pregnant when you buy three Costco items not on your list just because you liked the samples.
I took a pregnancy test yesterday morning and began my plan for telling John (who happened to be working from home all day.) It was fun to carry my secret around those few hours. Caroline and I played in the morning. Then we ran some errands. When we got home, we baked brownies, and I went and took a digital pregnancy test. I used a cookie cutter to cut a brownie into a positive sign, handed it and the digital test with PREGNANT on it to Caroline, and asked her to take them to her daddy. He took them. Caroline said, “Look, it’s a cross.” I added that it is also a plus sign or a positive sign. John agreed. He ate the brownie. Caroline handed him the test, and he said, “That’s mommy’s.”
And then he turned back to his computer.
I left the room not knowing what was going on. Was he upset? I gave myself a moment to calm down, and then I just went in the bedroom and asked him, “What’s up with you?” He was puzzled. I had to explain everything to him, and then he got it! He didn’t even look at the pregnancy test. He thought Caroline was playing store and bringing him something to check out.
I called my doctor to make sure continuing to workout is fine. It is, but I need to keep my heartrate below 140. I’ll still walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, I’ll just slow down my pace and use no incline. I made a doctor’s appointment for seven weeks. My estimated due date is January 15.
I feel a bit silly now with how down I got over not being pregnant “already” after three months. I was being such a fatalist. I’m so happy to be cutting out the wine and cutting down on the diet cokes!
And I just read that Michelle Duggar is due to birth her 18th child the same month I will. It does seem odd to me that she announced her pregnancy to the whole world (via The Today Show) at just six weeks.
posted by 
2 Comments:
Oh, I'm sorry about the GTT, Amanda. You know, I had GD in this last pregnancy and it was such a PITA. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. But, it did motivate me to keep in shape and I looked GOOD when I went to deliver Liz, and it was also a big red flag to watch my diet and exercise now, because I don't want type II diabetes. So, there is a silver lining.
But, I hope you pass the 3 hour. I knew while I was taking it that I wasn't passing. I was dizzy and high from the syrup and it wasn't going away. I didn't get that sickly, sleepy feeling I got when I had to do it with Katie. Hopefully you'll get queasy and lethargic and pass with flying colors.
ugh--the bladder thing is killing me this pregnancy and the just the general pain in the "region". I know why it happens but man---it takes my breath away at time.
Good luck to the remaining weeks!!! I have 6 left and can't wait.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home