13 Weeks: Easter Bump!

I think there's no more hiding my tiny bump. Here is me, my Squiggle and my Easter dress -- the first piece of maternity clothing I've worn yet. :)

12w4d: NT Ultrasound

This morning, we had our NT ultrasound appointment, which is also called a "first trimester screening." This is to check the fluids in the baby's neck and spine, which can show indications of having chromosomal  abnormalities. In the past, if the screening came back positive, the mother would have to get an amnio done, which is very invasive. Now, if it comes back positive, you can get the MaterniT21 test done, which is a blood draw that checks for the same abnormalities and confirms them as well as the sex of the baby.

I just looked at this as another chance to get to see my baby. The NT results were fine, but the experience was something else.

Turns out, I have a stubborn child. When we got there, s/he was facing straight up, staring at us, which is good to check on all the little limbs and to watch him/her wiggle around and kick and flail his/her arms around, but it is impossible to actually measure the fluids if the baby is face up. So, after we got to watch the baby move all around, the tech told me to turn onto my left side to try and get him/her to roll over. This didn't work. Next step? She told me to go empty my bladder, then walk around for a little bit.

I went ahead and did that and jumped up and down a few times for good measure. All the while, B was mocking me for the stubborn baby, saying that I pissed him/her off with the doppler, and now he/she wanted to be left alone. Whatevs.

When the tech came back in, we tried again, and the baby was facing down now...for like thirty seconds, before he/she rolled back over face-up. Hahaha. So, I had to do more rolling around, flipping from one side to the other, and FINALLY she was able to get the measurements.

The baby kept putting one of his/her hands up by his/her nose, as if to cover his/her face, which was definitely cute. She even did a close up shot of his/her little feet, but didn't give us that picture, unfortunately.

Oh, and all afternoon in school, I felt the baby moving around. I think he/she is mocking me. I'm much more aware of the sensation now, as infrequent as it is. It's beautiful, and I love it. I love every moment of it.

Here's the best of the pictures we did get. You can't tell the sex from the picture at all, so don't bother guessing. Baby's not fully developed down there yet, so there wasn't anything to see.

12 Weeks: Migraines and Movement

Yesterday, I got to see my best friend, Gina, for the first time in a little while. I was super excited to get to be with her while my husband played 24 hours of video games for charity. Somewhere around the middle of the day, I formed a low-grade headache that I knew would be bad news. I continued to drink water, and I even had a little bit of soda to ward off the migraine.

Sadly, at around 10pm, I lost the battle and the migraine hit me full blast. I went to bed early, which wasn't saying much since the charity gaming party was still going on, and I could hear everything through the wall. I used an ice pack to relieve the pain in the front of my head and prayed the Tylenol I took would work. It didn't work. In fact, lying down only made my head hurt worse.

At about three in the morning, I texted Gina, who was still awake and with the gamers, and asked her for more Tylenol. I only took half a dose before, since that was all I had left. She came in and gave me more Tylenol and switched out my ice pack for a new one. She's awesome. <3 She asked if I had to go to the hospital, but I didn't want to go. I feel so silly going to the hospital for a migraine.

About three minutes after she left, I broke down in tears. I was so frustrated because I hurt so much, and since I've suffered from migraines for many years, all the remedies I'd usually try...I can't try now. Gone are the days of squishing it with Excedrin, which didn't always work, but it would most of the time. Now, all I can use is Tylenol (a joke) and pray it away.

B in to check on me in the middle of my little breakdown. He stayed with me until I calmed down, and I told him that it really hurt, and I can't sleep because of it. I asked if he could bring me a can of soda. Caffeine was my last hope. Now, caffeine can either be a trigger for people who suffer migraines, or it can be a help to get rid of it. For me, it's always been a help. In fact, when all my other preventatives fail, I usually bank on a huge Coffee Coolatta from Dunkin Donuts. The cold and the caffeine combined would make it much more bearable.

My husband brought me the Coke, and I forced myself to drink half of it (since I didn't want to eat or drink), and then I got back into bed. Thankfully, the half can of Coke made the migraine more bearable, and I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up, the migraine was still there, but it wasn't painful (those of you who suffer from migraines know what I mean). I took more Tylenol to keep it from coming back around. That worked.

To say I am frustrated is an understatement. I am going to call my midwife tomorrow and talk about my options. There are a few out there for pregnant women, but some of them, like anti-depressants, are not an option for me.

