22 Weeks Pregnant!

We had our ultrasound on Oct 17th being 20 weeks pregnant.
Ultrasound was incredible, saw baby grabbing its feet, and holding its hand open pushing on its placenta!
Results came back that everything is great, midwife seemed impressed, its size is great etc. And we found out what we are having!!!! A Boy!!!

We are thrilled, I am so happy to have a boy. I feel so much love for him already. I had a feeling since the day, that I was having a boy. Even everyone else thought the same, maybe only 2 people said a girl.
And now I am feeling much more normal emotionally and eating wise. Im hungry alot more and can stomach most things now.
I do get heartburn at night now...husband bought a BIG bottle of tums, yay!
Fetal movement is incredible, regular, strong strong strong!
In good news today: I can now watch my baby move, not just feel it but can look at my belly and see baby kick on my right side all the time! i love it! Was so happy to tell my husband that when he got home today.

Fetal Movement & Emotions

Well this past week, especially the past few nights...have been baby dancing time!

I dont get heartburn, I dont eat spicy foods, I drink lots of milk, keep to one or two cups of coffee a week...and yet this baby is a gymnast already! I dont know where the energy comes from. But it feels fantastic!

Last night I could not sleep. Went to bed early but then woke up tossing and turning and wondering why the heck cant I sleep? Thinking its like 3am, I look at the clock and its only 11pm! I only slept a couple hours! So I got up and couldnt sleep all night til around 4am. Between 1:30am-3:30am...baby was moving so incredibly strong I was almost short of breath and wanted to giggle like I had butterflies in my stomach.

Its a true miracle. A beautiful thing to feel. I could lay awake all night just smiling and feel this little human being really alive and growing inside me, my body creating this person who I will come to know and love and teach and learn with.

Everyday im feeling better.

 

I have to be honest, pregnancy can be a scarey ride. A confusing ride, that some of us dont admit. A time when we should be filled with glory, but are sometimes filled with terror and regret instead. Like this shouldnt be happening right now, and that it might not work out. I had some days of experiancing this as a crazy ride. Or if I was already stressed out over other issues, or was in a fight, having a hormonal emotional day I would end up finding solitutde sitting in the shower with my head between my knees. When there are already transitions in life aside from pregnancy, and life is unexpected...you lose sight of what you could be appreciating and what there is to be happy about.

I had some bad days. Ill be honest and open about it.

But now, its a whole new chapter. Now I daydream of what the future will bring. Now I embrace what I am going through. If I ever lost it, there would be a hole inside my soul with no heart to call home.

For now I will wait and embrace every little kick you give me.

You are my bright side every day...

 

Emergency visit at 18 weeks pregnant!

So not necessarily an emergency but I did get admitted

into ER just in case!

Why?

Because I am taking every precaution I feel the need to do so in this pregnancy! Over bearing mother instincts kicking in? I think so...!

I have round ligament pain, and was told IF I get sharp stabbing pains to go to emerg just as a precaution. So Thursday October 4th I woke up with sharp stabbing pains in my lower right side. So by noon I decided not to walk 15mins to my class, and instead go to the hospital just to check things out.

I got there by 1pm the latest maybe, got some blood work done and a urine test. and the doctor wheeled in a little ultrasound machine to find baby's heartbeat (all good!).

Then had to wait til 4:30pm for the hospital to get a technician in to get an ultrasound to see if everything else was alright. I had a good doctor. But how on earth does a hospital, and an emergency department NOT gave a ultrasound technician on staff at all times?! What if I was a patient with my appendix bursting? Not the easiest feeling going into a hospital where your pregnant uncomfortable, starving and they say "sorry you cant eat anything until after your ultrasound", well "whens that?"...nurse answers "not for another 4 hours"...WTF?!

There were 3 other young woman there in the waiting room who were also waiting for the technician and were there longer than me. They were great to talk to. One had pain in her lower right side and was told she may have an ectopic pregnancy (oh but you know no big deal its just emergency just sit awhile and chill out since there's NO technician! I cant believe our medical system!) The other girl had pain and a swollen stomach and hasn't been able to eat or keep down solid in 5 days!

By the time the technician was ready and the other girls went ahead, it was finally my turn at 5:30pm. the technician told me everything was fine, no signs of any abnormalities inside or outside the stomach, uterus etc. And then she printed a ton of pictures!

 

So then I thought I was good to go but nope had to wait til doctor actually receives the report from the technician. So by 6:30pm I said screw this I know I'm fine now and blood work and urinalysis came back fine. And my husband was getting hungry, tired and impatient so we left.

So round ligament pain isn't fun, some evenings I am hunched over walking slowly around like a little old lady with a hunch back HAHA

So all is good and its a relief to know nothing was wrong. Dont regret spending the day there just to make sure though.

19 weeks pregnant update:

Thursday October 11th, 19 weeks and 4 days pregnant!

Yesterday had my midwife appointment, my uterus is up to the belly button now and heart beat is great and my blood pressure is great. Signed out 2 dvds and a book on babies and stretching during pregnancy. Made my husband watch the dvds! Ha

Got a call from the midwife today, I have my RhoGAM shot and the bloodwork for gestational diabetes appointment at 8am on Dec 11th. Good thing its first thing in the morning! Ill be starving by the time thats over thats for sure!

