bigtime ups and downs

I'm 11 weeks! YAY!

Last Friday I had another doctor's appointment and it definitely had it's ups and downs. First of all, we drove there - and parking was a bitch. My husband dropped me off and continued to look for a spot, and because of that - he missed the sonogram. I apparently had the first appointment that day, and unlike our last appointment, where we waited for about 20 minutes, this time I was whisked right in. Anyway - I think I lost a pound, which I guess is ok - she didn't say anything. The sonogram was amazing. It was SO different than last time. Last time it was a blob, and this time I could definitely see a tiny baby inside of me, and it even moved! It was pretty monumental and I was sad my hubby couldn't be there. He made it in just as the doctor's appointment was ending, and just as it was my turn to give blood....A LOT of blood.

I'm pretty sure that there were about 10-12 test tubes lined up. This was the blood for all the tests like Tay-Sacks, Fragile-X, etc. This is where things went downhill. I sat down and they started taking the blood. About halfway through, I started getting woozy, so I asked if it was almost done and she said "yes, just let me know when you can't take it anymore". I did. I said I felt sick and then I said I was going to pass out, as if you've ever passed out before, you know when you're going down. SO....pass out I sure did, and they had gotten my husband who helped me walk, but I couldn't walk, so I kind of fell and he caught me and he and the 2 nurses worked together to somehow get my dead weight into an exam room to sit or lay down. I sat, and then came to. I felt fine, but they made me lay down for a while and gave me some apple juice in a juice box. My husband was telling me what happened and said he came in and I was catatonic - I guess I had mostly passed out, but my eyes remained open, which freaked him out a bit. So that was a big downer. I wasn't surprised, as when I was in 12th grade I tried to give blood and they told me to never try again as it resulted in me feeling woozy, but I don't think I passed out - I just had to lay down, drink ginger ale and eat cookies until I felt better. I guess some people just react differently when a lot of blood is taken. I don't have a fear of needles or blood, still I choose not to look, and I haven't had a problem in almost 20 years, but then again, no one since then has tried to take that much of my blood! SO........it was a BIG day!

This will be a big week, as I have a CVS test on Thursday with Dr.Wapner, who apparently is the "guru" of CVS tests, and was instrumental in the development of said test! Hopefully the removal of that fluid will go better than the removal of the blood! I hear that many people are so distracted by watching the ultrasound used to navigate the tools, that they barely notice the procedure. I'm hoping for that!

CVS consult

Oh to be be a bad blogger!

Well, really there isn't THAT much to report. I had a CVS counseling appointment on Monday with a lovely lady named Anita. She fully educated me on the ins and outs of amnio vs. cvs. I had done my own research, but it was nice to be talking about it with a real person and have her answer my minimal questions. I am leaning - no - I am GETTING a CVS test. I told my BF co-worker about my pregnancy today and she had a CVS test, which was good to know. I haven't spoken to anyone that has had one, and she and I share the same Ob/Gyn, so I appreciated what she had to say about it which was that it was relatively painless and just fine. We will surely speak more of it in the coming days as Anita will be calling me with an appointment time surely in the next couple of weeks. I have another doctor's appointment on Friday, and I am looking forward to that. Otherwise, I sometimes don't feel pregnant, except for when I pee a lot, when I look at my boobs and today when I had some pain in my stomach area that I think is just ligaments being stretched. Otherwise, hopefully all is well! I am a little over 10 weeks now!

Pillow talk

Well friends, not too much to report! I still feel great, and I have been trying to eat healthier. I've made my daily lunch a hearty salad with spinach or romaine, and lots of beans, beets, an egg, cranberries, walnuts etc. I'm all about it. Now, just to add more exercise! I have been walking a lot, and yesterday I ordered 2 pregnancy dvd workouts, since I was honest with myself - I am not going to go to a gym. I'm just not. I truly look forward to getting them and doing them!

I've suffered from some insomnia, which has actually gotten better the last couple of nights. I got a new pillow, which I love (tempurpedic) and switched to a summer blanket. I've also been trying to go to bed earlier and read for a little while before trying to sleep.

In short - things are good! I think I've decided on the CVS test, and on Monday afternoon I go for a counseling session. I don't know what will happen there, but I suppose they will tell me about the test, it's risks and collect my family history. I will have some questions for them too, based on my research. I will ask the name of the doctor performing the test, how many he/she performs a year, and what he/she's rate of miscarriage is. I have been reading that it's the people in small towns getting CVS tests from doctors that only perform say 30-40/year that have problems. The more tests a doctor performs, the better. I hope to then get the actual test later that week or early the next week. I will have to take a sick day as apparently you feel crappy after.

OK....more soon!

Oh, and baby got to attend a Dr.John concert last night...which was the music that my mom played for me starting at age 4

The First doctor's visit!

