Mommy Mondays: #9Months9Tips

I am officially done with pregnancy.  Our family is complete at four.  I don't really have any regrets or sadness about never being pregnant again, it could be because my last pregnancy was so much worse than my first that I can only imagine any subsequent ones would just continue down that road.

But having been through it twice, I am twice as qualified to share some tips for anyone who is or is thinking of becoming pregnant.  I want to start out with an important note (so important I'm going to obnoxiously caps lock and bold it).  SYMPTOMS (or lack thereof) ARE NO INDICATION OF A HEALTHY PREGNANCY.  I'm emphasizing this because so many people rely on symptoms.  To determine they're pregnant before testing or to determine whether they're miscarrying.  Some women never experience stereotypical pregnancy symptoms and have perfectly textbook pregnancies.  Some experience every symptom in the book and end up losing their babies before ever getting to meet them.  Symptoms come and go and come again, without any rhyme, reason, or relation to that growing bundle of joy.

That being said, here are my 9 tips for dealing with some common pregnancy symptoms:

1) Morning Sickness 

So sick at Disneyland, I had a giant bag of baby carrots I just kept popping in my mouth!

 I put this at the top, because it's one of THE most stereotypical pregnancy symptoms.  There are so many varying degrees of this, that I'm hesitant to even give advice.  With Thatkid I didn't even have a minute of nausea.  With Thatbaby I was sick for weeks and weeks.  Not throwing up, just constant, all day nausea.  What helped me most with that was constantly eating.  Weird, right?  Sick to your stomach?  Fill it up.  This can be dangerous, so I tried to keep it healthy by making a big (giant) bag of airpopped popcorn every morning and keeping it with me throughout the day.  Also?  Ginger beer.  Every night as soon as I'd get home from work.

2) Bloating 

Our Christmas card, wearing a bella band because those pants were not going to button

Often when you're first pregnant, you don't want anyone to know.  Some people share early, others like keeping that secret to themselves.  I was in the latter category.  The problem is, that early pregnancy is often accompanied by bloating, which makes you feel like everybody knows.  Your clothes don't fit right, you don't feel right.  I have no tips for not bloating.  Not a one.  But I do have a solution to the clothes not fitting and keeping your secret a secret - The Bella Band.  I know, I know.  I talk about this all the time.  You'd think they're paying me.  They're not.  It's just a great product when it comes to letting you walk around with your pants undone all day. 

3) Anxiety

Yoga is a fantastic way to help with anxiety during pregnancy.

There's a lot of unknown when it comes to pregnancy.  There's also a lot not in our control.  If you're already prone to anxiety, this is going to test your limits.  Is everything okay in there?  As I mentioned earlier, this is one of those times people start worry - "I'm not throwing up, something must be wrong" or "My breasts were sore yesterday and not today, there must be something wrong."  Later on the pregnancy you start analyzing and over analyzing every little movement, or lack of movement.  Then there's the anxiety related to childbirth.  It is 100% completely normal to have these doubts and fears.  Does that make you feel better?  Maybe a little?  The only thing you can do is validate your feelings and tell yourself that if things were wrong, you'd know.  Contact your doctor with major concerns, keep up with your kick counts so you can be aware of when your kid is usually active, and then do something to take your mind off it. 

4) Breast Growth 

.2 seconds pregnant with Thatkid, wondering why my sports bra was so tight.

 When I was pregnant with Thatkid, about the day after implantation, before I even knew I was pregnant, Thatboy remarked my breasts were spilling out of my bra.  Breast growth happens and it happens quickly!  Don't be a bra martyr.  You should always wear a bra that supports the girls.  But obviously you don't want to spend $900 on bras you're only wearing a couple weeks.  So be smart about it.  Get measured and buy some inexpensive bras (keep your eye on sales!).  Repeat every time you grow out of your bra!   About 36-37 weeks, start thinking about nursing bras.  There is no way to predict how big your breasts will get after birth, so don't waste money on bras with cup sizes that you may end up returning when your breasts don't fit in them.  Instead grab some "sleep bras" which come in S/M/L sizes.  About 2 weeks after you give birth, your breasts will have regulated a bit and you can go get measured for a nice, supportive, nursing bra.

5) Fatigue 

Don't worry, you can sleep later.

Can I tell you my least favorite pregnancy advice?  "Sleep while you can!"  This is awful, because sleep isn't like money in a piggy bank.  You can't stockpile it.  As much as you sleep when pregnant isn't going to make it any easier after the baby comes.  Plus, it's hard to sleep when pregnant!  You're uncomfortable, you have to pee all the time, and I was lucky enough to have pregnancy insomnia.  I found exercising regularly helped me not feel tired all the time.  A body pillow helped with the discomfort.  And I stopped fighting the insomnia.  If I wasn't tired, I didn't sleep.  I'd read, or get up and do things.  Might as well be productive!  Also?  Naps when I could.  I wasn't sleeping at night, but I could get a great little nap every night after I finished dinner before it was time to tuck Thatkid into bed, so I slept then.  And weekends I would nap with him.