In other news, on the way to Philadelphia, while I was sitting in the car, I felt a little *bloopbloop* in my upper pelvic area. It definitely wasn't gas, but it didn't occur to me at first that it was my baby. When it did, I was so happy, and I told Brandon, who promptly joked around and told me it was probably just gas. But, I have a very active baby, so it wouldn't surprise me if he or she was doing a somersault, and I just so happened to feel it. The RE told me that I could feel the quickening as early as 11 weeks, but most first time moms don't understand what they are feeling and miss it. I totally didn't miss this. :D

Doppler Kick Video!

11w4d: Kicking on the Doppler

So, it is the neatest thing to listen to your baby's heartbeat on the doppler. Once I week, I spend time listening to the baby, connecting with him or her, and just loving the state I am in.

Today, I set up my doppler, laid down in the bed and listened. It's easier now to find the baby, but my baby likes to move around a lot, so once I find him or her, the baby swims away and I have to go searching again. While I was listening today, I kept the doppler in one spot and just listened to how the baby moved around. Sometimes there was a "swoosh" noise when he moved, and sometimes the heartbeat just faded away and them came back louder than ever.

But, something new that happens is the little "pops" that break the rhythm of the heartbeat. That's the baby kicking. Or punching. Whatever he's doing. I caught it twice in ten minutes, and it made me laugh. I have a little super hero in there, I think. :)

I will try and record it sometime to post on the blog, it's just hard to hold the doppler and the phone at the same time. But, it's really cool, so I want to share. Maybe after work today! :D

11 Weeks!

Man, I have never wanted to wish these weeks away faster. I am so close to the second trimester, and yet, it seems so far away.

So, what has happened this past week? Lots! As you have read, I ended up in the hospital because of a migraine, but at least it was just a migraine. Yesterday, I had severe back pain that almost had me in tears at one point. I felt so miserable, but I wanted to be with my friends, so I pushed through it.

When I got home, I went straight to the heating pad and went to bed with a heated...thing that I called my "snuggie." It's one of those things you put in the microwave and heat up, or you can put it in the freezer. I used that so I could sleep with it and not have to worry about leaving the heating pad on all night long.

Thankfully, it let up today. I was preemptive with it by propping something between my back and the couch, and by resting a lot. I suppose this is just the beginning of it all. :)

We also bought a new warm humidifier that you can pour the menthol vapor stuff in. I've been having a hard time sleeping at night because I am congested from the pregnancy as well. That, and my husband's sinuses are always awful, so I made the executive decision for both of our noses to get a new humidifier. I'm excited to use it, and I hope it makes sleeping more comfortable.

I am also going to order my pregnancy pillow, since I really need to stop sleeping on my back, which is probably why it hurts.

Oh, and I am officially off ALL MY HORMONES! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS! I AM SO HAPPY!

Otherwise, I am feeling GREAT. I don't feel sick anymore, and my energy is up more than it was before. I feel like I'm in the "glowing" part of my trimester. Glow, mama, glow!

I will post a new belly picture soon!

Trip to the Hospital

For the last three days, I've had a dull headache that wouldn't go away with tylenol, warm showers, sleep....nothing. Today, after a rough day of school, the headache exploded into a full-blown migraine. I immediately came home from work and got into bed.

After sleeping for two hours, I woke up feeling sick. I didn't eat anything since 11 am, and at that time, it was 7pm, and I wasn't hungry at all. I read through my pregnancy packet from my OB, and it stated several times that if I have a headache that doesn't go away with Tylenol to call the office.

So, I called the office, since I was sick of the headache, and now not thrilled with the migraine. My midwife called me back and told me that I should go to the hospital. And that's what I had to do.

For the most part, everything was okay at the hospital. The baby's heart rate was 161, but my blood pressure was soaring when I first got in. I forget the top numbers, but my bottom numbers went from 101 down to 80 within an hour or so. But it wasn't good to be up at 101 at all.

They gave me some IV fluids and Reglain (sp?) to help with the migraine. It went away pretty quickly, but I had to continue to lay there while the IV fluids were pumped. Once it was all in, I was discharged from the hospital. Funny, because as soon as they hooked me up to the IV and started to push the meds and fluids, I got hungry right away. So, I came home and ate a peanut butter and jelly sammich, and now I'm going to bed.

Hopefully, I don't have to go back there anytime soon!