37 Weeks: Officially Full Term!

How far along? 37 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Don't even want to know, but I am guessing 40-45 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight.
Maternity clothes? Yes, although I can still wear some non-maternity stuff that is large or loose.
Stretch marks? None, and I'm really hoping it stays that way!
Sleep: Overall, not bad. It could be worse, but it could also be better. I still wake up in the middle of the night at least once a week and can't fall back asleep, and overall my sleep is definitely lighter and less restful, but I'll take whatever I can get before the baby's born!
Best moment this week: Reaching full term!
Movement: Yes, but not as much as before. Movements are more muffled, less distinct. Baby doesn't hiccup as much either.
Food cravings: Soups, salads, lots of vegetables and fruits, dark chocolate.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Some Braxton Hicks contractions, but those don't really count. Otherwise none as far as I can tell.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely out (AC says it looks like a third nipple :)
What I miss: Hands and feet that don't swell, clear skin, being able to hear and not feeling so horribly congested all the time.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting and bonding with my son, getting everything prepared for his arrival (still feels like there's a lot to do), breastfeeding!
Weekly Wisdom: Baby could come at any time or it could be another 3-3.5 weeks.
Milestones: Reaching full term!

What I am going to miss: I decided to add this category because now that my pregnancy is drawing to a close, I find myself becoming nostalgic about the whole process and even feel somewhat jealous of women who are just starting their pregnancy journeys (crazy I know, but I guess infertility will do that to you). I am going to miss everything, but especially feeling and seeing his movements, my belly bump, eating for two (or rather, knowing that everything I eat affects not only my own body, but his as well), not worrying so much about or being focused on my weight, what I'm wearing (these days I'm happy if it fits and is comfortable), or what I look like, lack of menstruation and everything that goes along with it, the extra attention from friends and strangers alike, feeling proud of my body which, despite all its faults, has done a pretty good job of carrying and caring for this little one, having a special, private relationship with Ziggy that is all our own, never feeling truly alone even when I'm by myself, being able to be with the baby all the time and take care of him yet still do pretty much whatever I want to (within reason), and finally, even if I have many more of my own children, never getting to experience the magic and awe of a first pregnancy ever again.

There's a lot more to say about this week, but I'll save that for another post.

Week 33: 3 Doctor's Appointments in 3 Days!

I'm 33 weeks today, and whew, what a week it's been! I flew on Saturday, and had an easy uneventful trip, for the most part that is. As usual, I was traveling with the Vest as one of my two carry-on pieces. Normally I would simply stuff it in the overhead bin myself, but being in my current condition, I didn't think it would be wise to lift such a heavy weight over my head. I had figured (incorrectly, it turned out!) that either a flight attendant or a helpful fellow passenger would see me struggling with my relatively large bag and offer to give me a hand, but no such luck. In general, I have not received the doting care from strangers that seems to be lavished on most pregnant women. I wonder if it's because I'm not a "cute" pregnant women with a perfect little bump, but that could just be the bitterness talking :P

Anyway, I ended up asking a flight attendant for help in stowing my bag in the overhead bin, but she said that due to liability issues, she was not supposed to lift passenger bags. Excuse me?! Isn't that part of your job?! I mean, what are disabled passengers traveling alone supposed to do in that case? She also said that my bag was really too big and that I should have checked it. I was starting to get annoyed, but I told her calmly that this was a piece of valuable medical equipment worth over $16,000 so I didn't want to check it, and suddenly she changed her tune, and said that in that case, there was a special area in the back for stowing medical equipment. After we'd landed, all I had to do was wait for all the other passengers to deplane before retrieving it (which wasn't a big deal since I had a long layover in Phoenix). On the next leg of my flight I knew to ask to have my bag stored in back, and everything went off without a hitch.