6) Constipation 

Hello my pruney friends!

 Digestion slows down during pregnancy, and that definitely adds to the bloating and discomfort of pregnancy.  Running really helped me with this.  (It helps me when I'm not pregnant too!)  And eating good anti-constipation foods, like fruit!  Especially dried fruit.  A daily handful of dried prunes or apricots help keep things regular.

7) Constant urination 

Always present, always full.

Water is SO important.  During pregnancy, during non-pregnancy.  Most of us don't drink enough.  When you do drink enough, the trips to the bathroom become a pretty regular occurrence.  I don't think there's really anything you can do to avoid having to go to the bathroom, short of not drinking, which I don't recommend.  But I will say that I found it most helpful to take a bathroom trip every hour.  I actually combined it with my water intake - 1 hour to finish my water, at the top of the hour, I'd finish whatever was in my glass, make a trip to the bathroom, refill my water, and start all over again.  It was almost like a game.

8) Body aches

Everyone has 10 minutes, right?

For me, this was only an issue with my second pregnancy, but whoooo boy, did it kick in early and hard!  Prenatal pilates really helped with this.  It involved a lot of stretching, which made it easier to move and sit.  Of course, once I hit 38 weeks, even that didn't help, but childbirth totally did.  So when you're at your wit's end, just know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

9) Your growing belly

No one loves the weight gain associated with pregnancy, but everyone feels differently about the physical changes.  Some women embrace it, but others hate the lack of control they feel.  It can be really hard.  And my heart goes out to those women.  But it is so important to remember that this is not forever!  Your body may seem foreign for a couple months, but after that, it will be yours again.  And even if you hate the way you look - document it!  Not just for you, but for your child, because there's something so fascinating about seeing yourself before you're born!  But also, once you're no longer in "that body" you might not mind seeing it as much.  Kind of an out of body experience.  After my first pregnancy, I also came upon the realization that I should have worn the same outfit each week so I could really see the change.  Which is what I did this time around.  But if I had been smarter, I would have picked a black shirt instead of a white one, or at least something dark enough to hide the maternity panel on most of the bottoms!

Mommy Mondays: 40 Weeks

I definitely didn't think I'd be writing this post - I was not expecting to make it to 40 weeks.  No one expected me to make it to 40 weeks.  Let alone PAST 40 weeks. 

And let me tell you, past 40 weeks is a terrible place to be.  Let me tell you a little about prodromal labor.

About 2 weeks ago, it started.  Contractions. Regular contractions, about 2 1/2 minutes apart.  But not painful, just uncomfortable.  "This is it" I thought, "labor is starting.  It's going to pick up and there will be a baby tonight!"  But the contractions never picked up.  They stayed 2 1/2 minutes apart, never getting stronger in intensity, until I fell asleep that night. The next morning?  Nothing.  No contractions.

They started again that night.  Again, 2 1/2 minutes apart, uncomfortable but not painful.  Continuing until bedtime and then stopping.  This continued for the entire week.  Contractions that led nowhere.  Sometimes at night, sometimes waking me up at night. 

Everyday I'd go into work, and every day they'd be surprised to see me there.  I was getting frequent texts from family asking how I was and if the baby was here yet.  All of this only further exacerbating the problem.

On Friday on  the way home from work, the contractions started getting stronger.  Still 2 1/2 minutes apart, but this time they were more than just uncomfortable.  Not crippling pain, but strong enough where I actually had to breathe through them.  "This is it!"  I thought.  I called Thatmom and had her come down to watch Thatkid.  Except, by the time she got to our house, the contractions had completely died out.  "Tonight" my friends told me.  "It'll happen tonight."  So Thatmom spent the night.  But, nothing happened.

More of the same this past week - the mild contractions that led nowhere.  The texts, the messages, the surprise every morning at work - my secretary had actually started storing things in my office.  My boss predicted on Wednesday "tonight's the night!"  Thursday my secretary was sure I wouldn't be in on Friday.  I grew sick of being asked if I'd had the baby yet, or comments about how unbelievable it was. 

Friday morning at 2am I was awoken by more strong contractions.  I timed them, about 4-5 minutes apart.  I got up and after an hour woke up Thatboy, asking if I should call Thatmom (fool me once....).  We decided to wait until 4am, and he waited up with me, watching trashy television. The contractions didn't get any stronger or closer together, and we figured maybe we should try to hold out a couple more hours before calling, so we could drop Thatkid off at preschool.  We both tried to get some sleep - and were successful.  Woke up at 6 and the contractions were the same, so we decided just to go to my doctor's appointment and have her evaluate the situation.  We called Thatmom and told her that today was probably the day, and she should plan on picking Thatkid up from school.  At the appointment my doctor determined I was probably in labor, but not active labor since I could still talk through the contractions.  "Go for a walk,"  she told me.  "That should help pick it up."  So I headed to work, and continued having these contractions all day.  But they weren't picking up.  They were still about 4-5 minutes apart, and I could still talk through them, although they were more uncomfortable than anything I had been through so far.  I found myself humming through them.  I went for a walk, and they never picked up.  And they continued all day and all night until I finally went to bed.  And the next morning, they were gone.

