It seems like the 2nd trimester is full of testing. This is supposed to be the fun, feel-good trimester, but I'm feeling a little bogged down in the testing and other things that they can discover that can go wrong.
Yesterday I took my 1 hour glucose test. I heard all kinds of horrible things about the glucose drink and it being nauseatingly sweet. Overblown. It was fine. It tasted like sprite, and since I'd been eating light, it actually made me feel better for about 30 minutes while I rode the sugar high. Then gradually I started to feel unsettled and ended the day with a slight headache/sugar hangover. Apparently if I passed, the hospital here won't tell me that until my next appointment 3 weeks from now. I called and requested a phone consult, so I should hear either way by next week :)
Fortunately, we're heading to the hills tomorrow to get away from it all! A retreat in the Alps is just what we need!
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
A Little Scare
We had a mostly good appointment yesterday. The really good news: the 20 week ultrasound showed that our girl's anatomy looks really good and she is growing normally. Her heart rate was strong and healthy as well. Our midwife also confirmed via ultrasound that we are in fact having a girl :-) My fundal height (the height of my uterus) is a very healthy 24.5 cm - I don't understand how on earth it's going to reach full height inside my little torso, but lots of petite ladies have babies, so there certainly must be a way.
On the not so good side of things, my blood pressure was a little higher than it should have been, so I had to go in today and have it tested again. The risk was potential preeclampsia. Fortunately, today, though I was quite anxious, my blood pressure measured low enough to relieve the worry of preeclampsia for now and additional tests were not needed. Hooray!
Next week we get to tackle glucose testing!
On the not so good side of things, my blood pressure was a little higher than it should have been, so I had to go in today and have it tested again. The risk was potential preeclampsia. Fortunately, today, though I was quite anxious, my blood pressure measured low enough to relieve the worry of preeclampsia for now and additional tests were not needed. Hooray!
Next week we get to tackle glucose testing!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Vacation!
I've fallen a little behind on the blog the past couple of weeks. Partly that's because we went on an amazing vacation to the Lofoten Islands in Norway and I was trying to "disconnect", and partly because there's not been a whole lot to write about. Everything seems to be progressing well. We never received any calls about major issues discovered at our 20 week ultrasound, so we'll review the results as planned at our scheduled appointment in a week.
Feeling the baby move has been pretty much a daily thing since about week 18 - I'm 22 weeks now. Lee still doesn't get to regularly feel her, but it's fun to see his whole face light up when he does. According to some developmental blurb we read, the baby can now perceive light from outside the uterus. Of course, being the scientifically minded people we are, we immediately set about testing her response to outside light. Lee shined a flashlight at a specific point on my abdomen, and she kicked at it, or hit at it, or something - I felt her move right where the light was anyway. It was so cool to actually be interacting with our kid!
I'm generally feeling well. It's seems like I revisit my morning sickness days about once every other week, but I recover quickly and can move on with my day. The craziest thing I've felt lately is the days when I get so hungry I could clean out our whole fridge and not be satisfied. I feel really, really hungry, like I'm starving every 2 to 3 hours for a day or so. The hunger is not an everyday thing, maybe just once a week. I can't remember feeling anything like it ever in my life. Guess that happens when you're growing another person.
I got my first Stitch Fix this week. They started offering maternity sizes in March, so I decided to give it a try. I loved it! I would have kept everything, but the size on one item was just slightly off. I think the key was a Pinterest board of styles I like that I linked to my style profile. If you're a woman who hasn't considered it, I definitely recommend giving it a try. If you use my referral link I get referral credit. https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5140704 This will be my only push for that :-)
We'll update more and share some of our big ultrasound results next week after our appointment!
Here's a picture from the Hurtigruten portion of our trip. You can see my belly even though I'm trying my best to cover it up with a down jacket :-)
Feeling the baby move has been pretty much a daily thing since about week 18 - I'm 22 weeks now. Lee still doesn't get to regularly feel her, but it's fun to see his whole face light up when he does. According to some developmental blurb we read, the baby can now perceive light from outside the uterus. Of course, being the scientifically minded people we are, we immediately set about testing her response to outside light. Lee shined a flashlight at a specific point on my abdomen, and she kicked at it, or hit at it, or something - I felt her move right where the light was anyway. It was so cool to actually be interacting with our kid!
I'm generally feeling well. It's seems like I revisit my morning sickness days about once every other week, but I recover quickly and can move on with my day. The craziest thing I've felt lately is the days when I get so hungry I could clean out our whole fridge and not be satisfied. I feel really, really hungry, like I'm starving every 2 to 3 hours for a day or so. The hunger is not an everyday thing, maybe just once a week. I can't remember feeling anything like it ever in my life. Guess that happens when you're growing another person.