On Tuesday I had my first appointment with the new MFM, and overall I like the office. It seems a bit busier and more disorganized than Dr. W's, but they also seem a bit more proactive. After a fairly long wait (even though I was supposedly the first scheduled appointment of the afternoon), a nurse took me back to weigh me and check my blood pressure. I didn't even bother looking to see how much I'd gained and thankfully, they didn't tell me. I knew it wouldn't be accurate anyway, since I was being weighed right after lunch and they wouldn't even let me empty my bladder beforehand (there was a line for the bathroom). Finally I got to leave a urine sample and wait some more. Then a nice 4th year medical student came in to go over some of my history with me. She also measured Ziggy's heart rate with the doppler (154) and my fundal height (31, so almost 2 cm less than it should be). She was eventually joined by the doctor and someone else (a nurse maybe?). In order to try to keep this post to a manageable length, I wont go into too much detail about the visit, but I did want to post a few things I learned.

My doctor, Dr. D, will be on vacation in October, but will be back in November, so I will be seen by another doctor in the practice until he returns. They have a team approach, so I'll be delivered by whichever doctor happens to be on call when I go into labor. Dr. D is only on call once a month, so it's unlikely he will be delivering me. Honestly that's fine with me. Since I've had such little continuity with doctors throughout this pregnancy, I don't feel especially attached to anyone. Assuming that everything continues to look good, he expects me to have a normal vaginal delivery and to make it to full term (approximately 40 weeks), but if I haven't delivered by my due date, he wont let me go much beyond 40 weeks, but will induce sometime between 40 and 41 weeks. It's kind of nice to know the upper limit of when I'll deliver. So, at most I have 7.5 weeks left! Eeek!

Other than that, he ordered an Echo of my heart just to make sure everything was fine. With situs inversus, there is a slight risk of heart problems. In fact, my internist ordered me an Echo a few years back when I was experiencing occasional chest palpitations, but it didn't indicate any problems, so this is really just a precaution. He also ordered an ultrasound for next week, as well as weekly non stress tests to check on the baby and the functioning of the placenta. He also said I should meet with an anesthesiologist to discuss receiving an epidural. At the end of the visit, I received the regular seasonal flu shot and will get the H1N1 shot as soon as it's available in a few weeks. I also had to deposit another urine sample and have my blood drawn before finally leaving the office several hours after my appointment time.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I met with one of the anesthesiologists to discuss getting an epidural and also the possibility of needing general anesthesia. After reviewing my medical history and asking me some questions, he told me a bit about the epidural and general anesthesia procedures and seemed to think I wouldn't have trouble with either one, although he did say that avoiding general anesthesia would be preferable of course.

Today I had the non-stress test over in the hospital where I'll be delivering (Dr. D's office is right across the street, so it's all very close by). The nurse strapped two monitors on my belly and had me lie down on my side on a bed for 15 minutes. One monitor measured Ziggy's heart rate, while the other measured whether I was having any contractions. Ziggy's heart rate was very stable and consistent in the 150s, so the nurse said he must be asleep. She gave me some cold water to try to wake him up, but that didn't work, so then she pulled out a little buzzing alarm and placed it down low, right by his head. Well, that definitely woke him up, and his hear rate climbed into the high 160s, which was what she was looking for. The nurse seemed a little concerned however since the second monitor showed that I was having some contractions. She asked me if I could feel them, and I said no. However, once she pointed them out, I could feel the monitor digging in slightly when I was supposedly having the contractions.

After she removed the monitors and checked my blood pressure(118/72), she instructed me to sit tight while she verified with the on call doctor that it was ok for me to leave. At this point I started to get a little worried that these contractions were a big deal. She came back though and said I was free to go, but to make sure to drink plenty of water and to not overdo my activities. Also, if I have four contractions in an hour, I'm to go to labor and delivery to get checked. It kind of worries me though--if I can't tell that I'm having contractions, how will I know when to go to labor and delivery? Now I'm at home guzzling water like crazy and trying to stay off my feet as much as possible.

So that's the story for this week. I'm sure I'll have more to report next week what with three more medical appointments, but for now it's a relief to have a four day break without any responsibilites.