I was describing prodromal labor for my mom and told her it's like trying to start a car.  The engine keeps revving, but it never turns over.  But it still kills the motor.  The constant contractions are exhausting.  My body is tired, I'm beyond frustrated.  Every day feels like "the day" and every day I remain pregnant. And I feel as though I may be pregnant for years.  None of my maternity shirts fit anymore because they weren't designed for a belly this big. 

Speaking of big, the baby is currently the size of a watermelon.  No joke, imagine carrying around a watermelon with you all day, every day.  My entire pelvic area is tender, sore, and in pain all hours of the day.  So.Much.Pressure.

Total weight gain/loss: +22

Next Appointment: N/A
Maternity clothes? Well, as best as I can.

Stretch marks: Yup
Sleep: Off and on.

Best moment this week:  This has been a really tough week for me.  I'm not sure what the "best" moment was.

Movement: Yup.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But basically it's flat.
What I miss: A nice poop.  I know, too much information.  But the bladder pressure has resolution.  I can pee every few minutes.  The rectal pressure?  No such similar relief.

What I am looking forward to: The BABY!

Contractions: Yes.

Milestones: 

- Officially overdue.

Mommy Mondays: 39 weeks

I am currently the most pregnant I have ever been!  Personal Pregnancy Record!   See, last time, it was at my 39 week appointment where I got sent to the hospital for an induction.  So you can imagine my anxiety when I went in on Friday. 

The good news is.....my blood pressure was absolutely perfect - no induction for me!  Which means that although last time at this time I was already holding a baby, this time I get to sit and let nature take its course.

Which is frustrating in its own way.  Don't get me wrong, I am ever so happy about not sitting in a hospital bed for days waiting for labor to start, but because I've never had the chance to do it on its own I'm very much a "first time mom" overinterpreting every little twinge and pain.

With Thatkid, I never dropped, never dilated, never got effaced.  I never had any contractions or discomfort.  I never lost my mucous plug, my water never broke until it was broken for me.  All of this can make one feel, well, like your body isn't working the way it's supposed to.  I feared that maybe my body didn't know how to go into labor on its own.

So I'm really encouraged by my progress this time around.  Oppo-baby has dropped.  I've been having contractions for the past week - and real contractions!  Contractions that DO THINGS!  So I'm already dilated. So now it's just the waiting game.  There's an end date in sight, but I'm hoping baby comes before we get there!


Total weight gain/loss: +25

Next Appointment: Friday
Maternity clothes? Yup.
Stretch marks: Yup
Sleep:Off and on.  I'm either sleeping ridiculously well, or not at all.

Best moment this week:  Finding out I'm dilating and effacing.  Stupid, but like I said, it makes me feel like I might be able to go into labor.

Movement: Yup.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But basically it's flat.
What I miss: Being comfortable, not having backpain, going to the bathroom when I feel like I have to.

What I am looking forward to: The BABY!

Contractions: Yes for sure. I think its prodromal labor though, because they're not practice contractions.  Friday night they were bad enough that I thought the baby was actually coming.  They're timeable and really uncomfortable and go on for several hours, then they lighten up until they disappear.

Milestones: 

- Contractions
- Loss of mucous plug

Mommy Mondays: 36 weeks

This was supposed to be the post where I told you all about my wonderful friends.  You see, we have a tradition in my moms group.  We don't do baby showers, or sprinkles, instead we have a last hurrah night out for the mom to be where we get together and do something fun, just the girls.  Since there are two of us due within a week of each other, we decided to up the game this time and do a girls' spa day.  Which was to take place on Saturday.

Except I got some terrible news on Wednesday, which cancelled my day out with the girls.  Instead, we headed to Arizona over the weekend to attend a funeral.  

So in order to keep this light and easy - which is what I really need right now, let's talk about my belly.  A little different from last week's weight conversation.  This is more like an appointment update.

Plus, you know, pictures.

So at my appointment last week everything looked great, my blood pressure, weight, baby's heartbeat.  And my doctor had me lie back to do some measurements and check on the baby's positioning.  As I lifted my shirt she exclaimed "woah" about the size of my belly.  "Nothing to worry about," she said "It just means your placenta is doing a great job.  How big was Thatkid when he was born?"  When I told her that he was 7lbs 6 oz, she let out a hmmmm.  "Average is about 7lbs 8oz, so he was smaller than average.  Do you feel bigger this time around?"  And the truth is, I do!

