7 Weeks and Counting 7 weeks down and working on the 8th week. It will be such a relief when I'm working on week 13, but it's not so far away any more! I've been really feeling positive about the pregnancy this past week, despite the nausea and fatigue. I told one more friend and 2 coworkers at my office job, including my boss. She was very understanding about it, and this will improve my work situation over the next few months until I leave that job for good. We've gone back and forth on it, but decided not to tell my husband's parents and sister until the 13th week. We've had some family tragedy over the past year, and we don't want to give them another thing to worry about.
My parents, in the meantime, are ecstatic and have sent out a package of birthday gifts for me including some maternity clothes and some of my baby blankets. I'm really happy my Mom saved those things! I've been wearing a lot of loose skirts to work, and most of my pants are feeling pretty uncomfortable. I think this weekend I will need to hit the store and invest in a couple of pairs of maternity pants and maybe some bras as well. I figure I'm not going to get any smaller at this point!
My first prenatal exam is 2 weeks from tomorrow - can't wait!
2006-04-18 (6 weeks)
Blood Tests are OK I just realized this morning that I'm considered to be "in my 7th week of pregnancy" even though I'm only 6 weeks and a few days pregnant. That changes what I've been reading in the week by week section of my Mayo Clinic pregnancy book, and means my little bean is in fact around the size of a coffee bean!
I got a bunch of bloodwork done for my rheumatologist yesterday and spoke to him tonight. Everything checked out OK, so I'm quite relieved. He measured HCG levels and I'm around 30,000, so that puts me in the ballpark of where I've calculated the pregnancy to be. He also did some other tests which would signal a development problem like a blighted ovary, and he said those all came out normal. Phew! I know he'll be testing me frequently throughout the pregnancy, but at least that's one hurdle I've gotten through. Now it's only 3 more weeks until my first prenatal exam.
My symptoms have stayed the same except my nausea got more severe this morning and I threw up for the first time. Aack. I was fine afterward though. I also noticed I've developed a small gut. My stomach wasn't flat before the pregnancy, but it didn't really stick out either. I've actually lost 2 pounds since I took the pregnancy test and I've been eating more, so my metabolism is definitely changing. But I guess my stomach's just going to keep growing from here, although I didn't expect it to happen so fast. Luckily I'm still fitting into my pants and skirts, but I'm going to have to see where I'm at in a few more weeks!
2006-04-13 (5 weeks)
Middle of 5th Week I visited my rheumatologist yesterday and he was very encouraging and optimistic about the pregnancy. I'm getting some bloodwork done tomorrow that will let me know if everything is progressing as it should and will also give me a better idea of how far along I am (since I'm just counting from LMP at this point).
I feel OK - not great. I'm tired alot but still functioning, which is good since I work 2 part-time jobs and am planning to keep both til the end of the pregnancy. One I do from home though, which is very convenient. I hope to pick that one up again once the bambino is born. The nausea comes and goes throughout the day, usually in the morning and afternoon. By the evening I'm feeling better but I'm really tired by then. I have had steady light cramping (PMS-like) since before I found out I was pregnant, but no major pains in my abdomen. No spotting or bleeding so far, which is good.
I guess I'll update again once I get the results from my tests next week!
2006-04-07 (4 weeks)
This has been a crazy week! It's amazing how quickly life changes. One month ago we were running around Italy in the middle of a 2-week vacation that had been anticipated for years! I'm glad we went - we may not get to do that kind of traveling for many years to come.
We didn't even start trying to conceive until this month really, and I only knew that the weekend after we returned from Italy would most likely be my ovulation time. We got busy throughout the weekend and apparently that was all it took. I feel very lucky to even be where I am at this moment!
I didn't begin to even suspect I could be pregnant until this past Sunday. I knew my period was due the next day (it's always regular) and while I had cramps and bloating, my stomach felt distended and solid. It crossed my mind that it was a possibility. Then Monday came and no period, so my husband and I get a 3-pack of ClearBlue Easy Digital pregnancy tests. It actually spells out "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant." I was feeling more cramps that night and honestly thought my period was probably on it's way. Then Tuesday came and went with nothing, so I took the test first thing Wednesday morning and it showed a quick positive. I ran into the bedroom and jumped on the bed, scaring my husband half to death and broke the news as eloquently as I could: "It says we are." It took a few minutes for this to register with him and then he examined the test himself. He was still in disbelief all day and said he couldn't really swallow the news until we got confirmation from the doctor.
I went to the doctor's office (the lab actually) that afternoon and took another pee test, and was informed yesterday that it was positive. So I have my first pre-natal exam scheduled for my birthday, May 9! In the meantime, I'll be seeing my rheumatologist next week to share the news with him.
I'll be completely honest in saying that I have APL Syndrome, a leading cause of miscarriage in many women. I've known about it for years as it's hereditary, so that works in my favor as I already take aspirin regularly. That doctor may decide to put me on another medication as well, and I know he'll be checking my blood regularly and staying on top of things. I was a little surprised at the nonchalant attitude of the OB/GYN's office, but I guess that's standard procedure from everything I've been reading. My office said they schedule the first exam between 8-10 weeks, and I'm going at 9 so I guess that's all normal. I knew the risks going into this pregnancy, and I'm healthy and in good shape so I'm hoping these factors will work in my favor.
I have to admit I'm a little nervous about this pregnancy as I know I'm a bit of a high risk, but I'm trying to stay calm and not stress out. I'll sure be happy to make it out of 12 weeks though! So far we've told my parents and our sister-in-law. I'll be breaking the news to a good friend this weekend, but we don't intend to tell anyone else until we're out of the first trimester.
SYMPTOMS
So far I've been bloated with light cramping for almost a week. I've had waves of nausea but no vomiting yet, thankfully. I stocked up on ginger ale and crackers yesterday. My appetite has been normal to less than normal overall. We're going out for Mexican food tonight to celebrate my husband's birthday (and our good news) and I intend to enjoy all my favorite dishes!
