Feeling icky in my stomach in the late evenings. Nothing real bad, just a mild malaise. Tonight was New Year's Eve. I was invited out on the town to get my drunk on, but begged off. Instead, we went to visit the in-law's, talked about making baby blankets on the knitting machine, and mooched dinner. Going out with my crazy friends (who are out-of-state teachers who have a ton of vacation time around the holidays and come home to stay with their parents for a week or so and thus have no normal day-to-day responsibilities like jobs and laundry and such and therefore take the opportunity to relive our early 20's doing the bar scene) would know immediately if I didn't have a drink in my hand to toast the New Year. My husband went to bed early. I stayed up and watched a new favorite show and listened to the neighbors shoot their guns up into the air and the barges out on the river blow their fog horns, which is one of the cool perks of living close to the river. Not so cool when it's a summer evening and the speed boat traffic is a constant mosquito buzz in the background, but I like hearing the fog horns nonetheless.
I have a Girls' Night planned for next Friday night. The only two of my pals that will be there know that we've been trying for a few months and will probably ask immediately. I haven't decided if I'm going to tell them or not, but one is a new mom and will know immediately if I shy away from partaking in the customary bottle of wine and nibble soda crackers all night. I'll probably tell them. I've been dying to tell someone besides family, anyway. And they know the risks inherent in the first trimester, so I'm sure they'll be super supportive. And if I do (God forbid!) have a miscarriage, these girls would be the first people I'd turn to, so it'd be nice to be able to share my excitement and worries with them.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Checking in
Guess what's back? That's right, breast tenderness. Cramping is less
today, which is nice. No nausea yet, thankfully.
today, which is nice. No nausea yet, thankfully.
****
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Shopping
I got a food dehydrator for Christmas and have been diligently stockpiling dried fruit to snack on at work. I've stocked my desk with crackers and peppermint candies to ward off nausea if it shows up and am searching the stores for cranberry ginger ale, which has disappeared from the aisles too soon! Cherry Antioxidant Sprite is a poor substitute. And I mean, really, they're marketing sodas with vitamins in them now? That's idiotic.
I bought some decaf singles in case I want to try to get a placebo buzz while my husband sucks down his coffee. I may have a cup of hot tea on occassion if I'm really dragging. It has less caffeine than a cup of coffee (depending on the variety) and has other beneficial ingredients, so I don't feel too bad about indulging in it. I guess the trick is really going to be getting to bed earlier. I don't drink sodas, so that's not a problem. But sweat tea and coffee are off limits for the next few months.
Still cramping. Worse than usual menstrual cramps. But there's no more sharp pain in my left side. Must have been an implantation pain. Otherwise no other symptoms. No more breast tenderness. A bit of fatigue and I have been making more trips to the bathroom, but I'm also being more conscientious about keeping well hydrated and I've felt more thirsty than usual. No nausea to speak of yet. So exciting!
I have a photographer friend and want to do monthly pics of my belly growing. I'm four weeks today! I guess I should take a one month shot. I want to go on a search for a nice black stretch knit trumpet skirt and a black strapless bra of some sort. I have an awesome grey maxi skirt from Old Navy that would be perfect, really, and perhaps I could make the top. I want something like this:
I bought some decaf singles in case I want to try to get a placebo buzz while my husband sucks down his coffee. I may have a cup of hot tea on occassion if I'm really dragging. It has less caffeine than a cup of coffee (depending on the variety) and has other beneficial ingredients, so I don't feel too bad about indulging in it. I guess the trick is really going to be getting to bed earlier. I don't drink sodas, so that's not a problem. But sweat tea and coffee are off limits for the next few months.
Still cramping. Worse than usual menstrual cramps. But there's no more sharp pain in my left side. Must have been an implantation pain. Otherwise no other symptoms. No more breast tenderness. A bit of fatigue and I have been making more trips to the bathroom, but I'm also being more conscientious about keeping well hydrated and I've felt more thirsty than usual. No nausea to speak of yet. So exciting!