I got my first Stitch Fix this week. They started offering maternity sizes in March, so I decided to give it a try. I loved it! I would have kept everything, but the size on one item was just slightly off. I think the key was a Pinterest board of styles I like that I linked to my style profile. If you're a woman who hasn't considered it, I definitely recommend giving it a try. If you use my referral link I get referral credit. https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5140704 This will be my only push for that :-)
We'll update more and share some of our big ultrasound results next week after our appointment!
Here's a picture from the Hurtigruten portion of our trip. You can see my belly even though I'm trying my best to cover it up with a down jacket :-)
Monday, May 18, 2015
It's a...
GIRL!!! And we are very excited! It seemed pretty clear to us on the ultrasound, but I still feel it necessary to qualify that announcement by adding that ultrasounds are only 90 to 95 percent accurate at determining gender, and I do know one person who was surprised later in her pregnancy to learn that she was actually having a boy :-) Regardless, we will be planning for a girl! If you're curious, the poll results favored boy by just 1 vote.
The rest of the full anatomy ultrasound didn't uncover any issues requiring immediate attention, so we'll go over the results with our midwife at our next appointment in June. Personally, I was just excited to make it through that appointment successfully. I've heard of women being sent home because the baby was moving too much or they didn't drink enough water, and I was definitely concerned that I wouldn't be able to hold my bladder. Happily, the technician we saw was very quick about getting the first measurements she needed and then let me take a quick break.
Otherwise, I've generally been feeling quite well. I get occasional headaches. I can definitely feel that my lower spine has started to curve which sometimes causes a little discomfort in my back, but that's very infrequent. I'm sleeping pretty well despite being on an air mattress in preparation for our move. I have a pretty good energy level, and I don't think "pregnancy brain" has affected me too badly.
Lee finally got to feel his first solid kick this past week - it was a good one too! At this point, our girl should mostly just be growing and putting on weight for 20 more weeks. I can't believe we're half-way there already! Let the naming process begin!
The rest of the full anatomy ultrasound didn't uncover any issues requiring immediate attention, so we'll go over the results with our midwife at our next appointment in June. Personally, I was just excited to make it through that appointment successfully. I've heard of women being sent home because the baby was moving too much or they didn't drink enough water, and I was definitely concerned that I wouldn't be able to hold my bladder. Happily, the technician we saw was very quick about getting the first measurements she needed and then let me take a quick break.
Otherwise, I've generally been feeling quite well. I get occasional headaches. I can definitely feel that my lower spine has started to curve which sometimes causes a little discomfort in my back, but that's very infrequent. I'm sleeping pretty well despite being on an air mattress in preparation for our move. I have a pretty good energy level, and I don't think "pregnancy brain" has affected me too badly.
Lee finally got to feel his first solid kick this past week - it was a good one too! At this point, our girl should mostly just be growing and putting on weight for 20 more weeks. I can't believe we're half-way there already! Let the naming process begin!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Week 19
It's been a fun week! Since those swift kicks to the bladder a week ago, I've been feeling the baby move a lot. Lee has felt one movement but barely - he's jealous and I don't blame him. I received a bunch of maternity clothes to borrow from an incredibly thoughtful friend which made my maternity wardrobe more than double - it's awesome to have choices on what to wear! We also received our first baby gift from a very dear friend this week which included some beautiful gender neutral baby gear.
Speaking of gender: our big ultrasound appointment is in a week. Assuming the little one cooperates, we'll be sharing the gender news next Monday. Any guesses?
Speaking of gender: our big ultrasound appointment is in a week. Assuming the little one cooperates, we'll be sharing the gender news next Monday. Any guesses?
Boy or Girl?
Sunday, May 3, 2015
"I think I just felt something"
At work two weeks ago, Joanna sent me a text saying “I think I just felt something.” For me so far, that remains the single most exciting point of this pregnancy. I felt a physical jolt that until now has only been matched by bad news last year and a similar scare this year in Stockholm.
The ultrasounds have been amazing, individually and collectively, but they’re all still ghostly images on a screen. Joanna is obviously pregnant, with the morning sickness and especially the fact that she’s showing. Still, you could have similar symptoms after an impressive bender. Her feeling movements adds a tangible element that makes it apparent that yes, there really is a little person in there.
The Flutters
For the past couple of weeks I think I've occasionally felt the flutters - the first signs of this kiddo moving around. It's pretty cool, but because it's so rare and usually passes quickly mostly I'm not sure if it's the kid moving around or just a muscle twitch.
However, yesterday after lunch, I most definitely got kicked in the bladder - several times, actually. I was indignant, frankly. I've barely felt anything until the little one decided to make him/herself known with a few swift kicks to my bladder. What a stinker?!
We hit 18 weeks yesterday. 2 more weeks 'til we have the correct pronoun (fingers-crossed)!
However, yesterday after lunch, I most definitely got kicked in the bladder - several times, actually. I was indignant, frankly. I've barely felt anything until the little one decided to make him/herself known with a few swift kicks to my bladder. What a stinker?!
We hit 18 weeks yesterday. 2 more weeks 'til we have the correct pronoun (fingers-crossed)!
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