32 Weeks: In which Ziggy and I take our leave of the "Natural State" (aka Arkansas)

Ack, it's been an entire week since I last posted! Time to remedy that. Today marks 32 weeks, and I must say, this week has brought some new symptoms. I woke up twice in the middle of the night with what felt like very mild cramps in my lower back, right where I usually feel menstrual cramps. I tried to shift position to relieve the discomfort but that didn't really work. Getting up and drinking about 8 glasses of water did though! I guess I was just dehydrated. I'm still trying to figure out if these two episodes could have been Braxton Hicks contractions. My belly did feel sort of harder and firmer than usual, but sometimes I think that's just due to how Ziggy's positioned.

Speaking of Ziggy, he has been quite the little Thumper this week! Aside from the usual rolling undulations of my belly, I have also experienced episodes of very rapid kicking that feel like a very strong flutter, which makes my belly jump and pulsate, sometimes in two locations at once. It almost seems as if he's saying, "Hey, it's getting cramped in here, and I need to stretch out!" Thump, thump, thump! He has episodes of hiccups at least once, but sometimes up to three times a day, which means he's being a good little boy and practicing his breathing. Another sensation I've noticed, especially if I'm lying on my side and place my hand on my lower belly, way down on the side by my hip bone, is the feeling of something rolling across the lower part of my belly. Since I know his head is down there, I imagine he's either turning his head or moving his little hand near his face. Anyway, it's a cool feeling--I wish I could describe it better.

Speaking of Ziggy's head being down low, my half Russian friend saw me this weekend and said my belly looked different, that maybe I had already dropped!? That surprised me since from what I've read, the baby dropping tends to happen about 2-4 weeks before delivery (although I also read plenty of anecdotal stories online of women going past their due dates even though their babies had dropped before 30 weeks!). I really hope Ziggy doesn't arrive in 2-4 weeks! Please stay in there at least till 37, little guy!

It's kind of crazy to think that full term could be anywhere from 5-10 weeks from now. That's such a large range of time. My friend asked me if I was eager to get the baby out and stop being pregnant, and honestly, I'm not. I still don't feel that physically uncomfortable (although admittedly I have experienced increased sinus congestion and wheezing this week), and I love the feeling of Ziggy's movements. I think I will really miss that aspect of being pregnant once he's outside of me. But, I did admit that I'll feel relieved once he's safely delivered. I don't actively think about it, but there's always the fear at the back of my mind that something could go wrong in the last few weeks or during labor and delivery. Of course once he's born, I guess there will be other things to worry about (SIDS, flu season, etc), so I really can't escape it. Welcome to motherhood, right?

Anyway, back to Ziggy's head dropping...I think it might be true because all of a sudden this week I have to pee every five seconds it seems. Sure I've been urinating with greater frequency for the entire pregnancy, but this is different. I have the strong urge to go again as soon as I get off the toilet, but when I go, usually only a small amount comes out. The worst was when I decided to walk around the track at the base gym on Tuesday. I don't know if it was the walking that brought it on, but it felt like something (his head) was literally resting on my bladder, and sometimes the urge to go would grow really strong and then subside just as suddenly. I had to stop three times to use the bathroom.

Afterward, a woman who had been shooting baskets in the gym below the track asked when I was due (the first time a stranger has asked!) and then said something about how she hoped all my walking wasn't going to induce labor. That gave me pause for a moment. I definitely don't want to induce labor prematurely, but I also know how important it is for my entire body, especially my lungs, to be exercised. I'd been feeling like a bit of a slacker in the exercise department for a few weeks (it's not that I've totally given it up--it just hasn't been as consistent and regular) and wanted to start exercising more regularly in these last couple of months before the baby comes (just walking and prenatal yoga now--the prenatal aerobics I was doing earlier has been way too jarring since I entered the third trimester). For a while now, it's seemed like I always had some excuse for not exercising (extreme fatigue, a bad night of sleep, aching hips, feeling overheated, stomach ache, too hungry or too full, etc), but all of a sudden I feel a lot more energetic and want to be active. Sitting around is not appealing and I feel the urge to clean and organize. I guess this is the famous nesting instinct I've heard about kicking in. Good timing too since we have to move out of our place by Monday (I'm flying to CA on Saturday, so I wont be here for the actual move out, but I plan to clean everything before I leave).