I didn't at first.  Comparing pictures between pregnancies had me looking 2-4 weeks smaller for the first two trimesters.  And then all of a sudden, this belly took on a life of its own.  A couple weeks ago Thatboy noted that I was probably as big as I ever got with Thatkid.  And it's true, at 36 weeks I'm larger than I was at 39 weeks with my first pregnancy!

But it's not just the size that's different.  This belly really moves.  I think because of the anterior placenta we never really saw movement when I was pregnant with Thatkid.  This time you can see it from across the room.  All the time.

And after all this talk, I'm sure you're dying to see what I'm talking about.  So now, without further ado, my 36 week belly.  About the size of a honeydew!

Total weight gain/loss: +22

Next Appointment: Today!
Maternity clothes? Yes, but those shirts are getting short! 
Stretch marks: Yup
Sleep: Not bad this week.  Just not enough of it!

Best moment this week: Last week's appointment went really well.  It's been a rough week since then.

Movement: Yes.although I'm noticing that if I'm moving around, the baby seems quieter, just waiting for me to sit down and kick into gear.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it's getting super shallow.
What I miss: Being able to breathe and be comfortable.

What I am looking forward to: Since I missed my girl's spa day, seeing my friends next weekend.

Contractions: None this week

Milestones: 

- Ears are fully formed on the outside and inside.
- Lanugo is starting to shed. 

Mommy Mondays: 28 weeks

 This past week has been absolutely nuts - because of work, nothing really baby related.  But at the same time I'm exhausted because of that combined with the pregnancy. 

The movement has started hitting the uncomfortable phase, in that the baby is getting bigger, but my uterus isn't, so now all those fun turns and flips?  They actually kind of hurt.  Like I'm being stretched and bruised from the inside.  And again, this is so distracting at work!  I was at a hearing on Friday and afterwards, walking to the elevator with opposing counsel I had to take a sharp breath and I swear the poor woman must have thought I was going into labor because right away she froze, eyes wide, asking if I was okay.

I am one hundred percent pregnant right now.  Obviously pregnant.  So far past the "fat" phase.  I feel like you hear about so many moms being bigger the second time around, but Thatboy and I compared the below picture with a picture I took at 28 weeks pregnant with Thatbaby and my stomach is exactly the same size.

Right now the baby is as big as a kabocha squash!  Seriously, look at the size of that squash.  Now imagine it with arms and legs and a head.  Now look at the size of my stomach.  You can kind of understand how the nonstop movement feels!

Total weight gain/loss: +19

Next Appointment: March 20
Maternity clothes? I got some new stuff in this week, which makes me very excited!  I was in maternity clothes pretty much all week.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: Not enough!

Best moment this week: Running a 5k with Thatmom yesterday.  More on that next week, but it's kind of fun to do a race pregnant.

Movement: Holy moley yes.  I'm trying to work out a deal with this kid that s/he can move and groove as often as s/he likes, but not at 5am in the morning when I'm trying to sleep.  It honestly wakes me up.  This kid also gets hiccups several times a day.  Just like Thatbaby did.  And I started kick counts this week.  This week it's taken me between 3 and 14 minutes to get 10 kicks.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: sleep

What I am looking forward to: Another appointment this week.  On Friday.  Afternoon.  So I can cut out of work a little early!

Contractions: Maybe on Saturday?  I seriously have no idea.

 Milestones: 

- Starting kick counts

- Lungs are mature enough to survive outside the womb (but we'd prefer Oppo-baby to stay in longer!)

- External appearance is fully formed

Mommy Mondays: 27 weeks

 This is a story with a happy ending.  But it doesn't start out that way!

As I said last week, I had my 1-hour GTT on Monday.  Last time I was pregnant, I passed the test with flying colors.  The standard cutoff is 140, although my doctor uses the more conservative 130.  With Thatkid I came in at 97. 

Monday I went in and drank the orange drink, which is almost straight sugar.  Then I went to my regular appointment, and after went back for a blood draw.  Ugh, I hate needles.  I felt awful for the rest of the day.  I crashed so hard from the sugar!

On Wednesday I saw my results were posted online.  It should be no surprise that with Oppo-baby I did not have a result of 97.  I had a result of 139.  139!   So I got the call that I needed to come in for the 3 hour GTT.  Booooo hisssssss.  Because that's 3 hours sitting in the lab.  And 4 (4!) blood draws.  Did I mention I hate needles?

Friday I went in as early as I possibly could and drank a drink that had twice as much glucose as the one on Monday.  The one that wiped me out.  The one that had my stomach queasy for the next two days.  The first hour after the drink I felt really nauseous and dizzy, the phlebotomist thought I might pass out during the second draw.  The last 2 hours I thought I might just fall asleep in the waiting room. 