Here's a play by play. After I filled out multitudes of forms and then went in, my blood pressure was taken by a nurse and then she told me how to pee in a cup. Then I changed into a gown with the opening facing front of course. My lovely doctor came in and said congrats and we talked for a while and then she went to town. First a pap, then a breast exam - standard OBGYN checkup stuff since I was about due for that anyway. Then she felt the uterus with her fingers....yikes....awkward! Then she stuck what looked like a thin dildo in my snatch and that was a sonogram. It went in and somehow showed my uterus, where we saw a little blob that had a heartbeat that was beating fast! Everything's looked good....not much to see, not a distinguishable baby that is, but at least I know it's not a phantom pregnancy and the tests I took were right! Yay! I go back in 2 weeks for some blood tests, and in the meantime I need to choose between a CVS test and an amniocentesis, since my hubby and I have determined that since I am 36, we would like to do som testing to make sure nothing is wrong. OK! Any advice between those 2 tests would be welcomed.

Don' say "crave" !!!

Dear pregnant people,

When trying to keep your pregnancy a secret because it's too early to tell people, don't use the word "crave" in a sentence! It will immediately cause people around you to ask, in unison "what, are you pregnant?" and again, you will be forced to lie. "Ha! Me? Hell no."

Love,
Me


Such was my lunch. I was at a 3 hour work lunch with about 8 people and they decided to order 2 bottles of white wine. I didn't say anything when they gave me a glass, and I discreetly said to the waitress "just a splash for me" and lived with a 1/4 full glass for the rest of the lunch! We toasted, and I didn't even put it to my mouth. No one said anything! I thought I was scott free until I ordered pineapple sorbet for dessert and said "I've been craving pineapples a lot lately" and got the 2 people asking in unison if I was pregnant. In fact, my pineapple "craving" is really more "thoughts". I've been THINKING about pineapple lately....not really craving it. In fact I have been craving fruit in general, and whether that's pregnancy related or related to the sweltering NYC heat, I don't know! But I'm not going to worry about it because fruit is delicious and good for me!

Oh, and I made it through the wedding without having to explain my non-drinking self to anyone. I had a fine time, but wasn't drunk, so I therefore didn't dance or feel compelled to make new friends which so many people seem to like to do at weddings! There was a 8 month pregnant gal there dancing her ass off - she was quite inspiring, but I thought her baby was going to fall right out with all the jumping she was doing! I hope to have that much energy at that point.

A Grape

I am 8 weeks pregnant now! Wow. This feels like some sort of a landmark for some reason. I'm 2/3 through my first trimester, and just 4 weeks away from telling people, and maybe showing! That's also 4 more weeks of keeping secrets, and trying to explain my hunger, my non-diet, and lying about why I'm not drinking. This weekend we're going to a wedding, and the good thing, is that I don't know too many people there, so it's unlikely that anyone will ask why I'm not drinking, but there won't be any dancing for me - since that only happens after one too many! I have a pretty social job that requires me to see bands, and eat dinners, and be social. The season for lots of shows is coming soon, and next Tuesday I am invited to a boozy dinner with a coworker and some associates. At this time, I have accepted the invitation, but I don't know how I'm going to explain to these folks why I'm not drinking. A good excuse might be that I'm on medication and can't drink with it - or I'm SO hungover that I couldn't possibly! Oh well. I will come up with something good. I'm never one to turn down a free dinner! Speaking of food ,I hope I am getting proper nutrients. Since my last post, I am more aware of what I need to be eating and I'm trying to up my dairy and my vegetable intake. I had a salad last night which felt great. My husband and I used to have salads almost every night, but traditionally those salads would include some sort of soft cheese - feta, blue cheese or gorgonzola, so the thought of making one without made me not want to make one at all. But I did - and added chopped nuts and dried cranberries insead. So....I'm on the right track! Oh, and the baby is now the size of a grape.

Diet & Exercise

...are 2 things I haven't been paying that much attention to yet. Fact is, prior to this I was on a diet for at least 5 years. I'm serious. I joined weight watchers about 5 years ago and lost 30 pounds. Ever since then I've been trying to lose 15 more, but I kept going up and down. So now, the fact that I can't be on a diet is a little bit of a strange concept for me to grasp, and maybe that's a good thing. I have been off and on that weight watchers diet for years, and it's really on a per-meal basis, or if I'm doing well, a per-week basis. WW at least teaches me about portion control and what healthy foods are. That being said, my point. Since I found out I am pregnant, I haven't been binging per se, but I haven't exactly been always thinking about what my healthiest choice is. I'm getting better about it, but I wish that I was making some better choices. I think I will be ok, as I am not doing any of the things I'm not supposed to do, and fried food is NOT part of my life, nor are many other crappy things. I think this magical upcoming doctor's appointment will solidify be a good eye opener for me and help me get on track to make sure I am getting enough fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy etc. I also have been thinking about exercise. Prior to being pregnant, I was doing my best to walk 3 miles every Saturday, which I would like to start doing again - and ideally add another day. I have also been thinking about swimming and how nice that would be. The pools around my house are a little gross though, so we'll see. Anyway - wish me luck on my healthy quest!