As much as I am sad to be separated from AC, I'll be relieved once I'm safely in CA and near my new doctor. It's a bit scary to be traveling alone at 32 weeks (unfortunately AC has to stay here for a bit longer--I'll update more about his plans as they solidify). So, chances are my next post will be written from the West Coast. Until next time then...

Good, Bad, Ugly

Good: Unlike the majority of pregnant women, I have not suffered from constipation during this pregnancy at all.

Bad: Instead I've had frequent tummy aches, gas and gas pains, and loose stools throughout the pregnancy.

Ugly: Since Thursday, these loose stools have turned into about 6-7 bouts of diarrhea per day. Ugh!

Week 26: In which Ziggy takes up karate and I turn into a cow

Yesterday I was officially 26 weeks, and in honor of this milestone, Ziggy became quite the little martial artist, flipping, rolling, kicking, punching, poking, jabbing, you name it! It was quite entertaining to feel and watch my belly all day long. His movements were not only a lot more frequent, but also sometimes really strong. It never hurt, but sometimes the force did surprise me! I hope this means he will be a natural at karate. AC can't wait to introduce him to his new passion, especially since he was denied the chance to even try it as a kid. Ziggy's being a lot quieter today, so maybe he tuckered himself out. Poor little guy!

In other news, it appears that I have started to lactate! Ok, maybe leaking would be a better term. A few times I've noticed there were small, clear but slightly milky beads of liquid on my nipples, and today, when I tried squeezing my breasts, even more came out! I figure this is the colostrum. I actually find it quite exciting. I hope this means I will have a good milk supply.

I don't really have any expectations for how I want my birth to go (other than that I have to have an epidural or pain medication when requested!), but I know that I definitely want to breastfeed and will be really disappointed if for some reason I can't do it. My mother, who is certainly not the type to glorify or sentimentalize child rearing, always fondly reminisces about breastfeeding me and how much she loved it. So, I am hoping it's a similar story for me and Ziggy. By the way, my mother breastfed me exclusively for 14 months and hand-expressed the occasional bottle when she needed to be away or to relieve engorgement while working full time (as a professor though, she did have a much more flexible schedule and worked mostly from home).

So, I am going to hold off on buying a pump and all that various paraphernalia until I'm sure I'll actually need or want it. Personally, the idea of pumping doesn't appeal to me at all. It seems like a lot of work, what with washing and disinfecting all the bottles and equipment. I may rent one from the hospital first to see if I even like it or can get much milk that way. I know some women hate pumping and/or can't actually produce much milk with a pump, so I'd rather try it out first before plunking down all that money.

Anyway, all in all a good week as far as pregnancy goes. I can't believe there's only a week (or two, depending on which pregnancy calendar I refer to) left of the second trimester! Third trimester here I come!

A Trio of Happy Events

I didn't hear from Dr. W's office yesterday, which means I passed the glucose screen! Yay!

Ziggy had the hiccups this morning for the first time (or at least it was the first time I've felt it)--it was so cute!

My sleep seems to have improved the past few days (crossing fingers!). Of course now that I've said it, I probably wont be able to sleep at all!

A few new random, pregnancy developments

AC set up his first "Last Will and Testament!" The most important part was naming a guardian for Ziggy in the hopefully unlikely event that both of us die or become incapacitated (not a pleasant thought, but as responsible parents, we need to consider and plan for the worst case scenario). He listed my mother as the main guardian and his mother as an alternate.

