I just got back from my 15/16 week appt. I've lost a pound since last time despite eating like a pig (hurray! I have a metabolism!), and Strychnine's heart rate is 144 bpm. And, wah, I still feel all queasy. Poop. Plus I'm starting to show, at least to myself; I'm sure the college kids in orchestra just think, "Oh, the fat chick's getting fatter," but that's okay :) They'll understand when I come back 9 months preggo in September (if I come back).
Stupid Jan thing: sprained my ankle yesterday. That makes 6 times in 13 years on that ankle -- last time was 2 years 10 months ago (Stephen was 4 weeks old) so I guess I was due :P This one seems a lot worse than the previous few, though -- hurts a lot more, and I can't put any weight on it. It's particularly annoying right now because I still have to pee every couple of hours at night, and getting to the bathroom is a real chore. I'd seriously consider some kind of chamber pot if the bedroom wasn't carpeted. It was actually easier when Stephen was a baby, because he just wanted to nurse all the time anyway -- no problem just sitting on the couch. Now that he's a toddler, he has wider and further-away needs and wants.
Stupid ankle.
We've told Stephen about the baby, and I pointed to my stomach to show him approximately where it is (lower abdomen at this point). This morning he pulled up my shirt, pointed to my stomach, and said, "There's baby!" and started talking to my belly. I told him that if it was a girl, it would be his little sister, and if it was a boy, it would be his little brother, then asked him if he thought it would be a boy or a girl, and he said (quite without hesitation), "Girl!" I hope he's right :)
Will be 16 weeks tomorrow. Maybe suckness will go away soon?
I'm about in the same place, and we've heard the heartbeat twice already. Every night I feel around for my uterus and try to figure out if it feels bigger or not. I think, having read the TTC [trying to conceive] thread for so long, I'm way too aware of everything that can go wrong and how common it really seems to be. And then sometimes I feel almost guilty because for the most part (aside from some spotting last month), so little has gone wrong, and it was pretty easy both times to conceive. I wish it was easy for everyone here [on the forum].
I just made a "new baby book" for Stephen. When my mom was expecting my sister, she made one of these books for me, and then another for the two of us before my brother was born -- I still have them, though they're in pretty bad shape. She hand-drew all the pictures and text, but since I'm not quite that talented, I used the computer for this one.
I just eBay'd about 5 pairs of jeans and 3 pairs of shorts to convert into maternity pants/shorts. Plus-sized maternity stuff is ludicrously expensive and hard-to-find, so I figure I'm saving about $150 doing it myself. And I can sell them back on eBay when I'm done :) Just happy at the prospect of wearing jeans that fit!
I think I look more pregnant this time than last time, but I'm positive I still won't get any comments because people are afraid that if they ask when a fat woman is due, she'll turn out just to be fat. I might make a button to wear that says "Fat AND pregnant" or something :)
(Re. fetal movement) I think so. I thought I'd felt it a couple of weeks ago, but then many days went by when I wasn't feeling anything, so I wonder if it was just regular abdominal stuff before. But I think I have felt some non-intestinal thumps in the last few days. I wish there was something more definite about early baby movements; after Stephen was born, I would occasionally feel things that felt *just like* a baby moving, when it clearly was not :)
Argh. 19 weeks and already the pubic bone pain has started. :P Must start doing yoga or something.
Had my 19/20 week visit today. My BP was 118/72, I've gained 2 lbs since last time (for a total of 5, despite eating constantly), uterus is measuring normally, fetal heartrate was great, so I'm happy today. I had been getting worried because I haven't felt much in the way of movement, but apparently I didn't report it last time until 19/20 weeks either.
On the downside, since everything was so good, there's no medical justification for an ultrasound, which I was hoping to have this month. Is it no longer standard practice to offer one at 20 weeks? I was under the impression that most of the women here had one then. Ah well.
I'm sure mine is a weird case anyway because I'm seeing a homebirth midwife, and setting up an US means contacting a group that has one (my MW does have a partnership with a local womens' health center) and all the scheduling hassles that entails. I know the ACOG doesn't recommend routine US as part of their overall prenatal care program, but I did think most OBs/midwives did them anyway.
One of the younger violin players in the orchestra (still in high school) asked me, at 8 weeks, if I knew the sex. I gave her a quick bio lesson, about how the sexes aren't differentiable until 12 weeks at least, and I hadn't had an ultrasound anyway.
My midwife did say that she would support an US later on in the pregnancy, when it would be more useful and give more information on fetal status (not in those words). I do agree there's no medical necessity at this point -- was just hoping to see what was going on in there. If I were to schedule one myself now, wouldn't I need some kind of referral, though?
I'm not glowing at all this time. Feh. I hope the old wives' tale about girls stealing their mother's looks (such as they are!) is true, at least, as that would practically guarantee me a girl :)
My pubic symphysis has separated to the point that if I am lying in bed, I can squeeze my legs together and feel the two halves moving. Ick.
Heh. At 6 weeks, Julie, I was saying, "Gee, I really don't feel pregnant -- no nausea or anything!" Then it bit me hard in the ass, because I *still* am occasionally nauseous at 21-going-on-22 weeks. I hope that doesn't happen for you, but BEWAAAAARE the suckness karma fairy!
I am amused when I apply pressure to a part of my belly, and am rewarded with little kicks, which I imagine to be either of, "Hey, quit messing with my space!" or "Hey, there's someone out there!" Neither of which is really possible at 22 weeks, but still.
Why oh why must Strychnine keep kicking me in the cervix? Try UP instead of DOWN, kidlet!
I've had a few good kicks I could feel on the outside, but naturally never when David or Stephen are around.
Too bad we can't demonstrate the poking babies would feel to partners. If you sealed them in a large trash bag full of water, with SCUBA equipment, that would do, but it's not really practical.
Had my 23/24 week appt. today. All is well. BP was 118/68, weight was actually down 2 lbs from last time (but last time I was wearing jeans when I got weighed, so I figure I probably stayed at the same weight). Fetal heart rate was 148, fundus was right at 23 cm, no protein/sugar spillage. So, still no U/S for me :)
Blerg. I have had such heartburn since yesterday -- steak sandwich was definitely a bad idea :P I even dreamed about having heartburn last night, woke up, and took a couple Rolaids. And it's still here today!
Not that it compares even slightly with hyperemesis, of course.
Had my 27/28 week appt. this morning -- everything's good except my iron, which was 10.5 where it should be around 13.5. Smiled and nodded through my midwife's lecture on Why Iron Is Important... didn't feel it was the time to remind her I do have a degree in biology. Stephen was a terror, as I had to wake him up early to get to the appt -- with luck, he'll want a nap or at least an early bedtime tonight.
I've been having some more bleeding, myself -- three times in the last two days. Brownish, mucusy (sorry for the yuck), and while it's no flood, it's not really just spotting, either. Haven't had *major* cramps, and it doesn't seem to coincide with the crampiness I've had all along. No sex since Thursday, no cervical exams. Not sure about infections. If it happens again, I'm going to call my MW and see about having a more thorough exam, maybe an ultrasound to make sure it's not placenta previa, though I think the placenta is pretty high, based on where I can feel the most movement (usually down low, not so much up high). Irksome, but it doesn't sound as bad as Davies' -- you certainly have my sympathies, and I hope they figure out what it is!