Showing posts with label weekly update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekly update. Show all posts

Week 13

A few weeks ago I signed up for a top pregnancy blogs contest on the Circle of Moms website. I must admit that I shamelessly voted for myself everyday, which is probably the only reason I got selected, but somehow I ended up in the top 25 on the list. They've asked me a few questions and will be featuring the blog on their site later this month. The one question that has me stumped is "What are 3 adjectives that describe your blog?" I don't know what to say... any ideas?





How far along? 13 Weeks
How is Mommy Feeling? 
- like I have a lot to say, and nothing to say, all at the same time. 
- the food aversions/nausea has started to subside. Maybe in part because I've learned to manage it all better with more regular eating, and a ginger beer every afternoon, but also I am guessing that the hormones are off a little.
- extra emotionally needy. I wish that ML could anticipate my needs more.
- thrilled that the sex restriction was lifted at our OB appt, but strangely not in the mood.
- still very overwhelmed by work, and falling farther behind everyday. I'm worried about next year and how my maternity leave will work and how I can put some plans into place so that I don't leave my boss hanging while I'm gone, and if I don't come back full time. 
- frustrated by the insurance game. I got some preliminary information about what our insurance will cover and felt like I was pulling teeth to get the whole story. I must have been crazy to think that our $3,000 out of pocket maximum meant that we'd only be paying $3,000 for our maternity care and birth. whatever. 
- still very much feeling that so many things i thought mattered, like where i deliver, and the type of birth i have, and whether i can stay home really don't matter. so long as we can bring this baby home with us, everything else is just a detail.

How is Daddy Feeling? 
- Lots of thoughts, but none to share with the world this week.

Total weight gain? 
- holding steady at 168.6. Pre-IVF I've been at 155 for years, but then jumped to 160 during the IVF cycle, and then up to 168 pretty quickly after getting our positive. It hasn't changed since.  
Symptoms? 
- the food aversions/nausea/hunger are still a daily issue to deal with, but seem to slowly becoming less and less.
- my boobies have grown so much, I could stare at them in the mirror for hours. 
- I am drinking more water, and thus making many more trips to the restroom. 
- insomnia is a recent addition to the list. I get up to pee in the night, and can't go back to sleep again. So I lay in bed for a while, then turn the tv on, and eventually fall asleep again. 
The Belly? 
- My sister noticed a little bump the other day. She said it looked like I'd eaten a really big lunch.

The Boobies?
- the new bra's are fabulous. I never thought it was possible to love a bra as much as I love these bra's. 
- The sleeping bra was especially awesome, but I've been able to go without it a few nights this past week.
- I'd ordered some special breast warmers from Australia a few weeks back and they finally arrived yesterday. They are a thin fabric that reflects your own body heat to keep your breasts warm. I'm trying them out today and hoping that they do the trick.
- I asked my OB about the Boob Attacks, and she said it was not a common complaint and that I would need to talk with a Lactation Consultant. Then before I left, she consulted with her midwife who has another patient with nipple vasospasms and knew the perfect LC to refer me to. Yeahhh!
- I talked to the Lactation Consultant who knew exactly what I was experiencing, confirmed that it was nipple/breast vasospasms, aka Reynauds, and suggested that in addition to keeping warm I should also start taking some vitamin B6. She also said that there is medication that can be prescribed after the baby is born if the pain is a problem for breastfeeding. Good to know that we have solutions waiting for us.

What I miss? 
- not missing much this week. 

Big News this Week? 
- We chose our Doula! She will help us get prepared for the birth, attend to us during labor and delivery, and help make sure that we are all set afterwards. It is another out of pocket expense, but I feel so good knowing that we will have someone to help us have this be the best experience possible. 
- We had our first OB appt! It went really well and the Dr. took lots of time to answer all of my questions. I'll have to write more about it soon. Our next appt isn't until June 24th, which feels a long ways off... But everyday is another day closer to our dreams coming true. 

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11 weeks

We went out of town for a long weekend with good friends. It was wonderful, but left us without reliable internet or phone service for a few days. It was good to be away, but its good to be back :)

How far along? 11 Weeks
How is Mommy Feeling? 
pretty good. 
- really looking forward to our first OB appointment on Wednesday. beyond excited that the OB will (hopefully) lift the restriction on sex, and light exercise. 
- a bit irritable, like my patience is running thin, with people at work, with ML, etc. I am unreasonably irritated with the Family Building Act and the fact that we have so much medication leftover from our IVF cycle.
- that so many things i thought mattered, like where i deliver, and the type of birth i have, and whether i can stay home really don't matter. so long as we can bring this baby home with us, everything else is just a detail.
- wishing that i could take a rest every afternoon, and trying my best to bring work projects home so i can set up on the couch between 2-5pm.