I received my first pregnancy comment from someone without having to first inform them that I'm pregnant! It was from the check-out clerk at the library. Of course, I was checking out a prenatal exercise DVD, so that might have tipped her off. But I've checked out prenatal DVDs and books before, and no one ever said anything. Perhaps I didn't look pregnant enough before, and they were worried about insulting me if they were wrong. But apparently now I do look pregnant enough! Anyway, it was kind of exciting :)

My feet have been bothering me lately. My ankles tend to pronate and my arches fall when I stand, so I have always had problems with my feet, but recently I've developed this really painful spot on my right heel. If I step on it a certain way, it screams with pain. This has happened to me in the past occasionally, but it's become a lot worse and a lot more frequent (virtually every day now). I am starting to hobble a little in an attempt to avoid the insanely painful spot. My step-dad used to have this problem too, and it turned out to be a bone spur in his case. I'm assuming it's related to pregnancy and my increasing weight putting more pressure on my feet. I don't know what to do. Should I see a podiatrist or some other doctor? I think I will mention it to Dr. W at my appointment on Thursday and see what he recommends.

Ziggy kicked my bladder the other day! It felt really funny, kind of like someone was tickling my bladder. Luckily it wasn't very full and the kicking was brief or I might have had to run for the toilet! Speaking of bladders, I've noticed that sometimes after I cough, sneeze, or laugh really hard, there's a small spot of urine in my panties. I guess I finally have pregnancy incontinence!

Anyway, sorry for the randomness! These were just a few things I wanted to share, but didn't know how to coherently tie them all together.

Week 21: The Best Feeling in the World

It's funny, just this past week I was complaining to AC about how I really want to feel the baby kick me and know for certain that it really is Ziggy and not just my wonky intestines. It would just be a nice reassuring sign that all is well with little Ziggy. Plus, every woman I know who's been pregnant has told me how amazing it is to feel their baby kicking.

Well, today I finally got my wish! The past few days I'd experienced what felt like a small poke, jab, or thump in my lower belly, a few inches below my belly button, but it would only happen once and then there would be nothing. At first I was pretty sure it was the baby, but then I would start second guessing myself. Then yesterday I just felt really aware of my uterus. It felt really heavy and full and just...well, there! My belly also seemed to feel firmer and harder than before. And I would get these little aches on the right side of my lower abdomen that were different from the sharp, stabbing round ligament pains that I sometimes get when I cough, sneeze, or change position too quickly. Then while I was lying in bed last night, I noticed little fluttery sensations on the right side, around where the pain had been earlier, and so I think maybe Ziggy was kicking or punching something inside (like an organ, maybe?) that was making it ache.

And now this morning, I started to feel the same little jabs, pokes, and thumps, except instead of just one, there were several in a row. They would stop for a while and then restart after a bit. First they were more on the right side, and then they moved toward the middle. And they are definitely the baby! Now I'm absolutely sure of it. Sometimes it kind of felt like he was rolling over in there. It was the most amazing feeling in the world! And then, just when I thought I couldn't get any happier, I saw my belly jump (not just once, but several times)--I actually saw it move from the outside because of the strength of the kicks! It was surreal. I mean, I thought that would only happen later on, but I'm glad it's happening now. It's about time! I was starting to get worried.

The timing is actually perfect because just today I made the decision not to do my weekly check of Ziggy's heart rate with the doppler anymore. I just read some stuff online that suggested it may not be a good idea to use the home doppler after 20 weeks because the baby's hearing is fully developed by now, and some people suspect that the doppler could sound really loud to the baby and possibly even harm the baby's hearing. So, to be on the safe side, I decided to retire the doppler for the rest of this pregnancy and fervently hoped that I would soon be able to feel Ziggy kicking. Well, now I can, and it is such a relief! I swear I could spend all day just holding and watching my belly for signs of movement. I can't wait to share the news with AC. He's sleeping in this morning, so I wasn't able to include him in feeling and seeing the kicks. Hopefully it wont be too much longer before he gets to feel/see them too. It's really just a matter of timing I think.

Anyway, I am just so over the moon with happiness right now and in love with my baby! And when I think how lucky I am that the IVF worked the first time, even though we just transferred a single embryo, it makes me feel so terribly sad for all the infertile women out there who are still trying desperately to conceive, or even worse, the ones who have exhausted all their medical and financial possibilities and now have to come to terms with the fact that they will never carry their own biological child (or even a non-biological child, if it's with a donor egg or embryo). I wish every woman who wants to could experience pregnancy at least once. It is truly a magical experience, and there's absolutely nothing like it on earth.