Trying to be smart, I brought a snack with protein in it for after the test, a bag of almonds.  Word to the wise - bring something else, something more substantial. Between the lab and the car I lost my keys in my purse twice.  I went to CVS and when I got there I couldn't remember why and kind of wandered aimlessly trying to find the things I came for and almost started crying.  I got some food in my system and headed to work.  My boss kept asking if I was okay to drive home.  I fell asleep twice between dinner and 8:15pm.








I didn't expect to hear from the lab before Monday, but Friday night I got an email that my results had been updated.  I passed!  I couldn't believe how much I passed by.  I texted every single person I'd ever met to let them know my results. 



All my values were waaaaaaayyyyy under the reference value.  The reference value for the last blood draw is 140.  I had an 87.  It was such a good feeling I made myself a bowl of ice cream and then fell asleep!

Total weight gain/loss: +19

Next Appointment: March 20
Maternity clothes? I'm running low on shirts!  I think I'm set with pants, but I'm having a hard time finding a shirt to wear.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: Same as before - fine at night, not so good in the morning.

Best moment this week: Passing the 3 hour GTT!

Movement: Yes.  This kid goes crazy at night.  Thatboy spent some time just feeling it the other night and was impressed with the ferocity and consistency.  And I'm definitely getting hiccups.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: I think I painted my toes for the last time this weekend.

What I am looking forward to: Working on ordering the baby's coming home outfit!

Contractions: Not this week

 Milestones: 

- No Gestational Diabetes!

- Sleep/wake cycle has developed

- breathing patterns are developing

- yawning is more coordinated

- baby's eyes are open and eyebrows and eye lashes have grown

Sunday Runday: Second Trimester Running Recap

Well the second trimester was a bit of a roller coaster for me.  It started out great.  First trimester I felt so slow, sluggish, and had difficulty breathing.  My pace actually picked up second trimester!  And the breathing difficulties went away (except of course for whenever I climbed stairs). 

From weeks 17-22 I was running consistently and actually felt really good.  And then week 22 hit.  I don't know what happened, but I got hit with a ton of bricks.  All of a sudden my runs got really uncomfortable.  Pelvic pain when running, sciatica, back pain all the time.  My 11:30 pace dropped to closer to 14/15 as I interspersed walking in with my weekday runs.

After about 2 weeks though, my pain disappeared.  My runs became comfortable again and my pace went back up.

So why?  What happened?  I have no idea.  Maybe taking it easy for 2 weeks was what my body needed.  It's so important to listen to your body, especially when pregnant.  Of course, my return to "fitness" coincided with my busiest time at work.  So second trimester I felt better and ran faster.  But of course, had less time to do it.

I'm really looking forward to my third trimester running.  I've got a couple races lined up and have already started back in on  my longer runs.  Yesterday I even managed a couple of sub-11 minute miles!

Mommy Mondays: 26 weeks

I'm about to enter the third trimester, and (knock on wood) I'm feeling really good!  I'm in that perfect stage of pregnancy where I'm not uncomfortable, I don't have any symptoms, and I've got that constant reassurance of steady kicks and punches in my abdominal region. 

We've pretty much finished Thatkid's room and so now I can start focusing on the baby's room.  Which is fun, because it's just decor since I've got all the furniture already.

Today is the start of my 2 week OB appointments!  That's a big deal.  Up until now it's been once a month.  Transition time!  Which means I should really get on top of the whole childcare situation!

Today is also my GTT test - the test for Gestational Diabetes.  Which always makes me nervous.  I passed with flying colors last time around, but that really means nothing in terms of how I'll do this time.  Wish me luck!


Total weight gain/loss: +15

Next Appointment: This afternoon!
Maternity clothes? I am going on a shopping spree for maternity clothes.  I had to go to court twice this past week.  I can still get away with most of my suit pants with a bella band.  I tried to wear my brown skirt suit and.....let's just say I won't be doing that again.  It was such an awkward fit when the back rose up.  The second court appearance I couldn't find a good top to wear.  The struggle is real y'all.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: Restless lately.  I miss good sleep, but in truth, it's been years.

Best moment this week: Nothing terribly exciting, just those little moments of sitting on the couch with Thatboy after Thatkid has gone to sleep. 

Movement: Yup.  Now everyone can feel and see it.  Thatboy was uber impressed this weekend with the intensity and frequency.  Plus it's super distracting during work.  And I think the little one had hiccups this week.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss:Running.  But that's more busy work week related than pregnancy related.

What I am looking forward to: Second trimester this week!

Contractions: Not this week

 Milestones: 

- Baby's eyes can open!

- Even though we don't know whether Oppobaby is a boy or a girl, his/her reproductive organs are now in place!  If we've got another little boy on our hands, his testes have now descended into the scrotum.

Mommy Mondays: 25 weeks

Traveling when pregnant is a totally different ball game.   For a couple of different reasons.  The first is that it gets more uncomfortable.  Size is only part of the issue.  There's also the constant need to pee.  And round ligament pain. 