I have a photographer friend and want to do monthly pics of my belly growing. I'm four weeks today! I guess I should take a one month shot. I want to go on a search for a nice black stretch knit trumpet skirt and a black strapless bra of some sort. I have an awesome grey maxi skirt from Old Navy that would be perfect, really, and perhaps I could make the top. I want something like this:
Four weeks!
My midwife sent me a congratulations e-mail today and said that if I had any
concerns and wanted to come in before February 15th that I shouldn't
hesitate to do so. I'm trying to ignore my silly fears and just go with the
flow. The chances that anything would go wrong are very small, I keep
telling myself. I'm still monitoring the sharp pain on my left side. It's
much less pronounced now than it was on Monday and feels more like a gas
pain than stabbing pain now. I'm thinking it was just an implantation
ouchie or perhaps a small cyst. In any case, the receptionist at my
midwife's office said that unless I noticed any spotting or the pain became
very bad, that I shouldn't be too worried.
concerns and wanted to come in before February 15th that I shouldn't
hesitate to do so. I'm trying to ignore my silly fears and just go with the
flow. The chances that anything would go wrong are very small, I keep
telling myself. I'm still monitoring the sharp pain on my left side. It's
much less pronounced now than it was on Monday and feels more like a gas
pain than stabbing pain now. I'm thinking it was just an implantation
ouchie or perhaps a small cyst. In any case, the receptionist at my
midwife's office said that unless I noticed any spotting or the pain became
very bad, that I shouldn't be too worried.
Thinking back, I think the very first symptom that I had, even before the
sore boobs showed up, is that my face broke out really badly which is highly
unusual for me.
Both my mother and mother-in-law called last night to check on me. I was
like, chill grandmas. My husband and I are both the youngest sibling in our
families and both his older brother and my older sister have kids in their
teens, so the whole being a grandparent thing isn't a novel idea to anyone.
I don't even really feel pregnant yet with the exception of the case of the
cramps I've had. I think I will definitely stockpile some cranberry ginger
ale, though, since you can only purchase it around the holidays and I might
be in desperate want of it if I get bad morning sickness in a few weeks.
I had to admonish my mom for spilling the beans to someone she ran into at
the grocery store. It was someone I went to high school with that was a
close friend until she left the area after college. She was home visiting
family for the holidays, so it's doubtful she's going to be in contact with
anyone else that shouldn't be told yet. Of course, the sheer number of
cocktail parties scheduled around this time of year may give me away to my
friends.
****
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
First appointment scheduled
As today was the first day of my missed period, I called the midwife and they've scheduled me in for February 15th. That seems like a LONG time to wait and wonder, but the receptionist said that since I'm sure I'm pregnant there isn't any reason to see me before there's the possibility of hearing the heartbeat.
In the meantime, I've been having a lot of abdominal twinges and the sharp pain on the left side has gone away. And I know cramping is normal at this stage, but I had such an awful cramp earlier that I could barely breath. Still no breast tenderness. And so far no nausea. I stocked up my desk with crackers and apple sauce and ginger ale. I am drying some apples and strawberries in the dehydrator...and let me tell you that the strawberry smell is permeating the entire house, though my husband fails to notice ;)
I should probably pick up some peppermints, too.
In the meantime, I've been having a lot of abdominal twinges and the sharp pain on the left side has gone away. And I know cramping is normal at this stage, but I had such an awful cramp earlier that I could barely breath. Still no breast tenderness. And so far no nausea. I stocked up my desk with crackers and apple sauce and ginger ale. I am drying some apples and strawberries in the dehydrator...and let me tell you that the strawberry smell is permeating the entire house, though my husband fails to notice ;)
I should probably pick up some peppermints, too.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Spreading the news
We went ahead and told the family on Christmas Day since we were all gathered and in a festive mood already. We drove up to visit my dad today and told him. Everyone is really excited, but since I'm only about 4 weeks, I am really, really hoping nothing goes wrong. I don't want to disappoint everyone.