I have been having alot of fetal movement, and I can feel it everyday! Today was the most amazing because when my husband got home from work and showered and we laid down to relax and snuggle...baby was moving alot! (sorry no hanky panky hunny HA!) It was an incredible moment when the second he placed his hand on my belly the baby gave a good kick or something! Strongest WHAM feeling ive felt so far! On the lower right side. My husband said he completley felt it, like a kick to his finger! I find in the late afternoons when he gets home from work and I lay down with him I always feel a ton of movement more than any other time of day. Hope our baby keeps up that routine so that its happy to see daddy home!

Next week we have our second trimester ultrasound on Wednesday October 17th at 3:00pm! My husband will be taking that afternoon off work early to be present for it. And then we have our appointment with the midwife on October 22nd after work so we get to be told what the gender is!

We originally were not going to find out, but now that I have been only getting 5hrs a week at work and going to school, finances are tight and being prepared between now and then a little here and there to stalk up on baby clothes is a must! And we are so excited to find out!

There are pros & cons...

 

Opinions "BEFORE" birth

This is my "before labour" knowledge...what Ive been through so far and what ive learned.

My experiance from start til now in the second trimester is all new!

Symptoms week 1-16:

I thought morning sickness goes away by second trimester...it hasnt! I still puke almost everyday or every second day, mostly just water before I actually get to eat breakfast.

Starting to get dizzy moments once in awhile. So far heart burn has come and gone about 3 times. Once when it was so bad and I felt so sick nothing stayed down.

 

The things I have learned so far during pregnancy that every woman should know.

Blood tests:

My blood work came back great including I have an immunity to Parvo.

Pregnant women who are not immune usually do not have serious complications after they are exposed to others with fifth disease. They usually have only mild illness. Also, their babies usually do not have any problems. However, sometimes a baby will develop severe anemia, and the woman may have a miscarriage. But, this is not common. It happens in less than 5% of all pregnant women with parvovirus B19 infection and more commonly during the first half of pregnancy.

Found out my blood type: A-Negative.

Not such a great thing as that means I am RH negative and my husband is a positive.

When Rh negative blood is exposed to Rh positive blood the Rh negative person begins producing antibodies to fight the invading blood. Antigens trigger your body to produce antibodies. Antibodies are usually a good thing and serve to protect a person from foreign invaders.

Now the problem lies when a pregnant woman is carrying a baby that is Rh positive. If the mother has antibodies to the Rh antigen, those antibodies can attack the baby's red blood cells. This can lead to complications to the baby including anemia, jaundice, and other blood related problems.

There is good news! Rh incompatibilities can be prevented and treated.

Part of the normal blood work up for the pregnant woman is testing for blood type and Rh factor. Her blood is also checked for the presence of Rh antibodies. If antibodies are present, the mother has already been exposed to RH positive blood at some point in her life and her body already has antibodies to the Rh factor. Treatment for Rh incompatibilities may be necessary.

Rh factor incompatibility can be prevented by administration of the RhoGAM shot. Because baby's blood does not usually mix with the mother's until birth, first pregnancies usually have no risk for problems to baby. During birth, bits of the baby's blood will mix with the mother's blood. The RhoGAM shot should be given within 72 hours of birth. This shot will stop the mother from developing antibodies to the Rh factor. Because there is a slight risk of placental tears during the later part of pregnancy, the RhoGAM shot is often given at 28 weeks of pregnancy as well.

So I have to have the RhoGAM shot. Good thing I have no fear of needles and blood work!

The thing that shocks me about this is only few of my friends have even heard of this! My inlaws never heard of this, and even some friends of ours have never heard of this!

Yet its SOOO important! eeek

 

Things I didnt expect:

Having so many people tell me silly things that symptoms mean...

like if you have heart burn your having a boy...FALSE! Every woman I know who had a girl had heart burn very extreme. And some with boys had it too. Does not mean your having a boy!

Or telling me what I should and should not eat, when im eating organic, sugar free foods(for the most part anyways)...vegatable pasta, organic yogurt(pasturized, and no gelatin in it!)

GREAT PRODUCTS!
Love this organic yogurt...yes its pasturized, and has no gelatin yay! Dont wanna eat bones.

 

I didnt expect I would grow belly fuzz as much as I have already!

I have been using Bio Oil on a daily basis as soon as we found out we were pregnant.
Hope it helps or works great!!

 

I expected at appx 6months along I would need to start wearing looser pants and would start showing, but at 15 weeks my lulu pants are not comfy anymore, so ive bought a different pair with a drawstring I can have up over my tummy or folded over.

I highly suggest these as before during and after pants! Great for maternity! Yes $110 after taxes but last yrs through all stages of pregnancy, a great investment! Very comfortable and I use them for work as well.

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-pants/Relaxed-Fit-Pant-33165?cc=9732&skuId=3450606&catId=women-pants

 

The stroller we plan on getting: Britax B-Agile!

Watch it on youtube! Great features and its only 17lbs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r62d3biMFq8&feature=share

 

All the things I like...now lets hope that these things are great as they seem!

 We got our imfant car seat! Chicco key Fit 30.

Its compatible with the Britax.

And here are a few more great products ive used during child care...there is so much out there im glad ive been able to use some of these products to know and understand whats great and useful.

The SKIP HOP splash bottle drying rack...holds the brush in the middle, love it! And easy to clean!