The second problem is trying to figure out what to pack when your size is changing.  Or when you're traveling to a place with a vastly different climate.  Do you buy a maternity coat or bathing suit for a weekend trip knowing you won't be wearing it again?

The third problem is trying to navigate a new area when you're not sure how you're going to be feeling or what you're going to want from day to day.

But, like everything with pregnancy, you can rise to the occasion or be mired in doubts.  On our trip last week, this is how I handled it:

#1 - Travel discomfort.  Let's just say I did not handle this as well as I probably could have.  We planned on the red eye.  I am fantastic with red-eyes.  I can (and do) sleep anywhere. The car, airplanes, sitting on the couch for a minute after dinner.... The only problem with this is when you're flying while pregnant, you're supposed to be getting up at regular intervals and walking around, to help prevent DVT.  I figured I'd chance it.  I put on compression socks and planned to sleep.  The second problem arose when Oppo-baby decided to take this "sleep" time as time to play rock-um-sock-um robots with my uterus.  I didn't sleep a wink during the flight because I was so uncomfortable with the beating I was getting from within.

#2 - What to pack.  I always have this problem when I travel while pregnant, I always bring something "just in case" I get bigger than I planned at the time I pack.  This trip had the added complication that I was traveling from California where we don't get snow, to the North East where they sometimes do in February.  I have "cold weather" coats - beautiful wool peacoats, but none of them close over my frontal region any more.  So I invested in a maternity puffer jacket.  I waited forever to buy one because I really didn't want to spend money on something I would only wear once, but I ended up buying it and leaving the tags on, figuring I could return it if I didn't need it.  You guys heard about Winter Storm Neptune?  Let's just say I lasted exactly 12 hours before ripping that tag off.

#3 - Planning for the unplanned.  I packed so many snacks for this trip!  Things that were easy to travel with - granola bars, yogurt covered raisins, fruit...  And I also mapped out all the restaurants around the hotel so I would know where to go if that insane hunger arose.

In general my traveling while pregnant philosophy is "it is better to have and not need, than to need and not have."  After all, the last thing you want when you're pregnant is to be uncomfortable.

Total weight gain/loss: +15

Next Appointment: March 2.
Maternity clothes? I had one of THOSE moments this week where I had to go to court and had nothing to wear.  I decided to go with one of my skirt suits, since most still fit pretty well with a bella band.  This one is now in retirement.  The jacket hit at just the wrong place, making every shirt underneath look sloppy.  The skirt has a kickpleat, and due to the weird rising and pulling based on the way I have to wear it with my stomach it just felt awkward.  What's funny is that despite how not flattering I felt it was, my boss commented that I looked really nice that day. 
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: Sleeping great at night, but having a hard time sleeping in the morning.

Best moment this week: I ordered my very first thing for the nursery!  A crib skirt and valence.

Movement: Yes.  I'm obsessed with watching my stomach move too.  And this week Thatkid got a chance to feel a kick for the first time!  And what kicks - I wouldn't be surprised if I gave birth to a full grown soccer player.  They hurt and take my breath away. 
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: Sleep!

What I am looking forward to: Finishing up Thatkid's "big boy room" so we can figure out the furniture situation for the nursery.

Contractions: Not this week

 Milestones: 

- All the nerve cells are now on the surface of the baby's brain!

- First baby items bought!

- Baby can feel vibrations and hear people talking.

- Baby can make coordinated movements with hands and feet, make a fist, grab hold of toes

Mommy Mondays: 24 weeks

Sharing the secret -  I'm not the kind of person who announces their pregnancy as soon as a second line shows up on the test.  Last time around we waited until the second trimester to share the good news, even with our parents.  It goes back to those miscarriage numbers I was talking about earlier.  Once you tell someone, even a parent, you have to be prepared they are going to share it with everyone they know.  And while good news travels fast, bad news often doesn't.  If anything had happened I wouldn't want to be in the grocery store when a friend of a parent came up, rubbed my empty belly, and asked how the pregnancy was treating me.

The risk of miscarriage drops after the heartbeat is heard, so we decided to share the news with family after that first appointment.  Thatboy called his family and told them over the phone.  They were disappointing.  He was expecting them to be enthused, but they acted as though he told them we were getting a new couch.

I got a different reaction from Thatbrother.  I wanted to let him know first, before anyone else.  I don't know if I had a real reason for that, just that I was sending things out to family and I wanted him to know before the cousins and aunts.  Thatbrother was excited, although he expressed disappointment that we wouldn't be having our second kids at the same time.  Given that he had a 3 month old at the time, I told him our schedules probably wouldn't match up.

The next people we told were the matriarchs of my family.  My mother, cousin, and great aunt were all heading east to visit my grandmother.  I wanted to share the information with them at the same time, kind of as a pick-me-up for my grandmother.  We recorded the heartbeat at the appointment and I texted it to my mom, telling her it was a special message from Thatkid to my grandmother, and she should play it when they got there.  She couldn't get it to work.  And given that she didn't think it was a big deal, didn't bother trying to make it work, despite my pleas with her to keep trying as I sent it through as many avenues as possible.  When she finally got it to work, and read the accompanying message, she was ecstatic.  Everyone was.  It was the reaction Thatboy had been looking for.