Week 20: It's a boy!

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up about 2.5 lbs since last 16 week OB visit, up about 10.5 lbs since 11 week OB visit, up about 14.5 lbs since November pre-pregnancy weight.
Maternity clothes? Yes, definitely!
Stretch marks? None more than usual, although I think some of the old stretch marks on my breasts, hips, and thighs are becoming more obvious.
Sleep: I'm almost afraid to say it for fear of jinxing things, but it's been pretty good. The key seems to be keeping the apartment cool at night. I'm pretty sure the reason I wasn't sleeping well a while back is because I was too warm at night. Now I sleep a lot (8, 9, 10 hours a night), and have vivid, sometimes disturbing dreams.

Best moment this week: Finding out that Ziggy is a boy! Wow!
Movement: Sometimes I think I feel movement, but a lot of the time I'm still convinced it's just intestinal gurgling. But Ziggy was definitely moving a lot on the ultrasound today.
Food cravings: Sushi (only made with cooked ingredients of course), American cheese singles (I bought organic ones made without artificial food coloring, so I don't feel so bad for eating them :), cheese in general, tomatoes, fruit, kefir, chocolate, ice cream...can't think of anything else at the moment.

Gender: It's a boy!
Labor Signs: Occasional mild cramps, but that's normal, according to my doctor.
Belly Button in or out? In, but I think it's starting to make it's way out.
What I miss: Raw fish, Caesar salad dressing, runny eggs, clear skin.
What I am looking forward to: The next ultrasound between 28-32 weeks to check on the small cyst in Ziggy's brain/head and make sure everything's okay (I really hope it is--I'll post more on this later).
Weekly Wisdom: Try not to obsess and worry about things over which you have no control (like the small cyst in Ziggy's brain/head that may indicate a chromosomal abnormality!).

Milestones: I'm halfway through the pregnancy, and halfway through the second trimester! Finding out the sex!

Second Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms

As I've said before, I've been extremely fortunate to have had a relatively easy pregnancy up until this point. But that doesn't mean it's all been smooth sailing! Since I don't want to forget a moment of my pregnancy, good or bad, here's a list of the symptoms I've been experiencing lately:

Trouble sleeping: After sleeping really well during the first trimester (probably due to all the progesterone I was taking), my sleep has become a lot lighter, more restless, and more fragmented. Sometimes I wake up (usually because I have to pee) and then can't fall back asleep. This can happen at 2, 3, 4, or 5 am. I'll lie awake for hours, tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position (recently I've begun sleeping with a pillow between my knees, and this does seem to help). Usually I'll get up to eat once I start to get hungry. Sometimes I can fall asleep again after eating something and lying in bed reading.

Fatigue: I think this is mainly related to sleep-deprivation. On those days when I haven't had a good night's sleep, I hardly have any energy, and spend most of the day on the couch reading or watching tv/movies on my laptop.

Decreased stamina: Normally I can push my body pretty far, but now I find that I get tired a lot more easily. I can't work out as long or as hard as before I was pregnant. I am really trying to listen to my body now and rest when I feel like I've had enough.

Crazy, vivid dreams: Sometimes they're disturbing, sometimes weird. Recently I had another dream that I was having a baby boy. What's up with that? I'll know soon enough if it's prophetic :)

Frequent urination: I thought this had improved a bit as I entered the second trimester, but now it's getting worse again. In the first trimester I would wake up to pee, stumble to the bathroom half asleep, and then stumble back to bed and immediately return to slumber land. Now that my sleep is lighter, I'm more likely to stay awake after getting up to pee in the middle of the night. I've been trying to limit fluid intake after 6pm, which sometimes seems to work and sometimes doesn't. Sometimes I get really thirsty after dinner, especially if I had a high-sodium meal, and can't help drinking a lot of water.

