9 weeks!!

"Let’s see. What have we got now? Eyes in the right place? Check. Movement? Check (even though you still can’t feel it). An audible heartbeat? Possibly. Some practitioners hold off on looking for a heartbeat because if you can’t hear it right off the bat, they don’t want you flipping out. Your baby’s sex organs are also in the works right now but you aren’t able to see one way or the other at this point." -Pregnant Chicken

We are now 9 weeks along!

Size/Info:  The little nugget is the size of a green olive or a Southern pecan (now I want pecan pie, yum!) and is almost 1 inch long!! At 9 weeks pregnant, the babe has graduated from embryonic stage to fetus stage! The ears are more prominent and a few other organs (liver, spleen and gallbladder) are forming. It is possible that the heartbeat may be audible now with a fetal Doppler. We'll that's good because I ordered a fetal Doppler that arrives today!

What is new this week? This past week I went in for a paperwork appointment with my OB's office. I gave them my family history and all the random details she needed. The only thing I found out at this appointment is how much we'll have to pay for pregnancy and delivery... $15. Yep one-five. Maternity is covered 100% by my insurance and I just have to pay the co-pay visit for my first official OB appointment. When I told Jason he said, "Awesome, but I think we've already spent more than that..." He's such a funny man.

Remember that doppler I mentioned above... when I got home it was waiting for me so I gave go to see if I could find the heartbeat, and I did! Jason came home while I was trying to find it again to record it to show him and he heard it too. Next week I'll post an audio of the heartbeat. I could only stay on it for about 10 seconds but it was definitely the babe's fast beating heart!

Symptoms: My boobs hurt so freaking bad - I swear they are not bigger but something is happening in there. I am a little less tired in the evenings but more tired in the mornings. Still have nausea throughout the day, indigestion and crazy heart palpitations at night. I am waking up twice a night to pee although before I was pregnant I got up once a night already. There is still pressure in my uterus. I think that as the day goes on and I become more bloated, things become more crowded. That is my best guess.

Food aversions: This one is ever changing. I was really liking OJ in the morning but not the last few days. Vegetables don't sound great but I do really like them once I eat them. Mostly nothing sounds great. I have no idea what I want to eat. I have changed from my morning smoothies to oatmeal - and that is so yummy.

Food cravings: All things fried. I don't give into this one that often but I really want to. Cottage cheese hits the spot. I am craving sugar - cookies, cupcakes, pecan pie but when I eat them I seem to get indigestion with the exception of ice cream. I really want yummy ice cream from Prague. It is way less sweet and so delicious!! Maybe I we can try to make our own.

Blump/Bump: There is a blump in the afternoons. It hurts to hold in my stomach so I am trying to just let it hang out. My lower belly feels a little more firm but I haven't pressed around to much to see if I can really feel my uterus - I guess it is about the size of a small melon at this point. Maybe next week I will post a pre-for-real-bump picture, just for comparison.

Medications: No changes here:

6am: 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

7:30am: 10mg prednisone, 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

9am: 1 Prenatal and 2 DHA. 

2pm: 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

7:30pm: 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

9pm (if I can stay up that late): 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

Baby preparations: I still haven't contacted the doula. I guess part of me is waiting until we pass our missed miscarriage date - we found out at 9 weeks 1 day and that I how far along I will be tomorrow. I was gifted a HUGE bag of pregnancy clothes from my friend Steph - so I guess that is how I am preparing for the baby right now - by making room for the belly to grow. I am so thrilled about all of the awesome clothes she gave me!!

Sex prediction:  I am going to throw it out there and say I think we are having a boy. I need to try the ring test and see what that says! Another 2-3 weeks or so and we will know. 

8 Weeks!!

"Remember how I told you about progesterone and how important it is to relax your uterus so it doesn’t contract this kiddo out? Well it has a buddy called relaxin and it does just that, it relaxes your muscles and joints so your body can unhinge like the jaws of a snake come labour time. Good stuff, right? Absolutely, except along with the birthing muscles, it relaxes the gastrointestinal muscles, which slows down your digestion, which forms gas. That gas turns into deadly farts that could take down a flock of birds in mid-flight."  -by Pregnant Chicken

 Size/Info: At 8 weeks, the babe is the size of a raspberry, a wild strawberry or a jelly bean and measures ~0.6". The little nugget has webbed fingers and toes and the facial features are becoming more prominent. The heart has separated into two chambers and even though I can't feel it, the babe is moving around like crazy!!

What is new this week? I started worrying about not  having another ultrasound until 11 1/2 weeks so I called and talked to my nurse to explain how the previous missed miscarriage was messing with my mind and she said that I should just come in that afternoon to ease my mind. I was more than happy to do that!! So I went in alone (it was last minute and Jason was working) and I got to see the little nugget or rather shrimp because that is what it looked like! The heart rate was up to 159 which is great and everything was measuring right on from my last ultrasound. So relieved. Now hopefully, my crazy PGAL brain will give it a rest. I know that I have said this before but I really really love my OB and her nurse. They are the best team and I am SO thankful for them.

Symptoms: Over the weekend, I had a reprieve from the nausea and tiredness which of course made me worry. I think the mellow weekend helped with the symptoms but they are back with the work week. Indigestion is ever present as is the smelly gas. I've had heart palpitations every single night. It might be a side effect of all the medications I am on (see below). This past week I have been very aware of my uterus. There is this presence in my lower abdomen that screams,  "Hello, I am your uterus and I am growing larger!"

Food aversions: Red sauce. My morning smoothie (although Jason has been modifying it to make it more palatable for me) Mostly I am sticking to the same foods so I haven't had to shy away from too much this week.

Food cravings: French fries, meat, sushi (we went but I only had the cooked rolls - still yummy), milk, cottage cheese and la Croix lime fizzy water.

Medications: I thought I'd add this category this week and continue it through the pregnancy. We had to science the shit out of this pregnancy and here is how we are maintaining it:

6am: 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

7:30am: 10mg prednisone, 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

9am: 1 Prenatal and 2 DHA. I picked this specific one because it has methylated folate which is needed if you have the MTHFR gene mutation. 

2pm: 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

7:30pm: 40mg Lovonox injection in the belly

9pm (if I can stay up that late): 200mg vaginal progesterone and 2mg of Estrace

Blump/Bump: It is still all blump at this point. In the morning there is nothing to see but as the day progresses the gas and blump grow. I am using the rubber band trick on my button in the afternoon mostly because I don't like the feeling of my pants on my belly.

Baby preparations: While it is still really early, I am starting to think about contacting a doula. I am not sure how fast they book up and I think I know the woman I want. Also, I have started to clear room in the basement for my clothes so that Jason's clothes can go in our room and that will free up the closet in the baby's room. I listed the couch that is in that room for sale but only a few scammers have responded.

Sex prediction: Honestly, I have no idea. There are a few methods for predicting the sex and so far they contradict each other.

Lower heart rate = boy and higher heart rate = girl.   Prediction: Girl

Morning sickness = girl and no morning sickness = boy.   Prediction:  Girl

Salty foods = boy and sweet foods = girl. Prediction: Boy

Placenta on right side = boy and placenta on left side = girl.  Prediction: Boy