As for the rest of the family, we sent them a special message on Halloween:

As for our friends, we sent them a little Thanksgiving message from all of us, including the little turkey coming this spring.


Well, we're at 24 weeks my friend.  And I feel like I am exponentially bigger than last month.  Currently Oppo-baby is the length of an ear of corn!

Total weight gain/loss: +15

Next Appointment: March 2.
Maternity clothes? Mostly non-maternity this week, with the exception of a couple maternity dresses.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: I'm having a hard time sleeping in the early morning.  That really obnoxious light sleep where you're aware of everything around you.

Best moment this week: Seeing movement! (see below) 

Movement: Yep. And I've been saying for a while Thatboy would be able to feel them if he had any patience, this week not only did he feel them, but we both watched something move across my stomach. It's that very cool and creepy alien looking thing I never had with Thatkid, possibly due to the anterior placenta.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Cured meats (pepperoni, proscuitto) just aren't appealing this week
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss:I could so go for a glass of something alcoholic.  Or two or three.

What I am looking forward to:  Nothing big this week.

Contractions: Not this week

 Milestones:

-Viability.
- Skeleton is hardening
- Brown fat is forming on the neck, chest, and back to be used after birth to produce heat and energy.
- Baby is yawning!
- Baby can breathe in and out through each nostril.

Mommy Mondays: 22 weeks

Today I have my 22 week appointment.  My first appointment seemed so long ago!  Right now, I have a squirmy, wiggly, little thing that resembles a baby living inside me.  But at that first appointment, there was no way of knowing if there was anything there at all.

First appointments are nerve-wracking.  30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. 10% occur within the first 4 weeks, often known as a "chemical pregnancy" and many women don't even know they were pregnant.  Which means 20% of "known" pregnancies end in miscarriage.  And before that first appointment, there's no way of knowing whether you're a statistic or not.  There's no movement to reassure you, "pregnancy symptoms" mean nothing because your body could still be producing the hormones which cause the symptoms even if they baby has stopped growing.

My doctor waits for the first appointment until somewhere between 8 and 10 weeks.  For both of my kids I've had mine during the 9 week mark.  She's explained to me that before this time period, it's very difficult to see anything, hard to identify structures, and the heartbeat may or may not be present.  But none of these factors indicate a healthy growing baby before 8 weeks, and often if an expectant mother doesn't see these things, it feeds into her anxiety leading to another later appointment anyway.

The first appointment is a breath holding experience.  There's small talk to begin with, a taking of vitals, a social and medical history.  I got the added bonus of a pap smear since I was due for one in January anyway.  But then comes the moment of truth.  The baby is too small to be picked up by an abdominal ultrasound which means the transvaginal ultrasound gets lubed up and ready to go.  If you're lucky, like me, you get to see a little blob.  Nothing quite human looking, but definitely animalistic structures, a head, a rear (maybe even a bit of a tail), and some little arms and legs.  There's a flicker - which is the heartbeat. A flick of the ultrasound machine and that reassuring buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh is heard.  Which makes it all worthwhile.

Total weight gain/loss: +10

Next Appointment: Today!
Maternity clothes? Same as always - maternity tops, pants with bella band, and regular dresses.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep:I'm having real issues with sleep because I'm just so uncomfortable - back pain, hip pain, sciatica.  I think I figured out the issue which might involve needing an extra pillow.

 Best moment this week: Nothing stands out really.   I definitely enjoyed spending the whole afternoon/evening on the couch yesterday!
Movement: All the time.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: I don't know if this counts, but I was eating a salad at lunch the other day and decided I was over the salami and pepperoni in it.
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: Being able to bend over or move without being in pain.

What I am looking forward to: Appointment this afternoon.

Contractions: Nope.  Last time around I didn't get them until they were induced through medication.  Part of me is kind of hoping to actually have those moments this time.

 Milestones:

- Baby's inner ear is mature enough to hear low sound frequencies. 

- Baby can grasp (still reflexively if something touches the palm of the hand)

- Nervous and muscular systems are mature enough for baby to suck in amniotic fluid.

- Baby is starting to develop the ability to remember things

Sunday Runday: First Trimester Running

As I mentioned last week, this pregnancy has been very different for me in terms of running.

The first pregnancy running was easy.  Well, easy is a bit of an overstatement.  When I ran the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon I had an inkling I was pregnant, because I was so thirsty, had to stop for port-a-potty breaks, and was generally slower than the half I had run just 5 months earlier.  But really, the only noticeable difference in the first trimester was that I was really thirsty when running. 

