17 weeks

So I'm 17 weeks today. My symptoms this week included headaches -- 2 days bad enough for me to take tylenol. Also nightly heartburn.

I had my 3rd prenatal appt with Dr. Rinato on Wednesday. I really like her. I'm up a total of 7lbs, the heartbeat was in the 140s, and everything is going great. Made an appt for the big ultrasound -- April 23rd. I'll be 21 weeks. It feels so far away! I just want to know if this baby is a boy or girl NOW!

I'm not showing a bunch -- I can tell I'm bigger, but most other people might just think I'm getting pudgy.

Anyway, I cannot BELIEVE I'm 17 weeks pregnant. I'm starting to realize that this pregnancy will continue to progress and in a few short months, I'm going to have a real, live baby to take care of. Like, I knew that before, but every day it just sinks in more and more. I'm still really anxious about the daycare issue, as we don't have that loose end tied up yet, but I'm trying not to worry about things and just go with the flow.

Pregnancy colds suck

I came down with a really crappy cold yesterday. Well, more like Monday night. I picked up some meds that won't make my baby grow a third arm but neither worked so great. Benedryl was ok. Actifed didn't work at all. Plus, they both made me groggy, which isn't helpful at work. I came home early yesterday and napped for a bit, and then went to bed at 7:30pm. I didn't sleep the entire night, but at least I was resting.

I feel a touch better today, although I still look like total crap.

4 weeks to 15 weeks

I decided it's time to have a blog solely dedicated to my pregnancy, and when the time comes, this sweet child o' mine.

I got pregnant on Sunday December 10, 2006. I knew I was pregnant right away... and at 7 and 8 days past ovulation I had mild queasiness that went away with eating and some heartburn. It was torture waiting to test. I got a negative test at 10 days past ovulation, but this is what I woke up to 12 days past ovulation:

Yes, it's faint, but the second line is there. I got that on December 22nd. I had a few appointments at my doctor's office to have my hormone levels checked, for my own piece of mind, to make sure everything was ok, and it was. My numbers were as follows:
16 DPO: 701 18 DPO: 1700 24 DPO: 17,000




At 7 weeks and 1 day I had an ultrasound. This is what we saw:

The heart was flickering right in the middle, it was amazing. It was 133 beats per minute. The gal turned the sound on and it was just the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

I decided to get an Ultrascreen, which is a specialized ultrasound that measures the thickness of the skin at the back of the baby's neck, along with the bridge of the nose, paired with a blood test that will tell you your estimated risk of certain genetic disorders. The baby was moving around a bunch, and then fell asleep so the tech had to push the u/s wand into my belly to get the baby to move around again. The heartbeat was 164 bpm.

The final results were:

Downs risk: 1 in 9,518.
Other Trisomy risk: 1 in 10,000.

Those are good numbers, so I was happy.

I had gained about 4lbs by my second midwife appointment. She was able to get the heartbeat on doppler this time.

Here are my belly pictures in progression from 6 weeks, to 11 weeks, to 14 weeks:



So yeah, I'm popping out. I had no sickness at all during the first trimester. I was tired at night, and usually went to bed around 9pm or 9:30pm. I had a few nights at the end of the first trimester (around 10 weeks or so) where I got some mild heartburn. I also had a few nights where I couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat, so I settled for oatmeal or something bland.

My energy started to come back around 10 and a half weeks. I also started to get random headaches. I think they're related to not drinking enough, because they seem to go away if I drink a ton of water. I'm drinking at least 64oz a day. I know I could stand to drink more, but it's so annoying having to pee all the time.

Right now here's how our baby is developing:

• Baby is now over 4 inches (10cm) long
• and weighs about 2.5 ounces (75 grams).
• He or she can move its arms and make a fist.
• Fingernails and toenails are present.
• Baby's skin is still very thin.

Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head. The bone and marrow that make up your baby's skeletal system are continuing to develop this week. The bones and muscles are continuing to grow. You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks, twists and turns; but don't panic if you don't feel movement yet.

Their ears are nearly in position, and the three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. By the end of the week, the roof of your baby's mouth will be completely formed. The fetus has an adult's taste buds and may be able to savor the mother's meals. The baby's thin skin is covered with ultra fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth.

The fetal crown to rump length by this week of pregnancy is 4 to 4.5 inches (100 to 115mm). The fetus weighs about 2.5 ounces (75g). It's close to the size of a softball.

My next appointment is when I'm 16 weeks. I'm going to ask about birthing classes and fun stuff like that. I'm also going to ask my boss soon about having a fairly flexible schedule for after my maternity leave so I can do 20-25 hours a week from home. Then we can figure out child care issues. Fingers crossed!