Skin problems: This includes acne, dry, itchy red, irritated skin, spider veins, and breaking out in a heat rash (at least I think that's what it is) after walking outside in the heat. Basically my already sensitive skin is even more wacko than usual.

Skin pigmentation: Fortunately I haven't developed melasma/chloasma (I am hyper-vigilant about avoiding the sun, and wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat when I am outside), however I do have a faint linea nigra, and my areola have become a lot darker and larger than they were before.

Sore nipples: Although my breasts aren't sore anymore, my nipples become extremely hard, sore, and painful when they're cold, especially after taking a shower. In the first trimester, they would burn really painfully when this happened, and it took a while for them to return to normal. Now the pain isn't quite so intense or long lasting, but I still have to remember to quickly put on some clothes as soon as I hop out of the shower and to always bring a sweatshirt or something warm when we're inside in case the air conditioning is too strong.

Increased hunger and thirst: This is to be expected of course. I'm especially hungry when I don't get enough sleep. When I'm sleep deprived I swear I get hungry almost every hour, and yet at the same time, I feel kind of full and slightly nauseated like I don't want to eat anything. I try to eat small frequent meals and snacks to keep my blood sugar stable, and it seems to help. It's funny but sometimes the same food tastes really good to me, better than it ever did before I was pregnant, and other times, it kind of repulses me.

Increased gas and stomach ache: Sometimes the gas pains were so bad in the first trimester that I would spend the whole day in bed, drinking peppermint tea, chewing gas-x tablets, and in general trying anything to make the pain go away. This has improved quite a bit as I've progressed into the second trimester, but it can still be an issue.

Occasional burping/heart burn: I wouldn't even mention this since it happens so rarely, except that it's unusual for me to experience it at all. Fortunately the heart burn lasts for only a second when it does happen, which is almost never.

Loose stool: I would much rather have this problem than the opposite one of constipation!

Occasional pains/twinges in lower abdomen: I have definitely experienced the infamous round ligament pain, especially when I cough or change position abruptly. In general I just feel more aware of my uterus, of its weight, and of a faint, almost crampy feeling sometimes.

Dry eyes: They feel especially dry and irritated when I wake up in the morning. I've completely given up wearing contacts. My vision also seems slightly blurrier. Supposedly it should return to normal soon after I give birth

Feeling more emotional: I get teary a lot more easily, especially when watching/reading about something that involves children. I am usually not the type who cries easily (except when I have PMS), so this is definitely new to me!

Increased stupidity/forgetfulness: My memory (which is normally pretty good) is definitely a lot worse. Basically I am just a space cadet these days! I've done some pretty stupid things, like forgetting to lock the car in a parking lot and even worse, leaving the keys in the car so anyone could have stolen it--thankfully that didn't happen!

Well, I'm probably forgetting something (see last symptom listed above!), but that's all I can think of for now. Overall I feel great and am so happy and grateful to be able to have this amazing experience of carrying my own child. Thinking of Ziggy, feeling him/her moving inside me, listening to his/her heart beat, and best of all, imagining what this little person will be like and who they will become makes every little discomfort so worth it.

Week 13: Pregnancy Quiz

So I finally caved and decided to do that pregnancy quiz I keep seeing floating around cyberspace. I think it would be a little repetitive to do it every week, but since this week marks the end of the first trimester, it seemed like a good time to do it.

How far along? 13 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Don't actually know since I haven't been weighing myself, but I'm definitely gaining weight (will post belly pic soon).
Maternity clothes? No, not yet, but I have started wearing some of my larger/looser/more comfortable clothes. Will probably need to buy some maternity clothes soon though.
Stretch marks? None more than usual :)
Sleep: Somewhat restless, especially toward morning. Have lots of vivid dreams. Get up to pee a lot. The worst is when I wake up at 2 or 3 and can't fall back asleep :(