How is Daddy Feeling? 
- less terrified that something bad might happen, but just as terrified that this might really be happening.
- excited that the baby is the size of a fig this week, because he really likes figs. However keep joking that his wife won't think the fruit comparison is as much fun when the baby is the size of a cantaloupe!
Total weight gain? 
- not sure. haven't weighed in.
- resigned that I'm eating the best I can to control the nausea, and will start exercising again soon. 
Symptoms? 
- My boobies still qualify as my number one symptom. The new bras help a lot.
- Food management is still an issue. Keeping my stomach happy requires maintaing a fairly constant level of food  intake. If I wait too long to eat, the nausea and aversion take over. Jamba Juice blueberry smoothies have been a daily staple. Plain Cheerios, potatoes, vanilla yogurt, and apples with peanut butter are consistently safe bets.
- I've been unreasonably irritable this week. I got cranky at ML twice for things that really were meaningless. I've also been extra stressed out about work and some projects that are just not going the way I need them to.
- I've had a tiny bit of cramping here and there. Usually I notice it in the morning before I get out of bed, and other times when i'm driving. Sometimes it turns out to be gas, but other times I pretty sure that it is just everything stretching and growing. 
The Belly? 
- Not much to report, other than that I love my maternity pants from Old Navy and the Gap.

The Boobies?
- yes, I am adding a special category to report on The Boobies as they have become a major player in this adventure.
- I broke down last weekend and found a special store that rents breastpumps and sells nursing bras and cloth diapers. It was open by appointment only, and so I made my appointment hoping that they could fit me with a bra that helped alleviate my pain. I've been a 34 B from the time that I bought my first bra. Until now when I measured a 38 C/D... She helped me find a perfect sleeping bra, and two other well padded bras for the daytime. She also warned me that my breasts are going to continue growing, and that I'll need to re-up again in a few months. All three are technically nursing bras, so I'll be able to use them again on the other side.
- I'm not typically a fan of bra's, and am known to not wear them unless there is a reason one is needed, but since I got the new bras, the only time I am not wearing one is when I'm in the shower.
- I've been on high alert to prevent any additional vasospasm attacks. Now that I think I know what is causing them, mainly cold, I am noticing the warning signs that one might be coming on and taking immediate action to get warm again.  Wearing a scarf and keeping my neck warm seems to help. 

Sleep? 
- I woke up one night this week to find ML missing from our bed. He had relocated to the couch so that his tossing and turning wouldn't bother me. I don't like his wiggles, but I dislike not having him next to me even more. 

What I miss? 
- drinking, yep, i miss it. I miss having a sunday morning mimosa, I miss having a vodka soda after a hard day at work, I miss having a glass of wine with dinner. I'm thinking that after the first trimester, I may decide to relax on the prohibition and allow the occasional adult beverage. 
- sex. like you wouldn't believe. i crave my husband.
- sex, yes I have to say it again. I miss it that much. 

Big News this Week? 
We went to the doula fair, an event put on my our local Birth Network, last weekend. We met a lady who ML and I both felt comfortable with. She seemed very open minded whereas some of the other ladies seemed to have very set philosophies about birth. We met with her later in the week to talk in more detail about how she would work with us. 
- My mom sold her house, the house that she and my dad bought 15 years ago, the house that she thought she'd live in for the rest of her life. She is moving this weekend into a rental. This is like the 20th time that my mom has moved since she and my dad got married, (the first since their divorce 5 years ago), and I'm sure the hardest since it represents the loss of so many dreams. 
- We decided to turn two of our bedrooms into a studio with a separate entrance. ML bought a little kitchenette to install in one of the closets, and found a guy who can start working on it for us. We've rented out three of our extra bedrooms for the past 7 years, and finally the time has come that we want our privacy. We don't need the space, but would still like the extra income, and this seems like a nice compromise. 


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Week 9

How far along? 9 Weeks


How is Mommy Feeling? 
- like this gets more and more real every day. 
- anxious about the switch to the OB, and not having 24/7 access to the doctor with extra special hand holding.
- oh so grateful to be done with the PIO injections, with a rump that is slowly recovering.
- excited about the delivery of maternity pants from old navy/the gap. 


How is Daddy Feeling? 
protective of his pregnant wife insisting on carrying all the groceries into the house after shopping today. 
- very attentive and responsive to Foxy's need to eat, cooking and shopping and suggesting food choices.
- anxious about providing for his growing family, applied for a 'real' job that would provide benefits. 


Total weight gain? 
- 11.5 lbs from the start of the IVF cycle (6.6 lbs from the BFP)

Symptoms? 
- boobies that are oh so painfully sore. Sore enough that they wake me when I role over at night. and especially painful when my nipples get cold. I am going to ask my new OB about Renaylds of the nipples. really painful.
- a stomach that has suddenly become very particular, demanding constant feeding, yet slightly repulsed by most food options. 


The Belly? 
- my mom claimed that she could see a little bump. Be it bloat or whatnot, I can no longer fit into my normal pants and am very happy to be wearing stretchy pants and new maternity pants. 


Sleep? 
- i feel asleep on the couch way before bedtime twice this week. I haven't noticed any serious fatigue until this week. there have been a few occasions when I could have taken a nap had work allowed. 
- my dreams have been beyond vivid and strange. 
- if only my boobies did not hurt so much when I roll over.
What I miss? 
- i am really missing intimacy with my husband, really, really missing this.


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