This time I have not had the same experience.  On September 7 I ran a 5k in 27:29.  I became pregnant shortly after.  On September 20, when I was about a minute pregnant I had no problem running at normal speed for the Beat the Blerch Virtual race.  And yet, by October 11, when I went to do 10 miles with my running friends, I was already feeling the effects of the pregnancy.  I was already slower and having difficulty breathing.  It was easy to convince my friends that I was getting over an upper respiratory infection, which caused me to lag behind.  And I continued to do so.  During our weekend runs, I would turn back early, because it took the same time for me to run 7 miles as it did for them to run 10. 

Luckily, I was able to keep running, because my amazing running friends didn't mind me slowing them down, or trailing behind.  And I continued to slow.  By the time I ran the Fit Foodie 5k in November, my 5k time had already slowed to 31:42.  On top of all that, I've been struck with nausea and fatigue, neither of which reared their faces last time.  I had hoped that maybe the running would help with one or both of them.  It didn't.

The second trimester has so far been kinder.  The breathing has been much easier to deal with.  Although the speed remains my biggest impediment.  I'll do a full second trimester update, once I'm through with the second trimester!

Mommy Mondays: 18 weeks

So I'll probably take over Mommy Mondays for the next 20something weeks with pregnancy updates...I think.  We'll have to see if I really want to make it a weekly thing or not.

But for right now, I'll start at the beginning.  Making the baby - the non-explicit, family friendly version.

The first time I got pregnant, we were successful immediately.  It was almost as if we merely breathed the thought into the ether and it happened.  Not the case this time.  Now - I don't want to sound dramatic, because we got pregnant in a normal, respectable amount of time, and I wouldn't even begin to compare with the hundreds of women for whom getting pregnant is an ordeal.  But it was still disappointing every month we weren't successful.  In my heart of hearts, I knew that we got lucky the first time, and that we were almost guaranteed not to be so lucky this time around, but that didn't make it any easier.  And although the rational side of me could say that it takes a healthy couple an average of a year to get pregnant, and each month in the best of circumstances you only have a 20% chance, that anxious, nagging little voice still echoes with the thought that maybe there's something wrong.  

In fact, the month I ended up getting pregnant I was pretty sure I wasn't.  Every month prior I had terrible "pregnancy" (PMS) symptoms.  Sore boobs, nausea, dizziness, the works.  And every month my period showed up right as expected.  But that month?  Nothing.  In fact, the night before I took the pregnancy test I was having terrible cramping.  A sure sign of my impending period.  As you may (or may not) remember, I use charting to both avoid pregnancy and to get pregnant.  So when my temperature continued to remain high, I decided to take a test.  I used a Walmart brand test, figuring if it was negative, I was only out $.88 - less that a dollar.  And I watched as the entire thing turned purple, which didn't seem like a good sign to me.  But 3 minutes later I looked and the purple had all disappeared, except for a line in the "positive" window.  I showed it to Thatboy who didn't trust it.  After all, it was an 88 cent test.  So I took another.  A digital test that read "pregnant" or "not pregnant."  One guess as to what that one said.  And this time Thatboy believed it.  

And that's how we got to where we are today.

 

 

Total weight gain/loss: +5

Next Appointment: Today!  Then again on Thursday for our ultrasound.
Maternity clothes? Not exactly.  Most of my pants don't button, so those get the belly band treatment.  Skirts are still fine.  And I've had to retire most of my button up shirts as of last week.  I went through this week and traded out my shirt drawer for the maternity shirts I had packed away in the garage, but haven't had to use them yet.
Stretch marks: nada.
Sleep: First time around I had terrible pregnancy-induced insomnia.  This time around has been much better, but the past week has found me having difficulty sleeping in the mornings.
Best moment this week: Getting the nursery painted!  I love the color.  I love it so much!
Movement: According to my friends, yes.  Everything is so different with this pregnancy.  Maybe I'll touch on that more next week.  But the first time, I actually FELT the movement.  As though someone was touching me.  And it felt like a fish swimming.  This time I feel like I'm hearing the movement, rather than feeling it (like when you hear your stomach rumble).  And it sounds like someone is blowing bubbles in milk.  Which apparently is movement according to everyone.  And I've been writing it off as gas.
Food cravings: Nothing

Food aversions: Nothing
Gender: Not finding out

Belly Button in or out: In.  But it never popped last time, so I'm not expecting it to this time.
What I miss: Being able to wear some of my new Chanukah presents which I've tucked away for when I'm not pregnant anymore.

What I am looking forward to: The ultrasound on Thursday.

Contractions: Nope.  Last time around I didn't get them until they were induced through medication.  Part of me is kind of hoping to actually have those moments this time.

 Milestones:
-Baby is now bigger and heavier than the placenta!

- Baby's eyes and ears are now in their final position and the eyes move beneath the eyelids
- Baby's skin is covered in lanugo

- Movement!

- Baby's fingers and toes are fully developed and finger prints are forming