My breast tenderness is nearly completely gone. They're a little mushier than usual, but don't really hurt. The only concern I have is a persistent pain on the left side of my abdomen. It's sometimes a dull ache (like cramps) and sometimes a series of sharp pains, though they're not real intense. I've had pains there before and am thinking it's probably an undiagnosed cyst. Of course I'm worried about an ectopic pregnancy, though I doubt it would be causing pain this early. I'll keep an eye out for spotting and will call my midwife tomorrow to set up an appointment. I e-mailed her today, but since the abdominal pain I'm having is on one side only and pretty sharp and has persisted for two days, I'm going to follow up with a call tomorrow and see if they'll see me asap just in case the pain isn't a cyst. I do not want to risk losing a fallopian tube.
I also have abdominal twinges on both sides that I suspect are normal and caused by uterus enlargement.
My friends are having a big, drunken house party tonight and I declined to go because not drinking at the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party would be tantamount to screaming "I'm pregnant" from the rooftop and I'm not ready to tell non-family members yet. I want to wait until after we hear the heartbeat before spreading the news too much.
My breast tenderness is nearly completely gone. They're a little mushier than usual, but don't really hurt. The only concern I have is a persistent pain on the left side of my abdomen. It's sometimes a dull ache (like cramps) and sometimes a series of sharp pains, though they're not real intense. I've had pains there before and am thinking it's probably an undiagnosed cyst. Of course I'm worried about an ectopic pregnancy, though I doubt it would be causing pain this early. I'll keep an eye out for spotting and will call my midwife tomorrow to set up an appointment. I e-mailed her today, but since the abdominal pain I'm having is on one side only and pretty sharp and has persisted for two days, I'm going to follow up with a call tomorrow and see if they'll see me asap just in case the pain isn't a cyst. I do not want to risk losing a fallopian tube.
I also have abdominal twinges on both sides that I suspect are normal and caused by uterus enlargement.
My friends are having a big, drunken house party tonight and I declined to go because not drinking at the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party would be tantamount to screaming "I'm pregnant" from the rooftop and I'm not ready to tell non-family members yet. I want to wait until after we hear the heartbeat before spreading the news too much.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
milestones to look forward to
Some milestones I've collected based on my best math as to when I actually ovulated:
Date of Fertilization: 12/14/11
Fetal organ formation begins: 1/4/2012
Fetal heart beat should be seen: 1/17/12
Period of greatest risk for birth defects: 1/4/2012 - 2/8/2012
Major organs are fully formed: 2/8/2012
Ultrasound Screen: 2/16/12 - 3/07/12
Trimester 1 ends: 2/23/2012
Triple Screen: 3/13/12 - 4/04/12
Amniocentesis: 3/27/12 - 4/04/12
Fetus starts moving: 4/03/12 - 4/18/12
Anatomy Scan: 4/10/12 - 4/17/12
Fetus becomes viable: 5/15/12
Glucose Screen: 5/15/12 - 6/13/12
Trimester 2 ends (27 weeks): 6/7/2012
Term delivery: 8/14/12 - 9/19/12
Approximate due date: 9/05/2012
Date of Fertilization: 12/14/11
Fetal organ formation begins: 1/4/2012
Fetal heart beat should be seen: 1/17/12
Period of greatest risk for birth defects: 1/4/2012 - 2/8/2012
Major organs are fully formed: 2/8/2012
Ultrasound Screen: 2/16/12 - 3/07/12
Trimester 1 ends: 2/23/2012
Triple Screen: 3/13/12 - 4/04/12
Amniocentesis: 3/27/12 - 4/04/12
Fetus starts moving: 4/03/12 - 4/18/12
Anatomy Scan: 4/10/12 - 4/17/12
Fetus becomes viable: 5/15/12
Glucose Screen: 5/15/12 - 6/13/12
Trimester 2 ends (27 weeks): 6/7/2012
Term delivery: 8/14/12 - 9/19/12
Approximate due date: 9/05/2012
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