Best moment this week: Finding out that my progesterone is above 90!
Movement: I know Ziggy is bouncing around in there because I saw it on the last ultrasound, but unfortunately I can't feel it just yet.
Food cravings: Ok, these are all the cravings I've had since the beginning of my pregnancy: angel hair pasta with peas and parmesan cheese, smoothies, milk, hummus, avocado, cheese, cream of wheat with strawberries (used to eat it as a kid), toasted oats cereal (like cheerios) with milk and banana, mac and cheese, pizza, english muffin with fried egg, scrambled eggs...I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Gender: I don't get how people can know one way or the other, aside from just guessing. My mother says boy since I had such mild morning sickness. I really have no idea, although I would be totally happy either way.
Labor Signs: No, hopefully not for a while.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Not much really. I guess I miss not having perpetually bad skin! And not being constantly gassy :P And not waking up to pee several times each night.
What I am looking forward to: Stopping the progesterone suppositories, getting my doppler fetal heart rate monitor in the mail so I can listen to Ziggy's heartbeat whenever I want to, feeling Ziggy move, seeing Ziggy on the next ultrasound with AC, finding out the sex, Mother's Day (yay!)
Weekly Wisdom: Don't rush the pregnancy

Milestones: This week is the dividing line between the first and second trimesters!

Week 6

Hard to believe I'm 6 weeks pregnant as of today! That's about halfway through the first trimester! Sometimes the whole thing seems very unreal. I guess that's normal since I can't really feel the baby inside me yet. I do feel some of the side effects, but they're really not that bad, and if I didn't know I was pregnant, I would probably attribute them to something else. The side effects also seem to have improved, which somehow doesn't seem quite right. Aren't I supposed to be feeling worse as things progress? The bit of nausea I had last week, which I thought was the beginning of the horrible morning sickness my mother had warned me about, seems to have abated. My mother says it was off and on in the beginning for her too so maybe it will hit me with full force soon. I don't know, I feel like I'm getting away with something by not feeling sick all the time.

So my symptoms are:

• swollen, sore breasts (although this started after the retrieval when I was put on estrogen and progesterone, before Ziggy was even inside me),
• frequent urination I guess (although it's hard to tell because I tend to drink a lot of water and pee a lot anyway)
• some fatigue (although it's improved a lot, and I love the fact that I can actually fall asleep and stay asleep--yay for progesterone!)
• increased appetite in the beginning (now I don't feel particularly hungry and kind of have to force myself to eat)
• occasional dizziness/light-headedness
  
• increased forgetfulness and stupidity (is this the "mommy brain" I've heard people talk about?)
• headaches (they were pretty bad at first, but have practically gone now--this was probably the worst side effect for me)
• mild nausea (will it get worse?)
• irritability, mood swings, and increased sensitivity and weepiness (kind of like PMS, but they've improved a lot as well)
• bloating and lower abdominal distention (this is the one side effect that is increasing!)
• bad taste in mouth and increased salivation (I probably wouldn't have really noticed this if I hadn't read about it in a pregnancy book)
• increased sense of smell (since normally I have such a bad sense of smell, this has been pretty cool except of course when there are nasty smells like in NYC :)
• very mild occasional heart burn
• twinges/tugging sensation in my lower belly (these have pretty much gone away by now)
• increased heart rate and respiration which makes me feel kind of breathless when I exert myself
  

So, overall I feel pretty good right now. As for the baby, Ziggy is about 2-5 mm in length (about the size of a baby pea!) and starting to form tongue and nasal pits, as well as "flippers" which will later develop into arms. Ziggy's eyes and ears are also beginning to form, as well as the surface layer of skin. A groove (known as the laryngotracheal groove) is forming and will later become the larynx or voice box while the beginnings of the mouth, digestive system, and respiratory systems are evident as well. Ziggy's head, brain, and nervous system are undergoing rapid development too, which is why I started taking some prenatal DHA and EPA today. Most amazingly, Ziggy's little heart is starting to beat and should be visible on the ultrasound on Tuesday! According to what I've read online, these next few weeks of embryonic development are especially important, so I'm going to try to avoid all possible hazards. I want little Ziggy to have the best possible start in life.